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Corruption of Small Cities in L.A. County Reflect a Failure of Governance

Posted by: Tim Halbur
Thanks to: James Brasuell
8 February 2011 - 9:00am

The city of Bell made news in 2010 with rampant misappropriation of public funds, but the problem is still (as ever) more widespread than anyone realizes.

Rick Cole, the current city manager of Ventura and former city manager of Azusa, details some of the causes and effects of the corruption making news in cities like Bell and Vernon in L.A. County in this exclusive interview:

"Yes, government corruption is outrageous. But shortchanging half a million people from vital local services is far more devastating. The most astounding story is the impact of relegating a huge swath of our workforce to conditions that guarantee we can’t compete in the global economy."

"We know the checks and balances that keep most communities functioning: governmental transparency and accountability, the oversight of a free press, professional public managers, and honest elections. These are not exotic, complicated, Ivory Tower panaceas. These are everyday realities that keep local government working in the vast majority of California communities. We simply need to ensure that the residents of this region have the same rights and protections the rest of us take for granted."

Full Story: Rick Cole: Cities of Bell, Vernon Expose Governance Failures
Source: The Planning Report, February 7, 2011
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What the Census will not include is the long-form questions that have, since 1940, asked one-sixth of American households to reveal fine details about their lives. The long form was scrapped following the 2000 Census, so planners who are accustomed to relying on detailed, nuanced Census data to analyze and plan their communities may not get the detail that they expect.
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