Grace E. Simons.

Chairman

No. 39 SAVE OUR PARKS -- VOTE 'NO' ON PROPOSITION 'C'

October 22, 1970

IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE, if not outright cynical, on the part of city officials to require citizens to vote on an issue as vital and as far-reaching as a new City Charter, while giving them less than three ueeks to read and evaluate this highly complex, technical,208-page document. The average layman cannot possibly comprehend in that short time uhat the people uill lose if Proposition "C~' is passed, It
took the Mayor's Charter Commission
t~io

and a half years to dra";1 up its charter

proposals. ter of days.

It took the Charter Committee of the City Council a full year to proYet voters must cover the same ground in a mat-

duce its version of the charter.

A 'QUICKIE' VOTE in this case cannot be an informed vote. It can be little more than a second-hand guess. 1<e are being asked to take the word of politicians and public relations sloganeers about the basic lau of the city that ;rill determine the character and quality of city government far into the future. They say it will be good for us. It won't, It will be good for THEMI THE ONLY DEFENSE against such high-handed tactics is to vote "NO" on Proposition "C" on November 3. A "NO" vote will be a demand for additional time so that when the charter next appears on the ballot the people will know ;that they are voting on. PROPOSED CHARTER WEAKENS PARK PROTECTION THE PROPOSED CITY CHARTER is a compromise between the Charter Commission proposals, which gave virtually dictatorial potrer to the Mayor, and the existing City Charter, which the Edelman committee finds so bad that a vote on its replacement cannot wait. The resultant Proposition "C" is not as anti-democratic as the

former, and not nearly as protective of parks and other rights as the latter. WE CALL SPECIAL ATTENTION to two sections. Section 19.03 (b) makes all dedicated park land, including categories now specifically exempt, available for exchange for noa-park land, provided it is no longer "suitable" for park use. Old Pros well know the catch in that provision. Certain park lands can be exchanged at present for "the equivalent in property or funds." Under the proposed charter, all exchanges "ill be made acre for acre. SECTION 19,04 (e) seems expressly tailored to sanction the permanent alienation of land in Elysian Park now used by the Police Department (20 acres for the Police Academy, also Radio Hill), under leases of highiy questionable legality, This section would legalize extension of these leases. It also permits the erection of "public improvements" on such leased land. The Police Department is currently agitating for a heliport in Elysian Park. Airports are included in the new definition of public improvements, ON OTHER PROPOSITIONS: Vote "YES" on Proposition "D". It increases the number of City Councilmen from 15 to 17, making possible election of a Mexican-American to the City Council. Vote "YES" on Proposition 18. The Clean Air Amendment permits use of a portion of State gas tax funds for a mass transit system and control of air pollution, ENCOURAGING NEWS ON ELYSIAN PARK BECAUSE OF CRITICAL FIRE HAZARDS, the Recreation and Parks Commission has asked the City Council for funds for a crash program for water systems in Elysian Park ($550,000) and Griffith Park ($631,000), This would be an advance on the Departments 1971-1972 budget, Elysian Park would get 140,000 feet of water main, replacement of deteriorated uater lines and installation of new water lines and fire hydrants. The $550,000 is the first installment of a $4,068,000 five-year plan for Elysian Park. MORE ENCOURAGING NE11S IN THE CURRENT QUARTER, Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, the Recreation and Parks Dept, proposes spending $57,200 for refurbishment in Elysian Park. Plans call for work in 33 maintenance categories, including repairs in the Recreation Lodge.

CITIZENS COMMI1'TEE TO SAVE EEYSlAN PARK 1672 Morton y\ve., Los Angeles, Calif. 90026 ZMA. 5i8lt27,
' ' \ 'I' '

DECISION NEAR ON 'THE ROAD' AFTER FOUR YEARS and an astronomical number of City Hall meetings, an ordinance returning the right-of-way on Stadium 1<ay (Avenue of Palms) from the Board of Public 1iorks to Recreation and Parks is finally heading for a City Council vote. It cleared the Council's Public liorks CoMmittee 2-1, uith Councilmen Johns. Gibson Jr. and Robert J. Stevenson voting "lt.ye," Councilman Gilbert Lindsay "Nay." The date for Council consideration has not yet been set. FHA THUMBS NOSE AT FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACT THE LOCAL OFFICE of the Federal Housing Authority says it has received no directives regarding the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and has no intention of making an Environmental Impact Report on the planned FHA-insured, 90-unit housing project on Morton Avenue, as required under the lau. The lau provides that such a report must be made uhenever a government agency is involved in an action that uill have a maj,or affect upon the environment. Among developments the Act was designed to prevent are "particularly the profound influence of population growth" and "high-density urbanization." We have been inform8d by our attorney that residents of the area can bring suit to force compliance uith the 1969 law.
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James Jamison, Judith Jamison 622 S- Breed St., #3 Los Angeles, Ca. 90023