City of Los Angeles Economic Stimulus & Job Creation Zones
by Zuma Dogg
I heard about another kid being shot on their doorstep by the stray bullet of a "gang member" and I thought to myself, while we are waiting for Special Order reforms so we can lock up all the criminals -- and while we are waiting for politicians to "fix" the LAUSD school system, so kids can graduate into jobs instead of gangs and prisons; WHAT CAN BE DONE IN THE MEANTIME TO HELP REBUILD THESE (LOW INCOME) COMMUNITIES HIT HARDEST BY INFLATION AND A WEAKENING ECONOMY?
IDEA: With more and more people having less money to spend; and the lowest of economic communities under-served by many food and grocery chains offering quality and affordable food options; and many families in these communities are not able to afford basic products and durable goods offered at even moderate-priced retail outlets like Target/Costco or your "marble and cement" shopping plaza retail outlets, Zuma Dogg feels that while Eli Broad and Anshultz are preparing for rich/upscale people to spend their shopping dollars at Grand Avenue Project or LA Live (plus all the other upscale malls planned in the Valley and all over); ZD's people in East Los Angeles and Central Los Angeles (and all the low-income areas hardest hit with gang problems and economic hardship) will need more shopping options targeted toward what is currently know as the "underground economy."
So what Zuma Dogg is talking about here, is creating a non-profit organization that will provide the "infrastructure" to organize "street fair/swap meet/farmer's market" events that will take the existing underground economy and legitimize it; improve the safety and quality and provide jobs for the people in the community; an outlet for nearby business and vendors to generate some business (they would be a part of it); and provide some of the fresh food (raw and prepared) and clothing (white tshirts, socks); basic electronics; school supplies; a lot of the stuff you see in the wholesale district.
There is a lot of underutilized space downtown (parking lots and streets) that these street vending fairs can be set up.
a) Farmers market: Currently, they have vendors with the produce and people who go out to these existing farmers markets and they run the booths. We could work with these vendors who already have the operation running efficiently and work with them.
b) Prepared Foods: "Fresh and Easy"concept at the farmers market level. Local restaurants can prepare food as an outlet to expand sales and reach people who will not be eating in their restaurants, anyway. Or, depending on the scope of the project, the food could be prepared approved kitchens for this non-profit program use and could be prepared by people in the community. (Wherever you are getting people for your gang intervention and youth development programs., they could be hired for all of this project.)
c) Catering (Taco) Truck Courtyard: Well, if we are applying shopping mall concepts to the low-income, under-the-wire economy, then every mall has a food court. Imagine a parking lot filled with different food vendor/catering trucks. That's what the people want.
d) Vendors and other non-profits and government services could be on-hand for education and services that benefit the community. (Voter registration, Digital TV converter coupons, foreclosure prevention information, low insurance/phone/etc services.
So again, an outdoor mall that you throw in a parking lot or on the street.
The city complains that people in the low-income areas don't have any healthy, quality food options. And ZD predicts people will have less and less money to spend in any "store" that has to pass on the price of expensive retail space and expensive staff for a company who's primary goal is to make as much profit as possible.
THIS IDEA IS BASED ON THE CONCEPTS OF DR. W. EDWARDS DEMING. In the 50's, after the war, Japan was in such bad shape that General McCarthy could not even get a phone call through. And the infrastructure and economy was so bad, the U.S. had to go over there and rebuild the economy, just so the U.S. could have a customer.
DEMING'S IDEA WORKED SO WELL THAT JAPAN BECAME THE WORLD LEADER IN MANUFACTURING OF ELECTRONIC GOODS AND AUTOS AND EVERYTHING -- AND THEY STOLE MANUFACTURING FROM THE U.S.
Zuma Dogg has blogged about Deming's 14 Point plan that this idea hopes to apply to the most economically challenged communities in Los Angeles.
So to some extent, a lot of this is happening in bits and pieces across the City. And some of the underground economy may be operated by gangs and their members. But that does not mean that the City cannot take it to the next level by organizing it and legitimizing it for the rest of the community.
This plan means training and jobs (vocation) for people who need it and will provide quality food and basic goods for the people who will not be able to survive the next wave of inflation and economic hard times that are ahead.
The city is doing more and more with non-profits to help provide services to the community. This TRULY IS the way for not only the people of L.A. to TAKE BACK THE CITY...but for the City of L.A. to TAKE BACK THE CITY!
So let's fit the market to the customer and let the community benefit across the board.
AND THIS WOULD BE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY THROUGH A NON-PROFIT. THE CITY LOVES THAT. It's all designed to make sure that the City and Councilmembers are seen to be doing things for the community in the spirit of the community while we wait for Special Order 40 to be overturned and for LAUSD to start cranking out more graduates.
If you like this idea, Zuma Dogg has the non-profit ready to get behind this if the City gets behind this with grant money. Then you can provide people to work on the project -- AND/OR the non-profit would hire, staff and operate it.
ZD knows all the people and can make it happen. IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS FOR YOUR DISTRICT AND THE CITY!
Contact: Zuma Dogg
213-785-7272
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