5/10/02

LC020510

VAL ZAVALA>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS MARLOW>> CALIFORNIA IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD NURSES, BUT DON'T EXPECT TO FIND THEM AROUND HERE.

GAY YEE>> STATE AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE TURNING AWAY PROSPECTIVE NURSES IN DROVES BECAUSE THEIR PROGRAMS ARE PACKED AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO EXPAND THEM.

SHARON HALL>> CALIFORNIA IS IN THE MIDST OF A VERY CRITICAL SHORTAGE. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.

VAL>> A MAJOR TURF WAR IS TAKING PLACE AT L.A. CITY HALL AND SOME HUGE PIECES OF DOWNTOWN REAL ESTATE ARE UP FOR GRABS. TWO LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN BATTLING OVER WHO GETS WHAT AS THE LINES OF THE DISTRICTS ARE RE-DRAWN. TONIGHT THEY'RE HERE TO SQUARE OFF IN PERSON.

JESS>> PLUS, A LOOK AT THE GREAT CROSS-TOWN BOULEVARDS BEFORE LOS ANGELES HAD FREEWAYS. THEY NEVER FULLY CONNECTED POINTS EAST AND WEST, BUT WILSHIRE AND OLYMPIC CAME CLOSE. TONIGHT WE'LL TAKE A DRIVE INTO HISTORY AND FIND OUT WHY SOME OF L.A.'S FIRST TRAFFIC PLANNERS RAN INTO A DEAD END.

VAL>> THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

JESS>> AND I'M JESS MARLOW.

JUST IN CASE YOU KEEP TRACK OF SUCH THINGS, THIS IS NATIONAL NURSES WEEK. IT'S AN OCCASION TIED TO THE BIRTHDAY OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, WHO WAS A GREAT HUMANITARIAN AS WELL AS A GREAT NURSE. BUT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE NURSING PROFESSION HAS VERY LITTLE TO CELEBRATE. IN FACT, IT'S FACING A CRISIS AND SO ARE THE MANY HOSPITALS THAT CAN'T FIND ENOUGH NURSES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PATIENTS.

VAL>> THE PROBLEM IS MADE EVEN WORSE BY THE LACK OF GOOD TRAINING PROGRAMS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SCORES OF WOULD-BE NURSES APPLY TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, BUT THEY'RE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS DON'T HAVE THE SPACE OR THE MONEY TO EDUCATE THEM. AS GAY YEE REPORTS, THAT'S LEFT THE STATE ON THE BRINK OF A MEDICAL MELTDOWN.

DIANE NEWTON>> CAN I HELP YOU?

GAY YEE>> DIANE NEWTON IS A SEASONED REGISTERED NURSE AT VERDUGO HILLS HOSPITAL IN GLENDALE.

DIANE NEWTON>> I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN.

GAY YEE>> SHE'S IN THE PRIME OF HER CAREER, SO WHY DOES SHE FEEL LIKE A RELIC FROM THE PAST?

DIANE NEWTON>> THE NURSE AT THE BEDSIDE IS GETTING TO BE A RELIC AND THE ONES OF US THAT ARE HERE ARE HERE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS HERE FOR THE MONEY PER SE. I THINK WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE LIKE THE BEDSIDE CONTACT.

GAY YEE>> THE AVERAGE AGE OF TODAY'S RN'S ARE IN THEIR FORTIES AND THERE ARE FEWER AND FEWER OF THEM.

DIANE NEWTON>> YOU HAVE NURSES THAT ARE HERE THAT ARE DEDICATED, BUT WE ALSO ARE GETTING ELDERLY. SO WHEN WE GO AWAY IN TEN YEARS, WHEN WE'RE ON RETIREMENT, WHO'S GOING TO TAKE OUR PLACES?

GAY YEE>> AS FAR AS THE NURSING SHORTAGE GOES, CALIFORNIA IS IN THE WORST PREDICAMENT. OUT OF FIFTY STATES IN THE UNION, WE RANK FIFTIETH, DEAD LAST IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO SERVE THE POPULATION. A STUDY SHOWS WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL 60,000 NEW NURSES OVER THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS AND WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR THAT.
THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE FEWER AND FEWER PLACES AVAILABLE WHERE THIS LEVEL NURSING IS TAUGHT. THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IS PHASING OUT ITS UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM. UCLA DID THE SAME THING SIX YEARS AGO.

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES HAVE BEEN LEFT TO PICK UP THE SLACK, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY OR THE SPACE. TAKE GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. IT'S FORCED TO HOLD LOTTERIES FOR THE LIMITED SEATS IN ITS NURSING PROGRAM. SUZANNE BALZER DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE PROGRAM LAST YEAR EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD A 4.0 GRADE POINT AVERAGE AND NURSING EXPERIENCE. THIS YEAR SHE WAS LUCKIER.

