Apparently, we here at Not the Bee are part of the reason trust in institutions is cratering 😭
Shot:
Chaser:
Here we have a he-said, she-said situation.
The city says he filled in an active service trench ("active" is a key word here).
Schwarzenegger says it was an inactive service trench that the city had not adequately filled.
This whole saga is hilarious. I am here for it.
If Arnold is correct, that means the city of Los Angeles lied – perhaps flat-out – in the most scandalous pothole story I have ever heard (I'm from Michigan so I KNOW potholes). I know he says only the headline was incorrect, but this is what an LA city official said according to our quote from The Hill in our original article:
"This location is not a pothole," a city spokesperson told the outlet. "It's a service trench that relates to active, permitted work being performed at the location by SoCal Gas, who expects the work to be completed by the end of May."
The Hill has now updated their story to include even more details:
"This location is a utility trench that relates to active, permitted work being performed at the location by the Southern California Gas Company (Gas Company)," Elena Stern with the Los Angeles Department of Public Works told The Hill.
"The Gas Company placed a temporary asphalt surface, which will then be replaced with a permanent asphalt surface when their permitted work is complete. We have notified the Gas Company of the issue and the need for them to maintain the site pavement until their permanent paving is constructed."
Who is right? I don't know! Someone call Elena!
But if the city lied or simply got it very wrong because our civilization is about to be crushed under bureaucratic bloat, it would indeed be a great example of why no one trusts anything anymore.
But not "should-be-taught-in-a-class" level. I mean, c'mon, Arnold – I get that you are trying to save face and preserve your public image here, but it's a pothole. You could have just filled it in quietly in the spirit of Matthew 6 and no one would have been the wiser. Instead, you sought attention (which has now backfired), so I think this story means a lot more to you than the history books.
Also, and I'm really sorry to point this out because I'm loving this whole thing, but weren't you the guy who said "screw your freedom" to me and all of America a year or so ago?
Yeah, my man, that aged more poorly than anything else I could possibly name.
