Draft Huell Howser For LA Mayor
Michael Higby
After reading the last two articles, and being very familiar with the man's
work, I think we have finally found the ideal person to be mayor of Los
Angeles, if only for a term, to begin to turn this city around.
Huell is absolutely right to go after the City of Long Beach, which plans to
give away the Long Beach Naval Station to the Communist government of China.
What the Long Beach City Council has done is not unique - its akin to many
sweetheart deals the LA City Council has made, the MTA, etc.
Huell is not just a populist who stands up for good government. He has a true
grasp of the history, the meaning, the spirit and the people, ALL THE PEOPLE,
of Los Angeles. He's done programs about areas and people in the city that
no other journalist would touch. Huell is just as comfortable with
young Latinos - "kickin' it with some homeys" at a low rider car show - as he
is shooting the breeze with mostly elderly Anglos at a reunion of retired
firefighters or sharing a meal in the home of an African American family.
More than a television personality, Huell studied history at the University of
Tennessee and once served on the staff of US Senator Howard Baker. He is also
honorary president of the California PTA.
Huell is a longtime resident of Hollywood.
It might be too late to get Huell's name on the ballot, but maybe we could
interest him in running next time (in 2001). Huell could inspire the city to
work together, and for the people.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Michael Higby * mhi...@primenet.com
____________________________________________________________________________________
Visit North Hollywood On The Internet * http://www.primenet.com/~mhigby/noho.htm
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"Positive spaces encourage positive behaivor"
Michael Higby
I think we have finally found the ideal person to be mayor of Los Angeles, if
only for a term, to begin to turn this city around. For more information on
the campaign to encourage Huell to run and get his name on the ballot checkout
the following website: http://www.primenet.com/~mhigby/huell.htm.
"Positive spaces encourage positive behavior"
Michael Higby
fra...@snip-to-email.primenet.com (david s. broudy) writes:
>- Huell is absolutely right to go after the City of Long Beach, which plans to
>- give away the Long Beach Naval Station to the Communist government of China.
>Um, what?
Huell has filed a lawsuit against the City of Long Beach to prevent them from
turning the base over to a shipping company owned by the government of
Communist China.
The residents of Long Beach want to save the base, and explore its use as a
community and recreational facility. The part they are concerned about has a
lot of historic buildings and fabulous, state-of-the-art facilities.
hockey fan
Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
[...]
>The residents of Long Beach want to save the base, and explore its use as a
>community and recreational facility. The part they are concerned about has a
>lot of historic buildings and fabulous, state-of-the-art facilities.
'The residents'? Like they are some uniform group? I would expect that
there a lot of residents who lost jobs in the shutdown of the base and
shipyard that would benefit from a conversion to an offloading area.
I think that given the isolated location, totally surrounded by heavy
industry, that it is a pretty dubious proposition that it would
beneficial to the community to preserve it.
I've only been there a couple of times to visit some ships. It seemed
nice at best, and nothing struck me as fabulous. I saw the Huell
Howser show where he went down there. I think his pitch is very
populist, a bit shallow, and beneath him.
jk
--
| John Kordic | jpd...@netcom.com | // Amiga!! :( :( |
| Fight On USC! | Go Kings! Go Ducks! | \X/ 'O Bar E O Meu Lar!' |
Michael Higby
jpd...@netcom.com (hockey fan) writes:
>Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>[...]
>>The residents of Long Beach want to save the base, and explore its use as a
>>community and recreational facility. The part they are concerned about has a
>>lot of historic buildings and fabulous, state-of-the-art facilities.
>'The residents'? Like they are some uniform group? I would expect that
>there a lot of residents who lost jobs in the shutdown of the base and
>shipyard that would benefit from a conversion to an offloading area.
Its not just about jobs. Its about the value of a facility like that to a
community, where there are few options for youth, where we have to address the
link of lack of opportunity for young kids and gangs. The recreational
facilities are only a small portion. There are parts of the base which could
be used for an office park for high tech jobs. This is going to increase as
business with the East goes up. Much better jobs for those downsized folks
than loading barrels onto boats. Maybe even better jobs than they had with
the Navy. And much better FOR THE FUTURE!
>I think that given the isolated location, totally surrounded by heavy
>industry, that it is a pretty dubious proposition that it would
>beneficial to the community to preserve it.
