Heather Kahler
I wonder if there’s anyway to bring up the vagrant at bus stops issue in the form of perhaps a lawsuit or legal action being taken against big booth us and clover city bus lines since police enforcement won’t do it perhaps they should be responsible for keeping the bus safe for people to sit and wait
Regan Kibbee
Why does this wonderful edition of the update say 19 June 2015 in the subject field (do you man 9 June 2015?) but 17 February 2015 in the body of the email?
Comment–Update is run by a deranged, crazy lady who made not her first and second mistake that issue. Yes, last week, Update came out with two dates, neither of which were correct. Nice people like Regan asked what was happening? Update was resent with corrected dates. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Thank you Regan.
Yolanda Gonzalez
Police sounded their sirens and told them to get on the right side of the lanes. It was the bicyclists that yelled at them and told them to &*%^ off and didn’t pay attention to police orders.
Carolyn Rips
A few weeks ago 2-3 blocks of cars on Westminster were keyed. Many of them also had swastikas scratched into them. Police have no eyewitnesses so no movement.
I am also noticing a large uptick in graffiti, some gang and some new arch radicals.
Enclosing photo of encampment. These people are not homeless as they have obviously set up homes on OFW.
Anonymous
Your last update prompted me to email Martha Groves and have her send me the text she wanted on a flyer, which I posted in my neighborhood. People also passed as I was posting and I told them to look and gave one to a lady who said she’d post on Victoria, in her neighborhood. At the very least, even if Martha doesn’t get her books back, she got to feel that people cared about her (enough to get off their asses and try to help, which I feel is how we change our world from a “strangerhood” to a neighborhood, in addition to making hurting people feel a little better). So, you made a difference! And thank you for all you do with your wonderful Update.
Nancy Tate
Turn the old sanitation lot into a park or community garden with Gate keys for Triangle residents like Gramercy Park in NYC .
Amie
My pot was stolen from my front yard. In March I found a knife and printer in my side driveway with a stolen ATM card that looked like it was used to break in people’s houses. I feel so unsafe in this neighborhood and it’s a nice place but this is getting over the top. What are we supposed to do? I feel like crime is getting worse.
I wonder if there is a way.. we come together in the triangle and hire a security company. I don’t mind paying out of pocket but it would be great if the Triangle.. had some sort of safety net.
Stephanie Blatos
Thought you might be interested in this article from NY Times regarding LA Homeless.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/us/los-angeles-confronts-a-spike-in-homelessness-amid-prosperity.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
Peter Griswold
I object to the extravagant costs to provide full height wrought iron fencing around the City-Thatcher Yard.
1== Ok to add wrought iron atop the existing masonry walls.
2== OK to add same atop existing building masonry walls.
3== OK even to lower the building masonry walls b4 Wrought Iron is added.
Ryan Wolfe
Please share in the Update the following:
What: Neighborhood Brunch
Who: Oxford Triangle Neighbors
When: Sat. 6/20 10am to Noon
Where: The Wolfe’s – 904 Dickson St.
Why: We love our neighbors and want to get everyone together to enjoy delicious food.
Bring a dish to share or just bring yourself. Kids welcome.
Eileen Koster
Frans Koster passed away Jan 6, 2015. Right before that his Mom passed away. I have inherited a nice gray male cat that I am allergic to
and wondered if you know anyone who would want to
adopt him.
Jeanette Vosburg
Attend the SMBRC Governing Board Meeting this Thursday from 9:30-11:30 am at the Del Rey Yacht Club, 13900 Palawan Way, Marina del Rey. Agenda attached.
Ask one of these government agencies to notify you by email about their meetings: LA Board of Supervisors, LA County Regional Planning, MDR Design Control Board, Beaches and Harbors Commission or your Neighborhood Council. Meetings are open to the public. Read the agenda, and comment on items that affect you. You can speak or submit your comments in writing. This shows elected and appointed officials that we care and we are watching. Sierra Club says, “Constant pressure, endlessly applied gets positive change.”
