Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

Building the "Huizzy Broadway Choo Choo" is going to cost an unexpected more, good chunk of change, try almost $200 Million Dollars.

Geez, who forgot the cost of the electrical infrastructure for CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar's legacy project to self, the "Huizzy Broadway Choo Choo"?

CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar after getting whack with LA Times Fishwrap disclosure of the estimated, additional $200 Million Dollar cost to build his "Huizzy Broadway Choo Choo".

 

Great overcast morning to all as we give kudos to the "Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street" (aka LA Times) for an accidental act of journalism at the expense (in political capital) of CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar ( ** who BTW, graduated from the top rank college in the country, PRINCETON).

One would surmise that a graduate of a top-tier university would have the conceptual abilities to manage numbers ( or massage them for political gains), especially on the projected cost of a proposed legacy project to self, whoops, meant selfless vision to reinvigorate the Downtown LA "Broadway Corridor". But we must remember, numbers ( or the truthful disclosure of them in the case of the CLARTS Fund), is not a Councilman Huizar "pillar of ethical strength".

As we hop on the cyber choo choo of background, we can recall that the Downtown News outed Councilman Huizar and his "LA Streetcar/ Bringin Back Broadway Team", for understating the true tax limit on Broadway area property owners ($85 Million compare to the publicly stated $64 Million). Thus, a Councilman Huizar mouthpiece, can argue that low balling estimates is a virtue as long as the end result benefits everyone ( especially a certain councilman's legacy, but I digress), as Bringin Back Broadway Executive Director Jessica Wethington McLean states ........

A representative of Councilman Jose Huizar, who has championed the project, said his office would "aggressively pursue" additional federal grants. Staff members also suggested that the Department of Water and Power cover the cost of replacing some utilities, such as aging water pipes, under downtown streets.
"We're not losing any sleep over these numbers," Jessica Wethington McLean, the executive director for Bringing Back Broadway, told officials. "They represent a 100% perfect solution, which is very unlikely."
She referred to the expectation that engineers will modify the plans to make them more efficient. That could involve reducing the number of streetcar stops or slightly shifting the tracks to dodge utility lines.

........ and judging from the image above, the "Huizzy Broadway Choo Choo", has been dodging poles, power lines and fiscal reality for some time.

 

The Academia Semillas del Pueblo Education Collective faces off against the LA County Board of Education.

The appeal process is running out for Academia Founder Mark(os) Aguilar and his followers. What will come next?

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14