Those are considerations that need to be explored. But letting the city tear
the thing down before is dumb.
>I've only been there a couple of times to visit some ships. It seemed
>nice at best, and nothing struck me as fabulous. I saw the Huell
>Howser show where he went down there. I think his pitch is very
>populist, a bit shallow, and beneath him.
Not at all. Huell is speaking out against the very arrogance of elected
officials, such as those in Long Beach (but not limited to Long Beach) who are
so damn corrupt and stupid as to GIVE AWAY A VALUABLE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL
AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE to the COMMUNIST CHINESE GOVERNMENT who
have ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD FOR THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH. At least give it
away to a local firm that has more roots in the community.
See today's latest lame-brained idea out of Long Beach - THEY WANT TO TAKE
AWAY THE QUEEN MARY AND PUT IT IN JAPAN! The operator says the money they
can make in Japan will fund much needed repairs. At the same time the
operator wants the city to SELL HIM THE LICENSING RIGHTS so he can sell them
to a Las Vegas casino firm that wants to build a replica casino/hotel in
Vegas. Why not have the CITY OF LONG BEACH SELL THOSE RIGHTS at FAIR
MARKET VALUE and used those funds to do the repairs. That way the Queen Mary
as a landmark in Long Beach is guaranteed for generations, without giving it
away it people who do not deserve such sweetheart deals that cost the taxpayer.
R_G
I can see it now at the CIty Council chambers:
Mayor Hauser: "You mean to tell me that this budget defecit is due to
faulty reporting?
Council: "yes Mr. Mayor."
Mayor hauser: "Louie, get a shot of that, it's unbelievable."
BajaRat
On 29 Jan 1997 14:04:01 -0700, MHi...@Primenet.com (Michael Higby)
wrote:
Gotta agree with you on this one. Long Beach has about the worst
municipal govenments of any I've ever seen...... really lousy police
department, too. Long Beach has little regard for it's residents,
evidently..... bunch of losers and really always have been.
--==BajaRat==--
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hockey fan
Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>Its not just about jobs. Its about the value of a facility like that to a
>community, where there are few options for youth, where we have to address the
>link of lack of opportunity for young kids and gangs. The recreational
>facilities are only a small portion. There are parts of the base which could
>be used for an office park for high tech jobs. This is going to increase as
>business with the East goes up. Much better jobs for those downsized folks
>than loading barrels onto boats. Maybe even better jobs than they had with
>the Navy. And much better FOR THE FUTURE!
>
>the thing down before is dumb.
>
>officials, such as those in Long Beach (but not limited to Long Beach) who are
>so damn corrupt and stupid as to GIVE AWAY A VALUABLE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL
>AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE to the COMMUNIST CHINESE GOVERNMENT who
>have ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD FOR THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH. At least give it
>away to a local firm that has more roots in the community.
Hiya,
I know where you and Huell are coming from. When you phrase it in
terms of 'Ready made community center' vs 'tear down community
resource and give to communists' then it seems like the answer is
obvious.
I don't nor have I ever lived in Long beach, but my impression is
this:
As a community center for kids, it is too isolated, and too far from
the actual city to be useful. i.e. a good community center will thrive
if it is in the community.
Using the buildings for office space seems wrong as well. I don't know
what the vacancy rate is in Long Beach, but if it is close to the
average for LA, then why compete with doiwntown LB which is try to
revitalize? Why compete with LA? There is no shortage of office space.
And at the same time there is a shortage of shipping space. So why use
the last large availabel block of space in the harbor for a non
shipping purpose?
The short term benefit is lots of jobs, and the long term benefit is
that as trade with the pacific rim increases, so will good jobs. e.g.
All the japanese cars that get shipped in through the harbor not only
bring the shipping jobs, but we now have a huge corporate presence
from companies like Toyota.
So although it is painful to tear down the base, I haven't heard a
convinving argument that it isn't in the best interest of the
people of that area.
Michael Higby
jpd...@netcom.com (hockey fan) writes:
>I know where you and Huell are coming from. When you phrase it in
>terms of 'Ready made community center' vs 'tear down community
>resource and give to communists' then it seems like the answer is
>obvious.
