Supporting Gov. Brown’s Plan to Abolish CRAs Statewide
The 2,300-member Associated Administrators of Los Angeles sent Assembly Speaker John Perez a letter this week urging him to back Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to abolish Community Redevelopment Agencies statewide to restore California to fiscal stability. (Brown-CRA-support.pdf)
It’s an important step that schools, police, firefighters, librarians and everybody else — except developers — ought to be sending to the governor and legislators to restore funding to schools and public services that are being robbed by CRA funding of projects that amount to welfare for the rich.
One can only wonder why LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy has yet to speak up for CRA abolition to protect the schools — unless, of course, the mayor has ordered him to keep his mouth shut.
Here’s the email the governor’s office is sending out to support
s of his stance:
From: governor <To:
Sent: Fri, Feb 11, 2011 10:00 am
Subject: Re:We Support Gov. Brown on CRA Issue
Thank you for contacting Governor Brown s office regarding funding for
redevelopment agencies.
Governor Brown s Budget proposes a far-reaching realignment of government
functions by restoring to local government authority to make decisions that are
best made closer to the people, not in Sacramento. The governor s plan also
envisions reorganizing state government to make it more efficient and save
scarce tax dollars by consolidating or eliminating functions. Since it will
take some time to fully implement these changes, he plans to ask the voters for
a five-year extension of several current taxes so that we can restructure in an
orderly manner with minimal disruption.
If we make the tough decisions now and put our accounts in order, we will again
make California the national leader in job creation as our nation slowly
recovers from the current recession. We begin 2011, after the longest budget
stalemate in the history of California, with a budget gap of more than $25
billion. Short-term measures and gimmicks adopted in recent years did not solve
our problem and in fact made it worse. This Budget closes our short-term budget
gap and also eliminates projected future deficits.
As California s economy begins to recover and recover it will the governor s
restructuring plan will make California government more transparent, efficient
and responsive to the people. This is a tough budget for tough times. The
governor looks forward to working with you and taking decisive action without
delay.
Once again, I thank you for sharing your views with Governor Brown on such an
important topic.
Sincerely,
Office of Constituent Affairs
South Central Farmers: Planting Seeds in Concrete
For all the talk about sustainable energy, sustainable communities and a sustainable planet, the actual policies of the City of Los Angeles still keep supporting what is unsustainable: Skyscrapers and luxury development.
Urban farming is an idea whose time has come.
One of the leading groups engaged in urban farming, South Central Farmers, is taking a step forward by reopening its community center with festivities Saturday five years after City Hall had their plots of land bulldozed.
Here’s the announcement:
“¡Aquí estamos y no nos vamos!” In 2006, the internationally renowned South Central Farmers’ shouted their slogan and commitment to the bulldozers and sheriffs: “We are here and we’re not going!” For the last five years, the Farmers have kept that promise, and this Saturday Feb 19, 2011, they make one more commitment to South Central. The South Central Farmers will celebrate the re-opening of their community center at 41st and Long Beach, the intersection of the Farm, and commit the South Central Farmers Centro to providing cultural and education opportunities to their community.
In a neighborhood especially hard hit by healthy food shortages, budget cutbacks, job losses, and housing repossession, the Centro will offer cultural activities, art and music opportunities, and classes in Aztec danza, second language acquisition, music production, and other topics as needs arise. Spearheaded by the “Centro Collective”, which includes the SCF Support Committee, the L.A. Brown Berets Autonomous Chapter, Raise The Fist, various community organizations and members will work towards managing the Centro.
The collective has dubbed Saturday’s free event “Planting Seeds in Urban Concrete: A Musical Night of Resistance.” Festivities start at 7:00 p.m. and include music by local performers Chaos Out of Order, Guerrilla Queenz, Inner City Dwellers, and Sherman Austin. Other performers include Poetic Anagrams, Tiwaeis and Lionness, Xitlalic Guijosa, Rebecca Gonzales, and Morales Leon. Lidia Garcia, Tracy Para, and Amoe Arte are among the artists that will display their art along with Samuel Lara, Edgar Ibarria, and Chale Arevalo. An open mic will be available to the community. Donations are requested for the no alcohol, no drugs family event.
Is LAUSD another Bell?
http://www.examiner.com/public-education-in-los-angeles/is-lausd-another-bell-1
Its a no brainer to support Gov. Brown on abolishing CRA. There hasn’t been any accountability with the $6 billion CRA spends in this City. CRA has gotten so political and only listens to the politicians the people have lost their voice with the developments in their communities. Kudos to the Eastside Adelante for coming out strongly supporting Gov. Brown. I read the Mayor tried to make an argument to keep CRA but its falling on deaf ears. Its about time to use CRA money for core services are city has failed in keeping up because of their wasteful spending.
Hi Ron, thanks for helping to put in office a City Attorney who now wants to lock up political protestors for a year. Even Weiss wouldn’t have been that stupid or arrogant.
