{"article":{"id":146328,"heading":"South Central Farmers picket office of developer, Ralph Horowitz","author":"A","created":"2006-02-05 02:20:09","modified":"2006-03-17 17:35:46","last_modified":"Sat, 18 Mar 2006 00:35:46","article":"

About 50 supporters in the fight to save the South Central Farm picketed today outside the offices of the developer, Ralph Horowitz who wants to raise the farm and build a warehouse on the site. Here are some photos from the event.

(The protest was monitored by three uniformed police and an unknown number of undercovers. One of the uniformed officers took photos of the protesters for reasons they would not disclose.) Otherwise the event was without incidence and there were no arrests.

<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","summary":"About 50 supporters in the fight to save the South Central Farm picketed today outside the offices of the developer, Ralph Horowitz who wants to raise the farm and build a warehouse on the site. Here are some photos from the event.","numcomment":11,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-1.jpg","filesize":"19.3 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2006\/02\/146328.php","image":{"original":"\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-1.jpg","small":"\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-1.jpgthumb.jpg"}},"attachments":[{"id":146329,"heading":"2","article":"","author":"A","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2006-02-05 02:20:09","modified":"2006-02-18 19:20:43","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-2.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-2.jpg"}},{"id":146330,"heading":"3","article":"","author":"A","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2006-02-05 02:20:09","modified":"2006-03-04 03:50:27","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-3.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-3.jpg"}},{"id":146331,"heading":"4","article":"","author":"A","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2006-02-05 02:20:09","modified":"2006-02-05 02:20:09","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-4.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-4.jpg"}},{"id":146332,"heading":"5","article":"","author":"A","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2006-02-05 02:20:09","modified":"2006-02-05 02:20:09","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-5.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-5.jpg"}},{"id":146333,"heading":"6","article":"","author":"A","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2006-02-05 02:20:10","modified":"2006-02-05 02:20:10","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-6.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/scf-6.jpg"}}],"comments":[{"id":146368,"heading":"camp for the last few days?","article":"hey a friend and i are thinking of coming up to camp with the farmers the last few days in solidarity to keep the land. im wondering if this would be alright? or discrediting those who've camped there for months, and is there anyone i should ask for and rules on where to set up the tent? let me know what you think","author":"just wondering","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-05 07:19:57","modified":"2006-02-05 07:19:57","fileurl":""},{"id":146370,"heading":"I think","article":"If this isn't a case of imminent domain, what is.\r\n\r\nThe city should buy this land from Horowitz, whether he wants to sell or not, and keep the farm going.\r\n\r\nThat's what I think, anyway.","author":"fresca","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-05 07:32:08","modified":"2006-02-05 07:32:08","fileurl":""},{"id":146388,"heading":"no emminent domain","article":"No way once the city starts grabbing the power to control an individuals property no one will be safe especially minorities who do not hold favor with the city or state. We will all be slaves to the state. The land belongs to howowitz, he may be a jerk and a buttwipe, but that land is his to do with as he wishes.","author":"justice","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-05 10:40:58","modified":"2006-02-05 10:40:58","fileurl":""},{"id":146389,"heading":"Reality (and morality) check","article":"The city screwed it up. The city needs to fix it. Emminent domain, suck it up and pay Horowitz market value, find 14 contiguous fertile acres in the area, whatever. Not much more to discuss, really.","author":"farmer's friend","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-05 11:01:15","modified":"2006-02-05 11:01:15","fileurl":""},{"id":146396,"heading":"It was already ED'd","article":"It was already ED'd. This is a post-ED situation. Read the whole story.