SUZANNE BALZER>> THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE APPLYING TO TAKE ONE PARTICULAR SEAT. WE ARE ALL QUALIFIED, WE ALL WANT TO BE NURSES AND IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING.

KERRI BROWN>> WITH THE NURSING CRISIS AS BAD AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE OPENING CLASSROOMS AND HIRING TEACHERS AND DOING THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO SO THAT PATIENTS GET CARE. IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE US THE MONEY TO TRAIN PEOPLE TO DO THAT, WHAT'S THE POINT?

GAY YEE>> THE POINT IS, MONEY. COMMUNITY COLLEGES JUST LOST $98 MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDS.

SHARON HALL>> CALIFORNIA IS IN THE MIDST OF A VERY CRITICAL SHORTAGE. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.

GAY YEE>> SHARON HALL HEADS THE NURSING SCHOOL AT GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. SHE SAYS THE STATE ALLOCATES MONEY ON A PER-STUDENT BASIS AND THAT'S WHY NURSING PROGRAMS ARE SO EXPENSIVE. CLASSES ARE SMALL, SOMETIMES NO MORE THAN TWELVE STUDENTS PER INSTRUCTOR. COLLEGES CAN MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY TEACHING COURSES THAT FILL A LECTURE HALL, SO WHERE'S THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVE TO BOOST NURSING PROGRAMS? HALL SAYS THERE'S MORE AT STAKE THAN JUST MONEY.

SHARON HALL>> IT IS ONE OF THE FINEST THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES DO FOR SOCIETY, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CONVINCE A LOT OF COLLEGE PRESIDENTS THAT THEY NEED TO PUT THEIR FUNDING INTO THEIR NURSING PROGRAM INSTEAD OF THE MORE READILY RECOMPENSED STRAIGHT ACADEMIC CLASSES.

GAY YEE>> CONCERNED THAT THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH NURSES, THREE GLENDALE HOSPITALS, INCLUDING VERDUGO HILLS, ARE MOVING AHEAD ON THEIR OWN, POOLING FUNDS TO PAY FOR A NURSING TEACHER AT GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

KAREN KNUEVEN>> WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL KINDS OF WAYS OF THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX TODAY IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN PRODUCE MORE NURSES INTO THE WORKFORCE.

GAY YEE>> WHY? JUST IMAGINE A HOSPITAL WITHOUT A NURSING WORKFORCE. I'M GAY YEE FOR LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

JESS>> CALIFORNIA ISN'T THE ONLY STATE FACING A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF NURSES. IN FACT, A RECENT SURVEY SHOWS THAT FORTY PERCENT OF ALL THE HOSPITALS NATIONWIDE ARE NOW PAYING BONUSES, SOMETIMES AS MUCH AS $15,000, JUST TO PERSUADE A NURSE TO SIGN ON FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.

VAL>> MONDAY ON LIFE AND TIMES, CALL HIM "CITIZEN RIORDAN". CAN L.A.'S FORMER MAYOR TAKE ON THE L.A. TIMES AND BEAT THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME? WE'LL LOOK AT RIORDAN'S PLAN TO LAUNCH A NEW DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR LOS ANGELES.

JIM HILL>> THE LOS ANGELES TRIBUNE. ESTABLISHED? NO, NOT YET. CIRCULATION? JUST THIS PROTOTYPE FRONT PAGE IN THE LIBRARY OF THE MAN WHO WOULD BE ITS FOUNDER.

RICHARD RIORDAN>> WELL, I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB, AND THE IDEA OF A NEW NEWSPAPER IS EXCITING.

JESS>> IT'S A BATTLE OVER POWER AND SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE REAL ESTATE IN LOS ANGELES. THROW IN SOME POLITICS AND YOU'VE GOT THE MAKINGS OF A REAL FIGHT AT L.A. CITY HALL.

VAL>> IT'S ALL ABOUT WHO GETS WHAT AS THE LINES FOR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE RE-DRAWN. AND THAT EXPENSIVE REAL ESTATE JESS REFERRED TO INCLUDES SOME MAJOR LANDMARKS, SUCH AS THE STAPLES CENTER, NOT TO MENTION THOUSANDS OF VOTERS WHO LIVE IN OR NEAR DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. TONIGHT YOU'LL HEAR FROM TWO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THEY'RE BOTH TRYING TO STAKE CLAIMS TO THAT TERRITORY.

JESS>> WE ARE JOINED NOW BY JAN PERRY AND NICK PACHECO, AND ACROSS THE DESK IN A SAFE AND NEUTRAL CORNER, KERMAN MADDOX. (LAUGHTER)

LET ME ASK THE TWO OF YOU. WHAT'S AT STAKE HERE?

