(November 5, 2012) -- In Tuesday’s (Nov.6) election and those that follow, it is my fervent hope that voters and residents will come to their senses and hold their elected officials accountable for their unkept promises and unholy actions.

If voters remember what was promised compared to what was delivered, that may force elected officials to stop treating us as willing rubes and suckers who can be manipulated without repercussions.

At a time when we were losing Police Officers, Firefighters and could not fix our streets a trio of our elected officials decided to champion a swap of city land that I call "Wetlands Swap II."

Mayor Foster, Council members Gary DeLong and Patrick O'Donnell were the primary cheer leaders for the swap of what they described at the time as the 13.4 acre Public Service Yard on San Francisco Street (South of PCH on the east bank of the LA River) in exchange for the virtually undevelopable surface rights on 37.7 acres of what is called the "Marketplace Wetlands." This trio portrayed the Public Service Yard as "surplus" property despite the fact the City admitted it needed to lease back four acres until it constructed a new Public Service facility. So I guess it really wasn’t surplus was it?

At the time I strongly opposed the swap as it was fiscally irresponsible and sadly, virtually everything I said has come true.

So what was wrong with what they said, what actually happened and what will happen when all the dust settles? To begin with they didn’t vote to trade away 13.4 acres of valuable city land. They actually traded away 15.93 acres when all of the vacated streets and alleys were added to the parcels which according to the LA County Tax Assessor has already occurred.

Their judgment got worse when you add up the out of pocket costs the reports indicated were necessary to complete the proposed transaction. When they voted, they knew the reports indicated the City would spend $5 Million to build a new facility for Public Works, $1 Million to rent the four acres until a new facility was constructed, $2.8 Million to clean up the polluted soil and $2.4 Million to repay the refuse fund. That's a cool $1l.2 Million.

Subsequent to DeLong, O’Donnell, Andrews and Lerch voting for the swap, city staff was forced to make some changes in the swap which they approved with additional support given by Lowenthal and Uranga. It seems only Council members Schipske and Gabelich thought it imprudent for the City to spend money it don’t have when essential city services are underfunded.

The Council vote kept 2.7 acres for use of the Public Service yard while the City swapped 13.22 acres for 33.4 acres of surface rights.

I know at this point it still looks bad but sadly it only gets worse-- much worse-- when you consider what the City could have received if they sold or leased the "surplus" property and what they will get when and if the State funds the purchase of the Wetlands.

The City could have leased the land they called excess, saved the 2.7 acres it kept and collected approximately $1.2 Million per year in lease payments. That money would have enabled the Police Department to restore its Gang Unit and add seven new officers or hire more firefighters or pave more decrepit city streets or any number of things that have been badly neglected over the past several years.

Or, the City could have sold the land and banked approximately $11 Million to hire more police, fix streets, paint our pink stop signs, trim our trees or just put in cash reserves.

But no, Foster, DeLong and O’Donnell and their Council supporters decided spending approximately $11 Million of taxpayer money when the General Fund was, once again, in big trouble shows in my judgment just how irresponsible they really are. They voted to spend approximately $11 Million of taxpayer funds and they weren't creating any jobs, adding any sales tax revenue or developing any badly needed infrastructure.

So when DeLong says, "This is a good deal and will only cost one or two million" and says" In ten years no one will care what the city paid for the wetlands," let him know by your vote that we care when crime increases and our infrastructure continues to decline and hold him accountable.

And when Foster, O’Donnell, Lowenthal, Andrews and Lerch support spending precious city money on undevelopable surface rights that could have been sold directly to the state by the developer, let them know with your vote that you don’t approve when they file to run for another office.

Previously on LBReport.com: Common Sense by Terry Jensen (continuing series):