Ueberroth Is Right --Not Overnight : The great need for patience and persistence

Peter V. Ueberroth, the 1984 Olympics czar who was appointed chairman of Rebuild L.A. by Mayor Tom Bradley in the aftermath of the riots, has begun to discuss the specifics of his campaign, most recently in a wide-ranging interview with The Times that (to use the old gag line) had both good news and bad news.

The good news is that Ueberroth, who had been rumored to be unhappy with the political and ethnic infighting his new position has exposed him to, said he will stay on the job for up to five years.

The bad news is that Ueberroth figures Los Angeles will need at least five years to make the fundamental changes necessary to revive the riot-scarred neighborhoods, and to help other poor areas hereabouts that were not torched but whose residents have severe social and economic needs.

Ueberroth’s timetable is realistic. And the realization that it could take five or more years to put Los Angeles right is likely to be sobering. This is especially so for the many well-intentioned people who have been looking to help perhaps without understanding that although the need now is for brooms and food banks, the only real answer for the long haul can be commitment. There will be no quick fixes.

Even a short list of the issues Ueberroth believes that Rebuild L.A. must tackle illustrates what a daunting task the organization faces--providing greater access to bank loans and insurance for small and medium-sized businesses; reforming the state workers’ compensation system; overhauling the city’s permit process so that it is faster and does not discourage businesses from locating in this area.

Some who have noted all the business-oriented initiatives on Ueberroth’s agenda maintain that he isn’t asking for enough government help. But even if federal and state politicians were willing to buy Los Angeles everything on its wish list--which of course they never will be--the hard-pressed taxpayers would not stand for it. The reality is that Los Angeles’ salvation must be found in the private sector as well as in government programs.

Ueberroth’s stark analysis should help keep everyone from putting all hopes for a better Los Angeles onto the still-uncertain back of Rebuild L.A. There is no way that already overworked organization can become the be-all and end-all of this region’s post-riot efforts. Nor should it.

Too many good things began at the grass-roots level immediately after the riots--campaigns to clear away damage, feed the hungry, house the homeless and find jobs for the unemployed. They must continue with or without Rebuild L.A., and regardless of how long the campaign takes.