NICK PACHECO>> FROM MY VIEWPOINT, WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE CHARTER, WE EMPHASIZED TWO THINGS IN RE-DISTRICTING. ONE IS EQUAL POPULATIONS AND THE SECOND IS COMMUNITY OF INTEREST SHOULD BE A PRIORITY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CURRENT GERRYMANDERED LINES FROM 1992, THERE ARE SEVEN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST IN DOWNTOWN THAT ARE DIVIDED --

VAL>> -- COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, MEANING PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING BASIC IN COMMON?

NICK PACHECO>> PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON AND THE AREA HAS SOMETHING IN COMMON, WHETHER IT'S CULTURAL, HISTORICAL, WHETHER IT'S ECONOMIC, WHETHER IT'S BUSINESS, SOME SORT OF THING THAT YOU CAN SAY UNIFIES THEM. WE HAVE LITTLE TOKYO, WE HAVE THE ARTISTS COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, THE FASHION DISTRICT, THE JEWELRY DISTRICT, THE STAPLES, SOUTHPARK AREA, BUNKER HILL --

VAL>> -- SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S NATURAL FOR THOSE TO STAY TOGETHER. JAN, YOU'RE SAYING....

JAN PERRY>> WELL, MR. PACHECO HELPED TO CREATE THE RE-DISTRICTING COMMISSION, AS HE WAS AN ELECTED CHARTER COMMISSIONER, AND WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS WERE CHARGED WITH IS TO TAKE A LOOK, AS WE DO EVERY TEN YEARS, AT THE COUNCIL BOUNDARIES. WE HAD HEARINGS ALL OVER THE CITY, LOTS OF TESTIMONY. APPROXIMATELY FIFTY MAPS WERE PUT FORTH INCLUDING MAPS FROM VARIOUS ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS.

YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL POPULATION IN THE LAST CENSUS COUNT AND DIVIDE IT BY FIFTEEN WITH A FIVE PERCENT MARGIN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, SO WE ALL BASICALLY HAVE THE SAME POPULATION IN OUR DISTRICTS. NOW WHAT I WANT TO DO, AND I'M SEEKING TO MAKE SURE THE COMMISSION'S MAP WHICH THEY VOTED ON, I RECEIVE A MAJORITY VOTE IS MAINTAINED AND MR. PACHECO HAS INTRODUCED -- WHAT ARE WE UP TO NOW? ABOUT FIVE ALTERNATIVES?

NICK PACHECO>> NO, I ONLY HAVE ONE AMENDMENT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE --

JAN PERRY>> -- OKAY, BUT WE HAVE OTHER MAPS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT HE'S BEEN MAKING --

NICK PACHECO -- TRYING TO REACH A COMPROMISE --

KERMAN MADDOX>> -- I'VE SEEN LINES, I'VE SEEN MAPS, I'VE HEARD RUMORS. WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT IS WHAT GEOGRAPHIC AREA IS THE BIGGEST DISPUTE OVER BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU? IS IT STAPLES? IS IT MUSIC CENTER? WHAT'S THE DISPUTE OVER?

NICK PACHECO>> I REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT OUT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN TERMS OF EXACTLY WHAT IS THE TOP PRIORITY IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST, BUT I CAN TELL YOU --

JESS>> -- WELL, LET'S ASK HER.

NICK PACHECO>> I CAN TELL YOU --

JAN PERRY>> -- WELL --

NICK PACHECO>> -- LET ME JUST FINISH THIS POINT, THOUGH. THE COMMISSION WAS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE CHARTER, AN ADVISORY COMMISSION. WE KNOW WHEN TO GIVE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY TO OUR COMMISSIONS VERSUS THE COUNCIL. NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS ARE ADVISORY. WE DID THAT PURPOSEFULLY. THE RE-DISTRICTING COMMISSION IS ADVISORY. WE DID THAT PURPOSEFULLY.

I THINK IT'S A MISSTATEMENT TO SAY THEY DECIDED, THEREFORE THE GAME IS OVER. THIS IS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A NEW CHARTER, DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY, NOT THE BACKROOM DEALS THAT WERE DONE IN 1992 THAT CAUSED THIS GERRYMANDERED DOWNTOWN, BUT ACTUALLY BRINGING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOGETHER.

JESS>> MS. PERRY?

JAN PERRY>> YES.

KERMAN MADDOX>> THE AREAS OF DISPUTE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT.

JAN PERRY>> AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND I HAVE A MAP THAT IS WITHOUT NEED TO CHALLENGE BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN DRAWN PURSUANT TO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN TERMS OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE GEOGRAPHY.