Roxanne Brown
Residents see the City approving developments that Los Angeles residents deem too big.
Venice is one percent of LA, and yet Venice is experiencing 20% of development. It appears to be time for government to push the PAUSE button in Venice: Pause, Assess, Correct.
There are too many approvals for new developments that seem inappropriate for current Venice infrastructure, conditions and capacity. (The LA Times has covered the many deteriorating water pipes throughout LA: like UCLA’s pipes bursting and losing 20 million gallons of water during this drought.)
This is especially true now in light of the severe water restrictions imposed on the entire state. The City needs to resist Venice development pressures at this time even if personally are for them.
In Venice, Simmzy’s Pub replaces a T-Shirt shop – requires more water. A 400 person office building may replace a parking lot at Sunset and Ocean Front Walk – requires more water. Gjusta bakery/restaurant/take out replaces six architects’ office at 320 Sunset – requires more water. And the list goes on and on and on…
This is happening when according to the LA Times June 7th article, Can state pull out of drought: “A poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California found…drought to be the top issue on Californians’ radar, outdistancing the economy and jobs.” Former Governor Gray Davis was quoted in the same article: “Elected officials should be wary if this drought gets worse. The finger is going to be pointed at someone.”
Susan Heins
I have been in contact with Debbie Dyner Harris in Mike Bonin’s office regarding the removal of these blue arches.
Debbie suggested that those who object reach out to her directly to express their concerns.
In the interest of moving this along more quickly, I thought I would streamline the process and put together a template email which folks can just copy and send to her email address.
Attention: debbie.dynerharris@lacity.org
Dear Debbie,
I am writing to request the removal of recently installed blue arches on some of the walk streets in Venice. Below are key reasons why they should be removed immediately:
· Certain walk streets already have steel bollards in place thereby making these installations redundant;
· These arches are being used as bicycle racks. This obstructs access on narrow walk streets for the handicapped, parents with strollers, and emergency vehicles.
· The style of these arches is not in keeping with the character of Venice and having multiple bollards/signs clustered together is unappealing.
The decision to move forward with these installations was made without open community discussion and feedback. There is a real concern that this action and lack of transparency will lead to other similar directives in the future, which is unacceptable.
In closing, I would ask that your office remove the arches/bike racks immediately. In instances where there is a need for barriers, replace with removable steel bollards that are stylistically consistent and can be removed by emergency responders.
Best,
Marilyn Roland History of Venice of America
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/the-lost-canals-of-venice-of-america.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=departures
You may not have to pay that ticket. There are relaxed parking rules during street cleaning.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/street-cleaning-relaxed-parking-enforcement-routes/#.VYC7KG0bjSE.mailto
Comment: Readers never cease to amaze with what they find. This is a great story of Venice of America written by Nathan Masters, who obviously specializes in historical pieces. Several stories take off from this main story if you click on them, but none are as explanatory as this overall picture of Venice. Arnold Springer is pictured and some of the illustrations and direction seem to be from his History of Venice of America.
Relaxed parking rules during street cleaning. Who would have thought?
Anonymous (regarding Silver Triangle)
Just wanted to update people in the neighborhood in Venice in the Silver Triangle area. Last night a 4:15 a.m. a man who was crazy out of his mind tried to break into my house. he first began by ringing the door bell. then it was quiet for a few minutes, but after 5 minutes the doorbell again and POUNDING on my door. I’m surprised the door didn’t fall in.
Then he began yelling and cursing, etc. I called 911 and the recording said they were busy. finally I got through and asked for police as someone was trying to break in. After TWO calls they came after 30 min. (thanks to the city
cutbacks on police). I also called ADT and they came within 10 min.
Meanwhile thank goodness for my one neighbor I can count on from across the street who could also hear the guy out of control at my door and would have taken some action if my door had come down. People could hear this guy screaming and yelling from blocks away.
