Exposing another chink in City Hall's pay-to-play government for sale practices, activists fighting for the South Central Farm claimed a major victory Monday when developer Ralph Horowitz emailed city planners he will conduct a full environmental impact report before constructing a Forever 21 warehouse.
Activists atttibuted the development to a story in the Times a week ago in which David Zahniser reported Forever 21 funneled $1.3 million in campaigns supporting Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa who has allowed the community garden to be sold and demolished despite hie earlier promises to preserve it.
The EIR could take a full year to complete and gives South Central Farmers time to reverse the city's actions. City planners are awaiting formal notification from Horowitz.
In the meantime, the activists are meeting tonight and prepared to send letters calling on City Controller Laura Chick (chickfarm.pdf) and state Attorney General Brown (brownfarm.pdf) to investigate the deal that led to sale of the farm allegedly below market value to a private interest even as campaign money was flowing into City Hall from special interests connected with the deal.
Activists atttibuted the development to a story in the Times a week ago in which David Zahniser reported Forever 21 funneled $1.3 million in campaigns supporting Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa who has allowed the community garden to be sold and demolished despite hie earlier promises to preserve it.
The EIR could take a full year to complete and gives South Central Farmers time to reverse the city's actions. City planners are awaiting formal notification from Horowitz.
In the meantime, the activists are meeting tonight and prepared to send letters calling on City Controller Laura Chick (chickfarm.pdf) and state Attorney General Brown (brownfarm.pdf) to investigate the deal that led to sale of the farm allegedly below market value to a private interest even as campaign money was flowing into City Hall from special interests connected with the deal.
Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News where he spent 23 years helping to make the newspaper the voice of the San Fernando Valley and fighting for a city government that serves the people and not special interests.
Twice in recent years, Los Angeles Magazine listed Kaye among the city’s most influential people, specifically in the area of politics. Kaye has been variously described in the media as the “accidental anarchist,” “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley” and a “passionate populist.” He is now committed to
carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen. Previously, Ron worked at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,
Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Australian as well as papers
in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yakima, Wash. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine, The Guardian in London and the National Enquirer.
It sounds like there's some notion that Antonio's got something to do with favorable results happening when people contribute to his campaign.
But that can't be so. He's the Mayor and that would be unethical and maybe even illegal.
Why would anyone think that about him?
Wouldn't each incident be a separate count in a criminal complaint? But, like I said, he's the Mayor and just look at all he's done for the city and the constituents, AND look at how much he is needed OUT OF TOWN, as well.
So how could he possibly continue any of this work from inside a jail? You must be thinking of someone else doing all this, not Antonio. He's the Mayor.
Laura Chick investigate the mayor? Give me a break.