>I don't nor have I ever lived in Long beach, but my impression is
>this:
>As a community center for kids, it is too isolated, and too far from
>the actual city to be useful. i.e. a good community center will thrive
>if it is in the community.
It has been already used for this purpose, and in fact, the LA Police
Department brings hundreds of kids there all the time. The facility is that
wonderful. The Navy has been very cooperative with this. It seems as if the
Navy is more understanding of the value of this experience than the elected
leaders of Long Beach. But then Navy officers haven't been paid off and also
have a lot more integrity than elected officials (and yes I am keeping in mind
things like Tailhook, but I got to believe that the percentage of crooked
politicians is higher than the number of sailors with hyperactive libidos.)
>Using the buildings for office space seems wrong as well. I
>don't know what the vacancy rate is in Long Beach, but if it is close to the
>average for LA, then why compete with doiwntown LB which is try to
>revitalize? Why compete with LA? There is no shortage of office space.
I wasn't necessarily talking about generic office space, but something like a
high tech campus. Wouldn't high tech jobs at over $20 an hour be more
valuable than container cargo lugging at $12 an hour. Besides, the container
cargo biz is increasingly more automated. We're nowhere near automating
things like engineers, programmers, software developers, etc.
>And at the same time there is a shortage of shipping space. So why use
>the last large availabel block of space in the harbor for a non
>shipping purpose?
We're not talking about using the whole base for a community center. The
historic district is what most want to save. Besides - why a communist
company? Aren't there companies in the US that could be used. If you are
talking about jobs - that's a point!
>The short term benefit is lots of jobs, and the long term benefit is
>that as trade with the pacific rim increases, so will good jobs. e.g.
>All the japanese cars that get shipped in through the harbor not only
>bring the shipping jobs, but we now have a huge corporate presence
>from companies like Toyota.
>So although it is painful to tear down the base, I haven't heard a
>convinving argument that it isn't in the best interest of the
>people of that area.
When government wants to giveaway something they also scream "jobs!" but most
times the jobs never come.
What Huell and others are screaming out about is the sheer arrogance, greed
and stupidity of the Long Beach city government and the Long Beach
establishment, such as the Chamber of Commerce.
There's got to be a better way to do this than to giveaway the heart and soul
(and the wallet!) of a community!
Sponsored by
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Michael Higby
R_G <rob...@pacbell.net> writes:
>Council: "yes Mr. Mayor."
ROTFL! or how about:
Mayor Howser: This is the LA Bureau of Street Maintenance - you're the folks
who fix up the streets.
Bureaucrat: Yes, Mayor Huell, we are.
Mayor Howser: What are all these stacks of paper?
Bureaucrat: Those are work orders Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Howser: Look at all these stacks! You must have hundreds of them! How
do y'all know where to start???
Bureaucrat: We start with the ones that are near Council contributors' homes.
The rest get down much later.
Mayor: You mean that y'all don't do this fair and square?
Bureaucrat: No sir. This is LA.
Mayor: Well, there ya' have it - provin' once again that all that glimmers is
not gold.
John E. Bredehoft
In article <MHigby.452...@Primenet.com>,
Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>
>I think we have finally found the ideal person to be mayor of Los Angeles, if
>only for a term, to begin to turn this city around. For more information on
>the campaign to encourage Huell to run and get his name on the ballot checkout
>the following website: http://www.primenet.com/~mhigby/huell.htm.
>
>sweetheart deals the LA City Council has made, the MTA, etc.
There is a difference between being able to inspire, and being able to
govern. Could Huell Howser deal with the L.A. City Council, or would he have
to rely on rallying support from the people? If he is dependent on the latter,
his term as L.A. mayor would be more of a disaster than a Ross Perot
presidency.
--
John E. Bredehoft, <mailto:jbre...@deltanet.com>
<http://users.deltanet.com/~jbredeho/>
"Whatever, whatever..." -M. L. Gore
Michael Higby
jbre...@deltanet.com (John E. Bredehoft) writes:
>There is a difference between being able to inspire, and being able to
>govern. Could Huell Howser deal with the L.A. City Council, or would he have
>to rely on rallying support from the people? If he is dependent on the latter,
>his term as L.A. mayor would be more of a disaster than a Ross Perot
>presidency.