The guy finally left after around 10 to 15 minutes trying to break into my home. He began walking down Mildred continuing to scream and rant. My neighbor said he was a big guy with no shirt on and was out of control. He said it looked like there was blood coming from his leg and the guy was also screaming that someone had stabbed and shot him. 3 ADT cars finally came and were verbally trying to calm him down and ended up following him down Mildred as
he continued his rant and then the police came.
I then came outside to meet my neighbor and what I saw was unreal. the guy had written in BLOOD all over my front door and there was blood all over my steps and walkway. One friend said it reminded her of “Charles Manson”. Can you imagine having to wash blood off of your door and yard at 5 a.m. after having being terrorized? He had also turned my water on in the front yard. the police finally got him (thank you Police) and after quite a bit of confrontation from this man he was taken by ambulance. And people wonder why one would want a gun in their house to protect themselves. You can’t wait for the police in such a situation, you can only depend on yourself if one breaks into your home and threatens your life. And the poor police have to deal with this kind of
behavior daily as do the fire departments, hospitals, misc. services, etc.
The use of ambulances for this also takes away emergency services from people who are in real need having heart attacks, etc. Maybe we should reopen psych hospitals and drug rehab clinics, etc. And maybe we shouldn’t have cut back on police services. The police came to talk to me and they said it looked like the guy was on a bad meth trip.
Thanks to the people who encourage the so called homeless to come live in Venice; they do drugs freeing on the streets, drink openly and get free food and services and use our streets as toilets. They can live on our streets, in front of and behind our houses, on the boardwalk, in parking lots, and the police cannot do anything, their hands are tied. This is what we are getting. I wonder if these people did this at the homes of the activists what they would do?
People waiting for city buses can’t even sit on the bus benches as these so called homeless are sprawled all over them with their trash, sleeping bags, etc. Every time I go past Walgreens on the corner of Washington and Lincoln they are hanging out in the parking lot harassing people who want to go into the store and they are basically living on the bus benches and in the parking lots. I was also almost attacked for my purse in the parking lot of Staples on Lincoln ( I jumped into my car in time).
And thanks to the bill that was passed we can’t even put someone who breaks into your house in jail (it is now only a misdemeanor ) as I was told and if they are taken to jail they are out the same night or next morning with lawyers
there to get them out….what the hell is happening to Venice and CA? We have had two other break-ins at night with the people at home on my same street, not to mention what else goes on in our city as well as elsewhere. And what
happened to 3 strikes. Just saw a police report that showed 4 people in a theft ring in Pacific Palisades.
If you look at their long rap sheets, it is chilling. At least one had murder on the rap sheet. Why are these people back on the streets committing the same crimes over and over again. We want to clear out our prisons and look what we get.
As you can see I am quite upset. So, all I can say is keep locked up and be safe and make your voice heard. I am really shocked this guy didn’t break down my door it was that powerful. luckily I have a plan of action and my one
great neighbor, but it still is quite traumatic.
I’m just wondering what rights we the hardworking, tax paying citizens have
when we are told that these poor “homeless” also have rights. But their rights are infringing on our safety and well-being and Venice now looks like a 3rd world country. I’m all for services for people and have worked in hospitals treating them. But when it comes to our safety and cleanliness of our city, then I draw the line. Where are the laws to protect us?
What about our elderly living scared in their homes and our children trying to play safely outdoors. I often have who knows who sleeping in their cars in front of my home and in the alley behind my home. How can we come home at night
and feel safe to even walk into our homes. We find needles behind our homes and human excrement, etc.
I am the block captain for our area and get story after story from concerned neighbors who don’t know what to do about this situation. We all hear the stories of the guy who bit off the store owners finger, the tourist killed on Venice boardwalk, the camp-ins in Venice which are very unsafe and concerning to neighbors. We pay a lot of money for our homes, we work hard, pay taxes and high property taxes, and for what? These people also mostly refuse to go to shelters, etc. and refuse help from the police and others. They want to be on the streets (just talk to the paramedics who have to deal with this
all the time).
