The Arrogance of Power : Los Angeles Board of Supervisors: The public be damned

There’s local government that’s completely reactive and government that leads as well as reacts, and then there’s government by this-is-how-we’ve-always-done-it. Nowhere is the arrogant “sit-down-and-shut-up” method of governance on better display than at the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration.

Pension rules approved quietly--dangerously close to surreptitiously-- by the Board of Supervisors have created a $265-million liability for taxpayers. The public’s cost, according to a study released this week, is expected to be $18 million next year alone. Why? Because the county found a way to turn the meaning of an obscure state law on its head and decided that certain fringe benefits--such as car and medical insurance allowances--must be counted with salaries when retirement pay is calculated. The upshot is county pensions will increase; most retired board members will receive a hike of at least several thousand dollars each year, and one top official will draw an additional $25,000. That’s some mighty nice extra change. Too bad it came from your pocket.

Angered by the supervisors’ using a state law as an excuse for the pension hikes, the state Senate Thursday voted to overturn the law. The measure goes to the governor, who should sign it. What excuse could the board find then?

There are plenty of galling examples of the supervisors’ fiscal wrongheadedness. Marina del Rey, owned by the taxpayers and managed by the county, has become little more than a fabulous real estate investment for a select group of developers. Those developers also happen to have donated more than $500,000 to supervisors--and that’s just since 1986. This week the board voted 4-1, with Supervisor Gloria Molina dissenting, to approve a precedent-setting lease that will give a developer control of a prime piece of county-owned waterfront property for 70 more years. Independent analysts say the county/developer “partnership” is weighed heavily in favor of developers who lease marina land for apartments, restaurants, hotels, boat slips and shopping centers. That means the county will lose many millions in marina profits. It means many millions of dollars not there for public health, parks and other county needs.

This deal was approved despite the county’s not even knowing the value of all the property it’s leasing. The county’s economist argued that Marina del Rey is worth just $400 million to $600 million, only to admit later that his figure was merely an estimate. An independent authority and professional appraiser analyzed the marina at The Times’ request and concluded that it was worth a lot more--$1.4 billion.

In extending one lease Tuesday, the county got “as good a deal as you can get,” one supervisor insisted. Guess we’ll never know now, because the board refused to take any more time to consider a deal that will last until the year 2062.

Is the government that county residents are getting really “as good a deal” as they can get? Or is the more frightening prospect that supervisors can continue to do business as usual, secure in the knowledge that a lot of angry, alienated voters have just tuned out?