Nils Gilman is the chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Berggruen Institute.
In the wake of the disastrous fires that engulfed Los Angeles last month, the most immediate reaction of policymakers has been to focus on measures to help the victims and to streamline what will inevitably be a long rebuilding process. Most of thes proposals address acute and immediate regulatory and policy failures, such as misguided environmental regulations, mismanaged insurance markets and molasses-slow permitting processes for new construction.
While many of these initiatives are worthy, a much deeper problem besets Southern California, one that the haphazard response to the fires brought into high relief: the splintering of political authority for dealing with the challenges facing the region — a long-standing condition that prompted historian Robert M. Fogelson to describe Los Angeles as “The Fragmented Metropolis.”
Los angeles County currently has 88 sub-county governments, and also more than 140 unincorporated areas. This system of overlapping and underlapping jurisdictional responsibilities creates massive inefficiencies in trying to coordinate around pan-regional challenges — particularly climate change-exacerbated risks like fire, heat waves and drought, as well as for issues like infrastructure planning.
In the worst cases, particularly visible with the twin housing and homelessness crises, it leads to competition in which municipalities push problems away from themselves and at each other across their arbitrarily drawn borders.
In order to deal with pressing regional challenges at a deeper level, Southern California needs to fundamentally reconfigure the responsibilities and simplify the lines of authority of its regional government. In brief, it should centralize power within an expanded Board of Supervisors, headed by a directly elected and empowered executive (something voters just approved). specifically,this new entity should have the capacity to override smaller jurisdictions and NIMBYs who are blocking effective regional planning.
To determine the appropriate boundaries and sphere of authority for the newly integrated and empowered officer, the guiding principle should be that power and authority must align with effective responsibility. If an agency or executive is held politically responsible for addressing a particular problem, such as fire risk or homelessness, it should be given the administrative power and authority to actually do what needs to be done to effectively address the policy issue.
In practice, the most politically accountable and responsive system would be one in which a single governmental entity, answering to the voters, held authority over the region as a whole. A newly centralized system of political authority like this would enable a much more rational approach to policy-making, regional planning and distributing resources. Because problems such as fire risk, water, air quality, homelessness, housing availability and transit are all regional in scale, the authority to manage these issues should be vested at the regional level, with an executive empowered to make big decisions if and when the elected supervisors are unable to do so.
Radically remaking the scale, location and capacity of political authority in the nation’s second largest and most famously centrifugal metropolis may sound like pie-in-the-sky, but the two most recent mayors of Los angeles, Antonio villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti, both made exactly this case in the wake of last week’s fires, telling the New York Times they would support creating a dominant government representing the region as a whole, to replace the current crazy-quilt of municipal governments.
“For the rebuild,” Garcetti said, “it’ll be absolutely critical for us to act like we’re one city and not a collection of 88 villages.”
There will surely be howls of protest from those who enjoy living in or governing autonomous enclaves — and who blithely dismiss regional-scale problems as something for someone else to deal with. These concerns simply must be overridden in the name of the collective good.
Here is where Sacramento can offer decisive help. Rather than throwing money at a problem without a long-term strategy, Gov. Gavin Newsom can cement his legacy as a transformational governor by solving the “plumbing issue” in Southern California’s governance structure.
Nonpartisan, Autonomous California News for All
In an era of increasing polarization and misinformation, quality, independent journalism has never been more crucial.
CalMatters stands as a beacon of nonpartisan, trustworthy reporting, dedicated to informing Californians about the issues that matter most.
What Makes calmatters Different?
Independence and Nonpartisanship: Our journalism is free from political affiliations and corporate influence, allowing us to deliver unbiased and factual reporting.
California Focus: We delve deep into issues specific to California, covering everything from the habitat and homelessness to the economy and education.
Holding Power Accountable: We investigate and expose the actions and inactions of those in power, ensuring openness and accountability.
“We are independent and nonpartisan. Our trustworthy journalism is free from partisan politics, free from corporate influence and actually free for all Californians.”
Supporting Quality Journalism
CalMatters relies on the generous support of readers like you to continue providing this essential service.
Your contributions directly fund our investigative reporting, analysis, and outreach efforts, ensuring that Californians are well-informed and empowered.
“Please give what you can today. every gift helps.”
During our year-end drive, donations are tripled, meaning your support will have even greater impact. Join us in our mission to strengthen California thru informed citizenship.
In an era of increasing polarization and misinformation, quality, independent journalism has never been more crucial.
CalMatters stands as a beacon of nonpartisan,trustworthy reporting,dedicated to informing Californians about the issues that matter most.
What Makes CalMatters Different?
Independence and Nonpartisanship: Our journalism is free from political affiliations and corporate influence, allowing us to deliver unbiased and factual reporting.
California Focus: We delve deep into issues specific to California, covering everything from the environment and homelessness to the economy and education.
Holding Power Accountable: We investigate and expose the actions and inactions of those in power, ensuring transparency and accountability.
“we are independent and nonpartisan. Our trustworthy journalism is free from partisan politics, free from corporate influence and actually free for all Californians.”