WITH RESPECT TO THE GEOGRAPHY, JUST SO THAT -- AND I KNOW NICK KNOWS THIS -- WHEN I TESTIFIED BEFORE THE COMMISSION, I VOLUNTARILY OFFERED TO MR. REYES IN THE FIRST DISTRICT EVERYTHING WEST OF THE HARBOR FREEWAY AND EVERYTHING NORTH OF THE 101 BECAUSE, FROM A GERRYMANDERING PERSPECTIVE, IT WAS MORE LOGICAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS WENT INTO THE FIRST DISTRICT. NOT ONLY THAT, THERE WAS THE CHINATOWN REDEVELOPMENT AREA, SOME OF WHICH WAS IN THE NINTH THAT REALLY NEEDED TO BE ALL IN THE FIRST, AND NOW IT IS.

VAL>> I HAVE TO ASK YOU, WHY SHOULD THE AVERAGE LOS ANGELES CITIZEN -- CERTAINLY NOT SOMEONE OUTSIDE L.A. WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS -- BUT WHY WOULD THE AVERAGE L.A. CITIZEN CARE ABOUT THIS? IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE SCREENWRITERS SQUABBLING OVER CREDITS.

NICK PACHECO>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY VERY PRECISELY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 200,000 PEOPLE THAT WE EACH REPRESENT OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS THE INTEGRITY OF OUR PERSONAL DISTRICTS, MOST PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT THIS. THAT'S WHY I'VE TRIED TO LOOK AT THIS WITH THE CHARTER MANDATE OF EQUAL POPULATION IN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.

THE COURTS HAVE THEIR OPINIONS HOW WE DO RE-DISTRICTING, BUT THE CHARTER TELLS US WE NEED TO PUT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOGETHER. THERE ARE SEVEN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST RIGHT NOW GERRYMANDERED. I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE. EL PUEBLO AND CITY HALL ARE DIVIDED, SKID ROW IS DIVIDED --

VAL>> -- BUT YOU ADMIT IT'S KIND OF AN INSIDE POLITICS KIND OF GAME?

NICK PACHECO>> OH, IT'S COMPLETELY AN INSIDE POLITICS ISSUE. THERE HASN'T BEEN AN OUTPOURING OF ANY SORT OF -- YOU KNOW, WE EACH REPRESENT 230,000 OR 240,000 PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICTS --

VAL>> -- I'M SEEING JAN SQUIRMING.

NICK PACHECO>> WELL, I MEAN, WE HAVE HEARD --

JAN PERRY>> -- WE HAVE HAD OUTPOURING --

NICK PACHECO>> -- FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS, WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE LAND OWNERS, BUT IN TERMS OF --

JAN PERRY>> -- NICK, THAT'S NOT TRUE AND YOU KNOW THAT.

NICK PACHECO>> WELL, IT'S --

JAN PERRY>> -- WELL, I MEAN, WHAT HAPPENED THE OTHER NIGHT?

NICK PACHECO>> WELL, WE HAD ABOUT, I'D SAY --

JAN PERRY>> -- WE HAD A LOT OF RESIDENTS FROM DOWNTOWN, OKAY?

NICK PACHECO>> WHICH IS VERY THINLY POPULATED --

JAN PERRY>> -- NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE.

NICK PACHECO>> -- COMPARED TO WHAT WE REPRESENT.

VAL>> WELL, FINISH YOUR THOUGHT. YOU HAD A LOT OF RESIDENTS?

JAN PERRY>> WE HAD SEVERAL HEARINGS. DURING THE RE-DISTRICTING COMMISSION HEARINGS, THE FIRST HEARING WAS DOWN AT 85TH AND VERMONT AT CRENSHAW CHRISTIAN CENTER. THERE WERE 1,000 PEOPLE THERE. THE SECOND ONE WAS AT USC. THERE WERE PROBABLY 100 PEOPLE THERE AND MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE THERE TO SPEAK ON MAINTAINING A UNITED NINTH COUNCIL DISTRICT. WE HAD A HEARING THE OTHER NIGHT WITH OUR AD HOC COMMITTEE. I'M GOING TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND SAY THAT THERE WAS PERHAPS 150 THERE. WHAT WAS IT? A THURSDAY NIGHT OR WEDNESDAY? ANYWAY, THEY CAME. PEOPLE SPOKE VERY, VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT MAINTAINING A UNITED NINTH COUNCIL DISTRICT.

KERMAN MADDOX>> LET ME ALSO ADD, VAL, --

NICK PACHECO>> -- UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH, WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

KERMAN MADDOX>> -- IT IS AN ISSUE OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL BECAUSE, UNFORTUNATELY, IN L.A. WE HAVE RACIAL POLITICS. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOU'VE GOT A LATINO AND AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ON THE CITY COUNCIL THAT ARE FIGHTING. YOU'VE HAD THE POLITICAL POLARIZATION THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE MAYOR'S RACE, WE HAD A LATINO CANDIDATE, AFRICAN-AMERICANS SUPPORTED JIMMY HAHN.

