Captain John Paul Jones said “I have not yet begun to fight.” He made that statement when his ship was on the verge of sinking while fighting a powerful British frigate in the American Revolution. He won the battle.
231 years later, another United States Navy officer facing a dire crisis in Los Angeles uttered these fighting words: “The good news in the Moody letter is that it confirmed a lot of what we have been doing. It gave us a roadmap on what we have to do in the future and confirms a lot of what we have done.”
Eric Garcetti made the comment (according to the Daily News). He was referring to the precarious state of the city’s credit rating that is threatening to sink the city.
What inspiration. If Garcetti had commanded the Bon Homme Richard instead of Jones, we would all be speaking English instead of American, not to mention driving on the other side of the road. Bloody hell!
What exactly did Eric’s words mean?
Well, he is correct on one point: the letter did confirm “a lot of what we have been doing.” Garcetti, the Council and the Mayor have indeed destroyed the integrity of the city’s finances through neglect and pandering.
The next part is an admission that City Hall was rudderless and playing it by ear, if playing at all: “It gave us a roadmap on what we have to do in the future…”
Mr. Garcetti, the roadmap was in the glove compartment all the time. You only had to open the door and unfold it.
Lastly, “…and confirms a lot of what we have done.” Redundant – his first sentence said the same thing. I guess he wanted to emphasize the point. You know those Rhodes Scholars.
I guess Oxford did not hand him a Road Map along with the diploma.
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