Supporting Quality Journalism
CalMatters relies on the generous support of readers like you to continue providing this essential service.
Your contributions directly fund our investigative reporting, analysis,and outreach efforts,ensuring that Californians are well-informed and empowered.
“Please give what you can today. Every gift helps.”
During our year-end drive, donations are tripled, meaning your support will have even greater impact. Join us in our mission to strengthen California through informed citizenship.
What are the potential drawbacks or unintended consequences of consolidating governance under a single, powerful entity in Southern California?
Can a Single Governing Body Solve Southern California’s Governance Challenges?
A thought-provoking question emerges after recent wildfires and the chaotic management of resources.Can a single, powerful governing body effectively manage Southern California, a region notorious for its decentralized political landscape? We spoke with political scientist Dr.Evelyn Chen, an expert on regional governance, to explore this idea.
Interview with Dr. Evelyn Chen
Q: Dr. Chen, Southern California’s governance structure is widely recognized as fragmented, with numerous cities, counties, and special districts.How does this structure hinder effective regional problem-solving?
A: The fragmented nature of governance in Southern California creates notable challenges. Manny critical issues, like wildfire mitigation, water management, public transportation, and affordable housing, transcend municipal boundaries. Without a strong regional authority,these issues often fall through the cracks,leading to inconsistent policies,duplicated efforts,and ultimately,inadequate solutions.
Q: What are the potential benefits of consolidating governance under a single, powerful entity?
A: Creating a single, unified government structure for Southern California could streamline decision-making, fostering greater efficiency and coordination. It could empower regional leaders to implement comprehensive strategies for addressing issues that impact the entire region, rather then relying on piecemeal solutions from numerous independent entities.
Q: Critics argue that such a move would diminish local control and responsiveness.How would you address these concerns?
A: This is a valid concern.A accomplished model would need to strike a balance between regional authority and local input. The new governing structure could incorporate mechanisms for consulting with local communities, ensuring their voices are heard in policy decisions that directly affect their neighborhoods
Q: Recent wildfires have highlighted vulnerabilities in regional management. Could consolidated governance have prevented or mitigated the scale of these disasters?
A: it’s impossible to say definitively, but a unified approach to wildfire risk management could have potentially made a difference. A centralized authority could have coordinated resources more effectively, implemented regional fire prevention strategies, and ensured better communication between agencies This could lead to a more proactive and comprehensive response to future disasters.
Q: Looking ahead, do you see a possibility for this type of regional governance reform in California?
A: Change is always challenging, but the need for effective regional governance in Southern California is becoming increasingly clear.The recent fires have amplified the urgency of this issue. Whether significant reform happens quickly or gradually, the conversation needs to continue. Ultimately, the success of such a move would depend on careful planning, public engagement, and a commitment to finding solutions that work for the entire region.
Biggest reform LA can make post-fires? Simplify government
Alex Reed Commentary written by
Nils Gilman
Nils Gilman is the chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Berggruen Institute.
In the wake of the disastrous fires that engulfed Los Angeles last month, the most immediate reaction of policymakers has been to focus on measures to help the victims and to streamline what will inevitably be a long rebuilding process. Most of thes proposals address acute and immediate regulatory and policy failures, such as misguided environmental regulations, mismanaged insurance markets and molasses-slow permitting processes for new construction.
While many of these initiatives are worthy, a much deeper problem besets Southern California, one that the haphazard response to the fires brought into high relief: the splintering of political authority for dealing with the challenges facing the region — a long-standing condition that prompted historian Robert M. Fogelson to describe Los Angeles as “The Fragmented Metropolis.”
Los angeles County currently has 88 sub-county governments, and also more than 140 unincorporated areas. This system of overlapping and underlapping jurisdictional responsibilities creates massive inefficiencies in trying to coordinate around pan-regional challenges — particularly climate change-exacerbated risks like fire, heat waves and drought, as well as for issues like infrastructure planning.
In the worst cases, particularly visible with the twin housing and homelessness crises, it leads to competition in which municipalities push problems away from themselves and at each other across their arbitrarily drawn borders.
In order to deal with pressing regional challenges at a deeper level, Southern California needs to fundamentally reconfigure the responsibilities and simplify the lines of authority of its regional government. In brief, it should centralize power within an expanded Board of Supervisors, headed by a directly elected and empowered executive (something voters just approved). specifically,this new entity should have the capacity to override smaller jurisdictions and NIMBYs who are blocking effective regional planning.
To determine the appropriate boundaries and sphere of authority for the newly integrated and empowered officer, the guiding principle should be that power and authority must align with effective responsibility. If an agency or executive is held politically responsible for addressing a particular problem, such as fire risk or homelessness, it should be given the administrative power and authority to actually do what needs to be done to effectively address the policy issue.
In practice, the most politically accountable and responsive system would be one in which a single governmental entity, answering to the voters, held authority over the region as a whole. A newly centralized system of political authority like this would enable a much more rational approach to policy-making, regional planning and distributing resources. Because problems such as fire risk, water, air quality, homelessness, housing availability and transit are all regional in scale, the authority to manage these issues should be vested at the regional level, with an executive empowered to make big decisions if and when the elected supervisors are unable to do so.
