Letter to the Editor: What Way Forward Altadena?

Last night ( 28 July 2016) I attended the Los Angeles County Regional Planning commission Hearing regarding the revisions to the Altadena Community standards District (CSD) at Eliot Junior High School. Some things were very clear:

1. The Altadena Clown Council is totally non functional when it comes to informing, educating or representing the citizens of Altadena. They did absolutely nothing to notify the majority of Altadena citizens of this ongoing three year process.

2. The County Staff “misinforms”. Always and consistently.

3. The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission as individuals, and as a body, have nothing but contempt for the Altadena citizens they “represent and serve”.

4. The Community Standards District as it exists, and as it is proposed to be revised, has absolutely zero support from anyone not on the Altadena Clown council or a local not for profit Board. The Citizens of Altadena are very displeased. The mask that the Altadena Clown Council and various not for profits represent them has been removed.

5. The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commissioners, as individuals and a body have no idea of the needs or concerns of the Citizens of Altadena, and are so disinterested as to know nothing about the history of matters before them. It is clear their only interest is to pass something in a hurry and move on.

6. The band aid proffered by the Los Angeles Regional Planning Commission, that the tone deaf and ineffective Altadena Clown Council CSD committee meet with the indifferent Los Angeles County Staff to work out a compromise will do nothing to address the concerns of Altadena Citizens, or make the final draft of the CSD acceptable in content or quality. This was made abundantly clear when the Commission scheduled the next hearing on this issue for Wednesday September 14 9 am in downtown Los Angeles.

What is needed is larger committee, like the one Altadena had from 1985-86, that created the Altadena Community Plan, A schedule of meetings for that committee mailed by the county, to every Altadena homeowner, renter and businessperson with the general items to be discussed, so that the citizens of Altadena are informed and have the ability to give their informed consent. As all Americans believe, Just Power Only Comes from the Consent of the Governed.

Finally, as to those sixteen Altadena Clown Council members, they need to get up off their lard a**** and walk their census tract with fliers and such, and inform and engage the citizens they allegedly represent.

Sincerely,

Steven S. Lamb
Altadena