Denny Zane
Grade: B+
The transit visionary threw a great party, but needed a better ending
For a full report on the transit conference see:
Scream if you hate traffic
You can’t get the powerful players in the same room by running short of diplomatic skills or lacking personality traits of a hostage negotiator. So Denny Zane, a 30-year veteran and observer of the political scene, deserves high marks for organizing a top-level transportation conference. He drew top names in California and kept lively, informed panels moving like a well-designed 1950s-era freeway.
An adept moderator, he framed the final panel to address the “What’s Next?” strategy: “We’ve been discussing sales taxes. We’ve been discussing fees. We’ve been discussing public-private partnerships. We’ve been discussing a variety of funding mechanisms to try to meet the $50 billion shortfall that we will encounter over the next 25 years. The question is where do we go from here and what should we be concerned about.”
Put another way: “Is this idea of a business, labor, environmental coalition for transportation a pipe dream and impossible to realize, or is it potential reality?”
During the final panel, Zane had this exchange after Metro board member Richard Katz finished his opening remarks:
Zane: “What about the $50 billion?”
Katz: “Check, cash or money order? We can order it today.”
Zane: “I’m serious here. If we’re now looking forward in the next 25 years to $50 billion in need. What about paying the tab? How are we going to raise the money?”
Katz: “We do need to raise money to do it. I’m not sure that now is the right time to do a sales tax increase in terms of the climate. I worry about the climate a lot. I worry about hearing about $14-billion deficits in Sacramento for the next six months followed by a $14-billion health care proposal on the ballot. There’s a lot of money out there.”
Zane on staying focused: “November 08 must be dealt with consciously – not by default. It may be a great election or it may be the economy makes it not so great.”
The role of his coalition: “L.A. County has not had the kind of organized institutional relationships necessary to make conscious decisions of that sort .”
Introducing the mayor: “His leadership will be on this issue, I hope, his most significant legacy.”
What he should have said: The only way Zane would have earned an “A” is if the meeting had ended with a specific action plan. Instead, people left not knowing what happens next. Yes, there will be more meetings of members of the three constituencies – labor, social justice, and business, but the clock is ticking toward an August deadline of placing a measure on the ballot. Zane tried to nail down Yaroslavsky and Katz during the final panel discussion. To the county supervisor, Zane asked whether a high turnout wouldn’t offset votes lost because of the recession; Yaroslavsky thought not.
We wanted to see even more spirited cross-examination of these public servants. We wish Zane had demanded the future participation of not only Yaroslavsky and Katz and Yvonne Burke, but forced Mayor Villaraigosa to spell out what he plans to do next besides ride public transportation more. But let’s give the organizer the last word here:
“When you’re trying to agree on things, talk is action. You have to have a lot of discussion. At some point, you have to either agree or not. And maybe those who agree move forward.”
Published: 01/18/2008
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