The Next L.A. / Reinventing Our Future : Governing : Plugged-In Activism : Silicon Solutions to Government Bureaucracy

A commonplace project--expanding a business, or adding a room to a home--runs straight into a web of overlapping government entities that often hinder rather than help citizens. Even exercising civic responsibilities such as voting can be complicated and time-consuming. Here’s how some ordinary scenarios of life in Los Angeles could be changed. The hypothetical subjects: a couple who owns a small dry cleaning shop. They are concerned about local issues and vote faithfully. The hero: technology.

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Activity: Expanding Their Dry Cleaning Shop

NOW they will have to get permits from:

* South Coast Air Quality Management District

* State Air Resources Board

* State Water Quality Control Board

IN THE FUTURE, two or three new one-stop “superagencies” deal with regional issues like building, zoning and air quality. Our couple visits the new Enviro-Building Agency, which handles their permit.

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Activity: Hiring Two New Employees for Their Shop

NOW, they must deal with:

* State Employment Development Department

* State Occupational Safety and Health Administration

* Federal Social Security Administraton

* Internal Revenue Service

IN THE FUTURE, a one-stop Economic Development Department will handle all the relevant permits. Or the arrangements can be made from home with a personal computer.

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Activity: Adding a Room to Their House and a Fence Around It

NOW they must consult:

* Los Angeles Building and Safety Department

* City Planning Department

* Los Angeles County Public Works Department (for flood control permit because their house is near a stream)

IN THE FUTURE, they visit a Neighborhood Council, which has authority over local zoning issues and works in concert with a superagency over the issue of flood control.

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Activity: Seeking Tax Relief

NOW, they must apply to county Tax Assessor and may have to go through protracted hearings.

IN THE FUTURE, they file appeals with tax agencies on personal computer-cable TV home communications center. Such facilities would also be available at public libraries.

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Activity: Participating in the Voting Process

NOW they watch TV news and innumerable political commercials, pore through newspapers and magazines, write letters, drive to distant meetings and then, finally, travel to their polling place.

IN THE FUTURE, they can pick relevant information from a central CD-ROM library, watch and send opinions to government committees on interactive TV and vote from their living room on the same TV or similar interactive device.

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Activity: Stopping a Mini-mall from Being Built Nearby

NOW, they must testify before several city planning bodies, including:

* City zoning administrator

* Board of Zoning Appeals

* City Council

IN THE FUTURE, they ask the Neighborhood Council, with authority over local zoning matters, to kill the project. Hearings are viewed on interactive TV.