A lot was learned by the activists who came to Saturday's Town Hall meeting of the Saving L.A. Project and we identified two immediate opportunities to let City Hall know that people across the city care deeply about preserving our heritage in Graffith Park and the Southwest Museum and we are willing to fight for a future that preserves our quality of life.
That after all is what L.A. is really about. There's no place on earth where the living is as good for so many as right here but at the rate and in the direction we're going that won't be true much longer.
That's what I've been hearing from people all over Los Angeles, people who are trying to do something to reverse the course we're on. I don't know if anybody else would put it into to the words I use but I believe with all my heart that the people I've met from east, west, south and north L.A. rich, poor and in between, share a strong commitment to change.
Toward that end, we seized on two coming opportunities for political action -- so get involved yourself, spread the word to others, make a difference, let City Hall know what you believe, that you care enough to do something about it.
ACTION ALERT 1: Contrary to the way the Department of Water and Power treated the public in the past. the utility's Board of Commission on Tuesday will consider creating a Ratepayer's Advocate -- a independent expert paid by the DWP who's mission is to keep the public informed about what's going on and to protect the public's interest.
After a strong presentation by longtime DWP activist Jack Humphreville, SLAP called
on community activists of every type in every part of the city to speak up We urge you to join us at the board meeting at the DWP at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 7) at 111 N. Hill St., 15th floor. There's free parking at the DWP.
If you can't get there, send an email to DWP General Manager David Nahai at david.nahai@ladwp.com as well as to the five board members at forescee1@cfrc.net, patsaouras@earthlink.net, wallyknox@earthlink.net, lkalpert@AlpertBarr.com, edithramirez@quinnemanuel.com.
Among the other important issues on the agenda are how to pay for the unbudgeted 5.9 percent raises just given to DWP workers, whether another water rate hike should be imposed in January and the subsidy to LAUSD.
Action Alert 2: A large turnout of activists is planned for the City Council chamber on Wednesday Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. to speak during public comment of the importance of protecting Graffith Park from development and preserving the city's oldest museum, the Southwest Museum in Mt. Washington
City officials are in the process of deciding whether Griffith Park should be granted cultural/historical status which would make any future development efforts subject to an open and complete public process. That would go a long way to preserving the park as open space and the city treasure it is.
The commitment made by the Autry National Center when it took over the Southwest Museum was to restore it as a living museum. The community has been fighting ever since to get the Autry to leave up to its commitment and guarantee the Southwest will be restored and have sufficient funding to stage important exhibits.
Besides questions about the Autry's intent is the issue of its proposed expansion in Griffith Park and the $1 a year it pays the city for use of the public land.
Many other issues were discussed and it was reported that significant strides have been made in getting non-profit status for the Saving L.A. Project, establishing an organizational structure and launching the webside ourla.org as a citywide news, information and community center for all of Los Angeles
Heinrich Keifer agreed to be acting president, Nina Royal acting secretary and Tom Carter acting treasurer to help give us some structure while we create a board and leadership team for our loosely-knit coalition and obtain IRS approval for the non-profit corporation that has been certified by the Secretary of State.
Thanks to the generosity of the the Progressive Democrats who created westcoastpress.com as a potential online newspaper for the region, we now have a terrific website for ourla.org, the online community network to link up Neighborhood Councils, residents groups, service clubs and activist groups of various interests and political perspectives.
That after all is what L.A. is really about. There's no place on earth where the living is as good for so many as right here but at the rate and in the direction we're going that won't be true much longer.
That's what I've been hearing from people all over Los Angeles, people who are trying to do something to reverse the course we're on. I don't know if anybody else would put it into to the words I use but I believe with all my heart that the people I've met from east, west, south and north L.A. rich, poor and in between, share a strong commitment to change.
Toward that end, we seized on two coming opportunities for political action -- so get involved yourself, spread the word to others, make a difference, let City Hall know what you believe, that you care enough to do something about it.
ACTION ALERT 1: Contrary to the way the Department of Water and Power treated the public in the past. the utility's Board of Commission on Tuesday will consider creating a Ratepayer's Advocate -- a independent expert paid by the DWP who's mission is to keep the public informed about what's going on and to protect the public's interest.
After a strong presentation by longtime DWP activist Jack Humphreville, SLAP called
on community activists of every type in every part of the city to speak up We urge you to join us at the board meeting at the DWP at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 7) at 111 N. Hill St., 15th floor. There's free parking at the DWP.
If you can't get there, send an email to DWP General Manager David Nahai at david.nahai@ladwp.com as well as to the five board members at forescee1@cfrc.net, patsaouras@earthlink.net, wallyknox@earthlink.net, lkalpert@AlpertBarr.com, edithramirez@quinnemanuel.com.
Among the other important issues on the agenda are how to pay for the unbudgeted 5.9 percent raises just given to DWP workers, whether another water rate hike should be imposed in January and the subsidy to LAUSD.
Action Alert 2: A large turnout of activists is planned for the City Council chamber on Wednesday Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. to speak during public comment of the importance of protecting Graffith Park from development and preserving the city's oldest museum, the Southwest Museum in Mt. Washington
City officials are in the process of deciding whether Griffith Park should be granted cultural/historical status which would make any future development efforts subject to an open and complete public process. That would go a long way to preserving the park as open space and the city treasure it is.
