Attention Talkradio Producers Here Is Your Next Topic: Sleepy Smith Proposes Shaky Idea
I don't know what it is but there is something about elected officials that once they get into office they feel the strong urge to find a government answer for every challenge facing life. Even Republicans are not immune from this disease.Our favorite sleeping Clowncilman - Greig Smith of the 12th District - has a doozy of an idea. He wants all buildings in Los Angeles to post an earthquake safety rating supposedly indicating how seismically safe the building is.
This is nothing more than yet another government solution in search of problem. Where is the need for this? And quite frankly who is going to make the determination of a building's "safety?" These ratings will be subjective at best and there exists the very strong possibility for unfairness and abuse. If a property owner pisses off an inspector for some reason? You get a bad earthquake rating. If you own a business or rental property that gets a bad score unfairly - and it impacts your bottom line - how do you recover from that?
Los Angeles has very strict building codes and some of the best in the nation when it comes to quake safety. Let Clowncilman Smith find some other problem to fix - after he takes a nap.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 1/18/2007 12:00:00 AM
15 Comments:
You just couldn't make up a dumber idea, especially given the REAL problems this city has. It's as if staffers are having a contest to see who can convince their Clowncil Member to propose the most stupid proposal.
ok guys, here's why.
the 1994 northridge quake may have weakened welds in some 1500 buildings, but only a third have ever been inspected. a FEMA study of 185 valley buildings showed that 2/3 had damaged welds. Half of them were cracked, and the rest more serious damage.
theres 1200 UNEXAMINED steel frame buildings downtown, and although they can obviously stand, the engineers say they could be vulnerable in a moderate quake.
in this town, I think its fair, just like a restaurant, you should have some idea of how much risk ur entering into.
especially if your paying per square foot.
why do you guys want to play pretend with this issue.
its public safety, no different to lights, and cops, and health.
my source LA Times Sept.17, 06
Right on Walter!
Here are some more ideas for them if they need some:
1 - Banning trans fat so I won't ever a eat french fry again (actually I haven't since the end of July - no wonder I've lost 70 pounds or so).
2 - Putting labels on boyfriends who are cheaters so girls know who they are.
3 - Forcing retail business owners to place stickers on their employees telling you how much they make so you can decide if the business is paying a living wage or not.
4 - Publishing on the city website the number of times Lisa Sarno has said "If you will" each week.
Any others?
these engineers do not make subjective decisions, these welds are x-rayed. its all science and technology.
this is not something to sweep under the carpet, are you serious?
maybe restaurant grades are subjective cause the inspector doesn't like curry but loves pizza.
I don't think so.
majority of people take their professional career seriously, and aI'm sure these engineers will be no different. everything they say will be imminently checkable.
either the welds are good or they're not.
I'd like to know. what the hell is so wrong with that idea?
sometimes you guys amaze me.
its like saying we shouldn't check the welds on the Titanic after it grazed an iceberg on that last run. I've broken my leg before but guess what? it didn't look broken from the outside, but the doctors were just playing with me when they threw it in a cast, and handed me the xray so I could see what happened.
Well, the wealthy, mostly republicans will just buy their way into conformity, anyhow, so who cares. It's just one more way for corruption amongst the rich and powerful to spue.
I have never been more embarrassed to say I'm from LA with these lame ass clowncil members. Never have I seen such a group of real losers. They've done in the last year then embarrass the city and continue to come up with bullshit ideas instead of tackling real problems.
I am apalled at this blog posting!
People died in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina was a shocking reminder of how unprepared people and the government are for any large disaster.
I guess you'd say that the health department's ABC ratings on restaurants is an idiotic idea too? Well guess what - since it started, food-borne illnesses from restaurants is a fraction of what it was.
Read the daily news article:
Proposal calls for seismic safety ratings
BY RACHEL URANGA, Staff Writer
LA Daily News
Article Last Updated:01/17/2007 09:32:14 PM PST
NORTHRIDGE - Thirteen years after the Northridge Earthquake killed 57 people and left thousands injured, Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith proposed Wednesday to rate public buildings for quake safety and require gas stations to operate emergency generators.
Smith's proposals are part of an earthquake preparedness legislative package introduced to the council on Wednesday.
"We know that the big one is long overdue and it's coming," Smith said. "The Northridge Earthquake was a big one, but not the big one."
Experts say tension along the San Andreas Fault - by far the country's most dangerous - continues to build, and the next big quake is likely to be far more powerful and widespread than the 6.7 Northridge Quake that caused $40 billion in damage.
Smith is asking city staff to outline a grading system for buildings constructed with nonductile concrete, a material commonly used between 1933 and 1977. Experts say those structures are dangerous in earthquake zones and tend to crumble quickly under strain.
