Councilman Dennis Zine Wants You To Know LADWP Rate Increase Not His Fault
Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine (Council District 3) wants us to know that even though we are all about to get screwed with higher LADWP electricity rates, it’s not his fault.
He writes in an e-mail:
Zine Opposes DWP Rate Increase
Due to the high volume of calls and emails I have received regarding the proposed DWP Energy Cost Adjustment Factor (ECAF), I wanted to make my position very clear to my constituents. Today the City Council voted to direct the DWP Board of Commissioners to adopt a one-time .5 cent/kWh increase in the ECAF Cap beginning April 1st. This would translate to approximately a 4-6% increase in ratepayers’ bills. I voted “No” on this increase and I am staunchly opposed to any action that would place a greater burden on taxpayers and businesses during these trying economic times. To be very clear, I support the environmental efforts to green our City and to bring more jobs in this sector to Los Angeles; however, this proposal does nothing to reduce the City’s dependence on coal, nor could the DWP answer my questions today regarding bringing clean projects and jobs to the City. The DWP currently has numerous jobs and contracts outside our City and State which makes it even more difficult to defend the benefits of this proposal when it will not boost the local economy. I will remain steadfast against any increases presented by the DWP Board in these times of economic uncertainty.
Popularity: 4%
LAist Writes About City’s Grant Money Strategy For Warner Center Transit
You know, here is the reality. I live in Warner Center. There is no traffic problem that requires a “mass transit” solution. The only traffic issue that exists, in my opinion, is around the intersection of Victory Blvd. and Topanga Canyon Blvd. My guess is that it could be fixed with some street widening, creative lane manipulation, etc. I don’t see how a people mover, or any of that nonsense is needed. Save the money for real light rail in LA, but wait, that will never happen because – correct me if I’m wrong – but I’m under the impression that we are stupidly required to spend the same amount of money on buses that we do on rail due to some idiotic proposition. And since light rail is much more expensive to construct, we simply end up with a ridiculous amount of bus routes and very little rail. Hence, the “busway to nowhere” A/K/A Orange Line Extension to Chatsworth which is about to begin full swing construction along Canoga Avenue. Just about every business along the path has been torn down at this point. Hopefully I can photo-document some of that. But, seems like they’re all pretty much gone at this point.
If the day arrives where I have to take both a bus and a train to work, I encourage one of the readers of this site to please shoot me in the head. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration.
It’s been a topic for some time now. The Warner Center in the West Valley is one place that could use a local circulator, perhaps a “people mover,” some believe. Three years ago, 300 residents came out to work towards an integrated transportation network for the Woodland Hills neighborhood and now, with state money available via grants, Los Angeles wants in.
Today, the L.A. City Council approved a grant application for $180,000 to “study the feasibility of an internal transit circulator, including the potential for light rail in the Warner Center” (we’d wager that a street car might be a better fit). Caltrans has a total of $3 million available to local entities for community based transportation.
The center is one of the few accomplishments of L.A.’s “Centers Concept,” which was a 1974-adopted plan to build dense areas around city connected by transit. It never fully came to fruition, but the Warner Center today is home to a handful of skyscrapers, malls and the Orange Line and 750 Metro Rapid bus route.
See the attached links for interesting/historical reference articles about the Orange Line Extension and Canoga Avenue right-of-way and properties.
Popularity: 2%
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