Culver City's Own 99% Problem: The Compassionate Side of Budgeting

Gary Silbiger

Much has been talked about in this election season concerning Culver City’s support to those “more fortunate." Candidates have mentioned ways that they support businesses and streamlining the licensing process. They have bemoaned the end of the redevelopment agency, which provided financial “incentives” for moving to and staying in Culver City, helped developers buy property from at a rate much lower than the market provided it at, and gave discounts on City fees and licenses.

But what about the “less fortunate” among us?

After listening to some City Council candidates at the League of Women Voters debate speak cautiously about non-profit organizations in Culver City – some talked about them as a drag on the collection of property taxes, for example – I started thinking again about "A Taste of the Nation" leaving Culver City for West Hollywood this year. Unlike the previous 7 years, our City Council refused to offer any financial assistance to them this year, not even willing to waive city fees. Each year A Taste of the Nation, a project of Share Our Strength, would draw 2,000 visitors to Media Park to taste delicious food and drink from restaurants throughout the region, bid on silent auction items, watch food experts perform, and have a great time. All of the funds went directly to end children’s hunger, an epidemic in California with 22% of all children poor.

At the February 13, 2012 City Council meeting, City Manager John Nachbar’s agenda item proposed that none of the Council’s 3 most valuable yearly attractions – Taste of the Nation, the Car Show, and Indiecade – should receive any financial support. The City Council instructed City staff to meet with the 3 organizations to determine the amount of financial support needed. It took 42 days to bring this item back to the Council even though each activity is around the corner. During this time, a Taste of the Nation needed to have a definite location and discovered one in West Hollywood. Now, Culver City has lost an outstanding event rooted in ending childhood hunger that at the same time was able to introduce thousands of people to the kind and caring character of Culver City and its businesses.

Likewise, Culver City has recently lost to Los Angeles 2 of our most prestigious non-profit organizations: Operation USA, perhaps the most successful collector and distributor of emergency funds to countries in need; and the Unusual Suspects Theater Company, a 2007 winner of the prestigious Stand Up Taller President’s award, which takes youth in the juvenile court system and foster care and uses professional actors and directors to teach them to create their own plays. Culver City failed to interact or support these 2 fine nationally recognized organizations and now they’re gone.

Let’s look at what one of our neighboring cities contributes to those in need. West Hollywood provided funding for 25 local organizations for the period of October 1, 2010 to October 1, 2011 which included medical, dental, and mental health care, legal services, rent and utility assistance, civil mediation resolution, services for people with disabilities, nutrition and food pantry, employment counseling, youth services, homelessness assistance, substance abuse treatment, women services, pre-school services, animal services for low income people and seniors, translation assistance, and HIV testing and counseling. While Culver City was relying on private and non-profit groups to provide these programs, the City of West Hollywood took the initiative to fund these services. Of course, utilizing only the private sector can never provide a full complement of social service. The government should never be the sole solution to society's problems, but shouldn't we be part of it?

Culver City has always lagged behind many of our neighboring cities in providing for the benefit of the middle and lower income residents as shown in Culver City Progress articles about refusal to use affordable housing money and the failure to pay legal fees for low income women victims of domestic violence.

We can – and must - move forward in these tough economic times, even when the City refused to do so in better years. The key is to have a transparent budget process with “everything on the table." Community workshops, well planned and publicized, will both educate the public about the financial condition of Culver City and result in massive resident input. Discussions should take place regarding the value of providing social services to the public, the role of non-profits, the massive and secret payments to consultants, large salaries and perks to upper-level city employees, and much more. A fair and democratic budget process will provide the priorities to the staff and the City representatives who can then more scientifically decide what should be funded and by what amount. This would be a dramatic and needed change to what I call the “upside-down” budget process which now begins with City staff preparing the budget, having it taken to the City Council late in the fiscal year, and the public having little, if any, voice in how our precious money is to be spent. After all, if the budget is the financial voice of our community's priorities, then what does this decision say about Culver City's values?

Gary Silbiger is the Co-Editor of the Culver City Progress Blog and the former Mayor of Culver City.