Kevin James missing experience in city planning, politics

Kevin James, a former assistant U.S. attorney, has a wealth of experience in the legal field, but lacks the city planning and political experience that is necessary to be the mayor of a large metropolitan city like Los Angeles.

Though James has several interesting ideas for what he would do as mayor, they are not as well thought-out or specific as some of his opponents’ plans.

For example, James supports a proposal for the Jobs Education Medical Services Line, which would create an underground rail tunnel to connect the San Fernando Valley to Westwood.

There are already plans for money from Measure R – a tax measure for public transportation passed in 2008 – to go toward a San Fernando Valley North-South Transit Corridor. The details of these plans are still in the works. One option being looked at is increased transportation networks between the Valley and UCLA for the many commuters who travel between these two areas.

We appreciate James’ backing of what could be a beneficial public transportation line for UCLA students, but the idea needs to be further developed and gain more traction with the public.

When discussing his plans to create a more business-friendly environment in the city, James spoke in vague terms. He said he wanted reform and reduction of business taxes, but did not specify what these changes would look like.

James rightly pointed out that lowering taxes would decrease the revenue available to the city – hardly an ideal situation, given Los Angeles’ budget deficit. Though he had answers as to how he would make up for lost revenue in the short term, his solutions would be difficult to carry out efficiently. For example, James pointed to pension plan reform, which will not happen overnight.

Though James recognizes the value of UCLA as a large employer and public university, he did not have a concrete vision for how he would capitalize on a relationship with the university. Other mayoral candidates had far more impressive plans for reaching out to the higher education community.

Ultimately, the city would be better off in the hands of someone with more experience and insight into the city government’s infrastructure.