Westminster Senior Center at Pacific in Venice. Attorneys say deed restricts property use to “public playground and recreation purposes.”
Tipped off by a long-time Venice resident, attorneys working for the Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA) have discovered that Councilman Mike Bonin is prohibited by a deed restriction from using the former Westminster Senior Center for the private storage use of homeless campers.
A local resident recently alerted VSA supporter Kip Kolodziejski that when the City acquired the Westminster Center block 65 years ago a restriction was placed on the deed. Mr. Kolodziejski researched the property title and discovered that in a July 5, 1950 order the Los Angeles Superior Court condemned the land to the use of the City of Los Angeles and dedicated it to public use for public playground and recreation purposes. (See Attorneys’ letter.)
“It is well settled California law that where land is conveyed for a specified, limited and definite purpose, the subject of that conveyance cannot be used for another, different purpose,” VSA attorney Robert Glushon wrote in a letter to Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, chair of the City Council’s Arts, Parks and Rivers Committee.
“Accordingly, where land is conveyed to a city with a restriction upon its use—as, for instance, when it is donated or dedicated solely for a park—the city cannot legally divert the use of such property to purposes inconsistent with the terms of the grant.”
The letter concludes with a demand that the City cease consideration of use of the Center contrary to the purposes for which it was condemned and put the City on notice that the VSA will pursue legal action to protect the dedication of the property to park and playground use.
“This park has been a crime generator for years. Bonin’s plan to attract hundreds of transients to the site to store their stuff would have just exacerbated the problem,” said Mark Ryavec, president of the VSA. “Residents are relieved to hear that the deed prevents this inappropriate use in their residential neighborhood.”
Appreciate much the even tone in the discussion.
In principle I agree with the SaveVenice points and goals you have. Allow me too to correct some assumptions you may be making about my worldview: I do Smile plenty in Venice, when I get to nap in the sunshine on the sand, listening to the surf, all the crustaceans on my psyche melt, let go and slough off. But my brow furrows far too often on my walk to and from down Windward along with my grade school aged son: when we have to step around, scuttle about or throw up the radars and shields because a group of transient youth, sprawled across the public right of way, are sparking up their speed loaded chillums; then hurl from time to time unsolicited, aggressive invectives towards us. Not always, but enough times now with greater frequency, a more brazen “no one will do a fuck about this, ha ha ha”.
The point, the last twenty plus years I’ve walked the same route, and worsening public, social blight just keeps on keeping on. Why is that?
Frequently from my home studio I’ll watch these same kids tool up and down my alley, checking every side yard gate, looking into every car, looking for every crime of opportunity. This is not to me the same unhoused demographic of twenty years ago, when I knew by first name some of the down and out living rough along my stroll. They were civil, we often chatted, I’d even give for example Mr Robertson a bottle of wine from time to time, like on Father’s Day. He was part of the community, a resident. But now, this influx of new anarchistic, illicit drug fueled youth, not for introspection and exploring inner worlds with deep thought to make a better world: let’s be honest, it’s about a party void of consideration for the context of the world that’s actually supporting them- they’re social among their tribe, though we clearly see an awful loti of violence in it, but wholly anti-social to the citizenry around them. Is it values, different worldview, maybe they’re just nihilist down to their narrow?
Some years ago I allowed a homeless man to hang out / camp in my driveway apron at the alley. I had brand spanking new bins, and he used them for storage. I even shared food with him. Would leave a loaf of bread, fresh fruit. I asked him about where he showers, bathroom etc, and said he shits in the street like a dog. The rules he lives by are about the street, the jungle. “But you are not a dog,” I said, “you are a human being. Why not go to a shelter to get a leg up, get a gig, you know a job.” “Used to drive a truck,” he said, “But Im an ex-convict, no one will hire me anyway. Shelter?!? Forget that! Rather live like dog!” Service resistant? Maybe.
