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Los Angeles politicians have rarely openly criticized the 2028 Olympics planned for Southern California.
But this week, the complaints started pouring in.
First, the Civil Organizing Committee overseeing the Olympics announced a proposal Friday that would see softball and canoe slalom in Oklahoma City and swimming and basketball in Inglewood. Other Olympic sports are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California, and LA28 officials, the organizing committee, said the latest proposal would save more than $150 million.
The Games agreement requires Los Angeles to give its “written consent” to some venue changes, but that detail was largely forgotten in this week’s flurry of news reports and social media posts. (An NBC4 headline suggested the move was a sure thing: “Why Two 2028 LA Olympic Sports Will Move to Oklahoma City.”)
City Council Member Tracy Park, who chairs the city’s committee on the Los Angeles Olympics, began Monday’s committee meeting with some pointed remarks.
“I want to be clear that the decision to move the Olympic Games outside of Los Angeles is not made by a press release, a headline or by another city,” said Park, who represents the city’s West Side district. “That decision is made by this committee and the full Council, as agreed to in the Games Agreement.”
Two days later, City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez complained about the venue change during a public hearing on expanding the convention center in time for the 2028 Olympics.
“I’ll tell you this because it’s true, we’re not getting enough action,” said Rodriguez, who covers the northeast San Fernando Valley. “When it comes to the Olympics, Los Angeles is all over the place, but the reality is, we’re not really enjoying the Olympics.”
A sure way to anger the 15 members of the Los Angeles City Council is to suggest that you are sure of their support, so that may explain the new attitude of the two council members.
But then two other officials spoke out against the decision to hold most of the Olympics opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood instead of Los Angeles.
The torch will be carried down the Coliseum’s portico steps, but the athletes’ parade, the Olympic oath and the lighting of the torch will all take place in Inglewood — a decision made several years ago — while the closing ceremony will also take place in both venues.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn questioned why the Coliseum would not host the opening ceremony: “The Coliseum is an iconic venue known for the Olympic Torch and it is appropriate that the 2028 Olympics follow in the tradition of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics,” she told The Times.
Coliseum Commission Chairman George Pura also said, “This is the Los Angeles Olympics. The opening ceremony should be in Los Angeles.”
So far, criticism of the 2028 Games has been left mainly to academics, competition experts and groups such as NOlympics LA.
Perhaps the officials’ complaints were part of a negotiating tactic. Neither Mr. Rodriguez nor Mr. Park agreed to be interviewed.
“The committee looks forward to considering and scrutinizing the proposed changes to the LA28 Venue Plan only upon returning from recess and after each department has conducted their analysis,” Park said in a statement to The Times.
LA28 spokeswoman Kim Parker Gordon told The Times that the plan for two venues for the opening and closing ceremonies would allow more people to attend the events. At the same time, there were “technical challenges” at the Coliseum because of plans to reconfigure the structure for track and field events, Gordon said.
Parker Gordon said LA28 officials began discussing possible changes to the venue plan with city council members in February.
“The updated venue plan maintains the City of Los Angeles as the lead host for the 2028 Games,” Parker Gordon said, adding that further venues within the city will be announced in the coming months.
The most popular sports at the Summer Olympics are swimming, gymnastics and track and field. Under the proposed venue change announced by LA28, Los Angeles would lose swimming to Inglewood but gain the gymnastics events that were scheduled to take place in the city.
Gordon also addressed plans for the convention center. City leaders are expected to approve a plan to spend up to $54.4 million on initial design work to determine whether the aging convention center can be expanded before the Olympics. A city report recommends moving forward with the project and completing construction by March 2028. The convention center expansion would cost the city $4.78 billion over 30 years, including borrowing, according to the report.
Rodriguez voted against the plan at a committee hearing on Wednesday, citing concerns about the tight construction timeline, among other things.