YOU HAD THE POLARIZATION WHEN ALEX PADILLA, THE LATINO WHO WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL, MADE SOME COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS. A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THOSE ASSIGNMENTS WERE DISRESPECTFUL TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEMBERS ON THE CITY COUNCIL. NOW YOU HAVE THIS, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE, UNFORTUNATELY, ARE SAYING THIS IS THE LATEST IN THE "POLITICAL POLARIZATION" IN L.A. BETWEEN LATINOS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

NICK PACHECO>> NO. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S VERY INSULTING TO BOTH OF US. I THINK BOTH OF OUR DISTRICTS REMAIN -- HERS WILL REMAIN AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN DISTRICT, MINE WILL REMAIN A LATINO DISTRICT --

JAN PERRY>> -- BUT MINE ISN'T. IT'S A LATINO DISTRICT.

NICK PACHECO>> IN TERMS OF VOTING, IN TERMS OF VOTING, I'M TALKING ABOUT. WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THREE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SEATS, MOST PEOPLE CONSIDERED NINE, EIGHT AND TEN THE THREE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SEATS. I DIDN'T MEAN TO MISREPRESENT HER POPULATION, BUT MY POINT IS, BOTH OF US ARE DEALING WITH THIS INTELLIGENTLY. WE'RE DISAGREEING ON THE MERITS.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT PEOPLE LOOK AT OUR SKIN COLOR AND WANT TO MAKE THIS A BLACK-BROWN ISSUE. DOWNTOWN IS A DISTRICT THAT HAS A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY. IT'S 32 PERCENT LATINO, 24 PERCENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 22 PERCENT ASIAN-AMERICAN AND 17 PERCENT ANGLO. SO IT'S NOT ABOUT EITHER ONE OF US MAKING OR BREAKING OUR PARTICULAR DISTRICTS.

JESS>> EVEN THOUGH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY OF INTERESTS, AREN'T THERE SPECIAL COMMUNITY OF INTERESTS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LATINOS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS?

JAN PERRY>> WELL, THE BEAUTIFUL PART ABOUT DOWNTOWN IS THE FACT THAT IT IS SO DIVERSE AND THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT SEGREGATED BY BOUNDARIES, THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING ALL MIXED UP TOGETHER. WHEN I WAS ELECTED JUST LAST SUMMER, I WAS ELECTED BY A LARGE MARGIN OF PEOPLE FROM ALL ETHNIC GROUPS FROM ALL OVER THE DISTRICT. SO TO CHARACTERIZE THIS AS A RACIAL ISSUE, I HAVE SAID TO NICK JOKINGLY THAT I SEE IT AS A MAN-WOMAN ISSUE (LAUGHTER) BECAUSE OF PERCEPTION OF WEAKNESS ON MY PART, WHICH IS WHY --

JESS>> -- NO ONE'S EVER ACCUSED YOU OF THAT. (LAUGHTER)

JAN PERRY>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE THEM CHASING AFTER THE OTHER GUYS TO TAKE ANYTHING FROM THEM, (LAUGHTER) BUT, YOU KNOW, NICK'S NOT WITHOUT ASSETS. I MEAN, HE'S GOT UNION STATION, THE TERMINAL ANNEX, METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT, I THINK YOU'RE RE-DOING SEARS FOR, WHAT, A COMMUNITY CENTER --

VAL>> -- ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS LIKE A POWER GRAB OR A LAND GRAB?

JAN PERRY>> YEAH, YEAH. PERHAPS HE THINKS THAT HE CAN. HE'S GOT THE PRODUCE MART, THE FLOWER MART, GRAND CENTRAL MARKET. IT'S NOT LIKE HE'S POVERTY-STRICKEN. (LAUGHTER)

NICK PACHECO>> LET ME LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.

VAL>> FIVE SECONDS.

NICK PACHECO>> FIVE SECONDS. I GAVE UP EL PUEBLO TO UNITED CIVIC CENTER. I --

JAN PERRY>> -- YOU'RE GIVING IT TO ED, THOUGH. YOU'RE NOT GIVING IT TO ME. (LAUGHTER)

NICK PACHECO>> -- AND I'M PASSIONATELY --

VAL>> -- (LAUGHTER) WE GOT TO STOP THERE.

NICK PACHECO>> LET ME JUST SAY THIS. I AM PASSIONATELY UNITING SKID ROW AND I'VE DONE A GOOD JOB IN SKID ROW, AND I WANT THAT IN MY DISTRICT --

JAN PERRY>> -- AND I WANT ALL OF SKID ROW --

JESS>> -- (LAUGHTER) OUR THANKS TO JAN PERRY, NICK PACHECO AND KERMAN MADDOX. IT MAY BE MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION CONNECTED WITH IT. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> GENDER POLITICS, I THINK.

