VIEWPOINTS ON A BETTER L.A. IN ’87 : Making a Great Place to Visit a Greater Place to Live

Los Angeles: It’s a great place to visit, and it isn’t surprising that many of us like to live here. But at the beginning of a new year, it might be wise to ask how the city can be improved in 1987.

This question was asked of 10 eclectic public figures, and here are their answers:

Carol Burnett--The actress and author says the answer is clear; it’s right in front of our eyes, in fact. “The obvious problem is the smog,” Burnett says. “I want to see blue skies every day, except when it rains. Now I feel like sometimes there’s a dome over the city.” Burnett is passionate on the topic. “I don’t know the details, it’s (all) political. But, what good is the money if it’s not going to be spent (to clean up the air)?” Dead serious about smog, but in typically funny form, Burnett says, “I don’t want to have to listen to the radio to find out if I can breathe today!”

Richard Alatorre--It appears that Los Angeles City Councilman Alatorre (14th District) would breathe easier if the issues of the homeless and immigration were improved. During the coming year, Alatorre foresees new ideas as well as additional funding being offered to help break down some of the barriers to homeless people returning to the mainstream.

“It is no longer adequate or reasonable for us to provide temporary shelter. We must help people get back on the ladder,” he says. Also, Alatorre hopes to see significant progress made for the fair and effective implementation of the new immigration law.

“Compliance will present a major challenge to both the public and to the private sector, but I think with hard work and good will on the part of all concerned, it may be possible to implement this law without too much disruption to the lives of those most affected. Immigrants have helped make this country great and . . . along with this, helping longtime legal residents become citizens will be a priority of my office in the coming year.”

Sherman Block--The Los Angeles County sheriff places emphasis on the quality-of-life issues, especially the high level of substance abuse in Los Angeles. According to Block, drug abuse is probably the single greatest root cause of crime, violence, child abuse, neglect and abandonment.

“One of the saddest sights I’ve ever seen,” he says, “is of an infant going through (drug) withdrawal.”

Block wants Los Angeles to go beyond its high level of drug awareness towards making a greater commitment to schools and communities by providing education and information for parents as well as students.

“Years ago, each mother recognized the single greatest threat to her children and did everything in her power to help fight it. That threat was polio. Today it’s drugs,” says Block, who would like to see a similar all-out effort against substance abuse. Block’s office has an anti-drug program serving 40 of the 54 county school districts in Los Angeles. Along with drugs, Block is concerned about gang violence, and through the department’s Youth Athletic League, children and teen-agers are taught sportsmanship.

“The idea,” Block explains, “is to understand that you can have winners and losers and that if you lose, you can come back the next day and win. . . . You don’t have to die if you lose.

“I see our best hope for 1987 in what we do for the young people--what kind of options, opportunities and alternatives we offer as opposed to what the streets offer.”

Rita Walters--As president of the Los Angeles Board of Education, Walters is concerned about young people. She would like to see classrooms and teachers for all the children who need them, higher achievement scores by students and greater success with stay-in-school programs. She would like a strong partnership forged among parents, teachers and students.

“Continued cooperation with the business community as we seek to implement education reforms would also make Los Angeles a better place in 1987,” Walters says. “Finally, I hope that education and awareness can help prevent drug and alcohol dependence, teen pregnancy and child abuse--serious social problems which affect our youngsters and too often steal away their childhood years.”

Gus H. London--The president of the Greater Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Bureau says he would like the same improvement every year: “I’d like to see more visitors come to Los Angeles. In 1985, a record 46 million people visited the area and spent $10.7 billion. I’m optimistic that we’ll surpass those figures when our visitor statistics for 1986 become available,” London says. “One way to achieve this goal (in 1987) is by emphasizing the local value of tourism to the Los Angeles Basin, what it means in terms of jobs and dollars and by asking everyone to help make our visiting guests feel welcome.”

David Wolper--This producer of grand public spectaculars, television and films is an enthusiastic Angeleno. “We have wonderful weather, beaches and mountains--we’re an actual resort town! We’ve got an honest and good police force, friendly people, wonderful art museums, and we’re a great volunteer city with a lot of talent and spirit.”

Wolper takes convention bureau president London’s goal for 1987 all the way to 2004 when, Wolper hopes, the Olympics will return to Los Angeles.

In 1987 he’ll work toward that goal as a board member of the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games. But, according to Wolper, there are some other ways to make Los Angeles a better place.

Starting on a rapid transit system before we experience “gridlock” is one; and planning for rain is another.

“We forget that it rains here, but it does, every year. And every year we have flooding and traffic problems.” Wolper would also like to see voters stop turning down bond issues that would support the schools.

Magic Johnson--The Lakers star says: “The best thing would be to find a way to stop the drug problem here. I know it can’t be stopped, but if we can find a way to show kids that they don’t need drugs to have a good time, at least we can help. If we could find a way to put all the time and energy kids have for drugs and alcohol into doing their school work, then we’d have something!”

Lew Allen Jr.--As director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, Allen has a logical, almost scientific point of view. He points out that Los Angeles boasts a rich diversity of talent in scientific and technical areas. “Much of that talent,” Allen says, “can be found among our ethnic populations, yet there seems to be a worrisome trend toward separating many

segments of our community from the tremendous resources that exist here in education, science and technology.

“I hope to see progress toward broader participation in the world of science and technology by the Los Angeles community. By joining under an educated leadership representing all facets of our society, we can better meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of our common future.”

Armand Hammer--”To specify changes that would make Los Angeles a better place to live in 1987 is very difficult, because Los Angeles is already one of the most dynamic cities in the world, always in the midst of change,” Hammer, leading industrialist, art patron and philanthropist, says. “In my view, the most exciting change in Los Angeles is already taking place, and it is our job to make sure that it continues, for Los Angeles is becoming an international city. With wise leadership, this growth will make Los Angeles one of the richest environments in the world, both economically and culturally.”

On the economic side, he cites the best example as the Port of Los Angeles, strategically located on the Pacific Rim, where commerce has now shifted. He praises Mayor Tom Bradley’s active promotion of the port and feels the mayor’s efforts will bring prosperity and work to Los Angeles.

“This increase in commerce will bring people from all over the world to Los Angeles and the resulting change will foster cultural trade. Foreign art exchanges, dance troupes and musical groups should be encouraged to visit Los Angeles. The growing arts communities here can be a tool to better understand the people of the world.”

Ray Remy--As president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Remy believes that Los Angeles has all the elements of a great livable city, including an outstanding climate, great restaurants and entertainment, a diversified economic base, a multi-ethnic population and a world-class cultural environment. But, he cautions, in order to maintain this livability, the city has to accommodate future population growth, enhance environmental quality and assure an adequate employment base.

“Without a doubt, the Los Angeles area will grow,” he said. But Remy questions: “How will we handle this growth? How do we balance available housing with improved transportation systems? How do we finance the infrastructure to handle it? How do we balance building densities with the need for additional jobs?”

“For 1987,” Remy says, “the challenge before us is clear. We now have one of the best places in the world for business development and quality of life. How we plan to progress to the year 2000 will determine whether Los Angeles will be a city in history or a city of the future.”