l-harrigan

0

Government Extravagance

Your article (Aug. 4) on the abundance of “worthless” Class C office space in downtown Los Angeles (as well as in countless other downtowns throughout California) begs the question about how any public or quasi-public entity can financially and ethically pass over these bargains to feather its own “nest” through the leasing or developing of sumptuous Class A space at community expense.

An extreme example of this pervasive syndrome became evident to me two years ago when I attempted to locate the new Metropolitan Transportation Authority offices somewhere near Union Station. I passed by the agency’s opulent, lavish, highrise edifice at least three times, not believing that public or transit funds could or would be used for this type of marbled extravagance.

At least that prologue to my meeting with MTA staff made the reason for negative outcome of my business proposal easier to understand: No budget.

JIM HARRIGAN

Principal

Economic Development Systems

Rancho Palos Verdes

No posts to display