Neighbors complained, and I’d always retort, “Hey, people have got to live somewhere.”
Guess he took me for a sucker, even as I defended him, as his behavior toward me became increasingly defiant and aggressive. Eventually He wouldn’t let me into my garage, would defiantly stand center in the alley and would not let me pass. Finally I told him he had to leave. “My house, I pay the property tax, I work hard, you need to go NOW.”
The next day the bins were empty. Apparently not by him though, someone stole all his stuff. And he moved on. Though more than fifteen years ago, I see him still around on a bike. But he got worse than ornery, I’ll speculate, dangerous, and I stopped helping as a neighbor in such a direct manner.
So rather than engage the same endless waltz you cited, “Oh same shit, different time: heartless, money God greedy developers vs. Us the good guys,” propose something new. Cities must renew themselves, redevelopment is not an evil thing. Doing nothing or holding back that renewal has allowed the squalor on OFW to descend even further into the skids.
We do not live in a small Swedish village where building is based on oral traditions. We’re in huge, metropolis, we need developers to take those risks. To me the best way to address the safety concerns is to increase legitimate uses of our public spaces. With upwards of 15 million visitors a year to Venice, we have what fewer than 500 (even less) registered hotel beds units in all of Venice? No wonder the ferocity of BnB craze and greed got a turbo boost from a ghastly short supply of hotel beds and a City asleep at the wheel. OFW needs to redevelop, get more eyes and civil activity and use there, right of Jane Jacobs; that will help increase public safety. And KEEP those tax HERE in Venice to serve our residents and the homeless, to build more housing over time. And we also return AirBnB rigamoral in neighborhoods back to long term renters.
CityHood I think is a much better future for Venice than being pinned under the boulder of the City bureaucracy, usual politics and asinine power plays that seem to me over the decades having squandered away what could be the City’s greatest resource: the unrealized potential that is oozing from our Venice streets.
Imagine a larger plan, really, dream it bigger. What do you want Venice to look like in twenty years?
So eloquently written, Darin. You speak for a majority of us as we have had those same experiences lately with the homeless. Because I want a safe, clean environment for my young daughter to grow up in, I am considered discriminating against and hating the homeless. Unfortunately, there’s no in between with the activists of Venice and they incorrectly think it’s all about the real estate developers and money. They forget that there are many hardworking families who have lived in Venice for years, and who are teaching their children compassion and empathy for others, and who most importantly want their children to feel safe.
@VeniceMom
Much obliged. When I can, especially when my son is with me, we engage the young people camped out on the sidewalk, if the litmus test vibe says okay. We talk with them. We do not pretend they are invisible. And when okay, my son wants to ask questions, directly. He is starting to be able to tell when its about someone who is down hard on their luck, and then the other not so savory flavors.
I know there are stories behind these kid, some will call it out, give a shout “Hey dad..!” though not aggressively, but showing they know when it could be right. These will be the same kids too who say to my boy, “Stay in school, or you’ll end up like me…”
We’re not afraid, we’re not heartless, but there needs to be enforcement of laws to reign in the bad actors. We’re overwhelmed with them. The moral thing for our City to do is to distribute and share the burdens with our neighboring districts. Also, if the feds would like a few billion off the Pentagon black budgets and reallocate to local communities, what a dream yeah, so a better future can get fostered here at home. I know too if these same kids could get engaged and contribute in the community too in a positive way, they’d be on their way to getting out. But at the same time, too many I’m imagining in their obstinate, addiction fueled coping to keep down whatever demons are needling at their vulnerabilities, well…unless they’re brave enough to step up, unlike the cowardliness I see in our elected officials, I see the saddest resignation, as if this kids are throwaways.
