Ron Kaye: Stop deifying the good ol' days

Los Angeles recently gave $5 million to a developer to build an office building in Hollywood to attract entertainment companies to leave Burbank and Glendale. No new jobs are created by such competition. No new houses sold. No new cars bought. People simply change their commuting route.

These games go on all the time with tens of millions of public dollars being given away without improving the regional economy.

There are some positive signs that officials are beginning to think and act regionally. The Valley Economic Alliance and the new San Fernando Valley Council of Governments are examples of cities starting to work together for mutual benefit.

We have a long way to go, and there are many obstacles.

The cost of providing government services must be reduced, and the talents of our people need to be brought together to take advantage of the economic opportunities to develop “green” industries and manufacture products for export.

It’s asking a lot of government, of workers, of civic leaders to break with the patterns of the past and to embrace innovation.

It means taking a step back financially for public employees, and it means paying a little more in taxes for everyone else in the short term. But things will only get worse if we continue down the road we are on.

RON KAYE can be reached at kayeron@aol.com. Share your thoughts and stories with him.