Who would serve the goals for expanding growth and opportunity in Los Angeles County? And, why are the county government unions spending over $4,000,000 for Ridley-Thomas?
Both answers suggest the clear conflict between Chief and now councilman Bernard Parks and professional politician Mark Ridley-Thomas.
The Los Angeles Times is covering this all important race in some depth. Yesterday, the Times reported that the union IE " Alliance for a Stronger [union controlled] Community has raised an unsurpassed monies to buy the 3rd vote.
Should union candidate Ridley-Thomas win, the county’s treasury will be devoted primarily for the unions. Taxpayers be damned. Atlas will Shrug.
On taxes only Chief Bernard Parks has pledged a rational plan to avoid tax increases. Every tax increases always drives business away, particularly the small business owner. The real growth for jobs come from small businesses. Large corporate owners are no longer the job generators in Los Angeles.
Parks reports that he would eliminate prog;rams that have no specific source of ongoing funding, eliminate deficit spending programming, eliminate spending on tone-time projects, eliminate or minimize borrowing money and protect core responsibilities such as public safety.
Union controlled candidate Ridley-Thomas blames Prop 13 for all his problems. "Since Proposition 13’s enactment, the alignment of government programs to their funding streams has gone astray…" I guess it takes some time to adjust to Prop 13 that was passed overwhelming by taxpayers some 30 years ago.
Of course union man Ridley-Thomas knows how to squeeze the turnip, Grab the " $6 billion in corporate tax loopholes…" That’s original. Plus employ "aggressive enforcement on existing laws and appropriate regularity supervision." Squeeze and squeeze the producers to pay off the union hacks.
Progress is measured with the advancement of civilization. Having a pro growth government empowers the poor and middle class. A government the protects citizens from street violence is the first priority.
Chief Parks understands the core job of government. Ridley-Thomas has "represented" an area that under his control has deteriorated, small business suffers and gangs control vast neighborhoods.
Tomorrow, we will discuss the difference between Ridley-Thomas gang coddling measures and Chief Park’s deep understanding that good citizens need protection from gang predators.
[Publisher’s Note: Shawn has penned other commentaries on this critical Los Angeles County Supervisorial Race. See them here, here and here. – Flash]