The commitment made by the Autry National Center when it took over the Southwest Museum was to restore it as a living museum. The community has been fighting ever since to get the Autry to leave up to its commitment and guarantee the Southwest will be restored and have sufficient funding to stage important exhibits.
Besides questions about the Autry's intent is the issue of its proposed expansion in Griffith Park and the $1 a year it pays the city for use of the public land.
Many other issues were discussed and it was reported that significant strides have been made in getting non-profit status for the Saving L.A. Project, establishing an organizational structure and launching the webside ourla.org as a citywide news, information and community center for all of Los Angeles
Heinrich Keifer agreed to be acting president, Nina Royal acting secretary and Tom Carter acting treasurer to help give us some structure while we create a board and leadership team for our loosely-knit coalition and obtain IRS approval for the non-profit corporation that has been certified by the Secretary of State.
Thanks to the generosity of the the Progressive Democrats who created westcoastpress.com as a potential online newspaper for the region, we now have a terrific website for ourla.org, the online community network to link up Neighborhood Councils, residents groups, service clubs and activist groups of various interests and political perspectives.
This is the key element in our effort to create a real civic culture in
L.A. rooted in community life, a place for news and information, for
speaking out about who we are, to create a true spirit of Los Angeles
that grows out of out own experience.
The site has video, podcasts, blogging, uploading of community news, discussion forums and much more.
What it is and what it becomes depends on the full involvement and participation of everyone. Volunteers who can help loading the site to get it ready to launch as soon as possible and those with ideas for it the site should contain as we roll it out are welcome. Email ron@ronkayela.com.
Here's the issues that came up Saturday:
* Controversial development at old Montgomery Ward store at the Panorama Mall site with community questioning the ambiguous position of Councilman Richard Alarcon.
* Prop. 5 and gangs: Caroliine Aguirre, a retired parole officer,
discussed how the serious breakdown in the prison and parole system and how the George Soros-back Prop. 5 would give gang members and other criminals an easy way out of incarceration by claiming drug addiction problems because the measure undermines drug laws without solving the basic problem.
* Public Access TV: David Hernandez reported on the looming elimination of public access TV on cable that has given community groups the chance to produce video on important issues.
*LAUSD: Lydia Grant of Sunland-Tujunga talked about how LAUSD
officials have done their best to ignore serious questions about how booster club funds raised by students have been used at a local school.
*Steve Twining of the Bel Air-Beverly Crest community talked about a number of West L.A. concerns over developments and opposition to the Museum of Tolerance's planned expansion which violates its commitment to the community.
The site has video, podcasts, blogging, uploading of community news, discussion forums and much more.
What it is and what it becomes depends on the full involvement and participation of everyone. Volunteers who can help loading the site to get it ready to launch as soon as possible and those with ideas for it the site should contain as we roll it out are welcome. Email ron@ronkayela.com.
Here's the issues that came up Saturday:
* Controversial development at old Montgomery Ward store at the Panorama Mall site with community questioning the ambiguous position of Councilman Richard Alarcon.
* Prop. 5 and gangs: Caroliine Aguirre, a retired parole officer,
discussed how the serious breakdown in the prison and parole system and how the George Soros-back Prop. 5 would give gang members and other criminals an easy way out of incarceration by claiming drug addiction problems because the measure undermines drug laws without solving the basic problem.* Public Access TV: David Hernandez reported on the looming elimination of public access TV on cable that has given community groups the chance to produce video on important issues.
*LAUSD: Lydia Grant of Sunland-Tujunga talked about how LAUSD
officials have done their best to ignore serious questions about how booster club funds raised by students have been used at a local school.*Steve Twining of the Bel Air-Beverly Crest community talked about a number of West L.A. concerns over developments and opposition to the Museum of Tolerance's planned expansion which violates its commitment to the community.
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.
As a community organizer and activist I spoke at the first SLAP meeting at City Hall, but because of personal and community projects, I have been unable to attend any further meetings.
I am writing because I am concerned that there is no mention in these meetings of the immediate need to research, consider, and possibly prepare whatever documents, signatures and fees might be required to change the Los Angeles Charter so that Area Planning Commissioners must be elected rather than appointed by the Mayor. This single action, were it passed, would relieve so many of us who are constantly absorbed in fighting the pro-developer Area Planning appointees' decisions.
I agree with Diogenes (although I don't know a lot about Area Planners), BUT lets go even one step further. I was there on Saturday at the SLAP event and was informed of many items that needed to be addressed. Maybe it's time to review the City Charter in its entirety and change the areas that need to be changed, or at least give the voters the opportunity to decide.
I want to start the list with the rule that "only one subject may be addressed on a voting Prop" (ie: Prop R in 2006 with ethics and term limits), maybe another that addresses the fact that the Public "must be told the truth and history" in regards to voting Props, (ie: Prop S and the discount we were all given out of the kindness of our City Gov't's heart).
Get all the Neighborhood Councils to work together, to submit those ideas/changes and have a City-wide conference (maybe at Griffith Park), pick the most relevant, and then get them on the ballot (what ever that takes). I know Lucille has one great idea.
If the Citizens do this once, the respect from the Mayor's Office and the City Council will improve greatly. Until then we can all just expect to be run over with personal agendas and bad decisions, ie: density and billboards.