While some Olympic events are scheduled to be held at the convention center, Parker Gordon told the Times that LA28’s plans are not dependent on expanding the convention center.
current situation
— A ray of hope: A January survey found the number of homeless people living on the streets fell 5.1% in Los Angeles County and 10.4% in the city of Los Angeles. Officials credit Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program, which has moved people into hotels, motels and other temporary housing over the past 18 months. The overall homeless count remained roughly steady, with officials reporting a 2.2% decrease in the city and a 0.3% decrease in the county.
— Moving Forward: In a blow to homeless advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities can ban homeless camping on sidewalks and other public areas. The ruling doesn’t require cities to take action against the homeless, but it gives them the power to do so. Bass called the decision “unfortunate” and worries it could be used to send homeless people to jail or drive them from city to city. Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the ruling “removes legal ambiguity that has tied the hands of local officials for years.”
— Removing mask mandates: Following a violent altercation outside a West Side synagogue, Mayor Bass suggested the city would look into the issue of restricting mask-wearing at public protests. Days later, she rejected the idea of policing mask-wearing, saying such bans wouldn’t withstand judicial scrutiny.
— Shelter restructuring: The chairman of the board that oversees the troubled Department of Animal Services has announced he is stepping down after more than a decade on the board. Larry Gross, who has faced widespread criticism from shelter volunteers about how the department has been run, told The Times he was stepping down voluntarily. “I felt it was important for me to stay on, at least through the transition of a new mayor and a new GM,” he said. [general manager] There are also newly appointed commissioners to ensure stability,” he said in a written statement.
— Firing Bad Cops: The City Council finalized language on a Nov. 5 ballot measure that would give the police chief new power to fire officers for serious misconduct. Councilman Hugo Soto Martinez opposed the measure, saying it didn’t go far enough. He and Councilman Eunises Hernandez voted against it.
— Backing Hochman: Billionaire developer Rick Caruso has announced his endorsement of Nathan Hochman for Los Angeles County District Attorney. Hochman is seeking to unseat District Attorney George Gascón, who is currently running for his second four-year term. Caruso, who is running for Los Angeles mayor in 2022, also funded a poll on the district attorney race that found 53% disapprove of Gascón’s job performance, 26% approve, and 21% don’t know.
— REVIEWER: Meanwhile, new questions are emerging about Attorney General Rob Bonta’s lawsuit against a Gascon County official accused of accessing confidential police records.
— Marilyn Memorial: After a year of wrangling, the City Council has designated a 1962 Brentwood mansion once owned by Marilyn Monroe a cultural historic site. The vote is intended to protect the Spanish Colonial home from being demolished by its owner.
— Replacement of Measure H: County supervisors have sent a Nov. 5 ballot measure to voters that would double the county’s homeless sales tax to half a cent. That means consumers would pay a half-cent tax on every dollar they spend, with the revenue going toward homeless services and affordable housing. The ballot proposition, which supporters gathered more than 390,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot, replaces Measure H.
— Severe staff shortages: Violence is rampant in Los Angeles County juvenile detention centers, and many staff members are skipping work.
— Encampment explosion: A Los Angeles firefighter was seriously injured in an explosion during a fire at a homeless encampment in the San Fernando Valley. The firefighter’s ear was “almost completely severed,” but medics successfully reattached it, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Eric Scott said.
— What about Bob? Council Speaker Paul Krekorian appointed Bob Stern to the Los Angeles Ethics Commission. Krekorian said Stern, whom the Sacramento Bee described as “the godfather of modern political reform in California,” was instrumental in writing the state’s political reform law.
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Quick Hit
Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s program to combat homelessness headed to Hollywood, focusing on the area around Franklin and Argyle streets, which are part of Soto-Martinez’s district. Inside Safe also went to 86th Street and Broadway in Council Member Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s South Los Angeles district. On the agenda next week: The Los Angeles City Council is holding its final meeting before the summer recess, taking up dozens of items on the agenda, including a new ethics commissioner, a slew of legal settlements and a proposed expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center.
keep in touch
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