I think Howser could both deal with the Council AND rally the support of the
people. The great thing would be that he would get people to be interested in
and care about government through his own charisma, and by reforming it so
that people feel he cares.
I am sure he would charm the pants off the City Council.
ONE DAY IN THE CITY COUNCIL UNDER MAYOR HOWSER
Council President: The Mayor has a presenation.
Mayor Howser: Thank you Mr. President and members. I've been visiting with
an awful lot of folks who love Los Angeles and want see it remain a special
place. One of those is Esther DeBer, the persimmion lady of South Central,
and she's baked up a whole mess of persimmion bars for each and every one of
you.
(pass out the bars)
Mayor Howser: Hey Luis! Get a shot of Councilman Ferraro sloppin' his
persimmion bar all over his lapel!
I hope y'all enjoyed these wonderful treats Esther's baked up for his. And in
the meantime, would y'all please vote yes on my City Hall reform plan.
Rick Ellis
In article <MHigby.455...@primenet.com>,
Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>I think Howser could both deal with the Council AND rally the support of the
>people. The great thing would be that he would get people to be interested in
>and care about government through his own charisma, and by reforming it so
>that people feel he cares.
Charisma? Huell? ROFL!!!
Michael Higby
el...@ftel.net (Rick Ellis) writes:
>Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>>I think Howser could both deal with the Council AND rally the support of the
>>people. The great thing would be that he would get people to be interested in
>>and care about government through his own charisma, and by reforming it so
>>that people feel he cares.
>Charisma? Huell? ROFL!!!
What are you talking about? He's probably one of the nicest, most charming
guys in all of LA, always positive, always smiling.
More than I can say for Dick Riordan or Tom Hayden.
Robert J Handwerker
He'll get my vote!!!
Rick Ellis
In article <MHigby.456...@primenet.com>,
Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>>Charisma? Huell? ROFL!!!
>
>What are you talking about? He's probably one of the nicest, most charming
>guys in all of LA, always positive, always smiling.
Charming? He's ANNOYING and he treats people like morons.
ATVDSOT
In article <5dbakk$d5v$1...@philippi.alphalink.com>, el...@ftel.net (Rick
Ellis) wrote:
Either he thinks everyone he speaks with is a moron, or he is a moron himself.
I have never seen anyone on television that appears to be as condescending
as HH. If he's sincere, it's virtually impossible to tell.
- Don
--
"Don't let the bad things in life ruin the good" - Don Williams
The Lone Man
On 3 Feb 1997 20:35:53 GMT, jbre...@deltanet.com (John E. Bredehoft)
wrote:
>In article <MHigby.452...@Primenet.com>,
>Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>>
>>I think we have finally found the ideal person to be mayor of Los Angeles, if
>>only for a term, to begin to turn this city around. For more information on
>>the campaign to encourage Huell to run and get his name on the ballot checkout
>>the following website: http://www.primenet.com/~mhigby/huell.htm.
>>
>>Huell is absolutely right to go after the City of Long Beach, which plans to
>>give away the Long Beach Naval Station to the Communist government of China.
>>What the Long Beach City Council has done is not unique - its akin to many
>>sweetheart deals the LA City Council has made, the MTA, etc.
>
>There is a difference between being able to inspire, and being able to
>govern. Could Huell Howser deal with the L.A. City Council, or would he have
>to rely on rallying support from the people? If he is dependent on the latter,
>his term as L.A. mayor would be more of a disaster than a Ross Perot
>presidency.
>--
The issue is in Long Beach, not Los Angeles. Huell does what he does
better than anyone else. Being a mayor is not one of those attributes,
he is far too honest for it. Why not take the cue from his issue and
raise hell through the freedom of speech and political action?
The Lone Man
Michael Higby
el...@ftel.net (Rick Ellis) writes:
>Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>>>Charisma? Huell? ROFL!!!
>>
>>What are you talking about? He's probably one of the nicest, most charming
>>guys in all of LA, always positive, always smiling.
>Charming? He's ANNOYING and he treats people like morons.
Annoying??? Maybe you don't like his accent?? I guess its just a matter of
opinion. I don't think he treats people like morons at all - he is genuinely
fascinated with people, especially those who are engaged in unusual jobs or
avocations and those who like people as much as he does.
