“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.”

These words from Noam Chomsky, the American linguist and philosopher, are a perfect encapsulation of Downey, a perfectly fine community already but a city that holds potential to do so much better. 

The year 2020 was a punch to the gut, knocking us to the ground in March and whooping on us all spring and summer. And just as we started to regain our composure in the fall, here came 2020 again, knocking us to the canvas with a mean left hook. If 2020 was a boxing match, the referee would be flailing his arms to stop the fight. 

It’s not a surprise Downey is one of Los Angeles County’s leaders in coronavirus cases. Firestone Boulevard is a parking lot. Malls and shopping centers are packed, restaurants continue to accommodate customers who refuse to eat at home, and Downey Calvary Christian Church -- a small city unto itself -- pretends the virus doesn’t exist, thumbing its nose at health experts and extending a middle finger to the rest of us. 

It’s hard to blame the restaurants and small businesses. Those owners and their employees have families to feed and rent to pay, and who’s going to help them? Certainly not our exalted leaders in Washington, D.C., who think $600 is enough to pacify us regular folk.

Life stands still for no one, so we trudge forward into 2021, perhaps not with the same level of gumption and optimism than in years past, but instead longing for the monotony of normalcy.

Below is my wish list for 2021; it’s shorter than usual because, really, who are we to demand frivolous things in the middle of a pandemic. 

An end to street sweeping citations. More people than ever are working from home and L.A. County this week just extended its stay-at-home order. It’s counterproductive and insensitive to issue citations to residents, who have enough to worry about without the added stress of a street sweeping ticket.

Not everyone has the luxury of circular driveways and multi-car garages. Housing in Downey is becoming more dense and vertical; many of us live in apartments, condominiums and townhomes, where street parking is our only viable option. 

Less political ambition. If it seems like our City Council is more politicized than ever, it’s because it is. A record amount of cash was raised in Downey’s last election, and it’s more clear than ever which of our council members are Democrats and which are Republicans.

Local office is meant to be non-partisan. We’ve seen what partisan politics accomplishes on a national level and it's disappointing to see it creep onto the city council. 

A reinvented transit system. Here’s a pop quiz: if you wanted to ride the DowneyLink, do you know where your nearest bus stop is? Do you know the route you’d need to take to reach your destination? Do you know its hours of operation? What does it cost to ride?

According to the DowneyLink website, bus service is offered via the north and south routes from 9 am to 2 pm, while the northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast routes are available from 6-9 am and again from 2-6:30 pm.

Got it? 

It would be great if DowneyLink had a mobile app with a real-time map of routes and stops, along with a mobile payment option. 

Al-fresco dining. Let’s face it, we live in Southern California and tolerate ridiculously high taxes and real estate prices for one reason: the weather. Sixty-nine degrees here feels cold. 

The pandemic forced restaurants to adopt outdoor dining, and while the circumstances were terrible, it’s actually a pleasant experience to eat under the sun (or the stars). I hope al-fresco dining becomes a permanent part of Southern California culture even after the pandemic goes away, and I hope Downey can relax its rules enough to facilitate this for willing restaurants. 

More dog parks. I’ve written about this before but Downey sorely needs more open space for our canine companions to play. 

Above all else, I hope 2021 brings us peace and healing. Happy New Year.