IAC ANNOUNCEMENT:


Open Letter to the Progressive Movement
'Support the South Central Farmers'

-Join the demonstrations at the Mayor's Mansion Thursday, March 9 at 7PM
and at City Hall Friday, March 10 at 9AM.


Hello friends in struggle:

This is an emergency appeal to long-time activists dedicated to building
economic, environmental and social justice. Given our sincere yearning to stop
injustice, especially against those most victimized in our society we must act
regarding this pressing issue.

On Thursday, March 9th at 7PM there will be a protest at the mayor's mansion in
support of the South Central Farmers who have been served with an eviction
notice demanding they vacate their land this week. Due to the urgency of the
situation it is imperative that progressive organizations show their solidarity. The
farmers have pledged not to leave. This letter will be followed up with a phone
call today or tomorrow to discuss your organization's possible participation.

As you probably know, 350 families in South Central Los Angeles have been
sustaining themselves with a 14-acre community farm. They have had the legal
right to work on this land for 13 years, until now - due to an illegal eviction by the
city in favor of developer Ralph Horowitz. The city had allowed this South LA
community to develop this land into a productive farm beginning in 1992. About
10 years later the city secretly decided to sell it to Horowitz for little over 5 million
dollars in a back-room deal that was not sanctioned by a required public hearing.
Horowitz is now demanding $25 million for the property - an amount far out of
reach for the farmers.

There are defining times when all progressive people and organizations must
come together in a real, concrete way to say no to attacks on poor and working
people and build solidarity especially with the most oppressed in our society.

Friends, the struggle of the South Central Farmers, which already has national
and international support, encompasses the struggles against war, poverty,
racism, injustice and environmental devastation.

Building solidarity with these families is tantamount to building multi-national unity
in Los Angeles and therefore strengthening our movement for social justice.

So, please consider yourself or your organization's participation this Thursday at 7PM at the
Mayor's mansion to stop the eviction of 350 families who depend on the land for
their sustenance.


The mansion is located at:

The Getty House @ Windsor Square
605 S. Irving blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90005
8 blocks west of Western (off Wilshire)


This is an opportunity to build greater unity and strength for the movement here
in Los Angeles that will have repercussions nationwide.

Also, please join the South Central Farmers on Friday, March 10th at Los Angeles City Hall for a demonstration at 9 AM.

You can contact the South Central Farmers at their website at: www.southcentralfarmers.com.


In Struggle,



Ed Asner

Casey Kasem

Ron Kovic

John Parker, International Action Center

Jamie Kim, Korean Americans for Peace Coalition*

*Korean Americans for Peace (KAP) member organizations
include Korea Democratic Labor Party Support Committee,
Korea Truth Commission/LA, Korean American National
Coordinating Council, Koreatown Immigrant Workers
Alliance, Mindullae, Minjok Tongshin, One Korean LA Forum
and Pan Korean Alliance for Reunification/LA Chapter

Lawrence Reyes, Puerto Rican Alliance

Chito Quijano, BAYAN-USA

I don't see the point of buying this land for gardens. These gardners want to have the land for nothing, but I saw something about them also wanting to raise money to buy the 14 acres for $16 million. Who spends that type of money for gardens. You could buy a whole lot of real farm land for that type of money. So if they squat the land, can't I also squat "their" land and plant my garden over theirs'?

I think it's a great idea for each and every city to have local available food resources to mitigate any kind of infrastructure failure as earth quakes, storms 'terrerests' or other natural or artificial disasters may shut off the supply of 18 wheelers...
:>)
The people should have a bond referendum and the city should side with the people.
Profiteering can wait. It already has, for years. What's the hurry? 'Fraid of setting an *example?*

http://query.nictusa.com/fecimg/norindsea.html

HOROWITZ, RALPH
LOS ANGELES, CA 90049
REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY (FED. ACCT.)
04/29/2003 $500.00 23991639769

HOROWITZ, RALPH
LOS ANGELES, CA 90049
INVESTOR
LICHT, RICHARD A
VIA LICHT 2000 COMMITTEE
6/30/2000 $500.00 20020191399

HOROWITZ, RALPH MR.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90049
SELF/SELF-INVESTOR
BUSH, GEORGE W
VIA BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC.
11/30/1999 $500.00 20990087760

Ralph can be a stinking commie and still deserve his claim to the property he paid for. Once property rights go out the window no one will be safe, rich or poor, black or white. Minorities will be the greater victims since cities tend to abuse their rights, just check out new orleans and how eminent domain is effecting the citizens there.

: Ralph can be a stinking commie and still
: deserve his claim to the property he paid for.

Only if he's a Republican with white skin -- at least that seems to be the factor that gets to decide whether people have a right to own, retain, or fight to keep their property.

