Mayor, council must answer for $106M+ racket – Latest News
It has all of the markings of a racket.
LA’s mayor and City Council shovel tens of tens of millions of tax {dollars} to an “eviction defense” nonprofit that does … one thing.
That’s proper: The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles gives few data or receipts, however $106 million in payments — and the council simply pays up.
Oh, and that very same group sues town from time to time, leaving taxpayers presumably to pay for attorneys on each side of litigation.
How can this be proper?
Answer: It’s not.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass delivering a State of the City deal with. David Buchan for California Post
The mayor and metropolis council ought to retreat from this taxpayer rip-off (and others prefer it) — and face scrutiny for poor ethics and maybe, corruption.
Already, the council’s been warned by its own counsel.
In a current closed assembly, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto objected to poor oversight as town cedes tens of millions to eviction protection teams.
Activists who gather this largesse additionally sue LA — billing taxpayers up to $1,025 an hour — to dam public business reminiscent of clearing the streets of squalid encampments.
The insanity must finish.
To wit:
No metropolis contracts in case you sue town. Bankrolling these operating up legal tabs each for and in opposition to LA? It’s insane. End all litigation in opposition to City Hall, or see your contracts voided.
No fee with out documentation of particular work delivered. Set clear objectives and significant benchmarks. Pay for outcomes, not guarantees.
No clean checks. Impose caps on attorneys’ charges billed to taxpayers. $1,000 per hour for “nonprofit” legal professionals? Ludicrous.
Los Angeles metropolis council member hearken to fellow members as they debate a plan to waive building allow charges for property homeowners who need to rebuild from the Palisades fire.
Los Angeles Times by way of Getty Images
No sole-source contracts. Ensure open bidding with competitors to get taxpayers higher worth for their money.
While we’re at it, let’s give voters more public debate on the extravagant contracts with eviction protection teams:
What constitutes a wrongful eviction? Is there an epidemic of wrongful evictions in LA? How many Angelenos actually need eviction protection attorneys? Which tenants qualify and why?
How many evictions, precisely, did or will the $106 million payout to the Legal Aid Foundation forestall? Are they respectable instances (i.e., are the tenants paying their rent)? Or do these activist-attorneys merely make life a distress for sincere landlords?
Let’s additionally ask: Why are taxpayers masking eviction protection prices in any respect?
If this work is so important, why can’t nonprofits raise personal funds to bankroll it — or get legal professionals to work professional bono for the trigger?
We’re skeptical that shoving tens of tens of millions of public money at this problem is the best or solely answer.
It’s disturbing, actually, how cavalier, and how self-righteous, the mayor and council are with struggling taxpayers’ money.
Stop the racket now.
