Public Works Projects

In a seemingly endless stream of bad news about local jobs, the effort by Mayor Tom Bradley, Felicia Marcus, president of the Board of Public Works, and other city officials to accelerate bond-financed public works projects is a shining ray of good news. There are nearly $1 billion of general obligation, voter-approved bond projects waiting to go. They include new police facilities, strengthening city bridges to withstand earthquakes, retrofitting public buildings for seismic and fire safety and the new 911 system. In addition, the city’s waste-water treatment program continues as one of the largest public works programs in the nation.

There is a broad consensus that we need to move forward with these programs. What has been lacking before now is a mechanism to implement these programs. The same bureaucratic delays that have plagued the private sector when it has tried to move forward with major projects have also inhibited the plans to implement city projects.

This effort is presently internal to the city, but there is no reason this same approach cannot be used to accelerate private sector initiatives as well. RICK TUTTLE

City Controller

Los Angeles