Opinion: Better late than never – Congresswoman slams ‘ridiculous’ Inglewood Transit Connector project

There’s an old saying that goes “never look a gift horse in the mouth”.

In all due respect, by no means would I ever disrespect the esteemed U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters in comparing her to a horse but her late opposition to the Inglewood Transit Connector project, commonly referred to as the people mover, although late, serves as a refreshing reminder that in fact government even with its many functional shortcomings can in its basic function represent the will of the people when inclined to do so.

What do I mean?

In a scathing rebuke and critique of the proposed Inglewood Transit Connector, it appears that the long-term, and rather popular “Auntie Maxine”, who represents Inglewood in the United States Congress, has broken ranks in not only critiquing (in her words) the “ridiculous” transit project, but has been actively working behind the scenes to put a halt to the controversial project as her office released details of a letter she wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg , arguing that the proposed funds for the $2 billion project could and I quote be “better spent on programs that improve access to affordable housing”.

Excuse me if I sound sarcastic If I ask what brought about the Congresswoman’s ‘coming to Jesus’ moment in stating that the project was “totally unnecessary and much too costly” well according to her she now has a “more complete understanding of both the cost of the project and the implications for the people of my congressional district.”

And I don’t blame her because Inglewood residents don’t have a full understanding either and THAT’S what happens when the matter isn’t fully explained to voters.  In fact, none of the major projects happening in Inglewood have fully involved the public.

In February 2015, the City avoided public scrutiny by approving a petition to drop an 80,000 seat NFL grade stadium in the middle of less than 110,000 residents instead of putting the matter to a vote.

Avoiding public scrutiny allowed the City to use an outdated environmental impact (EIR) report that would have required city leaders to share with the public how they planned to mitigate parking and traffic concerns.  Instead, the EIR for the Intuit Dome (NBA arena) laid out what residents already knew – there wasn’t enough parking and/or space to accommodate the tens of thousands of people that would descend upon the City for sports and entertainment events. 

The people mover was proposed as a way to mitigate those concerns but Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. had no plan on how he was going to pay for it.  

It also shouldn’t be lost on you and your readers that Congresswoman Waters herself whom touted raising $20 million for the project back in August of 2022 and at that time called the project “innovative” has seemingly taken of a position of ignorance of the ” ridiculousness ” of said project by admittedly she wasn’t paying that close of attention to all the moving parts when the City requested the funds.

Why the about face?

Well there’s  so much to dissect here but it appears that not only by declaring her somewhat ignorance of the total impact of the downside of Inglewood Transit Connector she seemingly attacks the flawed nature which in fact the project is being pursued by stating that “I just think when constituents look at how we make decisions and what our priorities are, this is the worst example”.

Should I or any Inglewood resident or business owner whom are slated to be displaced by this costly and unnecessary project be comforted by these words and better yet does her or “11th hour fairy tale “as described by Butts, absolve Waters of any responsibility for once being a staunch supporter of the transit project? 

Absolutely not because if in fact Congresswoman Waters (in good faith) had done her homework so to speak we wouldn’t have arrived at the crossroads we are today.

Although the Congresswoman cites real and legitimate concerns about the viability of the Inglewood Transit Connector it appears that in her recent critique of the project, she rightfully cites that housing pricing having risen 37% within the Metro Los Angeles area, in addition to rents skyrocketing with the end results leading to more evictions, rising debts and homelessness. 

Once again haven’t residents, business owners and activists been saying this all along and if the end result is by Congresswoman Waters own words that the process in which the ITC is being pursued is questionable at best and it’s too costly and unnecessary,  doesn’t it reflect a basic but fundamental flaw in our government not only on the local level but a state and federal level as well?

Haven’t the naysayers of Inglewood’s development of its sports and entertainment complex repeatedly argued that these elected officials have been bought and paid for at the expense of Inglewood taxpayers?

Residents are right to conclude that Inglewood taxpayers are  being exploited by billionaires with very little “skin in the game”?

2UrbanGirls as your blog has rightfully pointed out for years it appears that in what seems to be an “exercise in futility” Inglewood’s mayor and council have yet to successfully bring Rams and and Sofi stadium owner Stan Kroenke or Clippers, Kia Forum and Intuit Dome owner Steve Ballmer to the table to make any financial commitment to the City outside of graduation cap and gowns and campaign contributions to the city’s (s)elected officials?

Mayor Butts, the self-appointed Tom Brady of the city council, isn’t the financial maverick he alleges to be when he failed to get Ballmer and Kroenke to pony up money for the transit connector when they are the sole benefactors of it being built.  

Matter of fact, why hasn’t anyone questioned Ballmer and Kroenke on WHY they AREN’T committing any funding for it.

The answer is simple.

Monorails (people movers) don’t make money and no one needs to look any further than the failed Las Vegas monorail which was built with much fanfare and promises yet has underperformed, gone through multiple bankruptcy proceedings only to be left hanging on for its dear life with rumors of its pending closure circulating for a while now.

In closing the residents and business owners should take the esteemed Congresswoman  Maxine Waters words to heart and in doing so shouldn’t be solely fixated on her words that the  Inglewood Transit Connector is too costly and unnecessary but more importantly that the process itself and the thought behind it will only lead to its impending failure.

Inglewood has put an annual $10 million burden on taxpayers for ongoing maintenance and operations costs if the transit connector is in fact built and the mayor and council continue to pile on pension obligation debt to homeowners annual property tax bill that they didn’t foresee either.

If failure is the only option then we are just as complicit in its failure if we don’t demand  more accountability,  transparency from our elected officials that serve at the will of its voters and taxpayers as opposed to their billionaire campaign donors. 

Inglewood residents can take back their City this November when they will decide if Eloy Morales and Dionne Faulk have the best interest of the constituents at the forefront of their minds or are more satisfied being the mayor’s pawn in deceiving residents?

And these two have law degrees, allegedly.