Crime Doesn’t Pay. Really? Is LA the Exception to the Rule?
Crime Doesn’t Pay. Really? Is LA the Exception to the Rule? Dick Platkin 02 July 2020 PLANNING WATCH -If you visit, work, or live in LA, you only need to step outside your office, apartment, or house to discover that crime does pay. You will see shady real estate deals, small, medium, and large, allowed by the crew at 200 N. Spring Street (City Hall). For every member of the City Council, like Jose Huizar and Mitchell Englander, or career officials like former Deputy Mayor and Building and Safety General Manager Ray Chan, who are facing jail time, there are many others clever enough to nibble at the cheese without getting caught. Their ranks include elected officials, mega-developers , departmental managers, lobbyists, campaign donors and consultants, expeditors, and cronies. For example, a former Director of Planning recently paid a $281,000 ethics fine