WE HAVE ANOTHER SPECIAL COMING UP NEXT WEEK. IT IS PART OF OUR ONGOING "ETHICS PROJECT" AND THIS TIME WE ARE LOOKING AT EVERYDAY ETHICAL DILEMMAS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DROP SOME CASH ON THE SIDEWALK? WILL YOU EVER SEE THE MONEY AGAIN? WE USED A HIDDEN CAMERA TO FIND OUT.

PHILIP BRUCE>> HOW ETHICAL ARE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU? DROP A PURSE ON A BUSY STREET AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS. YOU MAY THINK THEY'LL TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN, BUT OUR HIDDEN CAMERA FOUND PLENTY OF HONEST PEOPLE.

>> BECAUSE IF YOU DROP SOMETHING, IT'S THE PROPER THING TO DO, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

JESS>> TIME NOW FOR THE MAIL AND, ONCE AGAIN, OUR "ETHICS PROJECT" PROMPTED MOST OF THE VIEWER COMMENTS. THE LATEST PROGRAM FOCUSED ON JOURNALISM AND WHETHER BIAS DISTORTS THE NEWS. ONE VIEWER HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT RECENT COVERAGE OF THE CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST:

"THE JEWS ARE TALENTED AND HAVE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY, PERHAPS MORE THAN ANY OTHER GROUP, BUT THE JEWISH BIAS IN THE MEDIA HAS BROUGHT UNIMAGINED PREFERENTIAL COVERAGE AND FAVORITISM. THIS NEEDS TO BE POINTED OUT CLEARLY AND FAIRLY."

VAL>> ANOTHER VIEWER CRITICIZED THE FACT THAT OUR ETHICS PANEL WAS COMPRISED OF VETERAN JOURNALISTS AND NOT MEDIA CRITICS:

"THE PROGRAM CAN BE COMPARED TO A JURY OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS BEING ASKED TO PASS JUDGMENT ON ONE OF THEIR OWN. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED AN IMPARTIAL AND BALANCED PANEL UNRELATED TO THE MEDIA TO DISCUSS MEDIA ETHICS AND BIASED MEDIA?"

VAL>> AND SEVERAL OF YOU SPOKE OUT ABOUT THE LIVE COVERAGE OF HIGH-SPEED POLICE PURSUITS. WE QUESTIONED WHETHER THOSE PURSUITS ARE REAL NEWS, BUT ONE VIEWER SAID, SURE THEY ARE:

"A CHASE CAME WITHIN A BLOCK OF WHERE I LIVE. THAT ONE WAS TELEVISED AND I WAS ABLE TO KNOW AS SOON AS IT WAS SAFE TO GO OUTSIDE. WHEN SOME DESPERATE CRIMINAL IS BEING CHASED BY THE POLICE, I WISH TO KNOW WHETHER IT POSES ANY RISK TO ME."

JESS>> ANOTHER STORY THAT GOT YOUR ATTENTION WAS OUR REPORT ON PAYING REPARATIONS TO DESCENDANTS OF FORMER SLAVES. WE POINTED OUT THAT CALIFORNIA IS NOW IDENTIFYING COMPANIES THAT ONCE INSURED SLAVES, MUCH AS THEY WOULD HAVE INSURED LIVESTOCK OR ANY OTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY. ONE VIEWER SAID WE MISSED THE POINT:

"I WISH GAY YEE HAD ASKED WHAT'S WRONG WITH INSURING A SLAVE'S OR ANY OTHER PERSON'S LIFE? ISN'T IT CALLED LIFE INSURANCE?"

JESS>> HERE'S HOW YOU CAN TELL US WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND.

LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG
WWW.KCET.ORG
LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT
4401 SUNSET BLVD.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
(323) 953-5555

VAL>> GETTING FROM THE EAST SIDE TO THE WEST SIDE CAN BE A PRETTY MADDENING EXPERIENCE IN L.A., ESPECIALLY DURING RUSH HOUR WHEN THE FREEWAYS ARE JAMMED.

JESS>> BUT JUST IMAGINE TRYING TO GET AROUND WITHOUT THE FREEWAYS. THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THE FIRST MOTORISTS OF LOS ANGELES FACED AND, EVEN THOUGH THE CITY WASN'T QUITE SO SPRAWLED OUT AND THERE WEREN'T THAT MANY CARS, CROSS-TOWN TRAVEL COULD STILL BE A NIGHTMARE. BACK THEN, THE CITY'S EFFORT TO CREATE A GREAT CROSS-TOWN BOULEVARD RAN INTO A DEAD END.

VAL>> MATT ROTH IS THE HISTORIAN FOR THE AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND HE'S HERE TONIGHT WITH A LOOK AT TWO OF THE BOULEVARDS THAT THE CITY TRIED TO EXPAND: WILSHIRE AND OLYMPIC. WELCOME AGAIN.