Many are mentally ill and need real help but we can’t force them so they remain often out of control and harass people on the streets. I know real “homeless people” who have lost their jobs and homes and they don’t do these
behaviors. They look for help from the police, the churches, shelters, their family and friends and from agencies that will help them and they look for jobs so as not to depend on the system and others.
The people I’m talking about are here for a free ride, don’t want to work and are drug addicts and alcoholics and who often break into our homes for money to support their habits. I am all for services to help them, but now we
have opened a can of worms and I don’t know how we will ever solve these problems, especially with people who support this behavior. I have heard there is a lawyer in Santa Monica who has somehow gotten the “homeless bill of rights” passed.
What about the law abiding “citizens bill of rights?” who will draft that? As you can see, this horrible experience that could have taken my life
has opened my eyes even wider. We need more people speaking up. Our city officials seem to be blind to all of this. Or maybe their support comes from the so-called activists. But we pay the taxes and they need to be reminded of that.
Why vote for someone who says they have our backs and don’t respond as they do. Many of us have now written to Councilman Bonin about what has happened to me as well as to many in Venice, and have not gotten a response. One last thing to mention.
My father was shot maybe 30 years ago in a holdup with 6 guys
who followed my parent’s home and tried to rob them. They shot my dad twice in the lungs, leg and stomach. They were pronouncing my father dead at the hospital….but by some miracle he survived. So you can imagine how that changed my life as well as my whole family’s life. No one came to us offering help or mental health services. and we were too traumatized to seek help. I was told the police knew who this gang was that shot my dad but they couldn’t “legally” go in and get the gun (again laws protecting criminals).
At that point I realized we are on our own. I studied martial arts for 9 years after that and swore I wouldn’t be a victim. But as you can see the other night, it invaded again into my life. I feel I have to speak up. Who is going to protect us when the laws don’t. The government’s job is to protect us not the criminals. I feel it is all backwards and I feel so bad for the agencies trying to protect us when their hands are tied. Good luck to all of us and be safe and have a plan.
Heather Kahler
Good morning Lincoln and Washington!
Bus stop. The usual intimidating eased riff raff making actual bus riders have to stand far away from bus stop. This included elderly man, and woman and child who couldn’t utilize the bus stop.
Walgreens management should not have to endure this as part of their job. Note the trash and paper everywhere. The person went ballistic on the manager after being asked to move on yelling and going physically and verbally AWOL
This pair including their pets digging through trash and headed somewhere nearby with their luggage.
Bus stop. Only got one of five similar guys in the shot cuz I was driving
This encampment has been here for days.
Now with RadioShack vacant this area under overhang is bound to get worse. Passed out person next to cart is not visible in photo.
One used to see the same set of vagrants day in and day out. Now every day I see new faces. No joke. Every day.
Let’s get a bus, load every vagrant/hobo/street addict we can find and and bring them to Bonin and the mayors front lawn or corner store.This is not humane for anyone working or paying taxes in this area let alone riding the bus! Shame on our local authorities for becoming apathetic and leaving their citizens who voted for them to deal with this every day! They talk but change is to slow and not visible or aggressive enough. It is pathetic.
Reta Moser
Just for the record because so many people and groups have spoken to me about legalizing the illegal units, I want to go on the record stating that I am against legalizing illegal units.
For one thing, it is honoring criminals and dishonoring those, who could have made more money, but chose to follow the law.
For those of you who say we need these units legalized because of housing shortage, you do not know math. Right now there are X-number of units. After inspection, there will be fewer. It will be X minus the units not passing the test.
This will create another City bureaucracy.
For those of you who do this, you are making money at the expense of your neighbor’s property value. For example: R-1 zoned people expect it to be single-family. Those who do not abide, take away parking and peace and quiet of those who do abide. The illegal units take away the value of the single-family home because of this. Who wants to buy a house next to a duplex? This goes for any increase in number of units in any zone.
For those politicians voting for it, I feel it is a matter of pandering for those votes from people who are operating illegally.
Let’s use Planning to provide proper zoning.
For those people who own illegal units and want them legalized, what can I say nice about you? You’ve made your dough; what more do you want?
