Home | Computer | Camera | TV | Sitemap

Adelphia Tv Schedule

Breaking the silence: L.A. City Councilman Jack Weiss raises his profile by getting in the forefront on tough issues such as airport security and Adelphia cable negotiations - People

Danny King

IN the 10 months since becoming an L.A. City Councilman, Jack Weiss has taken on a watchdog role. Initially dubbed "Silent Jack" by some insiders, the former Assistant US. Attorney -- born and raised in the Westside area he now represents -- Weiss made headlines last fall by highlighting the need to identify] and eliminate illegal billboards. More recently, Weiss, whose parents also both worked in the U.S. Attorney's office downtown, has focused on airport security and the cable TV licensing questions after the Chapter 11 filing by Adelphia Communications Corp.

As Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Redistricting, he was responsible for the shift in district lines that took effect last month. His is one of two that straddle the Santa Monica Mountains, making secession an especially relevant topic.

Question: Why go into politics?

Answer: I have the ability to have a direct impact on the communities I grew up in, and that's very gratifying. All I've ever wanted to do in my life is public service. Except for nine months at a law firm, I've been in the public sector since I graduated from high school. My parents met each other when they were serving as Assistant United States Attorneys in the downtown office. My younger brother spent 10 years at the highest levels of foreign policy working on Russian relations. And my wife. spent several years as an arms controls negotiator in the Pentagon. It's just something that we're very committed to as a family.

Q: Some initially referred to you as "Silent Jack" for your low profile. But lately you seem to have taken a vocal role in council.

A: I don't think I have changed my approach. I learned from my years in federal court that you only speak when you have something to stay and the rest of the time, you keep it to yourself. I hope I haven't changed from that model and it'll be the day to get out of this business when I do.

Q: Why the focus on security and safety issues?

A: With my background in law enforcement, I have an appreciation for the challenges inherent in protecting a community. If you don't do public safety well, it doesn't matter what else you do well. Also, I was very moved by my visit last October to Ground Zero. I committed myself that day to continue to work on this even if it got to the point where very few other people in local government saw it as a high priority.

Q: What public safety improvements are you calling for?

A: One thing I called for last year was the addition of one additional full-time hazardous materials team for me L.A. Fire Department. We also need to increase the size of our bomb squad and of our LAPD hazardous materials squad. We need better training for our police officers and firefighters so they know what to do under all of the relevant scenarios.

Q: How much will these actions cost and what chances do they have at being pushed through?

A: If all of those recommendations were funded at once, it would cost several millions of dollars. Just to fund an additional urban search and rescue team for the fire department would cost a couple million dollars. We're talking about a substantial amount of money.

Q: You called for an analysis of security at LAX after the shooting at the EI AI terminal. What's the status of that report?

A: All I have done is asked for an analysis of whether the current way of doing business is appropriate to the new environment. You would've thought I proposed going back to propeller aircraft, given the level of bureaucratic response and intransigence to even studying the issue. The airport commission decided that analysis wasn't needed and they voted overwhelmingly to maintain the status quo and endorse having their own police department. The fact that we have two police departments with jurisdiction over LAX (LAPD and the airport police) is a historical vestige.

Where I come from, you do the analysis first and reach your conclusions later, so as far as I'm concerned, it's still an open question.

Q: What are your thoughts on Mayor Hahn's $9.6 billion plan for LAX.

A: A lot of people look at the plan and say they think it is a mask for an expansion plan. I ask the question in a different way. How can you justify spending $9.6 billion of the public's money on the airport if you're not proposing to make the airport bigger and more usable for more people?

Q: What's your take on secession?

A: Secession reminds me of the classic story arc of a Hollywood flop. The treatment sounds pretty interesting. After all, smaller government is intuitively more appealing. Then when you see the script, you start to have some doubts about the issue. By the time opening day rolls around in November, nobody's going to see this picture.

Q: Your district is one of two that includes what would be a separate Valley city. Does your view of secession reflect your constituency's?

A: Yes. Support for secession in the Valley is a mile wide and an inch deep. While the concept has some intuitive appeal, the details of secession are so counterproductive for people regardless of where they live. That's the basis of my opposition to secession, and I do believe I'm in sync with my voters.

Q: What about a boroughs system?

A: This is not an East Coast town. It has a different sensibility. The progressive governance system here has always been a reaction to the abuses of local government on the East Coast. What's interesting about the way New York governs itself right now is that the boroughs system exists in name only. Except for a small amount of money at the discretion of the borough presidents, the boroughs have little power. The council members have authority there as they do here.

Q: What's the status of the Adelphia negotiations?

A: I was appreciative that the new CEO of Adelphia came to Los Angeles recently to make a presentation before city council. Having said that, the problems are so deep and Adelphia's reach is so national that even the best-intentioned corporate leadership may be incapable of providing L.A. customers with the level of service and upgrades they're entitled to.

Q: Has the city talked to other cable providers?

A: Suitors have been quite cautious about entering into the Adelphia fiasco, but I hope that in the coming weeks and months we will see renewed interest.

Q: What will it take to get Westood Village reach its potential and what is your approach going to be to make this happen?

A: You have so many different interests working at cross-purposes to one another. Many of the landowners have been landowners in Westwood for four generations, the commercial property owners and the high-rise office building owners have their own unique set of interests. The folks who own the movie theaters want to see more profitable premieres, while mom 'n' pop operators would like to see fewer movie premieres because that takes up valuable parking. And finally, the homeowners are concerned about traffic. There are so many moving pieces on the board it has been politically unmanageable.

Q: What's the status of Westwood's Business Improvement District?

A: I have notified the leadership of the BID that I will not support a blanket renewal at this time so that I can get back a more thorough examination of how the BID is spending its money and what its priorities are. When I finish that examination, then I will announce whether I will support a renewal or whether I will seek modifications or another model entirely.

Q: Has the job changed your daily life a great deal?

A: Being an assistant U.S. Attorney was a very demanding job, so I've always had to juggle a demanding work schedule with family life. So in that regard, my life hasn't changed.