What to Do About LA’s Fiscal Mess

BY JACK HUMPHREVILLE  JULY 22 2024

(commentary by G. Juan Johnson)

“the Reserve Fund is only $260 million, a decrease of almost $400 million a year ago caused by relying on overly optimistic revenue projections”. Valuable information. Wonder what that reserve fund will be used for? Are your figures from the Mayor’s office or the Controller? I remember years  I used to frequent Long Beach city council meetings. One meeting they were looking for money for something and one of the council members mentioned the “reserve of $1 million”. Believe it or not, more than half the members were not aware of the reserve fund. Well,  if I am not mistaken during Covid time, the LA council president used some of the reserve money to help ailing small businesses. Corruption is defined  “a dishonest, fraudulent, or even criminal act of an individual or organization, using entrusted authority or power to make a personal gain or other unethical or illegal benefits. Corruption happens not only in political fields but also in social and economic fields, such as business, education, media, and so on. A lack of transparency and effective regulations are often the main causes of corruption.” When I read articles like this, I can only think how does all this budget money affect me the little guy? I think of how the city benefits from tax dollars and other fees I pay in a rent controlled unit. I think of how every month I ask for my intercom repair, and I ask for extra (tandem)  parking and the owner and city come up with all kinds of excuses like the services I request were not there when I signed my rent agreement (IMO, not true), the services I seek were not specially listed in the rent agreement (IMO state law says in month to month rent agreement conditions can be oral or conduct of the parties), how I took pictures of parking in a tandem stall for four years yet the city ignores that as evidence, how the owner put in a new intercom box but does not give me instructions, or the smartphone to use it (it too is not in the rental agreement), but much like the key to the mailbox, the key to the parking gate, the key to the front door and none of these are in the rental agreement but they are still housing services (my rental agreement says housing services are “including but not limited to” but the city ignores this and my RA says a tenant cannot provide their own housing services or parts). Other than Unruh defined racism, I try to figure how does all this budget money—and corruption—become my concern? I guess I have the right to vote no on every ballot measure asking for money and I have the right to vote for RFK Jr. even though he won’t win. And I still pay my rent money for services I do not receive. How do I qualify for intercom repair or parts? How do I qualify for a tandem parking stall? The city housing department is silent. That is a good reason for me not to support the Olympics.

https://www.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/29265-what-to-do-about-las-fiscal-mess

RACISM HI POINT APTS