EL SEGUNDO HERALD April 11, 2019 Page 3
Letters
Correction: A Big Bonus,
But Not Quite That Big…
In last week’s State of the City article, I
mistakenly listed the El Segundo Police Department’s
bonus incentive to recruit lateral
officers as $25 million. In fact, the amount is
$25,000—still the highest of its kind in the
region. I suspect a $25 million bonus would
likely attract any officer from anywhere on
the planet (but also bankrupt the City in the
process). In any case, I regret the error…
– Brian Simon •
Correction
Please Respect
the Library
It is a shame that the citizens of this town
have such little respect for one of the best
places: Our Library. What are these parents
teaching their children regarding responsibility?
Showing utter disrespect for one of our
best and honored gifts, libraries and books,
makes me sick.
– Diane Jaffe
New Garbage Collection
Company and Fee
As we near the transition to more automated
garbage collection with the added improvement
of a separate green waste collection and
presumably lower labor costs, we find that
the change costs us more. For the first time,
the city requires residents to pay a $180/year
user fee to EDCO for a service that should be
DEADLINES
OBITUARIES: Monday at noon.
CALENDAR ITEMS: Monday at noon.
PEOPLE ITEMS: Monday at noon.
CLASSIFIEDS: Tuesday at noon.
LEGAL NOTICES: Wednesday at 11:00 am.
REAL ESTATE ADS: Monday at noon.
AD CANCELLATIONS: Prior Thursday.
LATE CANCELLATIONS WILL BE
CHARGED 50% OF AD
covered by the outrageous level of taxes we
already pay. This and the continuing flirtation
with Top Golf which no normal residents
want are related to on-going efforts to prop
up unsustainable Cadillac public employee
defined benefit pensions. We as citizens get
two kinds of votes: one on a ballot and the
second is “voting with your feet.” In this
case, it appears that those unhappy with the
decision could save themselves $180/year by
simply stopping their EDCO curbside pickup
service using EDCO’s convenient web
site and taking their garbage to the county
transfer station themselves (Signal Hill now
instead of Gardena). Recyclables and green
waste presumably could still be dropped off
at the city yard recycling area. I wonder if
anyone is angry enough about our “Stepford
Wives” city council to try this.
– Kip Haggerty •
City Announces Deep Concerns
Over Proposed LAX Expansion
The City of El Segundo has expressed
deep concern over the proposed massive
expansion of LAX announced by the
City of Los Angeles’ Los Angeles World
Airports last week. The expansion, which
will add two new terminals or concourses
containing 29 gates for passenger loading,
will add noise, traffic and pollution affecting
El Segundo residents, who already deal
with impacts from one of the busiest
airports in the world. In addition, the expansion
will exacerbate a growing problem
of travelers and LAX workers parking on
El Segundo streets.
“Over the years we have worked cooperatively
with the City of Los Angeles on
improving the customer experience at LAX.
However these new projects are just too much
for our residents,” said El Segundo Mayor
Drew Boyles. “We are calling on LAX to
scale back or eliminate these new gates,
especially the brand new United Terminal
9, which will add another terminal to the
airfield closest to our city.”
Summary of
the Proposed Expansion
The Notice of Preparation (NOP) released by
LAX last week details how the airport wants
to add a new “Terminal 9” on the south side
of the airport (closest to El Segundo) that
would be used by United Airlines; and a new
“Concourse 0” (which would be attached to
the current Southwest Airlines Terminal 1).
It also proposes to relocate American Eagle
to a proposed expansion of the Midfield
Satellite Concourse near the Tom Bradley
International Terminal.
Up to 29 so-called “contact gates” are
proposed at the new “Terminal 9” and
“Concourse 0” facilities to enable and accommodate
massive growth at LAX. The
NOP also calls for major roadway demolition
and reconstruction. Along with ongoing
construction from other LAX projects, this
would subject residents of El Segundo and
nearby communities to nearly a decade of
intense construction activity. The NOP also
includes a variety of safety improvements on
the north airfield (away from El Segundo), including
reconfiguring taxiways. Significantly
to El Segundo, it does not provide for the
lengthening of any North Airfield runways
or further separate the current runways on
the north side.
Need for a Balanced Airport
“El Segundo has always stood for a balanced
airfield, but this project proposal
makes an unbalanced airport even more
unfairly weighted toward El Segundo,” said
El Segundo City Manager Greg Carpenter.
“El Segundo already has to bear the
burden of loud, noisy nighttime cargo flights
-- but instead of attempting to balance operations
between the north and south, the lion’s
share of impacts will fall to our residents
to bear.”