The Republican is fully within his legal rights to evict the squatters. He's morally in the wrong, however. But then every fucking Republican is, aren't they?

What matters is ownership papers, the farmers never had them or else some one would have posted copies for the world to see. The reason your side is making remarks towards the republicans is because your side lacks evidence to support the claim that the squatters are the true owners.

The info is on the SCF site. The land was taken via eminent domain, and thus owned by the city, until it was sold to Horowitz. The city did this despite the fact it was being used, arguably, for the public good. The city should not have sold the land back.

Also, you property rights fundamentalists are wrong. Property rights are not, nor have they ever been, absolute or above the authority of the community. The state apparatus is what makes the market in land possible, and in the current system, property rights are inferior to the power of the state.

sc farms value

Los Angeles County Assessor's Office - Home Page
http://lacountyassessor.com/extranet/default.aspx

Assessor's Id. Number 5117-019-020  
 Site Address 1833 E 40TH PL
LOS ANGELES CA 90058
 Property Type Vacant Land
 Region / Cluster 27 / 27873  
 Tax Rate Area (TRA) 06659
Recording Date 12/24/2003  
 Land $278,460
EAST JEFFERSON ST TRACT NO 1 EX OF ST LOTS 104,105 ALL OF LOTS 101 THRU 103       

 
Assessor's Id. Number 5117-019-019  
 Site Address 1721 E 40TH PL
LOS ANGELES CA 90058
 Property Type Vacant Land
 Region / Cluster 27 / 27873  
 Tax Rate Area (TRA) 06659
Recording Date 12/24/2003  
 Land $1,045,500
EAST JEFFERSON ST TRACT NO 1 LOTS 81 THRU 100   

 
Assessor's Id. Number 5117-019-018  
 Site Address 4000 LONG BEACH AVE
LOS ANGELES CA 90058
 Property Type Vacant Land
 Region / Cluster 27 / 27873  
 Tax Rate Area (TRA) 06659
Recording Date 12/24/2003  
 Land $52,020


EAST JEFFERSON ST TRACT NO 1 LOT 62 
 

Assessor's Id. Number 5117-019-017  
 Site Address 4000 LONG BEACH AVE
LOS ANGELES CA 90058
 Property Type Vacant Land
 Region / Cluster 27 / 27873  
 Tax Rate Area (TRA) 06659
Recording Date 12/24/2003  
 Land $52,020
EAST JEFFERSON ST TRACT NO 1 LOT 61     


Assessor's Id. Number 5117-019-016  
 Site Address 1838 E MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD
LOS ANGELES CA 90058
 Property Type Vacant Land
 Region / Cluster 27 / 27873  
 Tax Rate Area (TRA) 06659
Recording Date 12/24/2003  
 Land $1,151,580
EAST JEFFERSON ST TRACT NO 1 EX OF ST LOTS 38,39 ALL OF LOTS 40 THRU 60       

Land Value
$2,579,580

I doubt the squatters could afford to pay the property taxes.

> What matters is ownership papers, the farmers
> never had them or else some one would have
> posted copies for the world to see. The reason your
> side is making remarks towards the republicans is
> because your side lacks evidence to support the
> claim that the squatters are the true owners.

Um, wrong again, rightard. I don't have a "side." I note that the Republican legally owns the land and that the people using it are squatting. Perhaps you missed that.

Republicanism, however, is profoundly evil. Republicanism has fucked this country to death and we as a nation will never recover from the Republinazi fascist regime's crimes against jhumanity committed in our name, or the fascist regime's treason committed against the American people.

This particular Republican's moral Christian ideologies are, as is usual with Republican Christianity, just as fucked -- though at least in this particular instance the Republican Christians haven't raped, tortued, or murdered any of the farmers. That's something, I suppose.

My opinions only and only my opinions.

you really need to take your happy pills more often. No wonder the left is rarely taken seriously, they all sound like escapees from the mental ward yelling the sky is falling, the sky is falling.
Also get your facts straight I'm not republican (ex member), christian, nore a facist. I believe in the right of every individual to keep his land and protect it from political wims of the state. This is the USA and people have rights unlike say CUBA where your actions of land grabbing are the norm.

> you really need to take your happy pills more often.

Translation: The rightard surrenders 'cause he can't address the issues.

Neither 'party' follows the popular will or serves their purposes.
Both are fascist.
It's a criminal system of conflict of interests and outright fraud & theft.
All in a closed information loop controlled by the corporate media.
Inspection into nearly every facet of this system ( corporate America ) shows criminality.

They hang the man and flog the woman
That steal the goose from off the common,
But let the greater villain loose
That steals the common from the goose.

The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who take things that are yours and mine.

The poor and wretched don't escape
If they conspire the law to break;
This must be so but they endure
Those who conspire to make the law.

The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common'
And geese will still a common lack
Till they go and steal it back.