The business as usual from what I can see from the social services groups that had been holding the reins here for so long, I know they all meant well when they started. But I tend to think organizations over time start to serve themselves perhaps more so than their missions. I could be wrong, but seeing and reading the vitriol, in spite of what I imagine are amazing people behind the scenes, I’m seeing rhetoric and conduct that is less about helping and serving, and more about protecting a precious self-interest. Maybe it is shitty leadership, or greed, the same as the rocks being hurled at the developers. But like I said, I could be wrong. However, the tactics in play, the patterns, they’re of the 20th century.
This is the 21st. There are surely new models to look at. And I would hope that whoever is in the advising and decision making roles will always keep the next two generations in mind. It’s our legacy. And I always think about what’s the Venice Beach I want to leave to my grand kids. Then we can build the larger celestial body for a much healthier, broader, inclusive orbit for our community.
Any tech billionaires out there? Hey lets make Venice Beach the premier beach in the United States. C’mon, healthy, smiling people, a place of culture, arts. A destination, not a dump for the City’s shadow, where their downtrodden citizens are treated like nail clipping, to be trimmed off, left on the street to be forgotten here.
A The Venice Beach CityState! Sure there are US Laws, the US can have them, no worries, but how about a succession from the City of LA, or even better, maybe even from the State of California. How about a real Sovereign Venice Beach.
Just saying.
I’ll bite. The Venice I would like to see in 20 years is one in which people like Mark Ryavec and those who support him have either died or sold their property moved away.
@ Graham, nice to read you participate, thank you. Your answer though wasn’t quite where I was hoping you may take it, and I don’t mean to invalidate how you feel, but it reads as back-handed. Truly I’m looking for inclusive solutions. You know, where a daughter of the Hatfields gets married to a son of the McCoys. You know, practical alliances to foster some harmony and progress.
I know it takes a lot of attention. resources, effot and time to make sure someone isn’t gaming the system in an underhanded way. That different sides of an argument could really talk through rationally, we may be able to derive solutions that over time work for all Venice stakeholders. The system of things is challenging. What can be facilitated together, have the Vision for a what a future can be, and work towards that. Sorry, if yours meant to just cut out the groups who have a different view. Can all get along to work collaboratively? I don’t know, maybe. Wouldn’t that be better than the status quo or fear of the same-old, same-old slamming down the same rhymes, pendulum swing after pendulum swing?
So you understand where I’m coming from, as you’ve maybe gleaned from my posts, the last few years I haven’t felt that my voice was being heard, nor the issues I had that really concerned me were being addressed in a meaningful way.
As I was watching the the Venice Beach that I love spiral further into a public display of the worse chthonian slop, (better left to the private temples of Dionysus, really) many parts of Venice becoming a public train wreck, I found that VSA supports positions I’m aligned with. I support their efforts. Take a moment, rather than you say, “Out with the lot of them!” perhaps adjust your glasses: could the VSA position be tantamount in reaction as yours?
I had had a neighbor at one time who had the worse case of a distended sense of entitlement. So much so, she acted as if she commanded and owned all that was within view from her house. On feeling that the lot lines between our properties were wrong, she proceeded to climb a ladder, lean over our common wall, and take to cutting down our landscape because she felt we were encroaching across some magical, property line, even though not one leaf touched or went over that wall. The irony of course, that was her wall, she built it. Some people have way too much time on their hands. Funny how that happens.
The end of the story here, eventually she left, and our family felt much the same relief that you are alluding to when you say you want to see some particular class of person leave. I think its when we feel someone is making decisions on our behalf without having consulted us, as there may be another solution to be found. I’m saying really talking, not lip service, not a pretend conversation to placate, as the decision had already been made. Keeping up appearances, the most dishonest manipulation. Pretending to listen.
I want Venice Beach flourish. That means for everyone.
Can anyone live here? It’s gotten expensive, I know. Is it right in the system of things that any and everyone should be able to live here if they wanted to? I don’t know, maybe not so fair. I work sometimes upwards 80 hour work weeks. That sucks, but its worth it to me to be here. Now, had I nothing to contribute, no effort to help elevate and make Venice Beach better than it was when I arrived, seems pretty inequitable to me that someone of no means who contributes nothing to the community, or worse, actively engages in destroying it, suddenly gets the lottery ticket to gratis room and board on my hard-ass tax dollar? See, the system as it is sucks.
