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Old 08-13-2010, 04:29 PM
 
Location: Dalton Gardens
2,855 posts, read 6,465,089 times
Reputation: 1699

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Since so many of us seem to have complaints about where we currently live, lets break it down to the basics.

What 3 things would you like to see changed in your area to improve the quality of life for all?

Lets make it valid, people, without putting race out there as an issue. I'm sure there are far worse issues than having blacks, whites, Mexicans, Armenians or Koreans in your neighborhood

My three biggies...

1) Proactive reduction of crime through cohesive community efforts, working together with the police.

2) Keeping the streets and sidewalks clean of litter, dog poop, human poop and discarded drug paraphenalia.

3) Lower rents with better amenities for those who are truly struggling and just want a nice place to live.
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Old 08-13-2010, 04:42 PM
 
Location: Declezville, CA
16,806 posts, read 39,820,324 times
Reputation: 17684
1. If you want to be the inter-modal transportation and distribution hub of So Cal, make sure the %^*$#@$ off ramps, overcrossings, major arteries and major intersections can handle the volume of truck traffic!!

2. Make all traffic lights sensor controlled rather than timed.

3. I can't think of a third one. That's how much I like living here.
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Old 08-13-2010, 04:47 PM
 
Location: SoCal
14,530 posts, read 20,030,836 times
Reputation: 10539
1) Employ only people who have the legal right to work in US.

2) Reduce the traffic. Honestly I believe this is impossible but there are ways to address it. Traffic could be improved by not setting the traffic signals so that they go red right as you reach them. I'm an electronic engineer and IMO the entire city grid could be redesigned to utilize traffic sensing adaptive artificial intelligence to cause the traffic signals to expedite traffic rather than impede it. (At present they seem deliberately set to impede traffic.) More major thoroughfares should be made no parking 24/7 to allow the parking lane to be used for traffic. There should be increased enforcement against pedestrians who ignore the "don't walk" signals and cross anyway, causing traffic to slow so as to avoid hitting them. I know it's expensive as hell but probably every single freeway needs another lane. Also, it might be productive to ban trucks during rush hours, although I'm uncertain if the effect on commerce might be worse than the traffic. Summing it up, find some way to make the traffic not so insane!

3) Go totally psycho-cop postal on gangs and graffiti. Gang bangers are not only non-productive but they're counter productive. Get them off the streets.


Other than gangs I don't see our crime problem as all that bad, at least not in my neighborhood (the Van Nuys side of Northridge).

My increasing complaint is people who dump old broken furniture and other kinds of crap on the street. A few weeks ago a mattress appeared on a side street near me and it's still there. The irony here is that the city picks up unlimited numbers of large items from your house, all you have to do is phone 311 and tell them what it is and where you are and they'll pick it up within about a week. There is no excuse to dump stuff on somebody else's street!

Rents are set by supply and demand. I see no reason to interfere with the process of free trade. If it gets too expensive then you're just living in an area you can't afford. I know this is brutal but I see no reason why government should interfere with the rights of commercial property owners who deserve a fair return on their investment. If they charge too much then their units will go vacant. If low wage earners move away then businesses will have to pay higher wages (and incidentally charge higher prices). That's what's fare, it's free trade supply and demand economics.
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Old 08-13-2010, 04:51 PM
 
Location: SoCal
14,530 posts, read 20,030,836 times
Reputation: 10539
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fontucky View Post
1. If you want to be the inter-modal transportation and distribution hub of So Cal, make sure the %^*$#@$ off ramps, overcrossings, major arteries and major intersections can handle the volume of truck traffic!!

2. Make all traffic lights sensor controlled rather than timed.

3. I can't think of a third one. That's how much I like living here.
You are more spartan with your replies than I, so you posted as I was composing...

I see we agree that traffic signals need more automation. As an engineer I have fanciful ideas about networking the entire city. Unfortunately it is probably already networked, but designed by engineers who couldn't get jobs in private enterprise.

You like living here? I enjoy your sarcasm. No, really? You can't even pick three things you don't like, or you're just having trouble picking three things you don't like that have any hope of being improved?
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Old 08-13-2010, 05:01 PM
 
Location: Dalton Gardens
2,855 posts, read 6,465,089 times
Reputation: 1699
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lovehound View Post
1)

Rents are set by supply and demand. I see no reason to interfere with the process of free trade. If it gets too expensive then you're just living in an area you can't afford. I know this is brutal but I see no reason why government should interfere with the rights of commercial property owners who deserve a fair return on their investment. If they charge too much then their units will go vacant. If low wage earners move away then businesses will have to pay higher wages (and incidentally charge higher prices). That's what's fare, it's free trade supply and demand economics.
For the most part I agree with your comments. However, in the area where I live 99% of the apartment buildings are dropping their rent prices, while the prices in our company holdings are going up. If there were a valid reason for this I wouldn't have a problem, but when it is being done out of sheer greed and to try and recoup because of mismanagement it is wrong. I also agree that the government should have no right to interfere with the rights of commercial property owners, but in fact, the government has placed so many restrictions on the property owner that they may as well just give up and close down.

Being a leasing agent in this business is truly stressful, especially when the owner is having a fit that his apartments remain vacant, yet he ignores the reasons why when he sees the monthly market surveys of comparable buildings in the area.
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Old 08-13-2010, 05:03 PM
 
Location: Declezville, CA
16,806 posts, read 39,820,324 times
Reputation: 17684
The OP requested opinions of our area, not the entire state, so I'm leaving Sacramental out of this. Same reason for not touching on immigration, as that's not Fontana's fault.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY enjoy living here. As a fellow old fart native Angeleno, I know that's hard for you to grasp, but it am de troof. I have no designs on living anywhere else. I'm content. If I relocate anywhere at all, it'll be out into the high desert where there are very few people.
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Old 08-13-2010, 05:06 PM
 
Location: Full Time: N.NJ Part Time: S.CA, ID
6,116 posts, read 12,519,375 times
Reputation: 8679
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lovehound View Post
3) Go totally psycho-cop postal on gangs and graffiti. Gang bangers are not only non-productive but they're counter productive. Get them off the streets.
Thats racist.
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Old 08-13-2010, 05:06 PM
 
Location: Dalton Gardens
2,855 posts, read 6,465,089 times
Reputation: 1699
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fontucky View Post
The OP requested opinions of our area, not the entire state, so I'm leaving Sacramental out of this. Same reason for not touching on immigration, as that's not Fontana's fault.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY enjoy living here. As a fellow old fart native Angeleno, I know that's hard for you to grasp, but it am de troof. I have no designs on living anywhere else. I'm content. If I relocate anywhere at all, it'll be out into the high desert where there are very few people.

Thats fair enough
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Old 08-13-2010, 05:07 PM
 
Location: South Bay
7,226 posts, read 22,132,456 times
Reputation: 3626
i believe that traffic in my neighborhood would be much better if the county and city of LA did a little more communicating. any intersection that is along a border between the two is a total cluserf&ck because of the lack of planning and signal timing between the two entities. additionally, whomever decided to go ahead with a sewer line replacement on a major artery to the beach during the middle of summer needs to be fired!

other than that, my neighborhood is clean, safe, and actually a lot of fun. of course it is expensive as well, but if it were cheaper you'd be inviting folks who have less respect for clean, safe, and fun neighborhoods.
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Old 08-13-2010, 05:08 PM
 
Location: Dalton Gardens
2,855 posts, read 6,465,089 times
Reputation: 1699
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1200RT View Post
Thats racist.
No it is not!

They didn't specify any particular gangs, and there are many throughout LA County from all races. I didn't mention gangs in my three things only because I lump them in with crime in general.
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