The City Council needs to provide the public with clear and specific guidelines for the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Woodland Hills, at one time, had 40 dispensaries. While many have been closed, some may reopen under the city's new rules. Woodland Hills is attractive to dispensaries because of its relaxed suburban character and because it's adjacent to unincorporated L.A. County, which does not permit medicinal marijuana sales.
When many of the now-closed stores opened, all they needed was a resale license. I ask the City Council to come up with rules, like those used to permit the sale of alcohol and the revocation of sales permits, for marijuana dispensaries. Without these tools we will be unable to moderate or prohibit the actions of the stores and their customers anywhere in L.A. We need these rules now.
- SEAN MCCARTHY
Encino
Libraries vital in crime prevention
Re "Safety First" (Editorial, Jan. 9):
Police officers, public safety experts and district attorneys understand that a high literacy rate and the availability of after-school activities are among the most important factors in creating a safe city.
While the Daily News is right to place a high priority on funding for our vital police and fire services, this simply is not and cannot be the only solution. City of Los Angeles
libraries operate the largest after-school program in the city and are responsible for providing literacy programs for toddlers, children, teens and adults. Libraries are crime preventers. When neighborhood libraries close or reduce their hours significantly, there are few alternatives for the 90,000 children who visit our 73 branches weekly.
In the 2010-2011 budget cycle, the Police and Fire departments received nearly 70 percent of the city's budget. The Library Department on the other hand received approximately 3 percent! I authored and continue to support Measure L because as someone with 38 years on the Police Department, including five years as chief, I know it will reverse the current trend of cuts that have devastated our libraries and compromised our public safety, prevention and intervention efforts. In these tough economic and budget times we must not be penny-wise and pound-foolish.
- BERNARD C. PARKS
Los Angeles
The writer represents the L.A. City Council's
Eighth District and is a former LAPD police chief
Human nature holds U.S. back
America the beautiful, minus human nature, would be near perfection.
- LLORENS PEMBROOK
Studio City
AT&T phone outages to be fixed
AT&T is solid in its commitment to its customers in Los Angeles, and recovery efforts from the recent historically devastating storms are no exception. AT&T is continuing to do all it can to ensure every resident resumes service. I know AT&T is working with many VICA members to achieve this goal. Technicians were brought from Northern California to work around the clock until every phone outage is fixed. As Southern California residents, we are all too familiar with natural disasters and have witnessed AT&T's commitment to its customers under these circumstances.
- STUART WALDMAN
Van Nuys
The writer is president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA)
Unlikely to meet energy goals
Re "DWP leaps ahead of clean energy goals"
(Jan. 14):
To begin to meet mandated renewable energy levels, the Department of Water and Power constructed the Pine Tree Wind Farm at a cost of more than $425 million, consisting of 80 wind towers on 2,000 acres. While rated at 120 megawatts, wind pattern studies, part of the Integrated Resources Plan, indicates that during the windy month of August 2009, the farm actually provided 13 to 48 megawatts on an average day minus conversion and line losses.
The installation will provide, on average, 0.42 percent of the electrical energy needed by the city of Los Angeles and will require hot backup from gas turbine plants when the wind does not blow. While DWP predicts a 5 percent increase per year in costs, I believe the prediction of Jack Humphreville - who serves on the neighborhood council panel working with the DWP - of increases of 8 percent and more. Reality sets in.
- GORDON OSBORNE
Woodland Hills
Source: Los Angeles Daily News
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