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Recently announced news that LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was planning to give his offices a remodel that would cost $707,000 caused a public backlash, according to the Daily News. The project would use the funds to "add seven workstations, replace the ceiling system and recarpet his eighth-floor space in the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration," according to the Supervisor's website. The office has not been upgraded in about 15-20 years.Some of the most vociferous objectors to the remodel--primarily the use of $700k on such a task when we are facing difficult economic times--comes from the AM radio station KFI, where "the John & Ken Show on KFI-AM (640) has lambasted Ridley-Thomas and encouraged listeners to call and e-mail the supervisors to express their outrage. County officials say the board offices have been inundated with hundreds of e-mails and phone calls."
Now, however, Ridley-Thomas is considering reducing the scope of the remodel, and "is seeking an outside firm to conduct an independent assessment to determine if the project should be pared back." Though he insists this is not an "extravagant" and vain undertaking, he may indeed bow to public pressure and put the remodel on the back burner. Ridley-Thomas was in Washington D.C. yesterday on official business and did not comment on the issue; his next public appearance is tomorrow evening when he is joined by Gov. Schwarzenegger for a tree-lighting ceremony.
