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Valley shortchanged again!

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Contributed by: Mike Somers on 6/30/2007

As I drive into Simi Valley and Santa Clarita Valley, I can't help but notice virtually all of the landscaped medians are neat and well-manicured.

Meanwhile the west San Fernando Valley medians are usually not maintained and neglected. Weeds and dead crabgrass are the norm. Recently, I learned why this is occuring.

In my Northridge neighborhood, we recently went through a two-month period where maintenance ceased. We literally had six-foot-tall weeds growing on one median at Reseda Boulevard and Mayall Street.

Neighbors posted signs encouraging neighbors to call Counciilman Grieg Smith's office, which I did. I then learned through numerous phone calls to various city agencies that our maintenance crews have been pulled off the job to work on "special" projects in Los Angeles.

My calls included both Jeanine Ingleheart and Field District manager Sandy Clydesdale of Councilman Grieg Smith's office; Debra Depremio of the Bureau of Street Services; Ron Lorenzon of Urban Forestry, and West Valley Area Director Tessa Charnosky of the Mayor's office.

All of these people have confirmed that cutbacks in services and the "special" projects have caused the problem.

Lorenzon said much of this problem has been that "his people don't want to work." He said he has lost many people to other agencies such as the Parks Department and Building and Safety, where they make more money and don't have to work as hard.

He indicated the cutbacks from the mayor's office and the "special" projects have caused a "Valley-wide" problem.

We are allowing politicians to short-change the valley again. The overgrown shoddy medians and the growing graffiti problem is becoming a cause for concern to all.

When you call the councilman's office all you get is a phonenumbe to call another agency. When you call another agency, they pass the buck. No one takes responsibility. Perhaps we should consider voting these unresponsive people out of office.

P.S. Meanwhile, $100 million is being spent on a new high school in Granada Hills, which many people feel is not needed.

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