\r\n\r\nThe city took the property to build a trash incinerator (across the street from residences!) People protested, it was stopped. The LA riots happened. Buildings burned. People turned the lot into a farm.\r\n\r\nThis sounds like a reasonable situation to exercise ED. No homes are being taken to build some shopping mall. It's not a mixed-use retail\/housing project by a for-profit redevelopment real-estate agency, like the CRA or TELACU. The current use is less expensive than a manicured park, and more productive than a community center building. Nothing at all has to be built. The project is largely self-managed and self-maintained. People are making offers to try and buy the land.\r\n\r\nThis situation cannot set a precedent for ED, because it's so unusual.\r\n\r\nThere are few things to be gained from a warehouse. You will get some jobs. You will get a greater amount of property tax. That's it. No retail sales tax, because it's a warehouse.\r\n\r\nWhat you lose are the community benefits of, first, a lot of fresh organic food. Second, a place where the community can mingle and work together toward a common goal. Third, for kids, an alternative to gangs, and hope, and a general improvement in the quality of life in a part of the city where the quality is very low.\r\n\r\nThese things, if the city were to try and implement them with programs, would be expensive, and I suspect, less effective. Building a warehouse there would be like taking a functioning machine, or a living organism, and smashing, or extinguishing it.\r\n\r\nIt is being threatened with destruction because the people using the land are "little people". They're political nobodies. They are the people who don't get their names on brass plaques on government buildings, or get their names on a brick in a walkway at some hospital. They don't get invited to Hollywood parties, or even wrap parties. They're poor people and working class people who are sacrificing so their children might do better. They're the people who get recognized once for getting married, once for each kid, and once at the company dinner when they're given a small gift, for 20 years of working for $8 an hour, which they accept in halting English. They're the people who still know how to cook, and put in some herb or spice to make your flu less horrible.\r\n\r\n-------------------------------------\r\n\r\nIn 1649\r\nTo St. Georges Hill\r\nA ragged band they called the Diggers\r\nCome to show the peoples will\r\nThey defied the landlords\r\nThey defied the law\r\nThey were the dispossessed\r\nReclaiming what was theirs\r\n\r\n'We come in peace' they said\r\n'To dig and sow\r\nWe come to work the land in common\r\nAnd to make the waste land grow\r\nThis earth divided\r\nWe will make whole\r\nSo it can be\r\nA common treasury for all\r\n\r\nThe sin of property\r\nWe do disdain\r\nNo one has any right to buy and sell\r\nThe earth for private gain\r\nBy theft and murder\r\nThey took the land\r\nNow everywhere the walls\r\nRise up at their command\r\n\r\nThey make the laws\r\nTo chain us well\r\nThe clergy dazzle us with heaven\r\nOr they damn us into hell\r\nWe will not worship\r\nThe God they serve\r\nThe God of greed who feeds the rich\r\nWhile poor men starve\r\n\r\nWe work, we eat together\r\nWe need no swords\r\nWe will not bow to masters\r\nOr pay rent to the lords\r\nWe are free men\r\nThough we are poor\r\nYou diggers all stand up for glory\r\nStand up now\r\n\r\nFrom the men of property\r\nThe orders came\r\nThey sent the hired men and troopers\r\nTo wipe out the Diggers' claim\r\nTear down their cottages\r\nDestroy their corn\r\nThey were dispersed\r\nBut still the vision lingers on\r\n\r\nYou poor take courage\r\nYou rich take care\r\nThis earth was made a common treasury\r\nFor everyone to share\r\nAll things in common\r\nAll people one\r\nWe come in peace -\r\nThe order came to cut them down ","author":"o_o 4eyes","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"audio\/x-ogg","created":"2006-02-05 11:35:46","modified":"2006-02-06 18:24:24","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/20_-_the_world_turned_upside_down.ogg"},{"id":146495,"heading":"It's not about Property Rights, but HOW he got those rights!","article":"This is not about property rights, but about how he got property rights. \r\n\r\nHorowitz has never had any legal rights to the land, Judge W. Crispo ruled 3 times against him and the city still gave the land to him anyways and 25% more land! Horowitz stands to profit at the expense of the taxpayers and we will have to foot the bill. \r\n\r\nIn 1986 the city obtained the land under eminent domain and paid Horowitz 4.7 million dollars, in 1994 the department of public works sold it to LA harbor for 13.3 million. \r\nIt's very clear that the city council knew the true worth of this land and that he had no legal right to it. \r\nBut the City Council gave it away anyway for only 5.1 million and gave him 25% more land. \r\n\r\nThere is a difference of 8 million that we, the taxpayers have paid for. \r\n\r\nThis is part of the reason why the community is outraged - we're tired of tolerating this form of corporate welfare.