TMCnet News
Tipoff: Adding to honors for Yaroslavsky, Molina [Daily News, Los Angeles](Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 28--What do you get an elected official who has seemingly received every honor imaginable? How about a train station? That will be the proposal before the MTA this week when the board of directors considers plans to name the North Hollywood and East Los Angeles stations after retiring Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina, respectively. The two term out of office in December, and both have played a major role with the transit agency in the passage of Measure R -- the half-cent sales-tax increase to pay for transit improvements -- and in the buildout of the system. The proposal to name the stations after the two came from MTA Commissioner Pam O'Connor. The motion asked for a report back by Jan. 15. One interesting factor could be Molina's plans to run for the City Council against Jose Huizar in the city elections next March. Seeking a few good people At last week's Congress of Neighborhoods meeting, Garcetti unveiled a Volunteer Corps proposal, which aims to get Angelenos more involved in a number of areas. Areas of participation include education, to try to increase the graduation rate; neighborhoods, to work on local projects such as the mayor's Great Streets initiative; economy, to help train veterans to work on ending homelessness; and family, to help households improve inter-generational relationships. For those interested in signing up, information is available at www.lamayor.org. In need of a Kumbuya moment Last week, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce found itself lambasting the City Council for its plan to raise the minimum wage of hotel workers to $15.37 an hour. This week, the chamber and its members will be seeking to make nice with the council and Mayor Eric Garcetti as it holds its annual Access L.A. Day. Some 200 business leaders will be on hand to present the chamber's agenda for the coming year as well as present its annual study on economic trends in each of the council's 15 districts. To vote or not to vote The Secretary of State's office last week reported a record number of Californians -- 17.6 million -- are registered to vote in the Nov. 4 election, and 23.1 percent of those, also a record, registered without a political party preference. And yet both those figures belie what is happening at polling places, where record numbers are also in effect -- of voters are deciding they have better things to do than cast a ballot. Power to the people With an eye toward terming out of office next year, Councilman Bernard Parks offered some tips for those considering a move into politics. "I say don't get a big head, and don't think that people aren't watching your every move," Parks wrote in his weekly newsletter. "Their tax money is bankrolling your life, and people don't like it when you pay with their money." And his biggest tip, with the convictions of Richard Alarcón and state Senator Roderick Wright still fresh in the collective consciousness: "Make sure you live in the district you're seeking to represent." Rick Orlov is a Daily News staff writer and columnist. His column, Tipoff, appears on Mondays. For a daily fix on politics go to the Sausage Factory at http://blogs.dailynews.com/politics. You can contact Orlov at [email protected] or at 213-978-0390. ___ (c)2014 the Daily News (Los Angeles) Visit the Daily News (Los Angeles) at www.dailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |