The LA Times ran a story dated May, 27, 2009 by Martha Groves ( http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-venice27-2009may27,0,4140194.story ) with a picture of a group of RVs parked on 7th Street in Venice. Except the RVs were cleared off 7th Street on Memorial Day, May 25, by LAPD Officers Skinner and Thusing along with the tow trucks they rode in with.

The next evening after Memorial Day, a vigilante broke out the back window of an RV belonging to a disabled woman, who happens to be the widow of a recently deceased veteran. She claims that she is the victim of a hate crime.

The LA Times keeps quoting people who are calling the RVs a nuisance and telling nasty stories about people like this woman. This, along with anti-vagrant laws, such as the OPD law, and law enforcement may be helping to inspire the hate behind this kind of vigilante activity. (see Southern Poverty Law Center: Hating The Homeless http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=1393 )

According to the May 27 LA Times article, Councilman Rosendahl is “studying programs in Santa Barbara and Eugene, Ore., that have designated overnight parking lots for RV dwellers.” It looks more like the city is busy relocating homeless people in RVs via tow trucks and police impound, which is a costly road that can lead many people straight to the sidewalk. The so-called proposed solutions for RV dwellers are a ruse if there is nowhere reasonable for them to park and their dwellings are getting towed away – especially if they cannot come up with the impound ransom to get their homes back.

Venice still has some progressive people that oppose criminalization and Venice still has low-income people living here that will be disproportionally affected by the pending OPD permit parking being heard at the Coastal Commission meeting June 11. Too bad the mainstream press or the local government does not represent them/us.

It is not only homeless people living in vehicles that will get hurt by the OPDs (Overnight Permit Parking Districts). But they will be hurt. Venice is home to the Venice Family (Free) Clinic, which is one of the largest free clinics in the country and 16% of their clients are local homeless people. We have food providers every day of the week such as St Joseph's, our Peace with Justice Pantry, the Mildred Cursh Foundation, and others. There are critical, life essential reasons poor and homeless people are in Venice.

The LA Times and Martha Groves is only helping the pro-OPD people who are working to remove poor people and socially-economically cleanse our beach town. See Free Venice Beachhead May 2009 story “Whats Behind The Push For OPDs” ( http://freevenicebeachhead.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/what%E2%80%99s-behind-the-push-for-opds/ ) for some history on the people and the OPDs. Furthermore, by continually quoting the people who say nasty things about homeless people in her articles, Ms Groves may be helping to inspire and spread more hate, which is known to lead to hate activity. Hate is not what the world needs now.

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Shame on these gentrifying, petit-bourgeois, Carpet-baggers (and that includes this Martha Groves woman). Would any of them show their faces at the Hinano ? I'm guessing not.

These folks appear to be refugees from Beverly Hills and WLA, who wish to transform Venice into the community they'd prefer to live-in, but can't afford. Yet without the un-housed (and other artifacts of Venice's more diverse and working class past - with which they are known to object equally, when the occassion arises), few of them would be able to afford to live in OUR neighborhood. With only one exception that I can think of, nearly all these folks have moved in with, or after, the waves of YUPPIE migration, which began having their negative impact on Venetian life and community, in the 80's. Now they wish to remove the factors which allowed them the financial possibility of moving here in the first place (their neighbors, mostly).

So what we have, is a series of complaints made by people with an unusually close relationship with the LAPD's Pacific Division Occupation Force (reads - SNITCHES/ intelligence operatives), about Venice's "Quality of Life".

It brings to mind the concept from the Third Reich about "Lives not worth Living" (also known as the disabled/mentally challenged, and those viewed as 'useless eaters' for racial, religious, or political reasons). If Venice had such a poor "quality of life", what made these people move here, in the first place???

Often, the answer seems to be affordable near-beach real estate, which they have widely speculated in (some more than others - but it should be noted that 90%, or so, of Venice, is a renter population; while only a slender minority of Venice's unrepresentative and less than diverse 'Neighborhood Council' are renters), and now hope to aid in making less affordable, to their personal pecuniary gain.

When Venice had a more representative and inclusive NC (known then as the GrassRoots Venice Neighborhood Council) - these plans at outlawing the homeless, or herding them like cattle into concentration camps (try looking at the proposed rules for the SB and Eugene-like "options"), these folks were viewed as merely the vocal (but unpopular) minority, which they were and are. But thanks to the influence of city hall, the police, and their lackeys in the community as reflected by the rulers' media (Martha Groves and Tibby Rothman come immediately to mind), the most inclusive, representative and robust NC in the whole LA system was quashed; valid (free and fair, not to mention representative of the common will) elections were thrown-out, and voting rules changed to exclude valid stakeholders (particularly those unhoused people who had been involved) for spurrious reasons ( a decision which LA City has now reversed, years after the fact, and long past when the ruling would have been needed to change the NC for the better). Of course, at the most recent VNC meeting the board voted narrowly to request that the LA City Council revisit the issue - to make voting/establishing oneself as a stakeholder, more difficult, once more (good luck with that, you little Eichmans).

To see photos of Police stealing peoples homes, and the handi-work of these other lawless bullys - who nonetheless hide behind the police and City to do their dirty work, truly turns my stomach. I can only hope that these folks will find out the cost of their labors first hand, and that as the economy continues to crash - that they will feel the sting of their own rule-making against the destitute, and most vulnerable amongst us. Perhaps luck will be on Venice' side, and these folks will be driven-back, into the Cities whose "quality of Life" they so prefer.

curbs are made for parking, not camping/living. if you're so compassionate, why don't you let them stay at your place? or at least camp outside of it?

I am opposed to violence and do not agree with any comments posted to my story that are in favor of violence.
Peace

Good idea, squatter, disarm and beat up all those nasty polices. That'll sure teach 'em a lesson. Good luck with that.
Why not move all the blessed homeless in with you, hmmm?

Instead of just spouting opinions and threatening violence --Peggy Lee Kennedy and Calvin Moss and the Venice Justice Committee are now proven WINNERS --and great examples of TRUE activists: People willing to pour hours and hours for NO PAY into standing up for the REAL interests of democracy (and the majority) at the REAL heart of Venice:

People who truely CARE about others --and who are not afraid to ACTUALLY WORK for positive change in this world.



The struggle for humanity in Los Angeles is a calling that is never ending --and those who advocate GUNS are obviously just not ready to make personal sacrifices like Peggy and Calvin for the real peace and strength that will BRING peace.

Those advocating democracy by the point of guns --end up only being on the side of those who rule by guns --not DEMOCRACY.

But Congratulations Peggy and Calvin!

Your hard and unresting efforts are without a doubt the MAIN reason so many renters and homeowners and homeless came together to WIN in persuading the California Coastal Commission on June 10 to absolutely DENY confused Bill Rosendahal's newest and most craven attempts to sell out and destroy the free and creative heart of Venice to just greedy developers --and humanity's haters --and the heartless rich's attempts there to kick so many living in vehicles out of Venice .

On June 10, and after over a YEAR of their CONSTANT work, since this sadly misguided attempt by Rosendahl started --the California Coastal Commission heard from hundreds in Venice --housed, homeless, vets, hippies, fishermen, surfers, artists, renters and homeowners; and responded to THEM (and thanks to you both) all opposed Rosendahl's "overnight parking permits."

And Venice's Storied Freedom STILL Lives!!

Thanks for your work

Sincerely,

David

Instead of just spouting opinions and threatening violence --Peggy Lee Kennedy and Calvin Moss and the Venice Justice Committee are now proven WINNERS --and great examples of TRUE activists: People willing to pour hours and hours for NO PAY into standing up for the REAL interests of democracy (and the majority) at the REAL heart of Venice:

People who truely CARE about others --and who are not afraid to ACTUALLY WORK for positive change in this world.



The struggle for humanity in Los Angeles is a calling that is never ending --and those who advocate GUNS are obviously just not ready to make personal sacrifices like Peggy and Calvin for the real peace and strength that will BRING peace.

Those advocating democracy by the point of guns --end up only being on the side of those who rule by guns --not DEMOCRACY.

But Congratulations Peggy and Calvin!

Your hard and unresting efforts are without a doubt the MAIN reason so many renters and homeowners and homeless came together to WIN in persuading the California Coastal Commission on June 10 to absolutely DENY confused Bill Rosendahal's newest and most craven attempts to sell out and destroy the free and creative heart of Venice to just greedy developers --and humanity's haters --and the heartless rich's attempts there to kick so many living in vehicles out of Venice .

On June 10, and after over a YEAR of their CONSTANT work, since this sadly misguided attempt by Rosendahl started --the California Coastal Commission heard from hundreds in Venice --housed, homeless, vets, hippies, fishermen, surfers, artists, renters and homeowners; and responded to THEM (and thanks to you both) all opposed Rosendahl's "overnight parking permits."

And Venice's Storied Freedom STILL Lives!!

Thanks for your work

Sincerely,

David

Peggy and Calvin may have good intentions but also profit grandly from their activities, which they forget to mention...some have heard they gained over $25,000 from a lawsuit against the LAPD, whether merited or just paid off to keep them quietter no one would ever know....

Those who are loudest are not always the kindest but the ones who like the ego shine of looking like big stuff, like powerful people because they shout in anger so often and easily they intimidate others from what they do that is equally or more effective in the end.

Let's not just grandstand those who like to pretend their humbleness, because they aint quite like that... their harshness, demanding attitude, and their making sure everyone knows that they do "good"...sometimes, but with other agendas included, which also means they want to suppress others who also do the same-good so they get the limelight and attention and rewards....

Peggy is disliked by many people because of her attitude, behavior and fierceness [not constantly warranted at all]. Their persistence is commendable. Their actions are self-serving as well as then...also...helping others...
Yes, they are activists. Yes they do work...and get rewards, benefits, and FAVORS from many in return...again...
why are these never mentioned anywhere ?

no heroes...just people who stand out, not only for their works but for their demands to be highlighted as if..but are not... special, at all.

sorry, limelight shines and shows the whole picture, not the adulation from those who also GET something from allying with these angry people.

and oh yes, the Costal Commission was not mainly acceding to the actions and propaganda of this group that Peggy wants to act as leader, but it's own agenda of not being swayed into actions that the Commission doesnt initiate and doesnt ponder upon for a long time ahead of voting time....see their past actions and studies that report on how they act, often and usually. This was not different. It was not a 'victory' earned by Peggy and Calvin and their group so much as it was not an action that the CC wanted to take so by default it all worked out well for Venice parking ease.

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