Airport Payoff Plan Set For Vote
The Council has scheduled a key vote today on Mayor Poopy's LAX modernization plan. Part of this is a $500 million payoff to local cities and organizations including labor unions that we reported on a few days ago.
Though the $500 million payoff is couched in terms of providing relief to neighboring cities, a good chunk of it is going to labor groups and others in exchange for a "no sue" pledge. Essentially, we give you some dough and you leave us alone so we can ramrod an $11 billion Sears acquisition size airport expansion boondoogle down the citys' throat. It is not clear where this proposal benefits City of Los Angeles residents near the airport. These are the things most people don't know about that you have to read between the lines in news reports.
The community benefits agreement, which also needs approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, was negotiated over the past nine months between representatives of the two cities and the LAX Coalition for Economic, Environmental and Educational Justice. The coalition includes representatives of 22 organizations.This LAX coalition is esentially the same labor unions that continue to hold city government hostage - you can read more about them here.
Daily News
But to the rescue comes two unlikely sources. One, Bitter Bernie who actually makes some good points about the $500 million and two, fresh off banning the county seal (lovely parting gifts available here by the way) those rascaly LA County Supes. The Supes are planning to file a lawsuit against the city contending that LAX expansion hurts prospects of a regional airport plan (good point).
Rick Orlov scoops the LA Times in reporting on today's vote, however the Times has an interesting article about the political chemistry that got Cindy Misicowski to come on board to Poopy's plan, or perhaps, how she got him to come on board her plan.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 12/07/2004 08:33:00 AM
4 Comments:
Doesn't this just suck !!
Doesn't it just show how silly and how much BS is going around when it comes to not being able to 'find money' for public safety.
When will we get elected officials, no matter how bitter, who will finally stand up and tell the truth and take on whomever is screwing the City and the people, UNIONS or not !!!
That last posting was not too smart--this money isn't money lying around, nor can you take the airport money and use it on cops--Riordan already tried that and got slapped back. It isn't $11 billion right now, only $3 billion, but if you are using Walter Moore as your encyclopedia, I could see how you'd make the mistake.
I guess you like that crappy airport the way it is. Forget the council or mayor, let's have some civic leadership that actually says yes to something (not whines, I would say yes if...) not just no.
We, as non-politicians, need to stand up for some civic pride already.
Listen silly UNION SHILL....Civic pride. Civic pride is what we have when we have safe and clean streets, when our potholes are fixed and our homeless aren't lying around the streets, not an 11 billion dollar nicer looking airport.
You are also wrong and you know it. We can use the airport money for Airport related safety and security. The Riordan issue was, as you probably know, an attempt to use the money in the 'general fund'...not airport related !!!
So, you want civic pride ? Take off your union t shirt when visiting City Hall and dress for respect, showing your civic pride.
You silly, silly person.
This blogger is right. Dick Riordan wanted to make a raid on airport funds. You could make the case to have LAWA fund some level of additional policing that would fly with the Feds.
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