La Feud shows tension between CA cities, counties


When California became a country in 1850, it has less than 100,000 inhabitants and 27 sparsely populated counties. Several were more on land from some states.

However, its population erupted with Gold Rush immigrants, and almost immediately they began to press the legislature to create new counties so that they could easily have access to services such as filed claims.

Over the next 57 years, 27 counties become 58 counties – one of which, Glen County, was carved from the Colusian County in 1891 and was named after my cousin, Hugh GlenThe largest farmer in the country until his murder in 1883. All or parts of 12 new districts were formed by dividing a huge district of Mariposa. The 58th, the emperor, was established in 1907 from the eastern part of San Diego County.

In the late 19th century and in the 20th County California had several relatively simple functions, such as rural law enforcement, road maintenance and maintenance of property records. However, in the last part of the 20th century, federal and state governments have created a number of programs for health and well -being and California chose the counties to rule them, not the state or cities itself, like some other countries.

The counties are collected as agents of the state and of the suppliers of local services, and these roles are often in conflict, as the former were inevitably authorized, while the latter is more important for local voters and taxpayers.

The creation of over 400 cities included in 1900 also complicated local government. Cities have diverted streams of taxes on ownership and sales of counties, and also tend to have concentrations of social troubles – poverty, crime, drug addiction and homelessness -The health and well -being programs managed by the county had to cope.

In this way, the counties and cities in California, especially in highly urbanized regions, often become opponents, not partners in working with high -visibility issues and media.

What happened last week in the most populated district in California and its largest city, named Los Angeles, is an example of intergovernmental tension. The catalyst, of course, is the homelessness that sits on the Californians’ problems listS

Read more: With measure A, Los Angeles voters accept a greater response to homelessness

The state has spent more than $ 20 billion in recent years to deal with homelessness, but the unlaused ranks continue to climb and Now approach up to 200,000So far, the largest population of any country, both quantitatively and comparatively. Governor Gavin Newo regularly Accuses local authorities of dragging their legs To create effective programs to deal with it.

In Los Angeles, city and district employees have been arguing for decades above responsibility, and in the 1980s the city even filed a lawsuit against the county. Thirty -two years ago, they agreed to set up a joint agency, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, but the struggle has never stopped. In recent years, it has become more intensive.

For the last five years, federal Judge David O. Carter has chaired a case Filed by the Alliance for Human Rights in LA, demanding that the authorities have spent money for homelessness. Carter has awakened the agency due to lack of actions and lack of transparency, and also went through two lamentable audits.

Last week, the five -member council of Supervisory Authorities in Los Angeles County Votes to withdraw from the Joint Agency And create your own department to cope with homelessness, to rotate requests from city officials, including Mayor Karen Bass. City and district officers also deviate from the newly changed legislation, Senate Bill 16This will require counties to provide more money to cities for homeless shelters.

Homelessness is just one of the many problems that poison relations between urban and district officials. The rational answer would be all over the country Configuration of responsibilities This recognizes the realities of the 21st century and reduces friction.

It is not likely to happen, so the rivalry will continue to intensify.

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