Politics as usual or a fresh chance?

Mark Rothenberg

Floral Park

The Infamous Santa Ana Bike Chop Shop, Red Roof In, and Other Quality of Life Issues-A Tipping Point? Thoughts About A Fresh Face: Jeff Katz

I labor under the assumption that IF asked, each of us have concerns regarding the future of both our Ward and the City as a whole. Sadly, no one really asks and it is convenient to run for Council using the tried and true strategy of: Use catch phrases like “responsible development” and “Change” as a talisman to ward off criticism, load up front lawns with lawn signs, and beg for endorsements from the established leadership in the City and County. This election strikes me as being entirely different. It has been extraordinarily refreshing to have concerns both heard and addressed beyond simple pleasantries and catch-phrases.

First: my story along with the caveat when discussing homelessness: “there but for the grace of the Lord go I”. Two years ago, I along with some friends were having breakfast at Polly’s. An aggressive panhandler approached a mother, father, and there two little girls who were in the parking lot headed into the restaurant. The panhandler demanded money. The father refused and the family proceeded in. The panhandler approached the bay window where the couple had been seated, dropped his pants, and began manipulating his genitals in front of the couple and their two little girls. The police took no action. This story ties in with various problems with the Red Roof Inn and the bike chop shop along with other illicit activities taking place in and around this area and our Ward. I told Jeff this story and he sprang into action by incorporating these kinds of quality of life crimes into his proposals. Jeff also took the time to walk the site and talk to some of the homeless folks inhabiting both Red Roof and the Trail recognizing both the source of the problem along with the feckless-finger pointing attitude City officials still seems to have.

While other candidates have payed lip service to the these kinds of issues, Jeff has already invested hundreds of hours in developing specific solution sets. For example, Jeff invited me to participate in number of calls he had set up with prosecutors in Los Angeles, nationally respected urban planners, economists, and—heaven forbid….the owners of small businesses in the City.

One of the problems which jumps off the page and that contributes to the continuation of bike chop shops and aggressive panhandling (among other issues) are absentee landlords along with property owners who willfully ignore the presence of nuisances on their properties.

So why has the City not created a position of “neighborhood prosecutor” with the mission of pursuing civil cases against absentee landlords? The idea is that absentee landlords who fail to take action on such nuisances would be sued for injunctive relief and damages. Examples of deteriorated or vacant and unpoliced buildings can be found all over the City. Interestingly, then Councilwoman Iglacias lamented the scary condition of 2525 in support of her initial vote for the project. As you may recall, I wondered at the time: why the City Council did not direct the City Attorney to pursue to ownership for failing to police the property as opposed to rewarding the ownership for allowing the building to fall into disrepair.

Jeff has been busy developing these kinds of solution sets instead of making the rounds and begging for endorsements. Of course, the risk in proposing solution sets in an election is that opponents (who have no real proposals of their own) will have something to chomp on. Jeff doesn’t seem to mind because he seeks criticism as an opportunity to refine his plans and actually invites it. To that end, I have never seen a candidate actually provide a link to his opponent’s websites so the voters can make an informed decision.

Jeff didn’t ask me for my endorsement. He is interested in folks in the District asking him questions and proposing solutions. Sadly, so many of us have either given up or we invest our energy in what I like to describe as “yelling into the wind.” I am hopeful that the Ward will take the time to deliberate carefully on our next representative and I encourage each of you to contact Jeff and ask him specific questions and ask for specific answers from Jeff’s website

Jeff will be posting informative videos over the course of the next few months addressing both the issues themselves and solution sets. I am confident this will be a surprisingly refreshing election and opportunity to start meaningfully tackling problems in both our Ward and the City.