Comments–17 June 2015
Heather Kahler
I wonder if there’s anyway to bring up the vagrant at bus stops issue in the form of perhaps a lawsuit or legal action being taken against big booth us and clover city bus lines since police enforcement won’t do it perhaps they should be responsible for keeping the bus safe for people to sit and wait
Regan Kibbee
Why does this wonderful edition of the update say 19 June 2015 in the subject field (do you man 9 June 2015?) but 17 February 2015 in the body of the email?
Comment–Update is run by a deranged, crazy lady who made not her first and second mistake that issue. Yes, last week, Update came out with two dates, neither of which were correct. Nice people like Regan asked what was happening? Update was resent with corrected dates. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Thank you Regan.
Yolanda Gonzalez
Police sounded their sirens and told them to get on the right side of the lanes. It was the bicyclists that yelled at them and told them to &*%^ off and didn’t pay attention to police orders.
Carolyn Rips
A few weeks ago 2-3 blocks of cars on Westminster were keyed. Many of them also had swastikas scratched into them. Police have no eyewitnesses so no movement.
I am also noticing a large uptick in graffiti, some gang and some new arch radicals.
Enclosing photo of encampment. These people are not homeless as they have obviously set up homes on OFW.
Anonymous
Your last update prompted me to email Martha Groves and have her send me the text she wanted on a flyer, which I posted in my neighborhood. People also passed as I was posting and I told them to look and gave one to a lady who said she’d post on Victoria, in her neighborhood. At the very least, even if Martha doesn’t get her books back, she got to feel that people cared about her (enough to get off their asses and try to help, which I feel is how we change our world from a “strangerhood” to a neighborhood, in addition to making hurting people feel a little better). So, you made a difference! And thank you for all you do with your wonderful Update.
Nancy Tate
Turn the old sanitation lot into a park or community garden with Gate keys for Triangle residents like Gramercy Park in NYC .
Amie
My pot was stolen from my front yard. In March I found a knife and printer in my side driveway with a stolen ATM card that looked like it was used to break in people’s houses. I feel so unsafe in this neighborhood and it’s a nice place but this is getting over the top. What are we supposed to do? I feel like crime is getting worse.
I wonder if there is a way.. we come together in the triangle and hire a security company. I don’t mind paying out of pocket but it would be great if the Triangle.. had some sort of safety net.
Stephanie Blatos
Thought you might be interested in this article from NY Times regarding LA Homeless.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/us/los-angeles-confronts-a-spike-in-homelessness-amid-prosperity.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
Peter Griswold
I object to the extravagant costs to provide full height wrought iron fencing around the City-Thatcher Yard.
1== Ok to add wrought iron atop the existing masonry walls.
2== OK to add same atop existing building masonry walls.
3== OK even to lower the building masonry walls b4 Wrought Iron is added.
Ryan Wolfe
Please share in the Update the following:
What: Neighborhood Brunch
Who: Oxford Triangle Neighbors
When: Sat. 6/20 10am to Noon
Where: The Wolfe’s – 904 Dickson St.
Why: We love our neighbors and want to get everyone together to enjoy delicious food.
Bring a dish to share or just bring yourself. Kids welcome.
Eileen Koster
Frans Koster passed away Jan 6, 2015. Right before that his Mom passed away. I have inherited a nice gray male cat that I am allergic to
and wondered if you know anyone who would want to
adopt him.
Jeanette Vosburg
Attend the SMBRC Governing Board Meeting this Thursday from 9:30-11:30 am at the Del Rey Yacht Club, 13900 Palawan Way, Marina del Rey. Agenda attached.
Ask one of these government agencies to notify you by email about their meetings: LA Board of Supervisors, LA County Regional Planning, MDR Design Control Board, Beaches and Harbors Commission or your Neighborhood Council. Meetings are open to the public. Read the agenda, and comment on items that affect you. You can speak or submit your comments in writing. This shows elected and appointed officials that we care and we are watching. Sierra Club says, “Constant pressure, endlessly applied gets positive change.”
