Sunday, March 25, 2018

SCOTT WIENER REFUSES TO DISCUSS SB 827 WITH SOUTH LA COMMUNITY

SCOTT WIENER REFUSES TO DISCUSS SB 827 WITH SOUTH LA COMMUNITY

Since the moment State Senator Scott Wiener's SB 827 was announced, the real-estate industry funded astroturf YIMBY groups who wrote it have admitted that in Los Angeles while there would be a lot of change throughout the city, the biggest changes given the transit infrastructure and bus frequency would be in our community of South L.A. Here's a tweet on January 4 from one of the YIMBYS:
The fact that the San Francisco-based State Senator's bill would have detrimental consequences to South L.A.'s communities of color is well recognized. Even at the March 23, 2018 LA City Council Rules Committee where both Council President Herb Wesson and Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson unanimously voted to oppose SB 827 (the matter now goes to full council), the City Planning Department staff stated that SB 827 had a "disproportionate impact on communities of color."

The Senator's office reached out to me on February 6th via email specifically to request a 15-20 minute one-on-one conversation to discuss the bill. It was just three days after he alleged at a town hall in his own district that the concerns that the bill would gentrify the community was limited to "one person."

After consulting local Black leaders who were similarly horrified by SB 827, and especially since he was claiming that the gentrification concerns about his bill was limited to "one person," I responded stating clearly that while I appreciated him reaching out, the coalition believed that instead of a 15 minute one-on-one conversation, he should instead come to South L.A. for a town hall co-sponsored by Crenshaw Subway Coalition, and allies - so that the Senator could hear directly from residents most impacted. I proposed for him two dates well in advance so that additional community partners could get the word out and he could arrange his schedule to join us: Tuesday, February 20 or Saturday, March 3rd.

Scott Wiener's staff initially said he would come and that they would check his schedule...and then Scott Wiener changed his mind. And it wasn't a travel issue. In fact, he was not only in L.A. on the same day. He was at a forum on this topic!!!

Instead of coming to the Crenshaw community at the invitation of Black leaders to discuss this issue with those most impacted, Scott Wiener went to a forum arranged by an ally in the Assembly at Los Angeles City College, where he and the lead professor in the letter supporting SB 827 dominating the speaking time and there was no audience interaction.

Despite the fact that L.A.C.C. is in the middle of a majority Brown community, it was obvious that little outreach had been done to the people of color living in the homes surrounding the school to attend. The forum was also very difficult to find on the campus. The traditional signs with arrows and greeting staff weren't near the campus entry points. 

Upon entry what was immediately noticeable was that the room did not look like Los Angeles, let alone the racially diverse East Hollywood community:
And just for reference this is what a typical Crenshaw Subway Coalition community meeting looks like:
I approached the Senator afterwards to see if he would answer the invitation of leaders and come to the meeting and he still declined:
We are offended by the Senator's refusal to come to our South L.A. community that would be most impacted by his draconian Urban Renewal 2.0 bill to discuss it in front of our community, at a true town hall sponsored by our organization and allies.

3 comments:

  1. RE: SB827/Forced Densification Laws May Lead to Exodus of Wealth/Business Out of California

    Regardless of highly visible "Silicon Valley" support for SB827 and similar state-level efforts and laws to force densification on California single family zones--such laws may begin the GREAT EXODUS of major corporations, private-family business, wealthy and middle class households out of the state. Any economic decline in California will negatively impact support for and progress on green space development and ambitious environmental goals in both California and the nation as a whole!

    Very high tax and regulatory burdens (many I personally support!) so far have not led to such an economic and social decline--but forced densification bills like SB827 will negatively impact venture capitalists, college professors, CEOs, business owners and countless others literally where they choose to live with their families.

    Countless times I have been told by people -- both conservative and liberal -- that but for the love of their home, neighborhood and community they/their resources would leave the state due to its "challenges." Now, the prospect of block-busting state laws removes their ability to literally govern their own neighborhoods/communities. (Also, destroys incentives to maintain/improve single family housing stock in communities subject to forced densification.)

    State-level central control forced densification laws like SB827 will sever/break this last binding attachment to long term residency in the State among an irreplaceable critical mass wealth and economic resources--first a trickle then mass exodus and economic decline from a "self-inflicted wound" imposed on the people by arrogant state leadership.

    Once the negative consequences (or "BLESSINGS" from a Texan perspective) are realized and set in motion they will be very very hard to reverse.

    Perhaps a voter-rebellion led anti-densification initiative(s) could save the state from the damage of these proposed laws! Otherwise with the exodus/decline the debate shifts to which states--including Texas, Washington, Oregon and Colorado--will benefit most from the Great State of California's stumble.

    What high tax burdens and regulations failed to wreck and disassemble--overreach in the form of forced densification laws may ultimately set in motion (and the Texans cheer!). Social and economic decline and failure in California will undermine the national and global standing of the California economic, social and environmental model--we must prevent this!

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  2. Business and political leaders in the states of Texas, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona fully agree with Senator Wiener and the YIMBYs/WINMBYs that California has way too many attractive single family neighborhoods populated by often very prosperous persons/families--and these states with Texas in particular are very motivated to assume the burden of relocating and housing these same people and all of their economic resources! I can even imagine throngs of various promoters/boosters going door-to-door selling the California exit option in the face of pending legislation like SB827!

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  3. Business and political leaders in the states of Texas, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona fully agree with Senator Wiener and the YIMBYs/WINMBYs that California has way too many attractive single family neighborhoods populated by often very prosperous persons/families--and these states with Texas in particular are very motivated to assume the burden of relocating and housing these same people and all of their economic resources! I can even imagine throngs of various promoters/boosters going door-to-door selling the California exit option in the face of pending legislation like SB827!

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