Los Angeles issues for 2008

With the beginning of a new year Los Angeles government needs to identify and address the issues for 2008। Crime is always the number one issue but there are many other problems to tackle.

Here are my issues:
1. The number of police is too low compared to Chicago and NYC. We need to change the ratio.
2. LAUSD needs to be broken apart.
3. Illegal immigrants are over running our city. Our society is being affected both socially and financially by their presence. If Congress won’t pass legislation to make them legal we need to start returning them to their native countries.
4. There is a lack of affordable housing.
5. The city must become business friendly. There is a lack of decent paying jobs. There are plenty of jobs available at $10 per hour or less. No one can live here on that pay except students still living with their parents.
6. The traffic makes getting to work a nightmare for many people. We need better roads and an improved public transportation system. The “subway to the sea” is a good start.
7. We need to spend more money on our infrastructure. Paving streets and sidewalks, cleaning streets, cutting trees, replacing dead trees, improving and repairing parks and other public facilities.
8. Neighborhood councils need to be given direct control over the monies spent in their communities. An advisory roll is insufficient. Leadership of the councils should be elected on regular ballots not by a select few.
9. Oversight committees should be given the ability to stop payment when bond monies are misappropriated.
10. Planning commission meetings must be required to meet in the community that is affected by their decisions.