Californians Are Discovering Why Government Is a Terrible Landlord

Published

1 year ago

December 1, 2023

admin

I once had the misfortune of living next to vacant land managed by a county fire department, which became a potential problem during a particularly bad wildfireyear. The dry weeds were nearly the height of cornstalks. I had enough after my neighbors and Imost of whom had green, well-maintained lawnsreceived notices from the county telling us to keep our yards trimmed.

I started making calls to the appropriate agencies and got the usualbureaucratic runaround. I still remember my call to the weed abatement department, which assured me it would handle the situation. “Aren’t you going to take the address?” I retorted as the person was about to hang up. The county finally mowed the property after the right staffer in an elected official’s office intervened.

Local officials and prosecutors often make a big deal about clamping down on some allegedly villainousslumlordand it’s no surprise some property owners behave irresponsiblybut often the biggest slumlords are government agencies. I was reminded of this after two high-profile news stories captured Southern Californians’ attention.

The first was the tragic fire at the historic north hangar at the former Marine Corps base at Tustin, which turned one of the world’s largest and most spectacular wooden structuresbuilt to house blimps that patrolled the Pacific after Pearl Harborinto a smoldering heap. The second was the firethat damaged Interstate 10 in Los Angeles, thus shuttering two miles of freeway and creating a commuter nightmare.

Fires happen, but both are the result of government neglect. The hangar is owned by the United States Navy, which has let the propertylanguishsince the base was decommissioned in 1999. Severe wind storms battered it in 2013, but that didn’t spur the military into action. The inadequately fenced area was easily accessible. The Register reports many other buildings on the site are in disrepair.

Although the Navy also owns the south hangar, the city leases it and has taken far better care of it. Tustin even uses it as a filming location and for community events. Nevertheless, city, county and federal officials havedragged their feeton redevelopment plans for years. The militarywhich, by the way, remains perhaps the nation’s largest polluterhas yet to complete its remediation. It’s only been decades.

Regarding the freeway mess, it took place in an area where 16 homeless people were living. The APreportedthat a federal judge three years ago blasted the city and county of Los Angeles over its inability to deal with the 7,000 people living under freeways. A company that leased the land where the fire apparently started said it had “complained to city officials numerous times about fires started by homeless people on or near the property” and “had been denied access to the site since October.” Now think back to my story about cutting weeds.

State officials have repaired the freeway damage quickly given bad publicity, but the dangerous fire would never have happened if the government maintained its property. Just look at the constant state of freeway and road disrepairnot to mention the near collapse of spillways at the Oroville Damin 2017to recognize that public agencies are terrible stewards of property. It’s enough to make one dust off a copy of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shruggedto remember that lesson.

For another reminder, here’s an excerpt from a 2011editorialI wrote about Caltrans, which “used the power of eminent domain to acquire thousands of homes and other properties for roads and freeways that it never built, as a 2006 Orange County Register investigation revealed. Instead of selling off the properties, the agency mostly disregarded them, thus becoming what the Register referred to as the biggest slumlord in the state.”

As another example, the city of Santa Ana had long been awash invacant lots. It’s not the only California city where now-defunct government redevelopment agencies condemned and collected tracts for potential new developments, but instead largely let them turn into fenced-off, weed-choked blights. Now please tell me again why you want government to have more power over private property.

And just look at how cities manage their own “public” property. San Francisco might not be the hellscape that some critics say it is, but the homelessness crisis has spiraled out of control. Many streets and parks resemble tent cities. City officials cleaned uppart of the downtown area in record time in anticipation of a meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but expect things to deteriorate again quickly.

Thelessonis clear: When everyone owns something, no one does. That leaves its management to red-tape-laden and indifferent government agencies, which lack the incentives of private owners (who want to protect their investment and avoid liability). If we want to fix infrastructure or even keep the weeds down, we need less government involvement, not more.

This column was first published inThe Orange County Register.

Sports

Islanders hiring Darche from Lightning as new GM

Published

2 hours ago

May 24, 2025

admin

Islanders hiring Darche from Lightning as new GM

The New York Islanders have the man to make the first pick in the draft. The team hired Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche as its new GM.

Darche, 48, has worked in Tampa Bay’s front office since 2019, helping the Lightning win two Stanley Cups. He was viewed by many in the league as GM Julien BriseBois’ right-hand man. This will be Darche’s first general manager job after being a candidate for a handful of openings over the last several years.

“With the Islanders owning the first overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft and preparing to welcome the Olympic sendoff at UBS Arena next season, there is much to which our franchise, our players, and our passionate fans can look forward,” Islanders managing partner John Collins said. “Mathieu’s arrival adds to that momentum.”

Darche played parts of nine seasons in the league with five different teams. With a commerce degree in marketing and international business from McGill University, Darche also has experience working for the NHL Players’ Association in labor negotiations.

“I am truly honored by the opportunity to be the New York Islanders General Manager and Executive Vice President,” Darche said. “I’d like to thank Scott Malkin, Jon Ledecky, John Collins, and the entire ownership group for entrusting me with the hockey operations of this great franchise.”

The Islanders’ other finalist, according to sources, was Marc Bergevin, the former Montreal Canadiens GM who spent last season in the Los Angeles Kings front office.

Sources also said the Islanders received permission from the Maple Leafs to speak to Brendan Shanahan before it was decided by Toronto’s board that the Hockey Hall of Famer’s contract would not be renewed. According to sources, the Islanders were viewing Shanahan for a president role, similar to one he had with Toronto; however, Darche is the only hire expected at this time.

Darche takes over for Lou Lamoriello, who was fired after seven seasons on the job. New York didn’t make the playoffs this season and hasn’t made it past the first round since 2020-21 — when the Islanders lost in the East semifinals to the Lightning. Even after the decision to move on from Lamoriello, the team has still been consulting with the Hockey Hall of Famer, whose contract expires on June 30.

