I’ve seen this movie before and if this movie ends the way I predict it’s more than likely that James Butts’ tenure as Inglewood’s mayor be coming to a crashing end very soon.
Is the Mayor “political death” written in stone?
History has shown the mayor to be politically savvy but this time is different because it appears that the he has drawn a worthy and capable opponent in Congresswoman Maxine Waters who recently voices opposition to the Inglewood Transit Connector that extends well beyond the “ridiculousness” of itself but also serves as a harsh and strategically public dispute condemnation of the mayor and council’s leadership and vision of Inglewood.
In fact an op-ed submitted to the Los Angeles time opinion section Letters to the Editor: Rep. Maxine Waters on why she wants to cut federal funding for Inglewood’s people mover she makes a strong but powerful argument that suggests Inglewood residents should rightfully and justifiably have a natural distrust of Inglewood elected officials and their motives.
“This project is not designed to improve access to public transportation for local residents or connect them to jobs and services. Projects like this make ordinary citizens think their leaders are oblivious to their needs.”
I mean from a political perspective these sounds like fighting words to me, along with the Congresswoman’s request to re-appropriate $200 million dollars of federal funding slated for the Inglewood Transit Connector to go towards affordable housing, appears as though the long time and beloved politician has actively and strategically placed herself in a position to influence Inglewood politics.
I mean If I were the mayor and council it would be foolish to simply paint this as a small misunderstanding that can be simply be resolved by a simple meeting between the Congresswoman and mayor but in fact a warning that unless the elected officials start delivering more for the “ordinary” citizens in Inglewood she won’t continue to sit idly by, seemingly complicit, as local elected officials seem to continue to serve the needs and whims of wealthy billionaire developers and donors over the people who voted for them.
With that being said it’s hard to not question why it took so long for the Congresswoman to offer this opposition?
Well one could only argue that in fact not only did Maxine Waters initially have reservations about the Inglewood Transit Connector but Inglewood’s leadership itself but went along for the greater good because the potential and vision of the potential “transformation” of the City outweighed any tangible and real facts that would rightfully justify opposing this project at such an early stage.
And if in fact this is the case, the residents of Inglewood would be foolish not to heed the longtime Congresswoman’s words and actions accordingly.
What the Congresswoman is essentially saying is this is development has run amok by a handful of people who have no problem using the term development or “growth” to the benefit of wealthy people under the guise of benefiting the community as a whole but at the same time victimizing the same people they are proclaiming to help.
I mean outside, looking in it appears that Congresswoman Waters is prepared to do the ” heavy lifting” in forcefully and with purpose has taken the mayor head on in saying unless he changes his course that others maybe afraid of him and ill equipped to take him out and that she isn’t and will exercise and exhibit her power as she deems fit. And as a member of Congress she will use the “power of the purse” to strip away $200 million dollars in federal funding for the Inglewood Transit Connector to prove so.
Is this the fight that Mayor Butts wants to have?
Let’s just say this isn’t the fight the mayor wants to lose and if he does lose then he proves to be no longer useful to those who spent millions to put and keep him and his allies in office because he’s no longer effective in delivering results if the Inglewood Transit Connector doesn’t in fact come to fruition.
At this point it appears the Mayor has finally come to a point where he has served his purpose and is no longer needed and unless he makes peace with Congresswoman Waters his tenure will come to and end and not by his terms.
Marvin McCoy is a long-time Inglewood resident and opinion writer for 2UrbanGirls.com and the SouthBayExaminer.com.