The Berkeley-based Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center estimates there are 40,000 such buildings in California. It is unclear how many are in L.A.
Smith's grading system would also include parking structures that lack supporting walls.
Though the task could take years, Ellis Stanley, general manager for the city's Emergency Preparedness Department, said rating buildings would encourage owners to fix unsafe structures.
"At one time, the buildings with hazardous materials weren't rated," he said. "It's going to take some time, but when you live in earthquake country you have to ask yourself, `What is the cost of not doing that?"'
Smith is also asking the city to determine how and if it could require gas stations to operate backup generators so fuel can be pumped even when power is out.
After Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of New Orleans residents found themselves stranded when they could not get gas because of widespread outages.
rachel.uranga@dailynews.com
(818) 713-3741
PROPOSALS
The following are City Councilman Greig Smith's proposals for earthquake preparedness:
Rate high-occupancy buildings built between 1933 and 1977 and parking structures without enclosed walls.
Require gas stations to have backup generators for pumping stations.
Equip city vehicles with emergency kits and fire extinguishers.
Establish an inventory of all city buildings that could be open during emergencies.
Create a centralized, Web-based emergency information center.
Walter Moore said "You just couldn't make up a dumber idea, especially given the REAL problems this city has. "
I guess you didn't live in LA during the 1994 earthquake Walter. I guess your legs weren't crushed in a parking structure that collapsed.
There should be a thread where people can view all the videos of clowncil. How about the Janice Hahn vehicle illegally parked?
The restaurant grades already make this place look like a freaking cow county where the residents are too dumb to use there own good judgment when dining out, and where the county's too weak to shut down any place that hasn't at minimum caused an outbreak of bubonic plague.
Now, because B&S doesn't have the wherewithall to enforce the building code, the City needs a seismic warning code to trumpet its own failings in that department too?
This kind of proposal is why this is the absolute worst City Clowncil and County government ever.
You hit the nail on that head with that post Joe.
Oh and before anyone tries to make the claim that Joseph Mailander is some kind of knuckle dragging Repuglican like Mayor Sam and Walter Moore, please go read his blog Martini Republic and then make that claim.
The person who said this post was appalling needs to get a life.
I was here in 94 - I woke up to that quake and saw buildings in my neighborhood and the place where I worked with significant damage. However they all held up fine.
I also saw an immediate, swift and excellent response by LAPD, LAFD and other city workers. I saw the 10 freeway get repaired in weeks. This city knows how to handle quakes and has been prepared for them for a long time. Compare Northridge to how the clowns in San Francisco handled 1989 and you will see my point.
Joe is right - B&S needs to do their job. They already have the tools they need. If we need to revise codes based on new engineering or science do it. But we don't need to create an unnecessary scheme that is eyewash only to make our city even more quake safe. Its just stirring up a lot of unnecessary fear in people and its all for PR.
And it will do more harm than good. Lets focus on our real problems and keep the politicians out of this area.
Now someone tell Greig to go back to bed.
7:28, you can't be anyone but a Sleepy Smith staffer. Here's what I suggest you do:
FIX THE PROBLEM.
For ten years, City Clowncil's attitude towards public safety has been, "we could never fix anything, so at least we should warn people." That doesn't cut it in actual great cities of the world.
FYI, staffer, you said, "People died in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina was a shocking reminder of how unprepared people and the government are for any large disaster." Wrong on both counts.
People died in Katrina because GOVERMENT couldn't get its act together to actually FIX something. Yet government had been WARNING that the levees might breach for decades.
And actually, on your other point, the City responded amazingly well to the 1994 quake. We had an earthquake centered right in the City limits. Compare the results to, say, the Kobe quake.
So don't just WARN people, you overpaid City Hall Internet-obsessive flackers. Don't just identify the problem---FIX THE PROBLEM, IDIOTS! EARN YOUR EFFING MONEY FOR ONCE!
You tell 'em Joe ! This city clowncil is really lame. Anyone who pays attention knows this, and sooner or later the MSM will start reporting on this.
"Well, the wealthy, mostly republicans will just buy their way into conformity, anyhow, so who cares. It's just one more way for corruption amongst the rich and powerful to spue"
Uh, not all of us are wealthy. There are plenty of us poor Republicans who have to EARN there way into conformity. Besides, here in LA, NOBODY is wealthy except those with City Hall connections and Democrat!
Stupidest idea since the LA Raiders leaving the 2nd largest market in the country. These kind of laws are all about "feelings". Makes the overpaid Clowncil members think they are doing something useful. All they do is wreak havoc on society with their silly laws. This just in..there is no such thing as a 100% "earthquake proof" building.
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