Roxanne Brown
Residents see the City approving developments that Los Angeles residents deem too big.
Venice is one percent of LA, and yet Venice is experiencing 20% of development. It appears to be time for government to push the PAUSE button in Venice: Pause, Assess, Correct.
There are too many approvals for new developments that seem inappropriate for current Venice infrastructure, conditions and capacity. (The LA Times has covered the many deteriorating water pipes throughout LA: like UCLA’s pipes bursting and losing 20 million gallons of water during this drought.)
This is especially true now in light of the severe water restrictions imposed on the entire state. The City needs to resist Venice development pressures at this time even if personally are for them.
In Venice, Simmzy’s Pub replaces a T-Shirt shop – requires more water. A 400 person office building may replace a parking lot at Sunset and Ocean Front Walk – requires more water. Gjusta bakery/restaurant/take out replaces six architects’ office at 320 Sunset – requires more water. And the list goes on and on and on…
This is happening when according to the LA Times June 7th article, Can state pull out of drought: “A poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California found…drought to be the top issue on Californians’ radar, outdistancing the economy and jobs.” Former Governor Gray Davis was quoted in the same article: “Elected officials should be wary if this drought gets worse. The finger is going to be pointed at someone.”
Susan Heins
I have been in contact with Debbie Dyner Harris in Mike Bonin’s office regarding the removal of these blue arches.
Debbie suggested that those who object reach out to her directly to express their concerns.
In the interest of moving this along more quickly, I thought I would streamline the process and put together a template email which folks can just copy and send to her email address.
Attention: debbie.dynerharris@lacity.org
Dear Debbie,
I am writing to request the removal of recently installed blue arches on some of the walk streets in Venice. Below are key reasons why they should be removed immediately:
· Certain walk streets already have steel bollards in place thereby making these installations redundant;
· These arches are being used as bicycle racks. This obstructs access on narrow walk streets for the handicapped, parents with strollers, and emergency vehicles.
· The style of these arches is not in keeping with the character of Venice and having multiple bollards/signs clustered together is unappealing.
The decision to move forward with these installations was made without open community discussion and feedback. There is a real concern that this action and lack of transparency will lead to other similar directives in the future, which is unacceptable.
In closing, I would ask that your office remove the arches/bike racks immediately. In instances where there is a need for barriers, replace with removable steel bollards that are stylistically consistent and can be removed by emergency responders.
Best,
Marilyn Roland
History of Venice of America
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/the-lost-canals-of-venice-of-america.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=departures
You may not have to pay that ticket. There are relaxed parking rules during street cleaning.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/street-cleaning-relaxed-parking-enforcement-routes/#.VYC7KG0bjSE.mailto
Comment: Readers never cease to amaze with what they find. This is a great story of Venice of America written by Nathan Masters, who obviously specializes in historical pieces. Several stories take off from this main story if you click on them, but none are as explanatory as this overall picture of Venice. Arnold Springer is pictured and some of the illustrations and direction seem to be from his History of Venice of America.
Relaxed parking rules during street cleaning. Who would have thought?
Anonymous (regarding Silver Triangle)
Just wanted to update people in the neighborhood in Venice in the Silver Triangle area. Last night a 4:15 a.m. a man who was crazy out of his mind tried to break into my house. he first began by ringing the door bell. then it was quiet for a few minutes, but after 5 minutes the doorbell again and POUNDING on my door. I’m surprised the door didn’t fall in.
Then he began yelling and cursing, etc. I called 911 and the recording said they were busy. finally I got through and asked for police as someone was trying to break in. After TWO calls they came after 30 min. (thanks to the city
cutbacks on police). I also called ADT and they came within 10 min.
Meanwhile thank goodness for my one neighbor I can count on from across the street who could also hear the guy out of control at my door and would have taken some action if my door had come down. People could hear this guy screaming and yelling from blocks away.
