A Guiding Principle for Los Angeles

As Los Angeles’ two charter reform commissions begin the long and complex task of revamping our city’s constitution, the U.S. Constitution--especially the Bill of Rights--ought to be very much on the minds of commission members. In the same way that the U.S. Constitution speaks to issues of religious liberty and equal treatment under the law for all citizens, Los Angeles’ fundamental document should establish a set of guiding principles for the most critical issues facing the city.

Until now, the charter reform debate has focused almost exclusively on matters of political structure: political processes and institutions, council districts and neighborhood boards. Those are critical issues, but at a time when alienation from city government has fueled this reform process, nothing could be more helpful than an open and wide-ranging discussion of what we want Los Angeles to represent. California’s municipal home rule provisions give Los Angeles great latitude in designing a new city charter, allowing it to address any issue that already falls under the city’s legal jurisdiction. That permits us to think about our city’s constitution in the broadest possible terms, opening the door to an innovative, cutting edge charter.

What, then, should the charter address?

* Community. The new charter ought to emphasize our responsibilities to one another. A city thrives not primarily from the autonomy of its citizens, although that autonomy must be protected, but from their sense of a common mission.

* Children. Our charter should state that we have a responsibility as a city to nurture our youngest residents and to ensure their well-being. The charter might include a commitment that no child in Los Angeles will go without adequate child care.

* Environment. Several states, including Illinois and Virginia, have clauses in their constitutions making stewardship of the environment a core concern. Los Angeles could create a path-breaking charter by establishing basic protections for our city’s ecosystems and a guarantee of a healthful environment for every resident.

* Diversity and civil rights. A key tenet should be that everyone is welcome and valued in Los Angeles, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religion. In many cases, anti-discrimination provisions in the charter would overlap with existing state, federal and even city laws, but our fundamental document should affirm our commitment to the principle of diversity.

* Corporate citizenship. The charter should tell businesses that Los Angeles supports and rewards corporate behavior that benefits the city. We could use the charter to encourage businesses to pursue family-friendly policies, environmental protection and community service programs.

Whatever charter is finally adopted, the search for common principles will enable us to deal with the political alienation that first galvanized this reform process. A citizenry that feels disconnected from government needs not only structural reform but also the assurance that the city’s basic objectives are relevant to their lives.

Embracing these guiding principles, or others like them, also will help clarify the issues we face in updating our city’s political structures. Do we have critical concerns that only can be addressed on a citywide basis with strong citywide representation? And, at the same time, are many of our core convictions concerned with our neighborhoods, which therefore also need a strong voice?

However we answer these questions, the construction of any meaningful government will require the articulation of a clear mission statement for Los Angeles. Charter reform gives us precisely the opportunity to undertake such an examination of core goals and principles.