Pictured: Dueling Docaillos! (Keep your enemies closer!)
Lowdown on Bringing Back Broadway:
To go hand in hand with this massive corruption, in order to streamline this project, Huizar has been appointed by Villar to the METRO board 3 weeks ago and I believe he sits on the non-profit involved in this story, if that is even possible.
Huizar is head of another shill non-profit to put streetcars on Broadway, costing over $100 million. $10M in private funds have been raised, as pressure is put on a theater owner Ezatollah Delijani, owner of Los Angeles, Palace, State and Tower Theaters, to pony up more money.
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/
Excerpts:
"In a recent interview Huizar noted, “There’s a demographic of people who will ride the streetcar but won’t ride a public bus.”" - Yeah, guess what crowd won't get on a public bus...hint...$$$, not the people in the district.
"Even Huizar’s plan for Broadway includes not just a streetcar, but also a new $50 million parking garage." - City funded to pay for Delijani Parking
In order to sway Delijani to donate to this private non-profit, Huizar has proposed to name a public square, at 7th and Broadway, "Delijani Square". Also, although reported by the Downtown News that most of the other theater owners feel there is more than ample parking on Broadway, Delijani won't donate to the private non-profit until he secures more parking.
To further encourage Delijani money, again Huizar completely oversteps his authority as an elected public official by offering to rename a public square for "pay-to-play" signage:
http://lainsight.com/index.
Huizar wants to amend naming of city square from "Delijani Square" to "Ezat Delijani Square
Michael Delijani is also a member of the DLANC:
BUSINESS DIRECTOR- HISTORIC DOWNTOWN
Michael Delijani
In response, Huizar, again using public taxpayer money, has proposed the city of LA purchase a building on Broadway for...wait for it...$27 million to convert into a "public" parking garage. Sounds like typical money laundering to me. Public pays for parking for Delijani, and in return Delijani donates to this non-profit.
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/
Excerpts:
"Huizar sees the proposed structure as a bargaining chip to spur remaining theater owners to invest in their properties."
...
"Michael Delijani, whose family owns Broadway’s Los Angeles, Palace, State and Tower theaters, has long cited a lack of parking as an obstacle to reactivating the properties. That is particularly the case, he said, between Sixth and Seventh Streets, where his theaters are located."
"By contrast, the small stage door to the Delijanis’ Los Angeles Theatre abuts St. Vincent Court, where no parking is allowed, and a cramped, approximately 20-car lot."
But, the other theater owners say otherwise:
Other area property owners say ample parking already exists on Broadway.
“Parking is not really an issue for any of the venues here on Broadway,” said Orpheum owner Steve Needleman. “Numerous ones have had sold-out shows and they have had no problem with parking.”
Huizar’s office is attempting to purchase a potential garage site on the 600 block of Broadway. Huizar has said he expects to spend up to $27 million to purchase a site, and converting it to a space for at least 300 cars would likely cost another $25 million.
In addition to this shady money-laundering and total misuse of public resources to secure private funding, Councilman Huizar clearly points our that this one project, encompassing all of one city street amongst thousands of other needy streets that need basic repair, necessities:
"Bringing Back Broadway is one of my highest priorities as a City Councilmember. "
http://www.
What is not mentioned is that this project will essentially kick out the already struggling Latino businesses currently on Broadway, in an attempt to gentrify Broadway. This project is funded by the weekend theater crowd, as they want a streetcar to whisk them from theater to theater, and not be bothered by Latino merchants on Broadway. This streetcar will destroy the native, thriving Latino community, not to mention the growing modern residential community currently moving into lofts, as Broadway becomes a weekend retreat for the ritzy Malibu crowd.
Finally, adding further insult to industry, Huizar is trying to lobby for Federal funds for this pie-in-the-sky, kick out the hardworking native Latinos and build a playground for Malibu's finest, the entire nation's taxpayer dollars, instead of directing funds to things like education, teacher salary, and small Latino business development.
Hey, ho, Huizar's got to go....And I know a Dogg that can not only heave Huizar out, but step into the breach with authority and help make CD14 one of the greatest, most vibrant city district in LA and show the rest of the city how great our Latino Angelenos and their culture really are.
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