\r\n\r\nHorowitz knows this sale is illegal and he has an obligation to void the sale. And as citizens we have an obligation to ensure this happens. \r\n\r\nHorowitz and the city should nullify the sale and return the land back to the community use. \r\n\r\n\r\n","author":"community supporter","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-06 18:27:27","modified":"2006-02-06 18:27:27","fileurl":""},{"id":146520,"heading":"no way","article":"The land was taken by the city through eminent domain, horowitz had no real choice in the matter, very similar to the way new orleans is taking land from poor minorities. The city did pay the man some money in order to hide what the situation really is and that is land theft. If horowitz sold the land of his own free will then the people of the garden would have a just claim, but that is not the situation. The land was stolen by big government plain and simple. ","author":"justice","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-07 01:00:48","modified":"2006-02-07 01:00:48","fileurl":""},{"id":146523,"heading":"Government\/Corporate Collaboration","article":"The issue in your mind is property rights, and you're using the Katrina victims as justification for your position.\r\n\r\nThe real situation there is that the government and capital are working together against the interests of poor people.\r\n\r\nThe situation here in LA seems to be the same. ED is the power of the government. By not exercising their ED powers, the government is working against the interests of the poor, and for the interest of capital.","author":"johnk","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-07 01:54:33","modified":"2006-02-07 01:54:33","fileurl":""},{"id":146693,"heading":"government land theft","article":""This is not about property rights, but about how he got property rights."\r\n\r\nHe Legally purchased the land before imminent domained by the city. Why would the city be paying millions to individual in a forced sale if that individual has no legal claim to the land? The part where you are correct is that horowitz is not entitled to the 25% more land given back to him by the city.\r\n\r\n\r\n"\r\nIn 1986 the city obtained the land under eminent domain and paid Horowitz 4.7 million dollars, in 1994 the department of public works sold it to LA harbor for 13.3 million.\r\n"\r\n\r\nIt seems that not only did the city force a citizen to sell his private property, they also had the nerve to give the man less then the land was worth.\r\n\r\n\r\n"This is part of the reason why the community is outraged - we're tired of tolerating this form of corporate welfare."\r\n\r\nThen fire the city officials who engaged in the land theft.\r\n\r\n\r\n"Horowitz knows this sale is illegal and he has an obligation to void the sale. And as citizens we have an obligation to ensure this happens.\r\n"\r\n\r\nWhat obligation, the man is the original owner of the land. You should be thank full that horowitzs does not sue you for civil rights violations. Not that he'll win in this ever increasing socialist country. What rights are the leftists going to strip away next in order to create their ideal communist state.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe right to own property - Immenent domain will strip you of that dirt.\r\n\r\nThe right bear arms - nearly dead, only cops and crooks have the guns.\r\n\r\nThe right to free speach - the politically correct are watching your every word.\r\n\r\nThe right to justice - How long did it take to execute tookie, decades.","author":"Justice","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-09 21:28:44","modified":"2006-02-09 21:28:44","fileurl":""},{"id":146769,"heading":"BS","article":">The right to own property - Immenent domain will strip you of that dirt.\r\n\r\nIt's spelled "eminent domain". Property rights don't exist without the state. The state should not exist without the consent of the people governed. Thus, in some cases, the people, via the state, can take property.\r\n\r\nThe state tends to protect it, because (in the US) there's a lot of land, and people like the idea of private property. It's countered by the idea of democracy -- that people, not acres of land, are represented by the government.\r\n\r\nSome the right wingers who say "property rights are sacred" or hold that basic idea, I think, just want to go back to a system of feudalism.","author":"johnk","parent_id":146328,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-10 20:44:14","modified":"2006-02-10 20:44:14","fileurl":""}]}