Michael Higby
fast...@soho.ios.com (ATVDSOT) writes:
>Either he thinks everyone he speaks with is a moron, or he is a moron himself.
>I have never seen anyone on television that appears to be as condescending
>as HH. If he's sincere, it's virtually impossible to tell.
Oh come on. I think we have all become so cynical that we can't believe that
anyone is still sincere. I feel that Huell is genuinely fascinated with the
people he meets on his show and is looking for the positive.
You really have to watch the show and see it. Look at the reactions of people
who are very glad to meet him.
In any case, he can't be anymore disingenious that any elected official out
there.
The Lone Man
Michael Higby
d...@gte.net (The Lone Man ) writes:
>The issue is in Long Beach, not Los Angeles. Huell does what he does
>better than anyone else. Being a mayor is not one of those attributes,
>he is far too honest for it. Why not take the cue from his issue and
>raise hell through the freedom of speech and political action?
The Long Beach issue is only an example of the kind of leadership Howser could
provide. He is a Los Angeles resident and truly loves the city. He got
involved with Long Beach through his work.
Rick Ellis
In article <MHigby.456...@primenet.com>,
Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>>Charming? He's ANNOYING and he treats people like morons.
>
>Annoying??? Maybe you don't like his accent??
You aren't listening...I said I don't like the way he treats people. He's
insulting.
Rick Ellis
>The Long Beach issue is only an example of the kind of leadership Howser could
>provide. He is a Los Angeles resident and truly loves the city. He got
>involved with Long Beach through his work.
You are obviously either part of his campaign or a groupie. Either way
you credability is suspect.
ATVDSOT
In article <33053827...@206.13.95.227>, ja...@cheetah.net (Jafo) wrote:
> On 7 Feb 1997 07:18:30 GMT, Rick Ellis wrote:
>
> >In article <MHigby.456...@primenet.com>,
> >Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
> >
> >>>Charming? He's ANNOYING and he treats people like morons.
> >>
> >>Annoying??? Maybe you don't like his accent??
> >
> >You aren't listening...I said I don't like the way he treats people. He's
> >insulting.
>
> Never thought of him that way; are you sure you're not just
> misinterpreting his mannerisms?
His mannerisms? He has the world's most condescending tone of voice.
Michael Higby
el...@ftel.net (Rick Ellis) writes:
>Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>>The Long Beach issue is only an example of the kind of leadership Howser could
>>provide. He is a Los Angeles resident and truly loves the city. He got
>>involved with Long Beach through his work.
>You are obviously either part of his campaign or a groupie. Either way
>you credability is suspect.
I am not part of his campaign, though I suppose if asked I would help. I am
far from being a groupie, for one I am not sexually attracted to Huell and for
two I don't follow him around. I do watch his program when I get a chance and
enjoy most of them.
I am someone who loves the city I live in and am quite sick of the state it is
in. I am sick of politicians on the take, a self absorbed and unaware
populace and a local news media who finds it more amusing to make fun of the
city or make it look bad than to actually cover the important issues.
Now, Huell, or any other decent candidate for mayor, can't solve all of those
problems, but one with his personality using the bully pulpit of the mayor's
office could help to begin to turn things around.
Though I will probably vote for Richard Riordan, it doesn't make me happy. I
am even more aghast at the possibility of Tom Hayden becoming mayor. LA needs
to grow up and become a real city, like New York, Boston, Chicago or San
Francisco - or it needs to turn off the lights and close down.
Michael Higby
el...@ftel.net (Rick Ellis) writes:
>You aren't listening...I said I don't like the way he treats people. He's
>insulting.
I don't think you really watch the program. In any case, your comments have
been more insulting than anything I have seen Huell do.
Michael Higby
ja...@cheetah.net (Jafo) writes:
>Rick Ellis wrote:
>>You aren't listening...I said I don't like the way he treats people. He's
>>insulting.
>Never thought of him that way; are you sure you're not just
>misinterpreting his mannerisms?
I assume he is. Maybe Rick just isn't use to friendly, gregarious Southerners.
Andy Katz
MHi...@Primenet.com (Michael Higby) wrote:
>Though I will probably vote for Richard Riordan, it doesn't make me happy. I
>am even more aghast at the possibility of Tom Hayden becoming mayor. LA needs
>to grow up and become a real city, like New York, Boston, Chicago or San
>Francisco - or it needs to turn off the lights and close down.
