Zev Yaroslavsky
Grade: C-
The man with the history needs to think and talk big
For a full report on the transit conference see:
Scream if you hate traffic
What he said: What a great player Zev could be if he becomes fully engaged in the campaign to find a way to create a top-notch transportation system. Right now, he sounds battle weary from his fight over the Expo Line, particularly people upset with the street-level crossing at Dorsey High.
Just how small is small?: “We have no choice in this region but to be incremental in the way we build our transportation system.
Did he really say that?: “Incremental doesn’t mean snail’s pace. It means a project today, another project in 24 months from now, and another project in 48 months.”
He wouldn’t use the word hopeless, would he? “One of the things that has frustrated me, there has been no initiative in the last couple of years. I don’t know as I sit here what the step is.”
How does he really feel about Nov. 8?: “I’m a cynic by design. It’s in my genes. I take the worst-case scenario and that way, if I’m right, I’m not disappointed. If I’m wrong, it’s a great day. I’m skeptical whether you can get your 66-and-two-thirds percent on a half-cent sales tax in the midst of a recession, which we are in right now in this part of California. Nevertheless it is a tool that has to be considered.
His crowning achievement: “When I undertook the Orange Line, I took a political risk … And I was the one who could. I wasn’t expecting someone who represents 200,000 people to do it. I represent 2 million people. If I can’t support a good idea, then nobody can. The goal is to produce a product that your critics will come back to you and say, ‘You were right, we were wrong.’ That’s great. And that’s what happened with the Orange Line and that’s what will happen with the Expo Line and that’s what happened with the Gold Line to East Los Angeles.”
On the Dorsey High controversy along the Expo Line: but if you stop a project at every criticism, you will never get anything done. So I really urge you all here, if the coalition has any value, it’s principle value is to give the elected officials, who are the ultimate decision makers in this, the cover, the backbone, the safety net, the advocacy prod that says, ‘Stopping because of parochial opposition may satisfy the project opponents, but it angers us because we speak for a larger constituency.’ And in the final analysis, no one neighborhood should be given the power to stop something that will serve the best interests of such a broader number of people who will depend on that service. That doesn’t mean you don’t do it right and that you don’t listen to the critics.”
Power of the coalition: “All the money in the world doesn’t buy a timid politician who doesn’t want to stand up and do what needs to be done. And that’s where you all come in.”
On political will: “There’s a controversy that has erupted on one intersection of that line that threatens to tube the whole line. There is no political will at some level to finally make the decision and get to yes, and everyone’s afraid to get to yes. We are on the verge of losing that line. We’ve got to get beyond parochialism. At some point, we’ve got to get to yes.”
What he should have said: Man, it’s one thing to have a bad day at the office. But to unleash all this pessimism in the final hour of an all-day conference on transportation issues during a panel charting the next steps was a real downer. Instead of leaving the room with momentum building toward solutions, you created a new question: How to get Zev on board? Granted, you provided some valuable insights and are to be commended for speaking your mind fully and freely. Plus 5 points. But you should have thrown the resources of your office behind the movement to find the appropriate ballot measure for this fall. You need to become a fully signed-up player in this coalition. Don’t misunderstand. We love your grumpiness, but give us some leadership to coat the right-on analysis of all that ails the political process on transportation.
A small thing: Of course, you had many good reasons to champion Measure A in 1998 that bans sales tax money from paying for subway projects. You should have given a primer on how easily that measure could be undone. A clause in any future tax measure should be enough to do it. (To be clear: All of the revenue coming in from two sales tax measures already on the books is tied up in projects for decades to come, so repealing Measure A will not free up money.)
Published: 01/18/2008
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Mr. Yaroslavsky may want to review the Constitution that he has sworn to uphold before continuing his bizarre line of logic. Our democracy does not allow a representative of two million people to bully small neighborhood communities without due process and fair mitigation. These two things have been missing from the MTA/Expo process Zev has poorly overseen for the last decade.
Instead of defending himself and MTA, Mr. Yaroslavsky may want to read the last ten years of Expo Line environmental comments and MTA's disingenuous responses. Unless he just fell off a turnip truck (possible), Zev would notice the evasiveness, strategic lack of clarity, and spin pervasive throughout most of what MTA spews out. Personally you wouldn't accept this BS, Mr. Yaroslavsky. How did you decide we will?
These practices are not what the public requires nor what we will accept, at least not in South Los Angeles. Try imposing your "it's good enough for them", and "let them eat cake" attitude on your own district. The "plantation mentality" in South Los Angeles is gone.
LAUSD, the Federal Transit Administration, the California Public Utilities Commission, even Los Angeles County's new Environmental Health Deputy, in addition to local communities and individual citizens have all aggressively expressed concerns verbally, in writing, and in actions over MTA's environmental process for the Expo Line. Zev, read the EIR and CPUC Protest documents yourself. And stop hiding behind staff.
Spending $900 million for a rail line and $350 million for a Valley rapid route to carry riders that have no other choice and could get there just as fast on a bus takes neither insight nor expertise. This is the ultimate no-brainer. We need projects that attract people to switch modes from driving to transit, not carry the same transit riders just on more expensive vehicles.
Do your homework Zev, and chill on the arrogance, pompacity, and your insulation from local community concerns. Stop forcing decisions on people that they don't want. Learn to lead people to their own solutions. That's the role of a true leader. Otherwise you will end up a bully drowning in your own traffic flooded political grave, which by the way, is filling up fast!
Mark Jolles
A citizen for rapid transit done right.