Each day during the thrice weekly Los Angeles City Council meeting, you may see a handful of items discussed on TV 35, but there are usually 30, 40...50 agenda items that blow through un-noticed, un-covered and un-der the radar at each and every meeting.Zuma Dogg is limited to commenting on three or four items at each meeting (due to Council's Brown Act violating time restriction on speakers). The Act says members of the public may speak on EACH item slated for public hearing. But with so many items noted for public hearing on each agenda they violate the State law every time they tell ZD, "you have run out of time for the day" and my comments do not get to go down on the public record.
But, when something like a DWP contract; Council opposition to the Runner Senate Bill; AB 212; a rate hike; LAPD related item, et al rolls through the agenda -- the media covers it.
But a lot of real CITIZEN'S ALERTS slip through the cracks unless ZD turns in a public comment card. Items like "Special Event Fee Waivers", "Tract Maps", et al.
I noticed "Tract Maps" were suddenly popping up like mushrooms on the agenda -- and a few months after you started reading about the "Smart Growth" (density) plans in LA Weekly and LA Times, and now everyone is aware of the density LA City Council, SCAG and Villaraigosa have imposed on the community.
HERE'S WHAT I AM SEEING NOW: "Liens!" Here's the deal...the City of Los Angeles is sinking faster than a bowling ball in quicksand, so they are out to "make that money, y'all" and shakedown every property owner and resident in the City in a way that would make Tony Soprano envious.
For the past month, or so...I've noticed an increase of "liens" of all shapes and sizes. Here's how it works: Graffiti removal, asbestos removal, maintenance, improvements...whatever they can think of to slap on yo azz...they gonna tag you wit it.
THEN, after you are not able to pay for these improvements because business districts are caving in like a house of cards, and your small business owner can't afford to pay for daily graffiti removal that they have no control over...they tag you with a lien. Then of course, they eventually claim eminent domain on yo azz, and take the property.
This is of special concern in the East Adelante area, where the Eminent Domain rules are the shadiest and lossest. They tag people with EVERYTHING. If you fix one thing, they come back for something else until you can no longer comply and they take the property, y'all. (Shady as hell.)
SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU...IF YOU GO BACK, OR START LOOKING AT THE AGENDAS (usually the first set of items noted for public hearing), you will see when it started and how it is escalating.
SUMMARY: With the economy in crisis and the City of Los Angeles facing a devastating budget deficit which negative impacts have not even started to present themselves -- are in a mad dash to shakedown as much cash, anyway...anyhow. (Except if you are a big developer...you still get a pass/none of your money going into the general fund! That's what the general public is for!) And these small business owners also get hit by the City as residents at home. So it's all about to cave in. The CRA will declare the entire City of Los Angeles a "blight zone" and claim eminent domain within five to seven years. (With projects like Grand Ave Project biting the dust...along with the expected revenue the city was banking on...IT'S OVER!)
But don't blame Antonio...he said he didn't know.
Posts