Very nicely put, Michael, a realization the denial of which lies at
the heart of many of LA's problems.
Without agreeing or disagreeing, however, I'd like to know why you
prefer Riordan over Hayden (I've met and like Hayden, but that was
well before any mayorial run on his part, so I don't what proposals
he's made, particularly as events occuring west of the Hudson River
aren't, by law, reported here). Though I only experienced a year or
Riordan, I'd think of him as catering more to the LA as endless
suburbia ideal than Hayden ... am I wrong here?
Also, is Hayden following the LA Weekly, progressive party line that
prefers to trash the Red Line rather than finish it and just put more
buses into the system?
Andy Katz
__________________________________________
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John E. Bredehoft
In article <MHigby.456...@Primenet.com>,
Michael Higby <MHi...@Primenet.com> wrote:
>
>Oh come on. I think we have all become so cynical that we can't believe that
>anyone is still sincere. I feel that Huell is genuinely fascinated with the
>people he meets on his show and is looking for the positive.
>
>You really have to watch the show and see it. Look at the reactions of people
>who are very glad to meet him.
>
>In any case, he can't be anymore disingenious that any elected official out
>there.
A positive attitude doesn't necessarily translate into city management skills.
Take Fred Rogers. He's had a successful TV show for decades, and can speak
with a great deal of authority on child development, elementary education,
and the role of TV in our society.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that he'd be a good mayor for Pittsburgh.
It doesn't mean that he is qualified to decide the wage percentage increase
for the police department. He can't go on TV and say, "Neighbors, please
send more money to the city so that the trash trucks can come every week."
He can't necessarily approve a zoning plan that assures city income for the
next fifty years.
Ditto with Howser. A charming, positive TV personality and the ability to
emote in front of a camera do not necessarily translate into administrative
skills.
Anyway, if we insist on making a celebrity the next mayor of Los Angeles,
I'd vote for Fritz Coleman. Or possibly Dave Gahan.
John Wm Sloniker
Hello Everyone,
This is about ON-LINE TIME & RATES "increase"
Haven't exchanged much with anyone on AOL lately, but I have noticed that
things are a little slower when I do. Both AOL & the newsgroups have had
problems. Not sure what the newsgroup problem is, but it's not the same
as AOL. AOL customers may have problems getting on-line. That's a sign of
"system overload". In time it will be solved, but meanwhile we're getting
new messages from the local Bell companies.
AOL says they will get it fixed, and they will, in time. However the local
phone companies have put out different messages. They are saying "we need
more money" and have asked FCC to allow them to raise rates. We have a say
in what happens, if we speak up. I've seen several postings on the subject
of sending E-mail to FCC about our thoughts for the need of higher rates.
Here is what's involved. Hope you remember those old movie films about the
phone operators stretching cords to make connections from one line to that
next line. That's a small part of the problem, and is easy to fix. That is
what goes on when making connections within the same exchange.
However, some connections are to a different exchange, and that means more
cable to the next exchange, and that takes a little longer to fix. If they
could go out and dig a ditch and install the cable to the next exchange it
would only take a few weeks. BUT, there is government paper work for that
big bug-a-boo, PAPER WORK & PERMITS. That's what takes time, not money.
Even after reaching the next exchange, somewhere a connection is needed to
get across the country to the next city or state. Those lines are already
in place. AT&T and MCI, as well as others, have already done that. What's
now slowing things down are the cables between exchanges of the local Bell
companies. That's why they are trying to raise rates 100 percent when they
may only need 1%, and I'm not sure they need that.
The line from the exchange to your house is for you to use, and sits there
till you want it. Those connecting lines get used over and over, so there
aren't as many of them as there are for private lines. But with longer and
longer phone call times they need more connecting lines and the local Bell
compamies say that means more costs.
However, more and more people now have two private lines which cover those
additional costs, as well as create the need for them. I've had two lines
for over 20 years, because it's common for me to make calls of an hour, or
more, and I didn't know about "on-line" back then.
Since the local Bell companies work across state lines, they must petition
the FCC for rate increases, and anyone from any state, has a say in what's
going to happen. Speak up and let them know what you think. The Deadline
is in two weeks, Feb. 21 Don't put it off.