To 2:36 pm, let’s do some fact checking here, shall we. Weiss was a politically corrupt man, so why not let his ghost rest in peace. You are getting overly excited about a few articles that have done nothing to lessen support for Trutanich other than to display the dishonesty of the folks attacking him.
Let’s start with LA Times’ Rutten, an aide-de-camp of the wretched Mayor and Steve Lopez, a far superior human than the former but who enjoys a good story. The revolt against Mubarak, an illegitimate dictator can’t be compared to Trutancih who is upholding laws against illegitimate illegal aliens who should be tossed in the slammer. They are not here legally and, as such, have no rights.
The second diatribe is by Ken Draper of City Watch whom I should call “Draper the Liar”. Here is a quote from his article where he sums up Trutanich as a Hun, “This is the same Carmen Trutanich whose office has invested a couple of years and a bunch of dollars in trying to write a Medical Pot Shop ordinance that works … and still hasn’t managed to put one together that the court will accept”.
Wow! two years. Does Draper know simple arithmetic. For someone who took power in July 2009, two years would be July 2011. Hmmm, who will notice, so thinks Draper. I was there the day this ordinance was passed in City Council in late January 2010. This is not the first time Draper has pontificated without verifying facts cause he thinks all of his audience is dumb and will accept any BS he writes as the gospel truth. I’ll let it go rather than write about all his such editorials where he throws in whatever without fact checking.
Not to say, Trutanich is blameless. He was elected as the people’s lawyer, and we expected him to come out swinging against corrupt land use practices and politicians. We are still waiting.
Sorry but locking up people “protesting without a permit” does not equate to locking up “illegitimate illegal aliens” who have no rights. Your reading comprehension is poor.
Also like to know what you think about Trutanich accepting Lady Gaga tickets from AEG. I find it funny that the mayor was getting ripped daily for accepting Lakers tickets. Yet Trutanich does the same thing and withdraws a supposedly criminal case against AEG at the same time and it get no mention here. But I guess this Trutanich guy must be a saint.
And most people could care less about Draper writing a “couple of years” as opposed to X number of months. That’s stupid semantics and is besides the point.
Trutanich has been downhill for awhile now. And right about now he’s waiting for Cooley to retire so he can jump ship early and take his spot. Shows you how much he cares about this city. He played all of you.
Carmen “Gaga” Trutanich is the “people’s lawyer”—That’s why he gave Curt Livesay a $600,000 “consultant” contract, of which $400,000 is already in his fat pockets, and that’s why he signed off on a deal, from day 1, to screw the Convention Center out of being able to book rooms in the Ritz Carlton Hotel unless they reserve them a year or two in advance!
Kevin James also seemed pleased that Gaga’s seat will be “vacant” come 2013—when Gaga runs For D.A!
It’s just too hard to get elected and just God Damn be a leader for the taxpayers. Too much AEG money and no enough people to say no to it.
Two Lady Gaga tickets do not equate to the Mayor’s hundreds of freebies. 6:46, instead of showing off your better writing and comprehensive skills of which you do a great job on your dumb blog, don’t try to play around with statistics. You are not that smart and we all know who you are and your motives.
Wayne from Encino, do you have written proof of this contract. Share it with us.
I saw a picture of the mayor at the YMCA, using that as a “CRA done good” example. I was under the impression the upcoming Eli plaza and parking lot is a CRA endeavor. Showing a bunch of underprivileged kids in a plaza isn’t as much of a selling point as a YMCA.
Could someone provide a list of all the projects the CRA paid into in the last year or so?
Anyone who lives in the minority communities can tell you of the corruptness of CRA. Why hasn’t Wendy Greuseome audited them? She’s been such a flake and disappointment to many. No way will she ever become Mayor of this city. CRA has billions and it is run by the Political machine of the Failure of a Mayor. That’s why everyone should hop on the Gov Brown train to get rid of it. I read a lot of posts on the Trutanich jailing protesters. Someone said he changed his mind and decided not to. The problem I have is plain and simply. The LAW IS THE LAW. These were college students who blatantly not only broke the law but cause havoc and chaos on the streets. Why didnt’ they simply stay on the sidewalks. They cause businesses in Mid Wilshire and West LA to lose 1,000′s of dollars in business. They causes ambulances trying to get to hospitals to take over 2 hrs to get to their destination. Its one thing to exercise your 1st ammendment right. However, ever since the Failure of a Mayor has been in office, our city has had too many out of control demonstrators breaking the law and getting away with it. Let’s see them try and do that in Mexico
I will decide sometime in March whether or not it is something I can do,” Beutner said. “If I think I can add to the dialogue and that I could make a difference, I will do it.”
OK every NC and organization who is tired of the corrupt politicians and City Hall idiots should all organize and speak out if Beutner decides to run for Mayor. HELLLL NOOOOOOO We don’t need money, we need your computer, emails, meetings, flyers, a huge press conference to get the word out. No city council incumbents either. No one who has been aligned or associated with City Hall who have ruined our city should ever be elected again
Vote for Brad Smith in CD12 and Stephen Box in CD4. Two good people who’ll help clean the filth in City Hall.