Parking Problems Generated
by LAX Growth
In addition, as LAX has grown in recent
years, El Segundo neighborhoods have
experienced a surge in airport users (either
travelers or workers) parking on residential
streets to access the airport. “People
parking in El Segundo to access work or
travel at LAX is having negative impacts
on our quality of life,” said El Segundo
Mayor Pro Tem Carol Pirsztuk. “Instead of
alleviating the problem, the projects outlined
in the Notice of Preparation will only make
things worse.”
LAX and Local Quality of Life
El Segundo has a long history of working
with its neighbors to protect the quality
of life around LAX. In 2017, it approved a
settlement with LAX that cleared the way
for the construction of the Landside Access
Modernization Program (LAMP), which includes
a new people mover, parking structures
and a consolidated rental car facility -- all
of which will make getting in and out of
LAX easier. However, this current project
will trade seldom-used remote gates on the
western edge of the airport for active gates in
or around the central terminal area, leading
to major increases in traffic congestion, air
pollution and noise. Further, by proposing
that the new Terminal 9 have access from
Sepulveda Boulevard, it would negate some
of the benefits of the LAMP project in that
it would shift traffic back to the already
overcrowded Sepulveda Tunnel.
“We look forward to continuing our discussions
with the City of Los Angeles over
how best to address this massive LAX expansion,”
noted Mayor Boyles. “But for now, we
don’t see any benefit to our residents, who
already deal with some of the worst airport
ramifications in the nation, and we as City
leadership will use any strategy necessary to
protect our residents.”
For additional information, please contact
City Manager Greg Carpenter at (310) 524-
2301 or gcarpenter@elsegundo.org.
– Content Provided by City of El Segundo •
Brunt of New Tax Laws
Hits Home at Refund Time
By Rob McCarthy
The mad rush to file income taxes by midnight
April 15 has begun. Expect some added
stress because there are fewer tax brackets,
revised calculations, and fewer deductions to
claim after Congress made sweeping changes
in the nation’s tax code.
The additions and subtractions in the tax
overhaul bill 17 months ago were too many
to count. The immediate effect on workers
was their take-home pay was slightly higher
last year. What they didn’t know -- until now
-- was whether they would still receive a tax
refund under the new formulas for individuals
and couples. And if so, would the IRS be
giving back less.
Those residents who’ve already filed their
federal returns have the answer. For the rest
who haven’t prepared their federal returns
yet, they will soon find out if there’s money
coming to pay off outstanding debts, make
some home repairs, or splurge on a vacation.
Based on IRS figures released before April
1, the consequences of the congressional
changes to tax law aren’t proving to be as
draconian as predicted. Yes, refunds are
safe. The average refund has dipped under
the new tax code by $20, the IRS said after
calculating 92.9 million returns filed as of
March 29. The average refund so far is
$2,873. There are several factors that could
cause a tax refund to be larger or smaller
than expected, especially in the current tax
season when individuals are encountering new
tax brackets with higher standard deductions.
These offset the past deductions -- including
a cap on mortgage interest and state and local
taxes paid -- which members of Congress
eliminated in late 2017. Standard deductions
increased to $12,000 for singles, $18,000 for
heads of households and $24,000 for married
couples filing a joint return.
Situations that could reduce the amount
of this year’s refund include: math errors
or mistakes on the 1040 forms; back taxes
owed to the federal or state government; and
unpaid child support or student loans. If the
IRS makes adjustment to a return or withholds
some or all of a refund, the tax bureau will
send a letter explaining where the money
went. The Internal Revenue Service says it
“understands that taxpayers are anxious to
get details about their tax refunds,” but to
disregard misleading information circulating
on social media.
There is no “secret way” for taxpayers
to find out when their refund will be
issued, though the IRS says it issues nine
out of 10 tax refunds in less than 21 days.
The “Where’s My Refund?” tracker at the
IRS website takes the guesswork out of the
waiting process. People can use “Where’s My
Refund?” to check on the status of their tax
return within 24 hours after the IRS receives
an e-filed return or four weeks after a mailed
paper return.
The “Where’s My Refund?” tool is updated
daily and usually overnight. Only
call the IRS tax help hotline if a check on
an individual or couple’s refund indicates
the taxpayer should contact the IRS. If the
system doesn’t show a return filed 21 days
after it was electronically filed or six weeks
after tax forms were mailed, a call to the
IRS is warranted.
South Bay residents without Internet access
can call an automated refund hotline at
800-829-1954. There is a myth that ordering
a tax transcript is a “secret way” to get a
refund date confirmed. The IRS says doing
this will not help taxpayers find out when
they will get their tax refund. While taxpayers
can use a transcript to validate past income
See Refund Time, page 11