Mattucci and Kaji sabotaging public transit.
Airport on agenda.
District 2 meeting.
Memorial for internment camp victims.
Rock Around the Block.
District 5’s Aurelio Mattucci and District 1’s Jon Kaji are campaigning to sabotage Metro’s $100-million light-rail plans for Torrance.
In a Facebook post, Mattucci, who chairs the Council’s three-person Transportation Committee, complained that the C Line’s extension will transport the homeless to Torrance’s Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center. Then Kaji sent a letter to District 2’s Bridgett Lewis, the third committee member, saying he was withdrawing support for the project because of the specter of homeless people being transported to Torrance.
(Unfortunately, Kaji cc’d Mattucci, which is a Brown Act violation. This is not his first such transgression.)
Oh, wait a second, there’s something both Council members are ignoring. The first train would not arrive at the Giordano until 2033. If the homeless situation is as dire then as it is now, well, shame on us.
In the meantime, Torrance will annually continue to use $100 million a year from its sales revenues tax for the various transportation measures taxpayers approved, starting in 2014. Beginning in 2008, we have been anteing up $75 million a year.
What has been the local return? The answer is pretty clear. The light rail plan, however, would return all of our $100 million to benefit Torrance for a change.
Former Mayor Pat Furey, who has read Kaji’s letter, told me we are called a donor community.
Almost 20 percent of our sales tax revenue goes into funding transit projects, but we have basically only received minor street improvements in return. Then the Giordano was built because it was destined to be the end point for the C Line.
Where does the money go if the extension is killed? Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. wants it for an LAX people mover that would benefit his city.
If you were one of the people who attended any of the Metro sessions on possible routes for the C Line, here is another one you should attend:
The Transportation Committee will meet from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 20, in the Council Chambers at 3031 Torrance Blvd. Kaji and Mattucci will act to ask the Council to kill the project – after listening to Metro staff make a presentation on safety.
This situation reminds me of another time when South Bay politicians lacked vision. In 1955 planning for the 405 began, and politicians were asked if they wanted spurs in their communities. Marina del Rey said yes to the 90; South Bay said they didn’t want “those people” coming here.
Consequently, it can take us longer to get to the 405 than we spend on the freeway.
Mary Giordano, for whom the center was named, was a visionary assistant city manager. Isn’t this a moment when we can honor her vision for the city she served so honorably?
Airport on the agenda – finally:
Almost a thousand people last fall signed the petition voicing their concerns about Torrance Airport, and the City plans to address them at the July 25 meeting.
The Council’s Transportation Committee with staff input is making several recommendations. The proposals are getting a mixed reaction.
The Coalition for Torrance Airport Reform is supporting the landing-fee recommendations, but it wants the Council to amend or defer action on the Letter of Agreement between the City and the flight schools. COTAR has criticized it for being unenforceable because it is voluntary.
For a fuller look at what the City is proposing and how the residents’ group is responding, go to https://hollywoodriviera.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/cotar-letter-july01-2023.pdf.
Mark your calendar:
District 2’s Bridgett Lewis will tweak the format for her next community meeting. Instead of having a parade of City staffers talk about their departments, she will interview City Manager Aram Chaparyan.
Tuesday, July 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Henderson Library, 4805 Emerald St., Torrance. Free admission with cookies and coffee.
Never Again:
The Jewish community uttered that sentiment after the Holocaust, and the Japanese-American community has picked up on it because of the horrors of the World War II internment camps.
To put that sentiment into action, the World War II Camp Wall committee has plans to build memorial panels that will reflect the camps’ histories. Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi was instrumental in getting the project launched.
Torrance has approved installing it at Prairie Ave. and 190th St., the southeast corner of Columbia Park.
To learn more, go to http://www.wwiicampwall.org/.
The project will need $2.5 million, so the committee created a 501(c)3 organization – translation: Money donated is tax-deductible. The donate page is under the Help tab on the home page.
How late was it?:
The July 11 Council meeting adjourned at 9:49 p.m. If they keep this up, this feature may no longer be needed.
Before I go:
v Rock Around the Block is a fun family event on Thursday, July 20, outside the Torrance Historical Society, 1345 Post Ave. It starts at 5 p.m. but runs till 8 if you want to catch both it and the Transportation Committee meeting.
v Torrance Library puts on interesting programs for adults and children. To get on their email blast list, go to https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=0016wa-nUx7i_foTKLcmk65CYdP2wblC9lR4k7pyuuAjX_TD6NKhqVsgdVu8_CDZ0tbveIylEJns7ETkfcpB89yqE8SIx2Y3gEkKdYRgydLILCOnZIZ2C6QVgunM5nUekxFMJWcszm_lHhkZIJ4K7-hulG_7UkXzf8CoWwQ0-Ac2ec%3D.
v Thanks to the subscribers who have already signed up at www.TakeBackTorrance.com. If you are currently getting the issues delivered to your inbox, you will need to resubscribe from the website. I will be canceling my Constant Contact account.
v Want to tell the City Council your opinion on an agenda item or address any concerns? Send it to CityCouncil@torranceca.gov; in the subject line put the agenda item or the topic.
If you also want your comments to appear in an agenda item’s Staff Report, send it as well to CouncilMeetingPublicComment@torranceca.gov. Make sure that you have sent it by 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting – earlier if you want it included in the agenda’s first posting, which can be a week ahead.
Jean Adelsman
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