Of course, let’s bring this discussion back to the CRA. Ron is on target about silence of other groups directly affect by the diversion of Property Tax funds to wealthy developers.
I originally read a statement of support from a State-wide Firefighters group who jointly spoke with a State-wide teachers group. The silence of local groups points to political control of these groups forcing them to “shut up.”
Otherwise these same groups should not be complaining about the budget shortfall.
Is it not clear that everyone has learned to complain about everything, even when it makes no sense. As far as I’m concerned, CRAs should be abolished, no matter what, and then we can deal with the secondary groups who are silent today. They need to go next. Such cowards are not needed.
Speaking of groups keeping silence I’m astonded that the Teacher’s haven’t said a word or their union knowing the Gov Brown is saying the money from CRA will go to core services like schools, public safety etc. I wonder if that’s why the Mayor is paying off candidates to run and continuing to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong. DON’T FILL OUT MAYOR’S BUDGET SURVEY. That is the biggest scam in this city. I’ve rec’d tons of emails asking to fill out the Mayor’s Budget. Its already been fixed to what the Mayor wants. Last year the priority was gang programs. What a damn lie!!! People are tired of the gangsters getting our tax dollars then abusing it. The Mayor fixes the budget to say what he wants as priority. Don’t be a weakling and give in to him
5:53 with his gratuitously dragging the illegal immigrant issue into Trutanich being a bully is the typical Trutanich supporter, among those who voted for him who didn’t have buyer’s remorse.
And I’d watch the gratuitous allegations about Weiss that he didn’t seem to bother to take seriously enough but I guess in this town CityWatch is true, we have balloting by bellyaching, the loudest voices win however rude or wrong.
Speaking of rude check out the comments section
on Rutten’s op ed. People who were present at a professional gathering and awards show for Latino lawyers say that Trutanich just barged up to the mic, grabbed it though not invited and just started talking about himself. This Kanye West act clearly backfired because people are commenting that and his overall behavior shows he’s just a bully and thug.
Like Rutten said, he learned his “manners” as the schoolyard bully and just throws it around now in a way which calls into question once again his suitability for the job by very temperament, where power must not be given to those who abuse it and are expected to show self-restraint and fairness. Not pander to the few westside, La Brea coalition (and SOHA) Just say No to Everything homeowner groups who held those sham “debates” that were intended just to slam Weiss to begin with, the ones he hopes will unite again to shove him to being DA. The ones who gripe about traffic and taxes but fight every development that could pay for city services and provide jobs, however well-designed and needed. Even if they’re replacing rundown buildings.
With the competing ambitions on City Council, Garcetti, Rosendahl, Alarcon and Hahn among those looking to their next campaigns, all scrambling to get out before the Fit hits the Sham on the budget crisis (wanting to tax medical pot while the legality hasn’t been settled and they’ve just shut down hundreds of profitable ones, is one desperate move).
All of them afraid of their own constituencies becoming as vocifeous as CD5, a mayor who they’re openly ignoring, there’s a power vacuum filled by loud noise and bullies.
I luv that People are revolting all over the world and Nation. Wisconsin is up in arms over the Union bullshit. Egpyt revolted and Won and now the PEOPLE want Kadaffi OUT. Its time Angelenos started sending the same message to the losers we have called politicians. The Failure of a Mayor, the joke of a City Controller, Carmen the Clown although I’m on the fence on that one, The Mexican Mafia thugs in suits on council such as Alarcon, Reyes, Huizar, Cardenas all supporters of illegals and the hell with the legal Mexican Americans who live and pay taxes in their districts. Don’t VOTE not one of these idiots or the imbecile Janice Hahn who is the Peter Principle thinking she’s good enough to be elected to Congresswoman. Her dumb ass couldn’t even get LT. Gov. Jan Perry in bed and will do anything for AEG and your candidate Poor Bitter Bernie who is getting killed with negative media and his MTA illegal contributions, Magic Johnson $30 mil LAX concession and so on. NONE OF THESE FOOLS DESERVE TO EVER BE IN OFFICE AGAIN
The following from today’s paper. We might as well get used to these news cause the prices will continue to fall. At some point, the upper middle class and the apathetic voters will wake up and understand that the local elections would make a difference in electing honest and quality people who make a difference to the local economy and put an end to corruption. Based on the attendance at local forums, I don’t see that happening. The dead would rise quicker than the half-dead residents of this city.
“Home sales and prices fell in January in the San Fernando Valley, dragged down by record-high unemployment and continued worries about the economy, a research center said Monday.
The median price of new and resale homes was $369,000 last month, down nearly 7 percent from $395,000 in January 2010, according to the Valley Economic Research Center at Cal State Northridge. It was the first year-over-year price decline since November 2009 in the market that stretches from Glendale through Calabasas.
The January median was also down 9 percent from the $405,000 recorded in December”.