What’s a County For?

Some years ago, already deep in our sordid struggle to regain access to our homes over our historic, usual route, we attended a town meeting in Agua Dulce. Norm Hickling, Deputy for our Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, spoke about our issue. I must apologize that I have little recollection of Norm's comments other than my own frustration. He handed out a booklet about what Los Angeles County could and could not do. I cannot refer to the title exactly right now because I threw the booklet away a couple of years ago.

But let me summarize and read between the lines:

The County of Los Angeles cannot stop itself from causing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Rail Authority to close a specific crossing, while leaving other equivalent crossings open.

The County of Los Angeles cannot take control of a road in order to keep it open for residents who live along it, except for the hundreds of roads it does keep open. The County does not want to be responsible for our dirt road. Are we supposed to believe that there are no other dirt roads in all of the County of Los Angeles?

Two questions:

Are we to believe that the County of Los Angeles is too WEAK to create or enforce a policy of fairness for all of its citizens?  Really?! There is no way, there is no person or committee creative enough to find a way to correct a wrong largely perpetrated by this very County? REALLY?? Yes, I’m yelling now. REALLY??!?

Let’s get this straight. The County of Los Angeles is more populous than forty-two of the fifty states. It is the most populous county in the State of California, nay the entire country! Each of the County Supervisors represents two million people. And we and you and everyone else is supposed to believe that with all those people, and all that power, there is NO WAY Michael Antonovich and Norm Hickling can correct a misreading of federal railroad guidelines, NO WAY they can pick up the phone and insist on honesty and responsible care for this community.

Bull. With a constituency of two million people it is inconceivable that Mr. Antonovich could not re-open our road tomorrow. We can’t help it; we just do not believe it, and as long as we get no sensible explanation as to why we are legally cut off from the blacktop, it is exceedingly difficult to feel we are being treated fairly or honestly.

Maybe some are fooled into believing that with such a large population to tend to, Mr. Antonovich has no time to take care of a small neighborhood. Yet Mr. Antonovich has time to tweet about adopting pets, and his deputy Norm Hickling has time to talk to members of our community and soothe us with pap that the facts render us unable to believe.

We are left with no choice but to believe that the County of Los Angeles has no desire to restore our access and property values. Speaking just for myself, if I had that kind of power and responsibility, I would move Heaven and Earth to make sure that our roads worked for everyone, and that all were served fairly. This episode is a blot on the honor and integrity of Los Angeles County, and, sadly, supports the contention of University of Illinois at Chicago Political Science Professor Dick Simpson that Los Angeles County is the second most corrupt in the country.

So what chance do we have against a steamroller that intends to crush us?

We believe that there are two forces that are more powerful even than rogue agencies of the State of California and County of Los Angeles:

·         The People of the County of Los Angeles, the State of California, the United States of America and even the world. Our plight is being recognized across the nation and in ten other countries. We are confident that public opinion can overpower this injustice, just as it has in other fights for the fair treatment of the citizens of America as well as in other countries.

·         Dedicated, honest members of the Government of our state and county, wherever they may be.

We await your awakening and action.