And forever, demographics and economics change, that’s the nature of residing in a breathing, living and dynamic City. Venice Beach is now one of the parts of the City growing with new, young families. Pretty nice. It’s a different group though, not so much the working class demographic that was here for the longest time, they’re techs and professionals, it’s part of the megatrend and tide that we all live within. They’re your neighbors now, and have their own issues and priorities.
Now, if it’s just about the beach, why wouldn’t I live in the South Bay, Manhattan Beach? I would loath living there: way too homogeneous for me. Nothing dynamic happening, except the waves on the beach. It’s the diversity of people here in Venice that is awesome, a great palette of experience and ideas to share, to develop, to create and enjoy a great community. That includes all economic strata, rich, poor, working class, professionals, homeless, any variety of creeds and race, ethnicity, identity, whatever. Is there a group I would exclude? Probably no, perhaps there are some NSA denizens lurking in the SnapChat crowd, and I’m no fan there; though, when I see forces and entropy at play that can literally destroy the quality of life for everyone, and a few who I think may be misguided, thinking that are helping people, or starting at it, but in reality are only preserving what’s causing those destructive forces because no real, wholistic approaches are being taken: no, time to take a stand.
@Graham, hey you’re invited to rethink and re-imagine where this can go, if you want. I’ll take a listen.
So in twenty years, I’d love to see a Venice Beach I would be proud to pass on to my grand kids. And other people’s grand kids. I ruminate on this, and listen to the heartbeat in Venice, what’s the rhythm saying. And can we all entrain to that, to common goals? Don’t know what those are yet, but inclusion, equanimity come to mind.
It is the greed that killing the spirit of Venice. The situation is being taken care of and now people like Mark Ryavec are totally discriminating against the homeless people in Venice. We will prevail, and we will win this fight for the homeless in Venice. This fight is not over until we Save Venice. http://www.savevenice.me
@LivingisFreeInVenice. How is Mark Ryavec discriminating against the homeless? Read
Darin’s 8:30 post. Do you have kids? What kind of Venice do you want for them in 20 years. And by the way, I smile all the time. Especially when I’ve worked a 12 hr. day and get to walk our dog at the beach with my daughter.
Sorry dude but the main thing I get from all of Mark Ryavec’s polemics is that he wants the police to start enforcing laws that the courts have already ruled as being un-constitutional. I don’t like the man on any level and it’s a complete waste of time to think that it would ever be possible to have any kind of constructive dialogue with him or any of the people who support him since whatever it is the “ther side” is for he’s against. The man is a demagogue who this community would be a whole lot better off without.
@Graham
Glad we can dialogue, even when I’m sure there may be many issues that we may disagree on. But I see by your passion you want the world better for everyone who is making Venice their home, whether housed or unhoused. I feel the same, though we may have different approaches to want to accomplish that, plus the myriad of other community issues at hand that need to get addressed.
Look, I’m not so good with chess playing when it comes to navigating personalities and agendas, but I sincerely make the effort to build bridges. We all love our Venice Beach, our community, and I’ve always maintained that human beings are at their best when they can innovate, and be good to their neighbors. And help when they can. Perhaps there’s common ground to discover. Really.
There are so many forces at play, it’s complex, but at the same time that complexity of Venice is what makes it beautiful. Could we see ourselves all emanating from the same ever evolving fractals?
As much as our coastline can be modeled by a fractal algorithm, the coast itself is not static like a map on paper. The waves and tides are forever reshaping it, and those new coastal geometries themselves in turn effect the waves that are already changing those same geometries. Nothing is static. I see that we all share, effect , live within and are of this process.