Radically remaking the scale, location and capacity of political authority in the nation’s second largest and most famously centrifugal metropolis may sound like pie-in-the-sky, but the two most recent mayors of Los angeles, Antonio villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti, both made exactly this case in the wake of last week’s fires, telling the New York Times they would support creating a dominant government representing the region as a whole, to replace the current crazy-quilt of municipal governments.
“For the rebuild,” Garcetti said, “it’ll be absolutely critical for us to act like we’re one city and not a collection of 88 villages.”
There will surely be howls of protest from those who enjoy living in or governing autonomous enclaves — and who blithely dismiss regional-scale problems as something for someone else to deal with. These concerns simply must be overridden in the name of the collective good.
Here is where Sacramento can offer decisive help. Rather than throwing money at a problem without a long-term strategy, Gov. Gavin Newsom can cement his legacy as a transformational governor by solving the “plumbing issue” in Southern California’s governance structure.
Nonpartisan, Autonomous California News for All
In an era of increasing polarization and misinformation, quality, independent journalism has never been more crucial.
CalMatters stands as a beacon of nonpartisan, trustworthy reporting, dedicated to informing Californians about the issues that matter most.
What Makes calmatters Different?
“We are independent and nonpartisan. Our trustworthy journalism is free from partisan politics, free from corporate influence and actually free for all Californians.”
Supporting Quality Journalism
CalMatters relies on the generous support of readers like you to continue providing this essential service.
Your contributions directly fund our investigative reporting, analysis, and outreach efforts, ensuring that Californians are well-informed and empowered.
“Please give what you can today. every gift helps.”
During our year-end drive, donations are tripled, meaning your support will have even greater impact. Join us in our mission to strengthen California thru informed citizenship.
Donate Now
Nonpartisan, Independent California News for All
In an era of increasing polarization and misinformation, quality, independent journalism has never been more crucial.
CalMatters stands as a beacon of nonpartisan,trustworthy reporting,dedicated to informing Californians about the issues that matter most.
What Makes CalMatters Different?
“we are independent and nonpartisan. Our trustworthy journalism is free from partisan politics, free from corporate influence and actually free for all Californians.”
Supporting Quality Journalism
CalMatters relies on the generous support of readers like you to continue providing this essential service.
Your contributions directly fund our investigative reporting, analysis,and outreach efforts,ensuring that Californians are well-informed and empowered.
“Please give what you can today. Every gift helps.”
During our year-end drive, donations are tripled, meaning your support will have even greater impact. Join us in our mission to strengthen California through informed citizenship.
Donate Now
What are the potential drawbacks or unintended consequences of consolidating governance under a single, powerful entity in Southern California?
Can a Single Governing Body Solve Southern California’s Governance Challenges?
A thought-provoking question emerges after recent wildfires and the chaotic management of resources.Can a single, powerful governing body effectively manage Southern California, a region notorious for its decentralized political landscape? We spoke with political scientist Dr.Evelyn Chen, an expert on regional governance, to explore this idea.
Interview with Dr. Evelyn Chen
Q: Dr. Chen, Southern California’s governance structure is widely recognized as fragmented, with numerous cities, counties, and special districts.How does this structure hinder effective regional problem-solving?
A: The fragmented nature of governance in Southern California creates notable challenges. Manny critical issues, like wildfire mitigation, water management, public transportation, and affordable housing, transcend municipal boundaries. Without a strong regional authority,these issues often fall through the cracks,leading to inconsistent policies,duplicated efforts,and ultimately,inadequate solutions.
Q: What are the potential benefits of consolidating governance under a single, powerful entity?
A: Creating a single, unified government structure for Southern California could streamline decision-making, fostering greater efficiency and coordination. It could empower regional leaders to implement comprehensive strategies for addressing issues that impact the entire region, rather then relying on piecemeal solutions from numerous independent entities.
Q: Critics argue that such a move would diminish local control and responsiveness.How would you address these concerns?
A: This is a valid concern.A accomplished model would need to strike a balance between regional authority and local input. The new governing structure could incorporate mechanisms for consulting with local communities, ensuring their voices are heard in policy decisions that directly affect their neighborhoods
Q: Recent wildfires have highlighted vulnerabilities in regional management. Could consolidated governance have prevented or mitigated the scale of these disasters?
A: it’s impossible to say definitively, but a unified approach to wildfire risk management could have potentially made a difference. A centralized authority could have coordinated resources more effectively, implemented regional fire prevention strategies, and ensured better communication between agencies This could lead to a more proactive and comprehensive response to future disasters.
Q: Looking ahead, do you see a possibility for this type of regional governance reform in California?
A: Change is always challenging, but the need for effective regional governance in Southern California is becoming increasingly clear.The recent fires have amplified the urgency of this issue. Whether significant reform happens quickly or gradually, the conversation needs to continue. Ultimately, the success of such a move would depend on careful planning, public engagement, and a commitment to finding solutions that work for the entire region.
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