CITIZC:NS COMMITTzE TO SAVS SLY.SI.!

lN PARK
1672 Morton .Ave., L.A. 90026 M.A 5-8427
VOTE
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ON POLICE BONDS
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lSL"f!:TTER No. 17
May, 1967
'VOTE
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NO' on the $23,000,000 police bonds, Proposition "B" on
the May 31 ballot. The ballot proposal is so vague that in voting
for the bonds, you may also be voting to give away valuable park land
for the next half century.
THE BOND is in addition to the for the
Police Dept:, .. whicb accounts for.mol"e than a ouarter (26.5%) of the
record oodget of :?373, 700 ,OCO requested by the Mayor. Mayor Yorty
has asked for )99,200,000 for Prilirie Dept. operations, police pen-
sions end police retirement funds. If bond money is added, the total
for- police expenditures WOLJld be :?122,20C',OOO. ('rhis contrasts
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With
the poverty plea where parks are concerned. There is "no money for
dr-ainage pipes on Stadium Way or to replace broken and rusted irriga-
tion pipes throughout Elysian Park.)
T.AXPAYSRS are entitled to know where and bow their money is to
be spent before being asked to approve multi-million dollar bond is-
sues. In tl-Jis CAse, the "where" about 'llhich we are not informed is
the location of the pr::>posed police ecademy, the largest item
($4,193,000) covered by the bonds. Its location will determine whe-
ther 21 acr-es of Elysian Park are to be rithheld from normal park use
until the year 2005. This is not explained in the ballot proposal.
Voters are merely asked to provide funds for "construction and im-
provement (other than repairs) of a training academy . " The deci-
cision as to location is left to city officials.
SOME OFFICIALS have stated that the new academy will be placed
on the site as the existing academy -- that is, on park land.
Others deny this. But the authority rests with the City Council and
the Mayor -- and they have been silent. If a firm decision has now
been reached, as some officials insist, it should be a simple matter
to clear up the confusion. Let the City Council pass, and the Mayor
sign, a resolution stating that no bond money shall be used to place
any police structure in any portion of Elysian Parlr or other parks.
1..4.CKIFG THAT ASSURANC2, citizens may find that they have un-
wittingly voted to give away park land, contrary to their own best
intet'ests and in violation of the City Charter. The Citizens Commit-
tee, therefore, urges a "NO" vote on the police bonds, Prop. "B".
VOTE 'N0
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ON LIBRARY BONDS
IN SOM:::: the issue is more clear cut on the library b011da
than on the police bonds. Despite earlier denials, tue official
":f2ct sheet" now states: "TI-Je ultimate decision on the exaat loca-
tion (or the pr'oposod tJcw eeot.ral librar-y) is still open, and will
be made by the Boord of Library Commissioners with the concurrence of
top .;lty of".llci<'lls after (Jessage of the library bond issue."
THIS MUST B:C :L::IGH<I:D in conjunction with Councilman Paul Lam-
port's stetement in City Council that he and Mayor Yorty are the only
two persons in City Hall who know what is being planned :for the new
library, and with an article in the April, 1967 issue of PM & Fine
Arts, '"{hich reports: "But while they ( 'tfJe Cultural Heritage -
people ) want to preserve the building there are people like City
Councilman Paul H. Lamport wh::> said the library 'has no right' to be
located on such a valuable piece of property. It is apparently his
intention to sell the land off to the bidder because lib-
raries are not that important anyway." -
THE CONCLUSION is clear: If the library bonds pass, we can ex-
pect the present site to be sold, although the building is a cultural
heritage monument and although it and the surrounding green area pro-
vide welcome relief from high-rise boxes o:f steel, cement and glass.
'./e are not told where the new library would be located.
IN ADDITION to !?23,375,000 for building, furniture and eouip-
ment, it will cost $2,345,300 to tear down the present library
pay rent for 30 months ( )1,534,800) and move books in and
out For the city could purchase land for an
auxiliary building. The could be used as a down-
t011ln branch library. - -
\JZ OPPcs:::: the destruction of the existing library and the sale
of the land "to the highest bidder." Vote "NO" on Proposition
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