L.A. Zoo story: Fees to rise as much as 40% (DWP Story Included!)
The zoo hikes are expected to bring in $450,000 toward cutting a projected $20 million budget deficit this year, even as a city official called Tuesday for a review of dozens of other proposals designed to save money or raise revenue for the city.
But amid a campaign by neighborhood councils decrying proposed Department of Water and Power rate hikes, the council deferred any action until early next month.
Click here for details on the Zoo admission price increases.
But the DWP rates, originally sought to be imposed two months ago, proved more difficult and once again the council put off a decision.
After nearly four hours of public comment and discussion, the council wavered on the need for the increases - 6 percent over two years for water and 9 percent over three years for power - amid questions about whether the agency would use the money wisely. [Bullsh*t...Zuma Times hears it is going to be a 20% DWP rate increase over this time period -- PLUS, a Metro Water Department rate increase, on top of the 20% DWP increase.]
Several neighborhood council representatives also called for further review of the rate hikes and urged council members to look at other methods the DWP could use to raise revenue.
And Lydia Grant, education representative for the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council, said the rate hikes will have a ripple effect on residents' ability to pay for a variety of things - including education for their children.
"How many politicians does it take to take education away frm our kids?" she asked the council.
City Councilman Bill Rosendahl urged support for a 15-member citizen oversight committee - one for each council member to appoint.
"I want to pick a person in my district who is a numbers freak, that sits on top of this like a pit bull," Rosendahl said.
"Summer is just around the corner," Nahai said. "(Critics) complaining about the rate increases will be complaining a lot louder when we have to go through another summer like we have the past few years."[Nice threat tactic, Mr. Nahaiarosa. Are you saying this money would used to make the proper upgrades in time for the summer? I doubt it, when all the money is being wasted on purpose. (See Zuma Times story about DWP buying old, outdate supplies like cases of (glass) Windex bottles from the 70's, and worse!) Stop the Empire Line Item 36/185 stuff, then come talk to us, Mr. Nahaiarosa.]
Officials said another factor in the need for rate hikes is the annual transfer of DWP funds to the city's general fund.
A court hearing is scheduled for today on a lawsuit seeking to block transfer of DWP water funds to the city.
If successful, officials said, blocking the annual transfer could forestall the need for an immediate water-rate increase. It would not, however, affect the need for rate hikes to aid the DWP's power system.
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