My support for the VSA has much to do with helping to make Venice a safer neighborhood. When I used to come party here myself as a college kid in the eighties, decked in my finest home made tie-dyes and leather jacket, combat boots, extra long fu Manchu mustache and goatee, and bandana. Chucks, people would sometimes cross the street away from me because I guess they thought I was going to … I don’t know, maybe I looked scary. That was my mask then. Whatever, college kid no less, hard working, good grades, a creative living within and a part of the system.
But now I’m here raising my family and keeping a household. I have concerns, and the direction Venice has been taking doesn’t bode well for the future.
As opposed to the homeless who are folks sadly dealt hard luck with the ups and downs in the system of things, or the elderly or other vulnerable classes of homeless, there is a new class, a younger aggressive transient personality, not like the college kid I was, and who no doubt could benefit from the right help, if they wanted it. The spigots on now.
These are not peace and love orientated values that may harken back to the 1960s vibe. This is a dystopian vibe, the kind of not care, destructive forces that will become ruinous to the civility of our city streets. Apologies if I’m being presumptuous, maybe you want Venice Beach to become a MadMax -Bladerunneresque town, cool if you’re young, nihilistic and don’t give a fuck. But I’m guessing you wouldn’t really want that. But if it keeps going, Then both you and I lose our Venice Beach, transforming into something neither of us want.
To me the VSA position to have laws enforced helps alleviate the pressures from the bad, anti-social actors out there. To me it’s not about criminalizing homelessness, no/ but it’s about reining in criminal conduct that destroys quality of life for the hard working residents and new young families making Venice Beach their home.
Blanket law enforcement only is the wrong way, arresting and scaring off the rest turns us into the banality of Manhattan Beach (then I’m moving out of here!) LE needs to be closely integrated with social service to help those who want it. Also, letting OFW develop to bring more legitimate uses beyond cheap sun glasses, people watching and gawking, will help immensely. Raise the tide, raise all the boats.
As I mentioned in other posts, bake it into the cake to keep our diversity, but not at the expense of progress.
I’ve joked tongue in cheek, we need a VeniceBeach CityState, ruled by a wise, enlightened rational Benevolent Despot. I’m not always convinced now the democratic thing is working with exception to the shot callers clinging to their power.
Can you propose something you think could work here? Really. Any ideas to share. I mentioned clearly the values I support and my goals: Fostering an inclusive Venice Beach, thriving and flourishing, enjoyed and inspired, quality of life for all its stakeholders, those of means and those without. A place I’ll be proud to give to future family.
Let’s discuss issues, not people, see where we can advance. Keep imaging Venice in twenty years, what will it look like, and how can we get there?
If no one steps up, I’ll be running for Benevolent Despot in 2036.
We’re actually on the same page on a lot of this. I actually have a huge problem with the whole crystal meth homeless crowd and would love to see them all gone tomorrow. My problem with the approach of people like Mr. Ryavec is that he wants to paint everybody with the same brush. As far as he’s concerned all the homeless are breaking the law and it makes no difference to him that the laws he thinks they’re breaking are laws that the city has been ruled against on. Personally I would like to see the LAPD adopt a zero tolerance level on crystal meth dealers and users on the boardwalk. I think they should round them all up and get them the hell out of here. Same goes for all the bicycle thieves. I think it’s ridiculous that if somebody steals a bicycle that’s valued under $950.00 that all they get for it is a ticket. Way back in 1987 when I first moved to Venice somebody left the garage door open in my apartment building on Speedway for less than 5 minutes and that’s all it took for a bike that I had paid over 400 dollars for and had for less than 3 months to get stolen. Back then that bicycle constituted almost a whole weeks paycheck for me. I still get mad when I think about it. It was a good bicycle and I worked really hard to be able to afford it. Anyhow I’m getting off subject but yeah I have no problem with the police making like as difficult as possible for the criminal element that’s out there on the streets. What I have a problem with is this one size fits all approach to homeless people and this idea that some people have that if we do something like open up the restrooms at the beach at night that we’re “enabling” the homeless. Fact is there’s no housing out there for most of these people. They can’t afford the rents anywhere in L.A. and many of them are long time residents who end up being smeared as “transients” because after years of living somewhere in L.A. they all of a sudden find themselves on the streets. The whole situation is sad and I just think people like Mark Ryavec who oppose any homeless services as being “enablement” are a big part of the problem.
