Cannella read a list of the projects, most of them professional sports venues, that have received such favored treatment recently, to wit:
“A Rams stadium in LA that never materialized; Farmer’s Field in downtown LA that never materialized; the Golden1 Center for the Kings basketball team in Sacramento; a Chargers / Raiders football stadium in Carson that never materialized; a new Warriors arena under construction in San Francisco, and the new Chargers / Rams Hollywood Park stadium under construction in Inglewood.
“That’s not to mention,” Cannella continued, CEQA “streamlining for Facebook to expand its Menlo Park headquarters and for two skyscrapers near the Capital Records building in Los Angeles. And now this year we’re considering streamlining for a new A’s stadium in Oakland (and) a new Clippers arena in Inglewood.”
Cannella’s point is that while Capitol politicians have eagerly granted special CEQA treatment to wealthy sports team owners, such as the Clippers’ Steve Ballmer, big corporations such as Facebook and megaproject developers, they’ve been unwilling to undertake a broader CEQA reform for more vital projects.
He pointed out, for instance, that while the Legislature passed a landmark package of gas taxes and automotive fees to finance billions of dollars in transportation improvements, they must go through the torturous CEQA process.
“If it’s good enough for our wealthy athletes and team owners, it’s good enough for the rest of us,” Cannella concluded.
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