MATT ROTH>> THANK YOU.

JESS>> WE'RE SAYING "TRIED" TO EXPAND AND TALKING ABOUT DEAD ENDS. WHAT HAPPENED?

MATT ROTH>> WELL, THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANY SUCH THING AS AN UNCONTROVERSIAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECT, RIGHT? (LAUGHTER) LOTS OF INTEREST CONVERGED WHEN -- THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUILD, RIGHT? WITH THE PROLIFERATION OF CARS IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY, THE IDEA OF GOING EAST-WEST WAS HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WERE TRYING TO PLAN FOR TRAFFIC IN L.A.

DIFFERENT GROUPS HAD DIFFERENT FAVORITE PROPOSALS AND THE TWO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY, WILSHIRE WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF A COMMERCIAL PROJECT. I MEAN, WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE MIRACLE MILE. THAT WAS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WILSHIRE AS A TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR, BUT IT WAS REALLY THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN BETWEEN WHAT'S NOW WESTLAKE PARK AND WESTERN AVENUE WHO GOT WILSHIRE. I THINK THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS THIS.

VAL>> YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

MATT ROTH>> THEY WANTED TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY -- THIS IS AROUND THE VICINITY OF NORMANDIE IN 1928 LOOKING EAST TOWARDS DOWNTOWN. THIS IS THE ROAD THEY WANTED TO BUILD. THEY WANTED IT TO BE EXPANSIVE, THEY POOLED MONEY TO PLANT TREES AND THEY EVENTUALLY -- SPECIAL TRAFFIC SIGNALS --

JESS>> -- THERE ARE FOUR VEHICLES IN THAT SHOT. FOUR.

MATT ROTH>> YEAH, FOUR. (LAUGHTER) YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WAS TAKEN. THIS IS OUT BY WHAT IS NOW VETERAN, OKAY? OVER ON THE WEST SIDE WHERE WILSHIRE WAS A DIRT ROAD IN 1928, AND THIS IS THE FIRST PAVING THAT THEY'RE PUTTING THROUGH THERE. SO IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA. IT WASN'T REALLY MUCH OF A THROUGH HIGHWAY. IN THE NEXT IMAGE, THIS IS IN THE VICINITY OF VERMONT LOOKING EAST TOWARDS DOWNTOWN AT THE SAME PERIOD IN THE LATE 20'S. YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STORES, THERE'S LOTS OF COMMERCE GOING ON, BUT WHAT'S MISSING IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH?

VAL>> LINES ON THE STREET?

MATT ROTH>> YES, EXACTLY RIGHT, AND ANY OTHER TRAFFIC CONTROL.

VAL>> LOOK AT THAT.

MATT ROTH>> THERE ARE NO LIGHTS, THERE ARE NO STOP SIGNS, THERE ARE NO --

JESS>> -- NO PARKING METERS EITHER, I GUESS. (LAUGHTER)

MATT ROTH>> NO, NO PARKING METERS. THE PARKING WAS BEHIND THE STORES THERE.

VAL>> NOW OLYMPIC WAS THE OTHER MAJOR BOULEVARD THAT --

MATT ROTH>> -- THE ENGINEERS WANTED TO BUILD THAT, THE CITY ENGINEERS. PARTIALLY, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD, WHICH OWNED THE LAND ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIVER THAT OLYMPIC, OR TENTH AS IT WAS AT THE TIME, WOULD HAVE CROSSED. THEY WANTED THIS, YOU KNOW, FREIGHT ARTERY GOING THROUGH THEIR PROPERTY. THE ENGINEERS WANTED THE CROSS-TOWN BOULEVARD TO BE AWAY FROM ALL THE STORES.

NOW THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE THEY WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO BUILD IT. THIS IS AT SPAULDING STREET, WHICH IS RIGHT NEAR BEVERLY HILLS. IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE IN BEVERLY HILLS.

VAL>> THIS IS OLYMPIC?

MATT ROTH>> THIS IS LOOKING EAST ON OLYMPIC AT SPAULDING. THAT WAS THE BEFORE, AND THIS IS THE AFTER.

VAL>> THAT IS WIDE.

MATT ROTH>> THEY COULD WIDEN IT HERE BECAUSE, WELL, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF LAND USE GOING ON. IT WAS A WAY TO INCREASE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA. IN THE NEXT ONE, THIS IS ACTUALLY CENTURY CITY (LAUGHTER). THIS IS LOOKING EAST --

VAL>> THAT'S CENTURY CITY?

MATT ROTH>> YEAH, IT'S WHERE THE BRIDGE IS. IN THE NEXT ONE, THIS IS IN '37 AND THEN THIS IS IN '39. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME LOCATION.

VAL>> THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

MATT ROTH>> THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE STUDIO GAVE THEM AN EASEMENT TO BUILD A ROAD THROUGH THEIR PROPERTY.