Yes, I’m sure we disagree on 1,000 things and that is the problem. This is how it started to begin with, and someone just can’t point the finger and assume someone is a meth head or drug dealer. That was the original problem and how we got to this point with the homeless issues. It’s always been like this, and nothing has really changed since it’s true, you just can’t round them all up. That is against the law. The police have police for example have been in trouble recently for targeting latino and blacks in Oakwood in Venice and most of them were not doing anything. Most of them weren’t even gang members. Lapd was in the news and has complained that most of the calls they get in Venice aren’t really worth arresting people over. Most of those calls are about people seeing “homeless people” or “latinos” and “blacks”. The newcomers here in Venice look at us like we are below animals. I understand if this was verifiable by Lapd, but even Lapd can’t arrest someone just because they are “black” ,”latino” or “homeless”, and “seeing” in Venice. That is discrimination and against the law. And plenty of “hard working” meth heads run a muck in Venice too. That’s how people end up homeless, and drug addiction is one of the leading causes of homelessness. I’m sure many people who are fed up because of the homeless would love to see insane asylums built just for them. That’s not going to happen. What needs to happen is people Saving Venice. http://www.savevenice.me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB5c0jkSCqs
@Rick
Though I do not recall we had ever met, a hearty, warm thank you for letting me laugh out loud today by your media gift!
Now, imagine my mother’s horror when as a forth grade boy 1978 bringing home my very first long EP, bought with my own cash; Cheech & Chong’s BIG BAMBOO.
Maybe an ice cream social could get everyone to the table playing nice.
Enjoy your slice of pie in NorCal. Regards
There is plenty of election time rhetoric, but no plan to solve the homeless issue in Venice. The issue of homelessness is not a Venice problem, but an LA problem that Mr. Bonin rejects and does not understand. You cannot limit the problem or the solution to Venice. I’m of the opinion the incoming VNC will be far less tolerant of Bonin’s inaction and no longer serve as a political buffer for his policy inaction and failure. Leadership is lacking and people have had it. There’s a reason why nearly 3000 people voted yesterday and cityhood will finally be taken seriously as the only viable alternative to Bonin’s inability to address the issue in a serious way.
Nick Antonicello: I think that having homeless housing in Venice will help the homeless problem in Los Angeles. It’s a Los Angeles problem and that is true. Venice is part of Los Angeles. Here is the bigger problem. The government is finally funding Los Angeles with a way to actually make positive changes happen for the homeless and even low income. News spread that regular folks can actually afford to live on the Westside after all. There was finally a happy ending to this war in Venice and the Westside. People actually started to smile again in Venice. Then some group of people decided to discriminate against the homeless, and even latinos and blacks in Venice with a vengeance. This group found latinos, blacks, and the homeless intolerable. This group wanted City Hood to finally have complete control. This would give them a way to finally do away with latinos, blacks, and the homeless. They completely deny any wrong doing but the calls to the police told the real story. This group was corrupt and almost accomplished their mission. Then, up in the sky, look, it’s a bird, no it’s a plane! It’s Save Venice! http://www.savevenice.me
Nick we don’t stop just because the voting stops. It’s just another brand new day to Save Venice. Were going to Save Venice with or without you Nick “A”. Are you game? http://www.savevenice.me
Nobody is limiting the problem yo Venice Nick. Problem with people like you Nick is you have an agenda that gets in the way of the truth. So you spin spin spin and try pass it off as fact to people who aren’t up on the issues. Mike Bonin is the Councilman for CD 11. Thus, the only homeless he is concerned with are the homeless in CD 11. The entire City of Los Angeles has a growing number of homeless due to the fact that the city is overcrowded. And every Councilman in L.A. is coming up with a plan to deal with the homeless in their district. The only “inaction” in this community is coming from all the haters who don’t want to do anything for the homeless except have the police enforce laws that the courts have already ruled as being un-enforceable. And that isn’t going to happen because the courts have already ruled against them !
