Which Way, L.A.?
LA Arts District Loses Its BID, Will Others Follow?
The Arts District is said to have been transformed by a Business Improvement District, but a judge shut it down. Are other BID's at risk? Why doesn't the city do its job?
By Warren Olney • • 24m ListenThere are 39 Business Improvement Districts, or BID's, in Los Angeles, where private patrols and cleanup crews provide services in neglected neighborhoods. The Arts District is said to have been transformed by a BID, but some property owners claimed it wasn't worth the fees they were charged, and a judge shut the BID down. Is the Arts District falling into decay? Are other BID's at risk of legal action? Why doesn't the city do its job? Also, the LA City Council joins the plastic bag ban.
On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, Hassan Rouhani, Iran's newly elected President, calls himself a "moderate." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the man he'll succeed, was anything but. Is Iran ready to make the changes voters apparently wanted, or will the Supreme Leader exercise veto power? We hear about political freedom and nuclear development.
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2 storiesLA City Council Votes to Ban Plastic Bags
If you shop for shoes, clothes, kitchen supplies or groceries in the City of Los Angeles, forget about taking them home in plastic bags. The City Council today voted 11-to-one to ban plastic bags, and you'll have to bring your own reusable container or pay 10¢ for a plastic bag.
Read the story7 minAre Business Improvement Districts on the Way Out?
Many artists moved into the eastern edge of downtown Los Angeles because of cheap rents for available space in warehouses and lofts. Homeless people were left alone. Then landlords agreed to pay fees for a Business Improvement District , or BID, that provided security, trash removal and marketing to lure investors.
Read the story17 min
