Scooters
PPCC wishes to clarify its position regarding dockless electric scooters. The May 16 Post article suggests that PPCC is “at war” against such scooters. Not so. Our concern focuses on public safety protection, and arises from the recent incident in the Palisades—a felony hit-and-run involving a scooter user who fled the scene after seriously injuring a beloved pastor and the scooter company refusing to cooperate in the initial police investigation.
The PPCC board has not taken the position that scooters should be banned in all instances. Our board has resolved instead that as a condition of doing business, scooter providers should not be permitted to operate in the city unless they cooperate with law enforcement and provide the name and/or identifying data about the user in these circumstances.
We are following up with the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (which has now recommended the resolution to its 14 member-councils) and with city officials; PPCC will keep the community informed about our progress on this important issue.
Readers may also be interested to know that a related bill has been moving through the State Assembly and is expected to come to the Assembly floor for a vote soon: AB 1112 (Friedman). The bill would greatly limit the city’s ability to require data from scooter providers.
Last Friday, Councilmember Mike Bonin introduced a resolution for the City Council to oppose AB 1112 and PPCC submitted a letter in opposition shortly after learning about the bill. See pacpalicc.org (Documents/Motions & Positions).
George Wolfberg, Chair
Chris Spitz, Secretary
Pacific Palisades Community Council
Measure EE
As usual, in the letter “Measure EE” in the May 16 edition regarding Measure EE and school funding, the author raises up the boogeyman of Prop 13 with the misleading statement that the proposition froze the tax rate to 1978 assessments.
This is patently untrue with regard to assessments, and those who have purchased a home or made improvements since 1979, in particular, can attest to this. But don’t worry, coming down the pike is an attempt to reduce the two-thirds majority vote needed to also increase the tax rate, led by none other than our own State Senator Ben Allen.
And I’m sorry, but knowing the history of the LAUSD financial and administrative sinkhole, I don’t take a lot of comfort from promises from a new bureaucrat. For some of us, this isn’t a matter of money but rather principle and message.
Perhaps those who have voted for the virtually one-party legislature that has been overseeing one of the most debt-laden and fiscally inept states in the union could step up and take care of the state’s failure to do its job in funding public education. Or, we could always create a big statewide lottery to raise millions for the schools … oh, never mind, that’s been done.
My son attended Palisades public schools so some of this sentiment is not easy, but the state’s and the LAUSD’s fiscal management has been atrocious and the mess is going to be left on the doorstep of future generations.
Dennis White
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