JESS>> FOX?

MATT ROTH>> YEAH, FOX, EXACTLY, AS LONG AS THE CITY --

VAL>> -- BUILT THAT BRIDGE ACROSS?

MATT ROTH>> EXACTLY RIGHT. NOW THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN UPGRADED, BUT THAT REALLY SETS THE DEVELOPMENT, POTENTIALLY THE AREA. NOW THIS ONE IS AT CRENSHAW LOOKING WEST BEFORE THE OPENING AND WIDENING. THIS WAS THE MOST FEROCIOUSLY FOUGHT-OVER LOCATION BECAUSE, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT ONE, OLYMPIC DOESN'T GO STRAIGHT HERE. (LAUGHTER) THE ORIGINAL RIGHT-OF-WAY WOULD HAVE GONE TOWARDS THE RIGHT OF THIS PICTURE, BUT THERE WERE JUST SO MANY RECALCITRANT PROPERTY OWNERS THAT THE CITY JUST THREW UP THEIR HANDS AND SAID, TO HECK WITH IT, WE'RE GOING TO REROUTE THE ROAD, AND THEY CUT IT SOUTH.

VAL>> THIS SOUNDS AWFULLY FAMILIAR. LIKE THE 710 FREEWAY NOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO FINISH AND IT'S ALWAYS PROPERTY OWNERS AND PEOPLE WHO JUST DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR HOMES.

MATT ROTH>> THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS AN UNCONTROVERSIAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECT. THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE AND YOU CAN'T REALLY JUSTIFY THEM ACCORDING TO, YOU KNOW, THE DIRECT REVENUE FROM THEM. I MEAN, LOOK AT THE TOLL ROADS.

VAL>> WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME MORE WILSHIRE PHOTOGRAPHS HERE THAT I THINK YOU BROUGHT.

MATT ROTH>> OKAY. WELL, NOW, ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS WAS GETTING WILSHIRE THROUGH DOWNTOWN, OKAY? THIS IS JUST --

JESS>> -- THIS THAT DEAD END WE SPOKE OF? (LAUGHTER)

MATT ROTH>> THIS IS JUST WEST OF FIGUEROA AND, I GUESS, IN '31. THEN IN THE NEXT ONE, YOU CAN SEE IT'S THE EXACT SAME LOCATION, SO THEY BLASTED THE ROAD THROUGH. OF COURSE, YOU KNOW WHERE WILSHIRE ENDS TODAY, AT GRAND. THEY NEVER WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. THIS IS THE SAME LOCATION FROM AN AERIAL PERSPECTIVE. THIS IS LOOKING AT WHAT BECAME WILSHIRE BOULEVARD AND NOW THIS IS IT BETWEEN 1931 AND 1934.

VAL>> AND I UNDERSTAND THE ONLY REASON THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH HERE IS BECAUSE THE FEDS CAME IN WITH SOME MONEY --

MATT ROTH>> -- WELL, OLYMPIC WAS -- YES, THEY GOT SOME MONEY FROM NEW DEAL FUNDING AND ALSO -- THIS IS OLYMPIC LOOKING AT FIGUEROA BEFORE IT WAS BLASTED THROUGH IN 1938.

JESS>> AND THERE ARE THOSE LINES YOU WANTED, BUT THESE ARE RAIL LINES, ARE THEY NOT?

VAL>> THERE THEY ARE.

MATT ROTH>> YEAH, AND THERE IT IS IN 1939.

VAL>> SORRY. I'M A CONTROL FREAK. I LIKE LINES ON THE ROADS. (LAUGHTER)

MATT ROTH>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK I LIKE THEM TOO. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> YOU KNOW WHAT'S NICE ABOUT THIS? IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. NIMBYISM WAS NOT UNIQUE TO, YOU KNOW, OUR TIME. PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT CONSTRUCTION BACK THEN TOO.

JESS>> YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD A ROAD THROUGH MY BEAN FIELD. (LAUGHTER)

MATT ROTH>> YEAH, RIGHT. (LAUGHTER) WELL, THE THING ABOUT NIMBYISM IS, IF ONE PLACE HAS THAT, THEN IT'S NIMBYISM, NOT IN MY FRONT YARD, NOT IN MY BACK YARD. BUT IF EVERY PLACE HAS IT, THEN ISN'T THAT AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF SOCIETY?

JESS>> THAT IT IS.

VAL>> THAT'S RIGHT. MATT ROTH FROM THE AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE INVITE YOU TO KEEP TRACK OF OUR MONTH-LONG SERIES, "THE ETHICS PROJECT". GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT KCET.ORG AND CHECK IT OUT, WITH TRANSCRIPTS OF OUR RECENT SHOWS.

JESS>> AND THANKS FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US. FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES, HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

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