And this is why the deed can be changed also by law. This is just a temporary measure anyway. We are going to have homeless housing in Venice and more low income housing. Venice is on the move to become the homeless helper of Los Angeles and even a model for how to prevent homelessness worldwide. We need 300-500 plus units for low income housing and homeless housing in Venice. And I can understand why some people question Robin. People with plenty of property and green space need to rethink how they use that livable space. There is plenty of space to build homeless housing and more low income housing in Venice. It can be done, and accomplished.
Hi LivingisfreeninVenice,
I am interested in learning more about the plan to help homeless in Venice that you regularly refer to. Where can I read this plan to learn the specifics? I looked on savevenice.com but that did not have anything. You speak as though it’s already in motion so I’m interested in learning more. Who is leading and supporting the plan for affordable housing and positioning Venice as the leader in homeless help? Thanks.
I would contact your district person for that answer.
Mark Ryavec is another unhappy character who discriminates on homeless people in Venice. I never thought I’d see the day when people with jobs start hating on people living on the streets of Venice just because they smile more. Mark, turn that frown upside down and Save Venice. http://www.savevenice.me
LivingisfreeinVenice, this is not discrimination. This is abiding by the law which is something that in other posts you and others, such as Robin Rudisill, say is the right thing to do. So which is it? Do you want to help the homeless legally or illegally?
And again, it’s not savevenice dot com. It’s http://www.savevenice.me Save Venice
Why is the emphasis on Preserve Venice’s Unique Character?
The past is a known quantity. By preserving Venice character as some slice in time is relegating Venice to museum status. That will be the death knell for the real spirit of Venice, in its dynanism and creativity.
The irony I see, the most incalcitrant people I know in Venice were I imagine the most radical and liberated 50 years ago. You seek create a grunge flavored South Pasadena on the coast?
Rather than preserve Venice, maybe time to welcome and sheperd a transforming Venice into the 21st Century. Rather than fight the tide, surf it anew.
And maybe too time to rethink the ping pong of this democratic process. A wise and benevolent despot of the Venice Beach CityState, fully autonomous, could accomplish far more and quickly, addressing and serving the homeless and all other stakeholders of our seaside community. This isnt about greed or money but about a future Rennaissance.
A good dose of Vision for the future, not an endless fight up and down the same mountain. Ad nauseum….
I want to hear something new.
I disagree with you totally. Read the about us page. Scroll down and read it for yourself: http://www.savevenice.me/about-us/ This is why we are fighting this. The tables have turned. The government is helping low income and homeless people in Los Angeles for a change. That change is good. Finally, we are able to afford to live on the Westside and call Venice our home again. Mark Ryavec despises us and yet here we are with plenty of supporters to back us up. Don’t’ be jealous we smile more than you do in Venice. Save Venice.
And wrong again: This war is about greed and money. Our gov’t is actually doing something and all of a sudden theirs a realization that low income and homeless people can live, and work in Venice and the Westside again. It doesn’t sit well with the gentry and fears of boom will go bust is lingering in your dreams at night. Venice is for everyone. Save Venice http://www.savevenice.me
The last time Venice was it’s own city it went bankrupt and was annexed by the City of Los Angeles due to the fact that the people running Venicel were a bunch of corrupt embezzlers. I guarantee you with the cast of corrupt developers and land speculators that we have here in Venice that if Venice did become it’s own city history would just repeat itself.