The Valley’s Rosy Outlook : Area still faces gnawing problems, but Riordan rightfully points to progress since quake

Citing growing optimism and his own Administration’s efforts to retain jobs, Mayor Richard Riordan has declared the Valley “back on track” and on the verge of returning to its glory days of economic boom.

Those welcome words, delivered in the mayor’s State of the Valley address, are ones we despaired of hearing--or at least believing--even a short time ago.

The Valley and the city have indeed shown remarkable progress in recovering from the Northridge quake and lingering recession. Last week’s city report that even the “ghost town” problem is well on its way to eradication is further testament to this progress.

And the mayor, a little more than halfway through his first term, deserves praise for acting on his promises: to lend the weight of his office to efforts to retain and gain businesses, and to boost the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Yet from where we sit, even the most glittery stretches of Ventura Boulevard still don’t look like Easy Street. Life in the Valley remains tough for many, economic recovery is incomplete and a slew of problems vie for resources:

* Aerospace industry cuts appear to have bottomed out. But joblessness and under employment remain critical.

* We remain a city in woeful need of public transportation, and bringing the Red Line through the Valley seems to have no end of problems. The project is over budget and behind schedule--nothing new about that--and now there are questions about construction and soil conditions.

* Crime is down. That is decidedly good news, most recently from the FBI’s annual crime report. But close to home, there has been a new spate of drive-by shootings and gang activity; we have ample cause for concern.

Riordan has called Los Angeles the safest big city in the country and has maintained that we are largely misunderstood; we suffer from negative perceptions.

Too many people do believe that the quality of life in Los Angeles--and especially in the Valley--leaves much to be desired. But perception is only one problem, and we cannot agree with the mayor that “the only thing we have to fear is pessimism.” We’re bullish on optimism but we see considerable danger in romanticizing our prospects.

The world and the Valley have changed since the good times last rolled through. Solving the complex problems we face will require vision and leadership; optimism alone won’t suffice. But the bolstering effect of an improved economy should finally make way for progress. On that count, the mayor has got it right.