Easy being ‘green’?
Al Austin’s appearance at the recent groundbreaking for the Deforest Park Wetlands– a park that’s not even in his district– together with his remarks about how wonderful it is that Long Beach is contributing to Los Angeles River Greenway, is the height of hypocrisy. When it comes to the environment, he is public enemy No. 1!
If it were up to Al Austin, there would be no wetlands. He would let developers build right up to the edge of the LA River. I am referring, of course, to his failure to do anything to preserve the former Will J. Reid Boy Scout Camp, almost 11 acres of virgin land, as a new city park adjacent to the wetlands.
Instead of trying to find $6 million to buy the land, he was first in line to help the City find $1 billion to build a monument (new civic center) to the ego of the mayor and his fellow councilmen– a project funded through “creative financing” and totally without merit.
And what did he do after his own experts told him the project would cause environmental damage? He gave the builders height and density zoning exemption, which doubled the size of the project– meaning the environmental damage will be quadrupled!
Please, visit the Dominguez Gap Wetlands so you can see Austin’s obscenity for yourself.
As for Al, instead of spending his time pretending to be a friend of the environment and taking advantage of every photo-op in the city, no matter what the issue, maybe he should focus his meager resources on his district’s No. 1 issue– highest crime rate in the city.
Alex Victor
Long Beach