Thankfully the FCC is asking for informal user comments. They even have an
e-mail address for your comment. I'm sending this to encourage you to make
your opinions known. Here is where you can get more info:
FCC website URL: http://www.fcc.gov
FCC website on this proposal: http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html
FCC e-mail address for comments: i...@fcc.gov
Pass it on. The Deadline is in two weeks, Feb. 21 Don't put it off.
John
*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*
# John Wm Sloniker <joh...@cyberspace.com> Seattle, WA #
# (206) 789-6663 7323 - 19th Ave. NW 98117-5612 #
# =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- #
# I have Ancestors, Aunts, Cousins, Uncles, Brothers, Sisters. #
# Some are very good, some are very bad, but they're all mine. #
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Michael Higby
a...@interport.net (Andy Katz) writes:
>MHi...@Primenet.com (Michael Higby) wrote:
>>Though I will probably vote for Richard Riordan, it doesn't make me happy. I
>>am even more aghast at the possibility of Tom Hayden becoming mayor. LA needs
>>to grow up and become a real city, like New York, Boston, Chicago or San
>>Francisco - or it needs to turn off the lights and close down.
>Very nicely put, Michael, a realization the denial of which lies at
>the heart of many of LA's problems.
>Without agreeing or disagreeing, however, I'd like to know why you
>prefer Riordan over Hayden (I've met and like Hayden, but that was
>well before any mayorial run on his part, so I don't what proposals
>he's made, particularly as events occuring west of the Hudson River
>aren't, by law, reported here). Though I only experienced a year or
>Riordan, I'd think of him as catering more to the LA as endless
>suburbia ideal than Hayden ... am I wrong here?
Riordan has done a lot towards getting neighborhood activists thinking about
making LA more pedestrian and adopting new urbanism. I don't think Hayden has
even give that a thought. He has that Santa Monica-Westside mindset that as
long as Starbucks is opened and as long as the kids get to soccer all is okay.
Hayden is probably better off to remain in Sacramento and pursue campaign
finance reform and to fight the Republicans. I would have much rather he
became governor than mayor.
Riordan also realizes that LA has to become more competitive with its neighbor
cities in retaining and attracting business with high paying jobs. That's the
only way depressed areas of the city will come back to life.
>Also, is Hayden following the LA Weekly, progressive party line that
>prefers to trash the Red Line rather than finish it and just put more
>buses into the system?
Yup.
Michael Higby
jbre...@deltanet.com (John E. Bredehoft) writes:
>A positive attitude doesn't necessarily translate into city management skills.
>Take Fred Rogers. He's had a successful TV show for decades, and can speak
>with a great deal of authority on child development, elementary education,
>and the role of TV in our society.
>
>But that doesn't necessarily mean that he'd be a good mayor for Pittsburgh.
>It doesn't mean that he is qualified to decide the wage percentage increase
>for the police department. He can't go on TV and say, "Neighbors, please
>send more money to the city so that the trash trucks can come every week."
>He can't necessarily approve a zoning plan that assures city income for the
>next fifty years.
>
>Ditto with Howser. A charming, positive TV personality and the ability to
>emote in front of a camera do not necessarily translate into administrative
>skills.
>
>Anyway, if we insist on making a celebrity the next mayor of Los Angeles,
>I'd vote for Fritz Coleman. Or possibly Dave Gahan.
Though equally friendly and likable, Mr. Rogers and Huell Howser are two
different animals. I can see Howser getting tough with the City Council and
encouraging an outraged populace to take action.
Fritz Coleman or Dave Gahan really don't have the dedication to LA that Howser
does. Nor the political background that Huell has.
I think its time LA had a colorful mayor.
Andy Katz
MHi...@Primenet.com (Michael Higby) wrote:
>Riordan has done a lot towards getting neighborhood activists thinking about
>making LA more pedestrian and adopting new urbanism. I don't think Hayden has
>even give that a thought. He has that Santa Monica-Westside mindset that as
>long as Starbucks is opened and as long as the kids get to soccer all is okay.
Hmm, interesting. Riordan, I guess, suffers from the same malady all
LA Mayors do, lack of credit.
