In the face of community outrage, the City Council put off for a week debate and a vote on the Community Redevelopment Agency’s proposal for its self-immolation and resurrection as a $1 billion non-profit organization outside public scrutiny and scuttle Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to eliminate the $25 billion state budget deficit in part by abolishing all CRAs in California as an ineffective waste of taxpayer money.
Despite the delay, several community leaders got the chance to speak their mind in public comment, including Miki Jackson, Tony Butka and Felicia Acosta. If the issue comes back next Tuesday, the community will have the chance to mobilize large numbers of protesters to try to block this end run around the governor and common sense.
Let the deal making begin! How can we find out if taking public funds and “re-directing” it to a non-profit corporation is legal?
I bet the City Council will vote to do this thinking that the One Billion won’t really matter to the state.
Does someone know how, if approved, the responsibilities of cra and city as far as staff is concerned. Board memo said the city would assist the cra in implementing work programs. Will this be done by City staff. Or will the City be reimbursing cra for the use of cra staff. If cra staff is used and reimbursed, this would be a scam in order for cra employees to remain PERS members. They should become City employees and part of their retirement system AND BE PAID RELEVANT CITY SALARIES (this would be a great reduction).
There is so much information that should be made available to the public about this aspect and many, many other areas. We, the taxpayers who are prviding the monies for the untouchable cra should have the facts. Even if I would question what they give us.
The CRA will now be known as CRA(zy)!
First off, Brown Act violations are all over the place with the Gang of crooks, thieves, and just plain DUMMIES. In Fact, let’s have a refresher course in: MUNICIPAL BONDS FOR DUMMIES:
1/ The BONDS issued to INVESTORS are JUNK BONDS once the CRA(zy) sends it’s dollars to the City, a City who is really BANKRUPT. The BOND holders can CALL IN their NOTES under this type of crap.
2/ Rates for BORROWING for the CRA and City will RISE WAY WAY UP, thus further ADDING to the comming 300 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT this year.
3/ The CRA(ZY) Board can’t just GIVE AWAY the money it has in the CRA, that’s a GIFT and may be TAXABLE to the CRA as such. What has the CRA(ZY) gotten in EXCHANGE for it’s generious 880 MILLION DOLLAR GIFT to the City? IRS code Section 1081 or some crap like that calls for EQUAL EXCHANGES OF VALUE to avoid taxes on these Gifts. What did the City GIVE TO THE CRA(ZY) GUYS FOR THE 880 MILLION BUCKS????
4/ Notice how all the COMMITTEE meetings were not held for this insane idea? It clearly shows a desperate move in the face of what exactly? The Law on CRA hasn’t changed YET. So what the hell is the big rush to do this nutty thing?
5/ Comedy value: Don’t you just LOVE these sleezy dirtbags in the City Hall running like rats all over the place now to steal? Remember how they just use to do it with the L.A. Times, Daily News, etc. writing NOTHING about any of this crap? Ahhh, the good old days?
We have the Garage Givaway of 2011, the CRA(ZY) Scam of 2011, and the Stupid Voters of 2011 election in 2011, as the L.A. Electorate will once again elect all the incumbants and Englander to further tax them to death!
Prediction: Rudy Martinez will get the most votes in a May 2011 run off (thus win) yet will get cheated out of the race by a few dozen votes or so! The U.N. should send in election observers to watch this one, it’ll be filled with intrigue.
Prediction 2: In March, There will be run-offs in CD 12 of Englander (his stupid decision to call himself “police officer” will cost him dearly with hundreds of voters, if not the whole race) vs. one of the underfunded guys, and Parks will face former DWP hack Forcee, and Huizar will BARELY get in a run-off vs. Martinez (48% for RUDY). One other seat will go to a run-off, in a shocker. Best indication is CD6, Barron could make it vs. Cardenas for a May rematch.
More likely is LaBonge gets surprised and faces a challenger in May. He isn’t prepared for that, and surely hopes to God it doesn’t.
The Goal for 2011 for Garcetti is to make sure NO NEW PEOPLE occupy any positions in his 15 seat horseshoe. Rudy Martinez is what they fear most in all of this. Makes you all wish you’d be able to vote in CD14 this time around, doesn’t it? Rudy’s sound business skills and recent experience in L.A’s unfriendly business climate makes him a real pain to deal with if elected. Huizar is the perfect “yes man.”
This election is the MOST IMPORTANT in the 150 years of L.A. City. If new people are not installed in the Council, it’s time to reserve your U-Haul reservation (www.uhaul.com) and contact a realtor to sell or lease out your home.
This is it for homeowers, and pretty much over for businesses.
If you live in CD2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 and don’t vote, or never voted–GET OFF YOUR DUMB ASS AND REGISTER AND VOTE–IN PERSON ON ELECTION DAY!!!!!!! And vote “NO” on all those “charter amendments” which are filth and a scam invented by your stupid Council.
Good luck, and keep reading this terrific blog and others listed under “links” to your right of this page.
Only in Los Angeles – The media is like the old USSR where the real news spread by word of mouth and would be printed in Switzerland.
People, this was big news. The CRA/LA tried to steel $1 Billion under the radar and then scheduled it to be approved by the City Council today. But Ron Kaye shined the light on this issue and the people spoke up and wrote to their Councilmembers.
Removing an item worth 1-billion dollars from today’s agenda is newsworthy. Why did they do it?
No reason.
I guess I’ll find out more from a paper in Switzerland or just go right to RonKayeLA.com to get the real story.