Community Corner
Can We Afford This?
19% of our uniformed police and firemen are disabled. We need each and every one of them to keep us safe.
Why do people stay home on election day? Some voters look at their ballot and sigh, “Is this the best we can do?”
The Los Angeles Fire Department has been told by Mayor Garcetti to stop their recruiting efforts. The subtext whispered charges of nepotism. Police Department morale is nowhere near what it was in the days of Daryll Gates. The City Council has its problems -- errant drivers in city-owned vehicles and the high cost of “settlements out of court”. Taxpayers are not getting value for their money. Can we afford to keep the members of the City Council in the style to which they’ve become accustomed?
Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar was driving his city-owned 2008 Toyota Highlander. Huntington Park Police Officer David Ceja was stopped at a red light when Huizar rear-ended him. $185,000 was given to Ceja to settle his lawsuit stemming from the collision. Since Huizar was driving a city-owned vehicle. the taxpayers paid the bill
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On March 14, 2012, a city-owned Prius driven by longtime field deputy to then Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon struck and killed Gary Woodford in North Hollywood.
In a related story Richard Alarcon and his wife, were recently convicted of voter fraud because they didn’t actually live in Panorama City when Alarcon was representing it. His lawyer is trying for a new trial. Alarcon may end up in prison but he will still collect his pension of $116,000 a year.
Find out what's happening in Studio Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A former aide to City Councilman Mitchell Englander who claimed she was repeatedly subjected to sexual comments and inappropriate jokes while working in his office, received a settlement check in the amount of $75,000 (she had worked there for one year). The city’s Claims Board voted 3 to 0 to make the payment to Melody Jaramillo after she filed a lawsuit claiming that Englander chief of staff John Lee repeatedly engaged in sexual harassment and discrimination against her. She claims too that nothing was done despite her complaints and that Englander made sexually inappropriate remarks as well. Englander said the claims board “made a judgment call” to make the payment rather than continue “fighting these frivolous allegations” in court.
Former City Council member Eric Garcetti had a mishap in a city-owned vehicle but it only cost taxpayers $7,500 – quite a bargain compared to some others.
We won’t rub salt in the wounds of taxpayers by reminding them about the misadventures of former City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, his wife and their city-owned vehicle.
There was the tragic episode of a high-speed chase involving a man in a white Corvette. When the driver stepped out of the car, police who had been in pursuit, opened fire and killed him. An out-of court settlement of $5 million was made to his family to stop the family from filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
LA City Council Proposed ‘Save Our Streets’ Sales Tax To Fund Street Repair – This headline was probably the cherry on the icing on the cake. The coup de grace – the death blow to the severely wounded taxpayers of Los Angeles. Oddly enough the “Save Our Streets” program has been canceled. Los Angeles needs our valiant firefighters and police, but can Los Angeles taxpayers afford our City Council?
