Mar Vista Community Forum

What’s In It For Me?

What Neighborhood Community Councils Are All About.

In the municipal election of 1999, a wide majority of voters passed an amendment to the LosAngeles City Charter this amendment eventually brought about the structuring of what has become known as Community Councils. If you voted in this election chances are you voted for this amendment.

What are Community Councils and even more importantly, how do they affect me?
Community Councils (CC) are small legally recognized bodies of government, which are designed for the specific purpose of bringing about a more direct line of communication between City Hall and the individual voter and his or her neighborhood.

That sounds great on paper, but in a practical sense, how does it affect my daily life?
Often many of the things, which go on around us in our day-to-day life, we do not associate directly with government. Things such as the condition of our streets, police and fire service, and our schools are directly related to various functions of government.
On the other hand, when our street has a pothole, or a trash pick up is missed, it can be very frustrating to attempt to get this resolved, when all we get is a voice message to which there is no follow up. Much of this frustration has now found voice in an organized effort to separate the San Fernando Valley from the rest of LosAngeles. Whether this is a good or bad idea in itself is not the point .The real point is that people feel that city government is not being responsive to their needs. The (CC) concept is that there is a better way to make city government answer to the needs of its citizens.

What power do Community Councils have, which I don’t have as an individual?
Perhaps, the answer to that may be best illustrated in the following manner. If I represent myself as a single pencil, that pencil is easily broken or shoved aside .If I take ten pencils and bind them tightly together, that bundle is increased in strength by a factor of at least ten. This may seem self-evident and it is. This graphic example of strength through unity has been used in many cultures, for thousands of years, simply because it illustrates the point so vividly. The entire (CC) concept is built on this idea of having political power through unity.

I’m really not interested in having political power, so why should this concept be something in which I should be involved?
If you have a driver’s license, have a telephone, which is capable of dialing 911or any other number or register your children in a public school, you have political power and are using it on a daily bases. If you do not consider this as political power consider how you would feel if you did not have it within your grasp to do any of these things. You would rightfully feel disenfranchised.
By the same token, in order to deal on a day today bases with the many quality of life issues, which arise, we must have an effective manner to handle them. The (CC) does not guarantee that you will be able to have everything that you feel you are entitled to. Rather The (CC) will be able to put you in contact, in an organized manner with like-minded people and teach you to use the tools with which to accomplish your goals.


When I vote in a municipal election, am I not already utilizing these same powers you are speaking about?
In a sense yes but what you are really doing is attempting to elect a person who you hope will carry out your wishes. Unless you have some sort of leverage, which most of us do not have as individuals, you must wait until the next election to voice your approval or disapproval. When you participate in making these quality of life decisions whether they are major or minor you have a lot more control over your daily life. Human nature being what it is, politicians would much rather do what they want to do without a lot of pressure from the people who elect them. The Community Council helps to level the playing field. In order to help attain your goals it needs your participation.

Submitted By Carl Beierle, cbeierle@msn.com