Second of two parts
Re “My First Forum as a City Council Candidate”
[Editor’s Note: The first-time City Council candidate resumes his narrative of last week’s season opening candidates forum at the Senior Center.]
The next question from a senior was: The Fourth of July fireworks have been moved. Is it possible to get them back? I miss all the visitors to my home.
Christopher Patrick King – Hopefully we can figure out a way to work with the high school. I have heard that matting might be able to be placed on the new ield.
Mayor Jeff Cooper – You can still see the fireworks at West L.A. College.
The next senior complained that the Expo light rail site is over parked. What is the City Council going to do about it?
Incumbents Jim Clarke and Mr. Cooper – Maybe we can develop the area and have more parking underground.
Mr. King – “While this (project) has been successful, as you can see from the parking lot, Culver City deserves to be more than a parking lot for the light rail. We deserve to be a destination. I would like to see us be more aggressive in how we are getting people from that light rail station into Downtown Culver City.”
It brings to my mind a younger man than Mr. King, Karlo Silbiger, a Harvard grad working on his Ph.D at UCLA. His father is an attorney and was a termed-out City Council member. His mother was on the School Board.
Even I was shocked when he was outmaneuvered into an unexpected early retirement from the School Board. Like many others, I thought he was the heir to the superintendent’s position. His only crime was to prevent a premature bond tax on the November ballot. He felt that it was not itemized enough for us taxpayers. The elected School Board is not much different than other politicians. They smelled all that taxpayer $$$$$$$$$$$ up for grabs under the pretext that the funds are restricted for District construction.
LAUSD spent a billion dollars on IPads funded by the construction bond. Hmmmm.
The School Board now consists of three people not endorsed by the classified employees and the teachers unions, but endorsed by a PAC co-founded by a rocket scientist, Dr. Steve Levin, now on the School Board. No one on the Board can seem to remedy the 18- year-old puzzle of funding the maintenance and operational costs of the Natatorium. Board member Kathy Paspalis, the top money raiser, claims to know how to raise money. “That’s what I do,” she said.
Bonds and parcel taxes? No problem.
The next senior to speak said it was a shame about the ice rink closing. Can anything be done to prevent it?
Mr. Abrams – The main key is to prevent the decommissioning. Once that is done, it is over. Development, here we come.
Mr. Cooper – There is a variance that restricts the use of the property to an ice skating rink. The owner of the property will have to go through a public hearing of some pretty upset people and get the approval of the Council. My kids grew up and had their first date and probably their first kiss there. I hope that it can remain a rink.
Mr. Abrams – Variances? It just takes $$$$$. Come on.
Do you really believe that a person with enough money to buy three acres will leave it up to chance on what can be developed on his prime real estate? I guess the Mayor was aware of the secret Master Plan? (I was just thinking again).
Candidates closing two-minute statements:
Mr. Abrams – A responsive and professional government. Efficient use of taxpayers’ money and maintain our public property, which is our common wealth.
Lying by and about politicians is a regrettable and probably a permanent feature of American politics. Culver City’s elected officials are not immune either. Sometimes the lies stem from ignorance (no shortage there). “We are prohibited by law…” If a lie is repeated enough, it can become someone else’s reality.
Mr. Cooper – I will continue to protect the citizens of Culver City. I proposed an ordinance on fracking that was supported by my colleagues and sent to the state.
Mr. Abrams – Ninety percent of the fracking occurs on the L.A. side, 10 percent on the Culver City side. Let me guess what their response was. Just thinking quietly again.
Mr. King – “Downtown Culver City is great. I want to see the rest of our community blooming the way Downtown has.
We can get people into Downtown in a way that is inexpensive. We can do what is called a pedi-cab system. The pedi-cab system was utilized well with Fiesta La Ballona. People park at Sony Studios. A pedi-cab is where you have one person drive the bicycle in front, and two people are in the back. It’s a private business. So we can bring a private business into Culver City. That way it’s not only sustainable, it’s a way to get people from the Expo line into Downtown Culver City.”
That is when I thought, Culver City’s downtown is only about five blocks long. That includes mostly upscale restaurants with occasional live entertainment provided by the Culver City Fire Dept.
For the cost of a pedi-cab ride, you can get a meal at Del Taco as soon as you get off of the train.
The reincarnation of the yuppie. My college son coined it: Retro Yuppie.
This was one of those ah-ha moments when one of my dad’s many imparted words of wisdom (you do not always have to let people know what you are thinking) came to my aid. Matter of fact, I was about Mr. King’s age when I first realized my father was a genius.
Mr. Clarke – Something about Culver City property values increasing, which translates into higher property taxes $$$$.
End of forum: Candidates out into the crowd.
One couple came up to me. The woman asked me about getting some extra buses between the hours of 4 and 7 a.m. for the riders coming off the train to catch the buses on Venice and Robertson. A crowd of over 50 people watched as the filled buses pass them by. Many work in the homes and restaurants in Marina Del Rey. My response was, I do not think they are interested in the plight of the regular people.
It never fails. My statements usually elicit a confession. A fellow named Bob claimed to have been on the Council when they decided to stop funding the Natatorium. His reasoning was that it was either fund the Nat or the kids’ education. They chose to fund the education. He informed that the late Redevelopment Agency had been around was around since the 1960s. I asked him how was Santa Monica, El Segundo, and Beverly Hills able to do it. His reply was, maybe they have more money.
Thinking again, maybe they have more vision.
Mr. Abrams, a candidate for the City Council, may be contacted at gabrams@ca.rr.com