The guy finally left after around 10 to 15 minutes trying to break into my home. He began walking down Mildred continuing to scream and rant. My neighbor said he was a big guy with no shirt on and was out of control. He said it looked like there was blood coming from his leg and the guy was also screaming that someone had stabbed and shot him. 3 ADT cars finally came and were verbally trying to calm him down and ended up following him down Mildred as
he continued his rant and then the police came.
I then came outside to meet my neighbor and what I saw was unreal. the guy had written in BLOOD all over my front door and there was blood all over my steps and walkway. One friend said it reminded her of “Charles Manson”. Can you imagine having to wash blood off of your door and yard at 5 a.m. after having being terrorized? He had also turned my water on in the front yard. the police finally got him (thank you Police) and after quite a bit of confrontation from this man he was taken by ambulance. And people wonder why one would want a gun in their house to protect themselves. You can’t wait for the police in such a situation, you can only depend on yourself if one breaks into your home and threatens your life. And the poor police have to deal with this kind of
behavior daily as do the fire departments, hospitals, misc. services, etc.
The use of ambulances for this also takes away emergency services from people who are in real need having heart attacks, etc. Maybe we should reopen psych hospitals and drug rehab clinics, etc. And maybe we shouldn’t have cut back on police services. The police came to talk to me and they said it looked like the guy was on a bad meth trip.
Thanks to the people who encourage the so called homeless to come live in Venice; they do drugs freeing on the streets, drink openly and get free food and services and use our streets as toilets. They can live on our streets, in front of and behind our houses, on the boardwalk, in parking lots, and the police cannot do anything, their hands are tied. This is what we are getting. I wonder if these people did this at the homes of the activists what they would do?
People waiting for city buses can’t even sit on the bus benches as these so called homeless are sprawled all over them with their trash, sleeping bags, etc. Every time I go past Walgreens on the corner of Washington and Lincoln they are hanging out in the parking lot harassing people who want to go into the store and they are basically living on the bus benches and in the parking lots. I was also almost attacked for my purse in the parking lot of Staples on Lincoln ( I jumped into my car in time).
And thanks to the bill that was passed we can’t even put someone who breaks into your house in jail (it is now only a misdemeanor ) as I was told and if they are taken to jail they are out the same night or next morning with lawyers
there to get them out….what the hell is happening to Venice and CA? We have had two other break-ins at night with the people at home on my same street, not to mention what else goes on in our city as well as elsewhere. And what
happened to 3 strikes. Just saw a police report that showed 4 people in a theft ring in Pacific Palisades.
If you look at their long rap sheets, it is chilling. At least one had murder on the rap sheet. Why are these people back on the streets committing the same crimes over and over again. We want to clear out our prisons and look what we get.
As you can see I am quite upset. So, all I can say is keep locked up and be safe and make your voice heard. I am really shocked this guy didn’t break down my door it was that powerful. luckily I have a plan of action and my one
great neighbor, but it still is quite traumatic.
I’m just wondering what rights we the hardworking, tax paying citizens have
when we are told that these poor “homeless” also have rights. But their rights are infringing on our safety and well-being and Venice now looks like a 3rd world country. I’m all for services for people and have worked in hospitals treating them. But when it comes to our safety and cleanliness of our city, then I draw the line. Where are the laws to protect us?
What about our elderly living scared in their homes and our children trying to play safely outdoors. I often have who knows who sleeping in their cars in front of my home and in the alley behind my home. How can we come home at night
and feel safe to even walk into our homes. We find needles behind our homes and human excrement, etc.
I am the block captain for our area and get story after story from concerned neighbors who don’t know what to do about this situation. We all hear the stories of the guy who bit off the store owners finger, the tourist killed on Venice boardwalk, the camp-ins in Venice which are very unsafe and concerning to neighbors. We pay a lot of money for our homes, we work hard, pay taxes and high property taxes, and for what? These people also mostly refuse to go to shelters, etc. and refuse help from the police and others. They want to be on the streets (just talk to the paramedics who have to deal with this
all the time).
