Farm supporters should DRIVE IN MORNING AND AFTERNOON RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC in downtown Los Angeles.
Obey all traffic laws. Make sure your vehicle is properly licensed [current tags], no violations [no broken tail lights, etc.]. Bumper stickers and signs that don't obstruct driver's view are legal.

Just drive in critical areas such as the passage from the southbound [in the a.m.] 5, 101, Pasadena Fwy into downtown intersection. Reverse to outbound lanes for p.m. rush hour]

With enough cars you can cause GRIDLOCK. This forces "apoliticals" to confront issue of shameful eviction, because they're stuck in a traffic jam.

Instead of pissing off your fellow LA citizens, how about an appeal to eminent domain? It's been all the rage lately, as governments condemn properties and hand them to corporations for development. Well, turnabout is fair play, and eminent domain is ultimately about serving the interests of the community, and not the interests of warehouse developers.

The problem is that the party that could exercise ED, the City, didn't want to exercise it. They *had* ED'd the land years ago, and some people in the city were working hard to UNDO the ED in a manner as advantageous as possible to the developer.

The ED avenue is unlikeley to find supporters. For that reason, the allies of the Farm have raised money to buy the farm. This should have worked around all those ED hurdles by going straight into the market. Now, that's not working. Unreal. Where's the fairness.

This is a repost of what the Mayor said. The farmers had the money. The owner didn't want to sell, despite saying, in the past, that he would.

This is cold blooded. First, you tell them they can buy it. The city says they'll chip in. Then the city flakes out. Then, the seller says the sale is off. Talk about having your chain yanked.


REMARKS BY MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA REGARDING THE SOUTH CENTRAL URBAN FARM

As you know, this morning Sheriff's deputies began evicting farmers and activists at the South Central Farm.

Today's evictions are unfortunate and come at the end of a tumultuous turn of events that at times was not always discussed in public due to the nature of real estate negotiations and the discussions that various parties were having with the property owner.

In light of today's events and the fact that it appears that the owner will not accept a proposal that meets his asking price of $16 million - I felt it was important to brief you today.

Today's events are unfortunate, disheartening and unnecessary. After years of disagreement over this property we had all hoped for a better outcome.

I'd like to be clear about what has transpired.

The property owner asked for $16 million * and last week, after 10 months of negotiations and efforts by my staff and others from the Trust for Public Land and the Annenberg Foundation * a proposal for a full-price, $16 million purchase was made by the Annenberg Foundation to the property owner.

The foundation expressed a clear, sincere interest and commitment by its trustees to acquire the property for $16 million dollars.

This morning, in a conversation with the property owner I reiterated my confidence in and support for the Annenberg purchase. Even after meeting his asking price, Mr. Horowitz told me that he would not sell the property to the Trust for Public Lands and the Annenberg Foundation.

Everyone involved who cares about this garden and who cares about the farmers who have built an oasis in a sea of industry and concrete has done everything possible to meet the property owner's demands. First it was about price, well*. we met his price. He set the bar very high and we met it.

Now the bar has been moved.

I understand a businessman's need to invest and make a profit. I also have a high respect for and will defend property rights. That is the spirit under which we all operated when trying to negotiate and resolve this issue.

But I also believe that we are called upon by a sense of community and civic duty to do the just and right thing. I had hoped that the landowner would have heeded that call.

For those who say that there is no plot of land for urban farming in South LA, you should know that the City will continue plans to relocate farmers to an alternate 7.8 acre site, which has the capacity to house 200 garden plots. Already, 30 farmers have been allowed to begin cultivating the land located at 111th St & Avalon.

We want to make sure the farmers are properly relocated. In addition, there are about 100 more plots located around the City that we have identified for community gardens.