Hi Zuma Dog (sic),
I love your website and all of the work that you do.
Listen, I am a resident of Venice Beach and with the new condo development on Thornton at Ocean Front Walk, the Ordinance affecting the local artists and vendors, the increased police presence of late, and the general influx of yuppies that we are suffering here, I really fear for the future of Venice Beach as the free speech/artistic sort of zone that it is.
I called Rosendahl's office about this, but they basically agreed with me and blew me off. I called LAPD Pacific Division, but they told me they're just responding to complaints when they harass the drummers and various trinket vendors.
If I wanted to become more active on this issue, who would you recommend that I contact? Any suggestions generally? I was considering starting a website, keepvenicefunky.com or some such thing, and hand out or mail flyers to local residents and even tourists, to support me, what do you think? Or do you know of any Venice Beachhead or Grassroots people who are already on this?
Thank you!
ADS
Zuma said...oh my goodness...what a task you take on. you are so right. calling rosendahl's office...what a joke...i like bill and all as a person, but they are the one's doing it.
me and matt dowd, my freind who you may have seen on tv 35, and a some others from venice help keep the pressure on and matt filed a lawsuit. BUT BOTTOM LINE: THE ANSWER TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS...
THERE IS ONE WAY, AND ONLY ONE WAY TO GET THEM TO DO ANYTHING...
LAWSUIT...that's it. The only slight chance otherwise to create change is to do what i do, which is put all that public pressure on them, but that's a 16 hour a day job, to send out the smoke signals on blogs, radio, and council meetings.
Any kind of Neighborhood meetings, or phone conversations with politicians, or community gatherings is all complete BS. Because it is all a big racket. the people who set up the meetings and people you complain to are hired by the people in control. they are all on the same team. SO FILE A LAWSUIT! I'm serious. MEANWHILE, the main thing, is to know your rights and know the law and what you are and are not allowed to do, and make sure you spit back the truth if they try and bamboozle you. the city and police will try and get away with everything hoping you don't know.
ADS said...Hi Zuma, Putting on public pressure is difficult, because at least half of my neighbors are now yuppy scum and would probably be perfectly happy to see the Oceanfront Walk go the way of cold and sterile SM.
File a lawsuit? For what, and what are my damages? I'm afraid that is beyond me, acting alone anyway.
What I would like to see happen is for that area between Navy and whatever that street is where all the shops end, to be declared some sort of free speech, artistic zone, where all the weirdos that I love so dearly would be protected to do what they do without LAPD harrassment. I would like to see it re-zoned so that regardless of what gets built, the ground floors would remain retail. Ideally, I'd like to see no residential use on the oceanfront, because anyone who could afford to buy a condo there is probably the same type that's going to be calling the police constantly over the noise, the hippies, etc. Finally, there are a few buildings there, especially the Gingerbread House and the neighboring house, that I think should be protected as historical buildings.
That's my personal wishlist.
Isn't there some way to achieve something like this, short of a lawsuit?
zuma dogg
sorry...the city's masterplan doesn't include any heritige, culture or mom and pop-ism. did you see the la weekly article last week on denisty by david zahnister. its a www.laweekly.com now. check it out. i'll tell you more on the phone, if you want me to call you and tell you a little. but yeah, we all want that stuff, but the city is steamtrolling the city. if they followed the laws put in place to protect this from happening, things would be better, but they ignore the laws, and change everything after it's been approved. but what are you going to do, make them tear it down and put it back? read the laweekly article on density. it's called gentrification.
ADS said…ZD, Okay, all of that high density stuff is great for singles here in LA trying to build their careers, make a pile of money, whatever, but what do they expect FAMILIES with CHILDREN to do with no yards or cars? None of those destinations they plan on creating - upscale retail shops, expensive condos, hotels, etc., are very welcoming for noisy little kids. And with few parks around, often no sidewalks, what do they expect us to do? And how many of them would like to live in a condo next to my 1 year old who has a habit of crying around 10:30 pm nightly?
Besides, when I think of all the errands I run in a day, almost none of them are reachable by public transportation (such as the hills below Jefferson in Baldwin Park).
Already, many of the families I know have moved out of the area, to Houston, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, some to Agoura/Calabasas, do they want to make it totally unbearable so that we all get out?! Why don't they just name this City of No Families?
BOTTOM LINE: YOU KNOW MY SAYING, "YOU MIGHT HAVE BEAT US, BUT YOU DIDN'T FOOL US." And ADS, try Colorodo or Arizona.
contact: ZAP Blog
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