City Council Corruption knows no bounds : Save Ballona Wetlands

Citizens are needed -- ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LIVE IN LOS ANGELES (ALL citizens should weigh in, however, as this is a REGIONAL issue!)

The City of Los Angeles is working overtime to grant millions of dollars in PUBLIC financing this week to PRIVATE, Wall Street developers (Playa

Capital, owned by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Goldman Sachs) - money that will be used for future and past development work that is destroying the Ballona Wetlands ecosystem and will add significantly to the traffic grid-lock on the westside (1,087 new car trips every 8 minutes!) This public financing, Mello Roos Bonds should be going to support building infrastructure in impoverished communities that are trying to become more livable for their community members NOT to millionaire megadevelopers.

This is the public financing that will be granted if citizens don't act to stop it. While these are not direct moneys from taxpayer coffers, the taxpayers will ultimately suffer in countless ways, including the

risk of the City's credit rating, which ultimately effects the City's budget if it has to be downgraded, as we have seen in the State budget during the energy crisis.

Following is the schedule of hearings for the coming week; followed by a list of Councilmembers who need to hear from you. If you can attend any or all of these hearings, please do so. If you can send a fax to any or

all of the Council offices, please do so. If you can make phone calls, please do so. ALL of these actions are needed. At the end of the week, the entire bad deed could be done. YOUR VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

5 million in Mello-Roos bonds and

.6 million in CDLAC ("affordable" housing) bonds

#1 and #2 are already agendized and

scheduled.

1. Tuesday, June 12 - 10:00 am

a) full City Council vote on acceptance of CLA (Chief Legislative Analyst) report that concludes that the problems outlined in Dr. Victor Jones' report more than one year ago either can be safely mitigated or were not true. (the report is heavily biased - seven out of nine consultants work for Playa Capital and are hoping to get paid from the bond proceeds this

report would enable) (Council file #99-0385)

AND

b) full City Council vote to release of .6 million in CDLAC (affordable housing) for Fountain Park Apartments (Council file #97-2237)

2. Wednesday, June 13 - 2:00 pm

a) budget & finance committe of the Council vote on 5 million in Mello-Roos funds (Committee consists of Feuer, Miscikoswki, (who is recusing herself) and Walters

3. IF THE ABOVE ITEMS GO THROUGH IT IS ***LIKELY*** (although no agenda is yet available) that the following will occur:

Friday, June 15 - 10:00 am

full City Council vote on 5 million in Mello-Roos bonds

(Council file #99-0385)

All of these meetings will be held at City Hall East - 200 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles - .50 parking two blocks south of City Hall east, off of Los Angeles St.

The Budget & Finance Committee (chaired by City Councilmember Mike Feuer) meeting will be in Room 316. Full Council meetings will be in the Council Chambers -- also on the 3rd floor

Councilmember Mike Hernandez, 1st District

FAX (213) 485-8907

Councilmember Joel Wachs, 2nd District

FAX (213) 680-7895

Councilmember Laura Chick, 3rd District

FAX (213) 485-8988

4th DISTRICT - no current councilmember

Councilmember Michael Feuer, 5th District

FAX (213) 687-7406

Councilmember Ruth Galanter, 6th District

FAX 213-847-0553

Councilmember Alex Padilla, 7th District

FAX (213) 847-0707

Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, 8th district

FAX 213-485-7693

Councilmember Rita Walters, 9th District

FAX (213) 473-5946

Councilmember Nate Holden, 10th District

FAX (213) 485-9829

Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski, 11th District

FAX (213) 473-6926

(STATES SHE WILL RECUSE HERSELF; STILL NEEDS TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE)

Councilmember Hal Bernson, 12th District

FAX (213) 473-6925

13th District - no current councilmember

Councilmember Nick Pacheco, 14th District

FAX (213) 847-0680

Councilmember Rudy Svorinich, 15th District

FAX (213) 626-5431

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__Your Letterhead, or Name__

____Your Street Address____

____Your City, State, Zip____



June 11, 2001



The Honorable _________________

Los Angeles City Council

City of Los Angeles

200 North Main Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012



Re: File No. 99-0385



Dear Council Member ______________,

It has come to my attention that Playa Capital...

To write a letter that will get into the legal file for these issues, write the letter, put the Council File # on the letter and ask that it be placed in the Council File. You can fax your letter to the LA City Clerk at (213) 237-0636

You can also ask the Clerk to put a copy of your letter in each Council member's box.