Skid Row Is Not Being Gentrified:
Downtown homeless advocate and Neighborhood Council figure Brady Westwater puts the lie to a Times op-edster. Contrary to what Brit analyst Tom Slater reports, Brady grouses, homeless people are not being "hosed off the sidewalk," nor have any SRO hotels been converted into "swanky apartments." Give it a read: Brady gives the Times a right schooling on the subject.
Don't Call AAA:
This is cool and magnanimous of 'em: The L.A. City Council just approved a plan to offer free towing service for anyone whose car breaks down on L.A. streets during rush hour. The "Rapid Response Team" will tow stranded motorists for free on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., during a six-month evaluation of a program that will cost taxpayers some $312,000 a year.
Takeover = Good:
Despite warnings from parents, the mayors of Chicago and New York say Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bid to take over L.A. Unified School District is a very good idea ...
Their Honors Richard Daley and Michael R. Bloomberg write:
In both of our cities, shifting authority over the education system to the mayor's office has allowed for fundamental changes that are breathing new life into our public schools. We have brought back standards, empowered principals, improved safety and created innovative programs to support struggling students and schools. In addition, we have been able to allocate resources far more efficiently and effectively, shifting money out of the central bureaucracy and into the classroom. We knew that success wouldn't happen overnight. But by holding schools accountable for improving the skills our children learn, we are making real progress — as evidenced by the rising test scores and graduation rates in Chicago and New York.
Los Angeles is poised to take an important step toward the approach followed by cities such as ours. It is important to recognize, however, that one size does not fit all, and the specific shape of school reform varies by city. Tailoring reform around local considerations is particularly necessary in Los Angeles, where the L.A. Unified School District encompasses 27 other cities. Villaraigosa's proposal recognizes the need to bring the cities together in a framework that gives each municipality a voice.
WiFi RoseBowl:
Pasadena's going wireless with a 23-square-mile network mounted on light poles that spits 1 megabit-per-second signal.
Novel Approach: Forcing Automakers to Flex Fuel:
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) wants to force automakers to build only vehicles that can run on gasoline or ethanol by putting a tax on so-called non-flex fuel vehicles, Autoblog reports. Just one problem with the bid to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, Congresswoman.: California has only four of the 500 ethanol/flex-fuel stations around the United States, so we'll need a little bit of infrastructure improvement first.
Heshers' L.A.:
If you're just visiting Los Angeles for the XGames today through Sunday, there's a handy little guide that delivers all kinds of useful information on the best skateparks, surfing spots and eateries - none of them, mercifully for the real Angelenos, are the actual best of breed. Our secrets are safe from the Xtreme hordes.
Ambient Haircut: BetaLevel is offering free haircuts and ambient music Sunday at 6 thanks to some student hairstylists and Ambient Force 3000. Know where BetaLevel is? It's here.
