Dear Friend,
One year ago today, Second District voters elected me to represent them on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Since that time, serving you has been the most rewarding experience I have had in the nearly twenty years of public life, for which I am deeply grateful.
The November 2008 election was historic. The people of the Second district delivered me over sixty percent of the vote. The American people elected Barack Obama to be our President. His commitment to the politics of “change” and civic engagement mirrors my own. In these difficult times, the need to pursue an activist agenda that would begin to redefine the role of the Second District in County governance has taken on additional urgency. This meant that I would aggressively pursue the goals that helped define our campaign: addressing the situation that led to the closure of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital; wielding the public capital within our grasp in ways that benefit Second District residents; and working to ensure that constituents are afforded the highest level of accountability and service from their government and those chos! en to represent them.
This expression of gratitude does not permit an exhaustive list of our accomplishments to date. However, there is much to report on our highest priority: the restoration of confidence in and access to public health care. Accordingly, the opening of a new Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital is at the top of the list. This new hospital will be an independently governed, non-profit facility in which UC physicians will assure that patients receive world class health care in state-of-the-art facilities built and financed by the County of Los Angeles. The investment we are making is in excess of $350 million (plus the $322 million expansion to provide new operating rooms and expand and modernize the emergency medical department at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, which is also in the Second District.) These capital expenditures are designed to attract the prof! essional, development and philanthropic resources to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Center campus and the surrounding area that will encourage investment in additional educational, retail and housing opportunities. The work will support an estimated 8,250 construction-related jobs over a two year period.
Election to the Board of Supervisors gave me a seat on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board of Directors as well. Flush with transportation project revenue from the Measure R half cent sales tax approved by voters in 2008, the resulting economic development opportunities have assumed their rightful place on my agenda. As the foremost local government advocate of the $1.7 billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) option for the Crenshaw-South Bay Corridor, our office has been responsible for accelerating the schedule on the Crenshaw line from a 2038 completion date to 2018, and it may be possible to finish it two years earlier.
The MTA Board is scheduled to formally consider the LRT option as the Locally Preferred Alternative on December 10, enabling construction to get underway as early as 2012. If selected, the LRT option will produce an estimated 7,800 jobs.
In January, the MTA Board will consider adopting the most aggressive Authority-wide local hire program in its history at my urging. When adopted, the local hire policy will apply to the approximately $46 billion of construction activity over the next 30 years. The new policy will ensure that local residents have access to 30% of the estimated 7,000 jobs that will be created on average each year.
Of course, none of this work would be possible without the motivation and inspiration derived from the active participation and engagement of Second District constituents who show up at key meetings to make their voices heard. We may not agree every time, but your presence assures that I am aware of your concerns and promotes transparency and accountability. The residents in the neighborhoods around the Baldwin Hills Oil Field, for example, have been aggressively working to advocate modification of the Community Standards District (CSD) adopted last year before my election. As a result of their advocacy and my own experience with development of the CSD while representing the area in the State Senate, I have asked for a comprehensive review in an effort to address outstanding issues associated with the sight, smells, sounds and safety of the oil field o! perations. This is a matter of environmental justice that demands our attention and deserves our support.
These are a few of the highlights of my work since my election last year. More information about the exciting work we are doing is available on my website at Ridley-Thomas.lacounty.gov. Your continued participation and the work of a dedicated and very capable staff are major contributors to the progress we have made over the past year. I hope I can continue to represent you on the Board of Supervisors in the manner you deserve and expect. I appreciate your support and thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
With hope,
MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS
Supervisor, Second District