>Hayden is probably better off to remain in Sacramento and pursue campaign
>finance reform and to fight the Republicans. I would have much rather he
>became governor than mayor.
Well, that I certainly agree with.
>Riordan also realizes that LA has to become more competitive with its neighbor
>cities in retaining and attracting business with high paying jobs. That's the
>only way depressed areas of the city will come back to life.
Yes, particularly in South-Central.
>>Also, is Hayden following the LA Weekly, progressive party line that
>>prefers to trash the Red Line rather than finish it and just put more
>>buses into the system?
>
>Yup.
Ouch.
Hard to believe that people want to abandon yet *another* subway. Sure
Tutor-Saliba keeps fucking things up, then holds the city hostage for
more money (at least they were). But I keep thinking of the money
already spent and the sacrifices, like Fowler Brother's Bookstore.
I think the more buses people are indeed those who've never ridden on
one. Here in New York, with busses and subways, the difference is
clear ... while there are advantages and disadvantages to both
systems, they're not interchangeable.
Michael Higby
a...@interport.net (Andy Katz) writes:
>I think the more buses people are indeed those who've never ridden on
>one. Here in New York, with busses and subways, the difference is
>clear ... while there are advantages and disadvantages to both
>systems, they're not interchangeable.
I think they also don't know how to do math. They say more buses like folks
use to say more cars, back in the 50s.
When it comes to bus and rail, they are not interchangable, but they can be
complementary.
>__________________________________________
>So sophisticated is my Net presence that I
>now disdain sigs, ascii and even URLs....
>a...@interport.net
>a...@texas.net
>andre...@aol.com
Tom Crunk
MHi...@Primenet.com (Michael Higby) wrote:
>Riordan has done a lot towards getting neighborhood activists thinking about
>making LA more pedestrian and adopting new urbanism. I don't think Hayden has
>even give that a thought. He has that Santa Monica-Westside mindset that as
>long as Starbucks is opened and as long as the kids get to soccer all is okay.
Perhaps the most important thing Riordan will have done is
provide an opportunity for real government reform via the
elected charter reform committee that will be able to
propose changes directly to the voters. Only time will
tell.
And before you rush to condemn me as naive and the
initiative as just another political ploy, I'll say that I
am well aware that Riordan has his favorite candidates and
is bankrolling them. But you must also realize that the
reforms will probably not even take place until after
Riordan's term is up. (And I believe he has already said he
won't run again.) Furthermore, the council's plan (an
appointed committee of elite insiders with no authority or
ability to get anything in front of the voters) is nothing
more than a complete sham. Like him or not, the only
possibility for significant charter reform is Riordan's
ballot initiative.
And I think the best endorsement for Riordan's initiative is
the extreme measures the council took to try to keep it off
the ballot and the ongoing battle for a fair ballot
representation. If the council's that afraid of it, it
can't be all bad.
Tom Crunk
(I don't live in LA city. On purpose.)
Michael Higby
tcr...@earthlink.net (Tom Crunk) writes:
>Perhaps the most important thing Riordan will have done is
>provide an opportunity for real government reform via the
>elected charter reform committee that will be able to
>propose changes directly to the voters. Only time will
>tell.
>And before you rush to condemn me as naive and the
>initiative as just another political ploy, I'll say that I
>am well aware that Riordan has his favorite candidates and
>is bankrolling them. But you must also realize that the
>reforms will probably not even take place until after
>Riordan's term is up. (And I believe he has already said he
>won't run again.) Furthermore, the council's plan (an
>appointed committee of elite insiders with no authority or
>ability to get anything in front of the voters) is nothing
>more than a complete sham. Like him or not, the only
>possibility for significant charter reform is Riordan's
>ballot initiative.
>And I think the best endorsement for Riordan's initiative is
>the extreme measures the council took to try to keep it off
>the ballot and the ongoing battle for a fair ballot
>representation. If the council's that afraid of it, it
>can't be all bad.
I agree though I don't think Riordan is all that saintly in the matter. At
least what he is doing has opened up getting a lot of people who were never
involved before, involved in the process. The City Council appointed a
committee of all the usual suspects.
By the way, I believe Riordan, if re-elected this year cannot run for
re-election again - term limits, if I am correct. Good idea. We don't need
another 20 year mayor!