Regarding tonight's Los Angeles Mayoral Debate-
Okay, appreciate the civility of the discourse, but where's the vision? What this city- Los Angeles- really needs is to import a politician from a city that's been successful with another perspective and set of solutions since so many of the city's problems are structural. It doesn't seem like any of these nominees understands this. They're all basically saying the same thing, including pension reform as central to all their platforms which really doesn't tackle the underlying reasons as to why these pension costs are escalating especially the cost of health care.
Now if you've worked in other major cities with their government agencies as I have, you'd have a broader view as to why this city is so dysfunctional. I moved to LA four years ago (spent a yr in the OC), but have done work in DC, Boston, Philly, NYC and many other smaller cities primarily up and down the East Coast. No, no place is perfect. But LA takes bureaucracy to a whole other more burdensome level..
The whole regulatory process is completely inane. Many department can be consolidated cutting back on expensive hierarchies (i.e. too many chiefs) , and then relocated to the actual hardworking people (not enough indians) who do the work that currently are spread so thin. So it's not a matter of cuts, or revenue increases. No its a matter of reallocating limited resources where there's a greater return on investment with particular emphasis on business and job creation.
By doing this you get businesses through the regulatory processes faster where they can create jobs and generate business taxes. Right now the process is so ass backwards that there's a huge cost and burden to start, and run a business with frequent expensive delays. Local government seems determined to extract as many one time fees on the front end rather than the back end where these fees are reoccurring It's some times truly amazing that anything gets done in this city since it is so unfriendly towards business creation.
Yes grow revenues by growing the economy, but really assess what is inhibiting that growth. Throwing more money at these problems without understanding the underlying structural problems will just mean more waste and abuse.
Now some of the most talented and creative people in the world in a number of different industries have come to LA and the region both past and present. Others were born here benefiting from the region's incredible diversity. All of these citizens have made this one of the most dynamic and progressive places to live.
Why city council and those aspiring to fill the mayor's office can't leverage all of this dynamic energy is truly dumbfounding. I'm not sure if they're blind or these politicians just can't see.
End of rant.
Stepping off of soap box.
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