LA City Council approves controversial $4.8 billion LAX improvements plan

Wow... Really? $4.8 Billion? This is the Airport pretty much under a perpetual state of construction and issues. This kinda takes the cake though, and for more than one reason. Lets see what wonderful Airport of Tomorrow they plan to create with almost 5 Billion dollars here? (because we know...they NEVER have cost overruns on anything, right?)

The Los Angeles city council voted today to move ahead with a controversial, $4.8 billion dollar improvement plan for L.A. International Airport. The project includes moving a runway closer to nearby homes. That decision angers some residents.

Under the plan, LAX's northern-most runway will be moved a couple of hundred feet away from the central terminal, closer to the communities of Westchester and Playa Del Rey. That will allow for the construction of a taxi lane that could accommodate large airplanes like the airbus 380.

Ummm.. REALLY?! Los Angeles County needs a Runway moved a couple hundred feet and a Taxiway built that badly? Is this the same reality the rest of us live in? Whoever could oppose such a thing though? Surely the Unions are behind this, right! Yes... Surely....

SEIU union organizer David Huerta says his group, on behalf of many members that serve LAX, will continue to explore legal challenges to stop the runway expansion.

"Those four thousand workers deserve to have a voice in this process because what happens at the airport directly affects them, the health of themselves because they live in the surrounding community."

Source

Sometimes, I tell ya. You cannot make this stuff up. You honestly can't.

Oh, but as I opened with, there IS more for why this is insane!

Unlike City of Los Angeles workers, whose raises have been blamed for the city’s dire finances, county workers haven’t received a cost-of-living raise in five years—a savings of hundreds of millions of dollars that has helped preserve programs and save jobs. The unions agreed to the arrangement so long as the money would begin to flow once the county’s finances were back on track. Union leaders are wasting no time holding the county to its word; Fujioka said his office already has begun negotiating with public safety unions.

It seems L.A. might be on the verge of balanced budgets! Errr... oopsy... Well, they WERE anyway. Off the backs of workers in one of the most expensive places in the nation.

For the most part, the new spending plan holds the line on departmental budgets that have been pared back during the past five years, recommending only small spending increases or none at all. “We’re not going to quickly and blindly restore people” to departments without a specific need, Fujioka said during a morning news conference.

Hear that? They will hold the line on new spending! No COLA's for the little people! (Cost of Living Adjustments) and only spending on what they really NEED!

Oh... Except for a few Billion or more on moving a Runway a couple hundred feet of course.

Fujioka also cautioned that unforeseen budget pressures could arise from the full implementation next year of the Affordable Care Act, as well as the continuing implementation of a massive transfer of responsibilities from the state to the county for supervision of ex-California prison inmates.

Source

I honestly can't imagine why people distrust and dislike Government, right down to the County and City level these days. Can you? Happy flying for those in and out of LAX when this little party starts. Judging by past LAX Projects the signs may as well be made up in advance to read "Over Budget, Over Time and Overkill, as usual"

It might save them a few bucks later.

any wonder why cali is bankrupt...

Thanks for the thread and info. Frankly I gave up on that state. The residents there continue year after year to elect politicians who continue on a path of bankruptcy and I am of the opinion they deserve everything that's coming to them. This on top of the high speed rail, over-priced union contracts, raising taxes every year to higher and higher rates, unemployment higher than national average, businesses leaving for other states and the list goes on and on. It seems they refuse to learn from their mistakes and will not change. So be it.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Dear Wrabbit2000,

Don't trust the media. L.A. City workers didn't take a pay cut, they had one imposed by other means. What L.A. City did was make current employees pay for future benefits thereby cutting City expenses and constructively cutting what they pay in salaries. The City made existing employees pay so that other employees could retire, it was called ERIP and was extensively discussed by the L.A. Times. It was an early retirement program designed to cut pension costs by having other employees contribute to the retirement of older employees.

As for LAX, it is self funding and not a drain on what is called the "general fund". Municipal airports make their money from landing fees and space rentals. I stopped paying attention to airports long ago; but, at one time, LAX was in the top five airports and probably still is.