This is the second high-profile departure for the Lightning this offseason after assistant coach Jeff Blashill was hired by the Blackhawks on Thursday to be their head coach.

The Isles have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft after receiving some lottery luck — jumping from 10th to the first selection earlier this month. This will be the first time the Islanders have the top pick since taking John Tavares in 2009.

Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa are widely believed to be the best two prospects in the draft. However, the Islanders may be tempted by a hometown talent, James Hagen, who grew up in Hauppauge, New York, as a fan of the Islanders.

UK

Southport attack victim’s teachers ‘don’t want her to be forgotten’

Published

2 hours ago

May 24, 2025

admin

Southport attack victim's teachers 'don't want her to be forgotten'

The teacher of one of the Southport stabbing victims has told Sky News they “don’t want her to be forgotten”, 10 months after the knife attack in which she was murdered.

Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe was killed along with Bebe King, six, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar in an attack by Axel Rudakubana at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last July.

Jennifer Sephton, headteacher of Farnborough Road Infant School, will be skydiving to raise funds for the Elsie’s Story charitable trust, which has been set up in memory of the former pupil.

“She’d been with us for four years, throughout her education,” Ms Sephton told Sky News, “and we just want everybody to know Elsie’s spirit.”

Describing Elsie as “such a determined young lady,” Ms Sephton said Elsie had “a real zest for life, and a sparkle in her eye all the time.”

She added that Elsie’s Story, which has been set up by Elsie’s family, is about “continuing that legacy.”

In the aftermath of the July 2024 attack, the gates outside Elsie’s school were lined with flowers, balloons, and cards bearing her name.

Since then, memorial benches and a tree have been planted in the school grounds, providing pupils and staff with a place to “remember and reflect”, Ms Sefton says.

“[Elsie’s death] had such an impact on all our community,” the teacher said, “it’s had an impact on her friends, their siblings, our school as a community and our staff.”

‘We want her name to live on’

Ms Sephton will be joined in the skydive by Adrian Antell, headteacher at the adjoining junior school where Elsie had been due to start.

“Elsie was due to come to us last September,” he told Sky News, “but what we’ve learned about her is that she had a wonderful impact in the infant school, and we don’t want her to be forgotten.

“We want her name to have to live on and to be thought of in a positive way.”

Mr Antell said they continue to support Elsie’s classmates, who joined the new school without her.

“There’s no instruction manual for this,” he explained, “every day is different, and every day is one step at a time.

“So all we can do as a school is to think about individual children and support them in the best way we can.”

Entertainment

The Phoenician Scheme: Is this every Hollywood actor’s ultimate bucket list job?

Published

3 hours ago

May 24, 2025

admin

The Phoenician Scheme: Is this every Hollywood actor's ultimate bucket list job?

Wes Anderson is a rarity in Hollywood, with an unswayed distinct aesthetic which has every big name in Hollywood pleading to be in his next project.

Fronted by Benicio del Toro, his new film The Phoenician Scheme sees the return of numerous previous collaborators including Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright and Scarlett Johansson, but also adds new faces to the Anderson universe.

It is set in the 1950s and follows a ruthless yet charismatic European business tycoon called Zsa-Zsa Korda who, in Anderson’s own words, “has very little obligation to honour the truth.”

Looking to solidify his own legacy, without much thought for his 10 children, the slaves he wants to use or the land he wants to exploit, Sza-Sza chases multiple deals so he can build his career-defining project, Korda Land and Sea Phoenician Infrastructure Scheme.

‘A motivation pill

The Phoenician Scheme was partly inspired by the life of Anderson’s father-in-law, whom he dedicated the film to, Lebanese businessman Fouad Malouf.

Del Toro tells Sky News it was a gift to play a truly unique character.

“It’s like taking a motivation pill,” he says.

“You’re motivated because it’s Wes Anderson, you’re motivated because of the script and the story and the character. It’s unpredictable, original. [There’s] one hell of an arc, and it’s full of contradictions.”

Always an actor in mind – well, mostly…

Michael Cera, who plays Bjorn, says he had a “sense of dread” joining the cast. His role was written with him in mind, something he still can’t believe is true.

“[Anderson] has got every actor at his disposal, you’d imagine,” he says.

With production pushed back due to an actors’ strike, Cera feared the project might “fall apart”.

“I was not really at ease until we were there,” he admits.

Every detail is meticulously planned in the Anderson film universe – from the art on the walls (original works from Renoir and Magritte in this case), to the intricate backstory of a character collecting fleas in a plastic bag as a child.

While most roles are written by the Fantastic Mr Fox filmmaker with certain actors in mind – the exception this time is Liesl, the daughter of the business tycoon.

The dream phone call

After months of an audition process, Mia Threapleton got the call to play the straight-talking nun who is beckoned by her father to inherit the family business after his sixth near-death experience.

The 24-year-old daughter of Kate Winslet got the news via a call from her agent while she was on the train – and was in such disbelief she told her to call them back.

“I didn’t believe them – and she laughed at me [and said] ‘of course I’m not lying to you, this is true’. And then I sat on the floor and I cried.”

More entertainment news:
Billy Joel cancels upcoming gigs
Marvel’s next Avengers films delayed

Del Toro believes it was Threapleton’s screen test where she stood out as an “inventive” actor who thought on her feet that got her the part, having fashioned part of a makeshift nun costume with a napkin from a lunch tray.

“I said, ‘is there anyone who got any hairpins?’ And I pinned it to my head.”

Ticking a Wes Anderson film off the bucket list is a goal for many actors. Threapelton says she still hasn’t come to terms with achieving it so early in her career.

The Phoenician Scheme is in cinemas now.