Ed Reyes represents the First LA Council District which encompasses the north and west of City Hall. It’s a major gang infested region, with legions of illegal immigrants, dilapidated housing and the birthplace of the unusually savage Mara Salvatrucha Salvadorian gang from the Pico Union neighborhood.
First elected in April 2001, Mr. Reyes has witnessed increased gang control, failing schools with the ‘misery index’ increasing for its residents.
So it should have come as miracle news that the Rotem Co, a subsidiary of Hyundai Automotive Group, wants to least he Union pacific owned facility in Taylor Yard to assembly high-tech rail cars under a $305 million Metrolink contract. Rotem officials claim over 200 jobs with annual salaries of $40,000 to $ 80,000 each would be created for as long as five years.
The Daily Breeze in a remarkable piece of journalism, written by Beth Barrett, exposed Mr. Reyes interference with this job creating prospect. The Breeze reported that when Reyes was approached by project leaders he informed them " they don’t need jobs in the area and they want to see a park developed and nothing to interfere with that."
Reyes instead wants a public park. The problem, is that the park is unfunded. So, it’s his dream. Moreover, have you tried to visit an inner city park? Would you bring your family there without police protection? Gangs control inner city parks making them dangerous for kids. I’ll bet Reyes won’t visit those parks with his kids without protection.
David Fleming, chairman of the LA Area Chamber of Commence, and a close adviser to Mayor Villaraigosa, was outraged. The Breeze quotes him as "in other words, screw 200 jobs just to have a park. There’s a lot of places you can put a park, but 200 high-paying jobs, that’s something else." Fleming reports that LA has lost 50,000 jobs recently requiring workers to drive farther as the freeways grow more jammed.
Given all the attention to worsening traffic, fewer "good jobs" and a foil to gangland activity, the LA Times missed another remarkable story. But no surprise, their reporters are safely hiding in the Times Mirror Square.
Reyes, is a typical example of the inner city politician who is an economic illiterate. His degrees from UCLA tell the story. He got his BA in English and his MA in "urban planning". I suppose the folks at UCLA didn’t explain to Reyes, that it take productive citizens to afford any "urban planning."
In a few years Reyes will be looking for a new job, when he is termed out. His district will be poorer. More murders and kids ill educated will be his legacy. No doubt excellent qualifications for his next move.