Carmageddon: Really?

The upcoming weekend's 405 closure between the 101 and 10 freeways, which has been dubbed "Carmageddon," is fast approaching.  With just a little more than 2 days to go, media hype has crescendoed and the entire LA area is being made to believe that this is practically the end of the world.  Get out of town, stay off the roads, and brace yourselves seems to be the dominating message. 

How about this one: does anybody remember the 1984 Olympics?  Granted, I was rocking some huggies at the time, but residents were told before the Games to do as much as they could to stay off the roads.  Yes, there was still a warning message prior to the event, but those that reported the upocoming event didn't speculate over the length and extent of delays.  They reported that in order to avoid gridlock and delays, the public's cooperation would be required. 

Today's journalists just like pouring gasoline on any tiny flame in the hopes of turning it into the next towering inferno.  Sensationalism sells second only to sex, apparently.  That's why reality TV is- gasp- scripted, after all.   Sure, there will be a bit of a spillover of traffic into the canyons and onto some of the side streets, but I'm thinking that overall the effect just won't be that bad.  Of course some drama queen in West Hollywood is going to perform some over-the-top lementing to the on-camera news reporter because the 3 square blocks around Coldwater Canyon were more congested than normal, and people had bad tempers, honking their horns and such, but come on...Drama Queen?...We-Ho?... it's not professional to stage newstories, people!

I plan on finding a good vantage point from a distance on Saturday morning, to assess the damage- or lack thereof- that Carmageddon is creating.  I see a problem, so I'm offering a solution.  Facts oriented observation of the issue at hand, as it unfolds this weekend.  Keep the feed rolling (blogosphere version of stay tuned)....

LA Mayor Villareigosa Visits the West LA Chamber

This past Wednesday, mayor Villareigosa visited the West LA Chamber's monthly networking breakfast.  Rather than giving a speech, the mayor took a Q & A session, and was pretty open and straightforward with all questions brought forth.  The mayor was emphatic about the 30/10 plan, and noted that while the Westside had previously been opposed to rail line expansion, the area has become a large advocate of the program.  He added his enthusiasm for the Expo line opening this Spring/Summer.
The mayor also addressed the issue of education and the struggles of budgetary constraints.  Education is another issue the mayor spoke passionately about, and recognized that the UTLA, and CTA as a while, is operating in a broken system and needs to recognize the need for prudent reform.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the mayor in this town-hall type venue.  Mayor Villareigosa will be touring the various Chambers in LA this spring.

Breakfast With The Chief of Police

It's no secret; I'm a member of the West LA Chamber of Commerce. On Wednesday was the monthly breakfast the Chamber holds, with LAPD Chief Charlie Beck as the guest speaker for the morning. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to hear the chief speak, and he and I see eye to eye on most issues.

Primarily, we both believe that from an overall perspective, public safety is the core function of government; I think most would agree. Chief Beck made the point that if the public does not feel safe in the city of LA, it has a direct ripple effect into the economy as businesses are deterred, property values depress, and so on. He is absolutely correct in that manner.

However, it is the means in which to achieve the end that he and I diverge on our views. I can absolutely understand that from a law enforcement professional's opinion, policing is the primary means with which to achieve public safety. But I would argue that policing is simply one of many tools in which public safety is achieved, and just like any other approach, becomes ineffective when too much emphasis is placed on one method alone.

While policing is indeed an important pillar of public safety, I would argue that education is a more integral service provided by government that affects public safety. Granted, education is not going to reduce the overall crime rate, but will certainly reduce violent crime, which has the most bearing on public safety. Now, in California, and in LA in particular, the education system has it's own massive issues and logistical problems, so perhaps Chief Beck is looking at the best practical application, but I'm a bit of a social altruist, so I stick by the education argument.

Either way though, good talk, Chuck, and thanks for coming to the Chamber breakfast and your service to the City of Los Angeles!