Many are mentally ill and need real help but we can’t force them so they remain often out of control and harass people on the streets. I know real “homeless people” who have lost their jobs and homes and they don’t do these
behaviors. They look for help from the police, the churches, shelters, their family and friends and from agencies that will help them and they look for jobs so as not to depend on the system and others.
The people I’m talking about are here for a free ride, don’t want to work and are drug addicts and alcoholics and who often break into our homes for money to support their habits. I am all for services to help them, but now we
have opened a can of worms and I don’t know how we will ever solve these problems, especially with people who support this behavior. I have heard there is a lawyer in Santa Monica who has somehow gotten the “homeless bill of rights” passed.
What about the law abiding “citizens bill of rights?” who will draft that? As you can see, this horrible experience that could have taken my life
has opened my eyes even wider. We need more people speaking up. Our city officials seem to be blind to all of this. Or maybe their support comes from the so-called activists. But we pay the taxes and they need to be reminded of that.
Why vote for someone who says they have our backs and don’t respond as they do. Many of us have now written to Councilman Bonin about what has happened to me as well as to many in Venice, and have not gotten a response. One last thing to mention.
My father was shot maybe 30 years ago in a holdup with 6 guys
who followed my parent’s home and tried to rob them. They shot my dad twice in the lungs, leg and stomach. They were pronouncing my father dead at the hospital….but by some miracle he survived. So you can imagine how that changed my life as well as my whole family’s life. No one came to us offering help or mental health services. and we were too traumatized to seek help. I was told the police knew who this gang was that shot my dad but they couldn’t “legally” go in and get the gun (again laws protecting criminals).
At that point I realized we are on our own. I studied martial arts for 9 years after that and swore I wouldn’t be a victim. But as you can see the other night, it invaded again into my life. I feel I have to speak up. Who is going to protect us when the laws don’t. The government’s job is to protect us not the criminals. I feel it is all backwards and I feel so bad for the agencies trying to protect us when their hands are tied. Good luck to all of us and be safe and have a plan.
Heather Kahler
Good morning Lincoln and Washington!
Bus stop. The usual intimidating eased riff raff making actual bus riders have to stand far away from bus stop. This included elderly man, and woman and child who couldn’t utilize the bus stop.
Walgreens management should not have to endure this as part of their job. Note the trash and paper everywhere. The person went ballistic on the manager after being asked to move on yelling and going physically and verbally AWOL
This pair including their pets digging through trash and headed somewhere nearby with their luggage.
Bus stop. Only got one of five similar guys in the shot cuz I was driving
This encampment has been here for days.
Now with RadioShack vacant this area under overhang is bound to get worse. Passed out person next to cart is not visible in photo.
One used to see the same set of vagrants day in and day out. Now every day I see new faces. No joke. Every day.
Let’s get a bus, load every vagrant/hobo/street addict we can find and and bring them to Bonin and the mayors front lawn or corner store.This is not humane for anyone working or paying taxes in this area let alone riding the bus! Shame on our local authorities for becoming apathetic and leaving their citizens who voted for them to deal with this every day! They talk but change is to slow and not visible or aggressive enough. It is pathetic.
Reta Moser
Just for the record because so many people and groups have spoken to me about legalizing the illegal units, I want to go on the record stating that I am against legalizing illegal units.
For one thing, it is honoring criminals and dishonoring those, who could have made more money, but chose to follow the law.
For those of you who say we need these units legalized because of housing shortage, you do not know math. Right now there are X-number of units. After inspection, there will be fewer. It will be X minus the units not passing the test.
This will create another City bureaucracy.
For those of you who do this, you are making money at the expense of your neighbor’s property value. For example: R-1 zoned people expect it to be single-family. Those who do not abide, take away parking and peace and quiet of those who do abide. The illegal units take away the value of the single-family home because of this. Who wants to buy a house next to a duplex? This goes for any increase in number of units in any zone.
For those politicians voting for it, I feel it is a matter of pandering for those votes from people who are operating illegally.
Let’s use Planning to provide proper zoning.
For those people who own illegal units and want them legalized, what can I say nice about you? You’ve made your dough; what more do you want?
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