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You have to admire the chutzpah of the strategic brains behind Mayor Hahn's reelection campaign. Just hours before tonight's first televised debate in front of the Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils, Hahn announced that he is tripling the budget of every neighborhood council with an additional $100,000. The money is to be spent on street repairs and resurfacing, with the details to be decided by the councils. What better way to make the unpaid citizen-politicans look more important in the eyes of their friends, and feel happier about the mayor at the same time.
The release comes from Hahn's campaign staff, not his City Hall office (correction: not the campaign, I misread the email address):
"Nobody knows what neighborhoods need more than the neighborhood councils that represent them," said Mayor Hahn. "Neighborhood councils have long listed street services as one of their top priorities. Today, I am turning the control of $100,000 of street repairs over to each neighborhood council, for them to use as they see fit within their own communities."Neighborhood councils can chose to spend the $100,000 in any number of ways on street resurfacing projects. Neighborhood councils can elect to repave streets, slurry seal miles of road or even join with another neighborhood council to resurface long thoroughfares or streets where their boundaries meet.
[snip]
"I want to empower the neighborhood councils to make decisions more effectively for their own communities," added Mayor Hahn.
The live debate is scheduled to air on KCAL-9 tonight from 8 to 9:30. The Citywide Alliance (not itself affiliated with any neighborhood groups) has invited members of every council to attend. I think we know what Hahn will mention in his opening remarks.