In the latest Newsletter, Steve Knight says "there is no real advantage" in our association becoming a neighborhood council (NC). They will have "no real power, they'll only be advisory."
But maybe not! Reading Councilman Joel Wachs' "Grass-roots Guide to Forming NCs," and the Feb. 13 Times interview with Rosalind Stewart, manager of the new Dept of Neighborhood Empowerment, offers a different take from Steve's.
It is the case (as I see it) that NCs will not have *decision-making* power; they will not be granted any power that the city council, or any other city agency, has. However, there is an alternative to being merely advisory. The information, and the contacts within the city power hierarchy that Stewart's dept will make available to NCs, will enable them to have a clout with decision makers. Information is power, and we all know how public and private power structures try to limit info going out to the public for self-serving purposes. NC memberships, unlike other city-sanctioned citizen groups, will not be appointed by city officials, and their structures and agendas won't be dictated by City Hall.
Steve mentions the possible advantage of our association linking up with other groups to increase clout. But why not do that within our own neighborhood, not by our association becoming an NC, but by joining other groups within our (yet to be defined) neighborhood to form an NC? I do not think our association *alone* would have the kind of representation that the Charter envisions NCs having.
Meantime, I highly recommend you read Councilman Wachs' guide. You can have his office send you a copy simply by calling
213/485-3391, or
email: wachs@council.lacity,org, or
Fax: 213/485-3391.
Tom Robischon
Culver Drive
By Tom Robischon
But maybe not! Reading Councilman Joel Wachs' "Grass-roots Guide to Forming NCs," and the Feb. 13 Times interview with Rosalind Stewart, manager of the new Dept of Neighborhood Empowerment, offers a different take from Steve's.
It is the case (as I see it) that NCs will not have *decision-making* power; they will not be granted any power that the city council, or any other city agency, has. However, there is an alternative to being merely advisory. The information, and the contacts within the city power hierarchy that Stewart's dept will make available to NCs, will enable them to have a clout with decision makers. Information is power, and we all know how public and private power structures try to limit info going out to the public for self-serving purposes. NC memberships, unlike other city-sanctioned citizen groups, will not be appointed by city officials, and their structures and agendas won't be dictated by City Hall.
Steve mentions the possible advantage of our association linking up with other groups to increase clout. But why not do that within our own neighborhood, not by our association becoming an NC, but by joining other groups within our (yet to be defined) neighborhood to form an NC? I do not think our association *alone* would have the kind of representation that the Charter envisions NCs having.
Meantime, I highly recommend you read Councilman Wachs' guide. You can have his office send you a copy simply by calling
213/485-3391, or
email: wachs@council.lacity,org, or
Fax: 213/485-3391.
Tom Robischon
Culver Drive
By Tom Robischon
