New “Pentagon Papers” Describe the Insanity of the Afghan War

EDITORIAL: Time To Pull Out

About 75,000 documents describing a war without a purpose in Afghanistan have been “liberated” from military computers with another 15,000 to come.

The documents describe, among other things, U.S. soldiers randomly shooting Afghan civilians and Pakistan officials funneling U.S. funds to the Taliban. About 180 documents say the U.S. military believes Pakistan’s spy agency, ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), has given support and guidance to the Taliban.

The documents appeared on the website WikiLeaks, which protects the source of submitted material. However, the U.S. Army has arrested Army Specialist Bradley Manning, who apparently tapped into the military’s computers and copied the material on CDs.

The original Pentagon Papers exposing the war in Vietnam were made public by Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo. U.S. Senator Mike Gravel entered 4,100 pages into the Congressional Record, which insured they would be public documents. Then President Richard Nixon authorized a break-in of the office of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist. This revelation contributed to Nixon’s downfall.

Our own Representative Jane Harman took a dim view of the public learning the real story of the war in Afghanistan saying, “Someone inadvertently or on purpose gave the Taliban its new ‘enemies’ list.” But the real danger, as she must know, is that the whole military adventure has been exposed. Harman also voted, July 27, to send more troops to Afghanistan.

One item that will not be found in the 90,000 documents is a justification for the war and resulting deaths and destruction (1,209 U.S. deaths and at least 20 times as many Afghan civilians). It is time for the U.S. to immediately withdraw from this quagmire. It is a meaningless war, as were those in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada and Iraq. It was unnecessary from the beginning.

The Taliban were never accused of being involved in the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. In fact, according to CBS News, the Taliban told the U.S. that they would turn over Bin Laden if it would provide evidence linking him to the attack. Had the Bush administration complied, there would have been no invasion or subsequent war in Afghanistan, which is now the longest in this nation’s history.

An immediate U.S. pullout would be a threat to the government of Hamid Karzai, a former Union Oil executive, whose regime, on a good day, controls the capital and outskirts of Kabul. However, the United States has no right or business in deciding who the Afghans have in their government. It is almost a cliché to say that the U.S. cannot be the world’s policeman.

The U.S. should also end the occupation of Iraq for the same reasons. It should withdraw troops from around the world, including Columbia, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and other bases.

The billions of dollars used on these military adventures could be better spent reviving the economy here at home.

We owe Brandon Manning and WikiLeaks a debt of gratitude for reminding us once again of the futility of war.

–The Beachhead Collective

Inside Daisy Clover’s Venice

By Lynne Bronstein

I first found out about the existence of Venice, California from a novel.

Gavin Lambert’s Inside Daisy Clover, published in 1963 (and filmed in 1965 with Natalie Wood, Robert Redford and Ruth Gordon), was the saga of a teenage singing film star who rides the rough merry-go-round of Hollywood. But Daisy Clover was born, she tells us in the novel, in Hermosa Beach, and lives with her mentally unbalanced mother in a Playa Del Rey trailer park, in a building just off Santa Monica Pier, and in Venice.

The time period of the book is the early 1950s. At that time, Venice Pier still stood, as did Pacific Ocean Park. The Venice Peninsula was a place of oil wells. Venice and the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica were low-rent districts. There really was a trailer park on the Playa Del Rey bluffs. And there was a tram that traveled up and down the Ocean Front Walk.

Daisy, wild and fresh like her name, has a phrase for all of these beach towns: “cockeyed dump.”  She’s a beach kid who fends for herself, eats hamburgers and hot dogs to avoid her mother’s constant servings of canned refried beans, and takes the tram to Venice Pier where she records songs in one of those record-your-voice booths that amusement parks used to have.

Daisy can’t say anything good about her life in the trailer park. At the beginning of the book, she notes that she sometimes goes outside and sits on the trailer steps “just as I came into the world. So far, I have been totally ignored. The conformity around here is depressing.” (My late friend Mary Lou Johnson, who lived in another local trailer park near Washington Boulevard, would have agreed with her).

By the second chapter, Daisy’s wacky mother, known as the Dealer because she obsessively plays solitaire, moves herself and her daughter to a couple of rooms “overlooking Muscle Beach, where body builders work out all day.” This was not the current Muscle Beach in Venice but the original Muscle Beach just south of Santa Monica Pier. “You might describe the neighborhood as slightly run-down,” Daisy says of her surroundings.

Alas, Daisy’s mother sits in bed smoking and causes the Paradise Hotel to burn down. So Daisy and Mom finally move to Venice.

“It’s a Spanish joint and must have been pretty fancy once. Inside there’s an open courtyard with balconies running all the way around each floor. We go up two flights of iron steps and past lines of washing to reach our apartment, which is one big room with three alcoves—not bad for $35 a month.” (The year was 1952).

Daisy gets a screen test after she submits one of her pier-booth vocal recordings to a movie studio talent contest. She is “discovered” for the movies but is informed that she will have to live with her (greedy and jealous) older sister and that her mother is to be committed to an asylum. After hearing this news, Daisy, depressed about her future, sits on a canal bridge over one of the dried-up canals in the Peninsula.

“It’s supposed to be exactly like a bridge in Venice, Italy, there’s quite a few of them around here because once upon a time  some millionaire who must have been nuttier than the Dealer though I never heard they committed him, started building a complete imitation Venice Italy right where I’m sitting.”

Daisy thinks that Abbot Kinney’s idea of a replica of Venice never “caught on” and was never finished, so that “today it’s the creepiest, most beautiful ruin you ever did see.” She describes the oil field, empty, a suitable place for a person to feel depressed.

The rest of the book takes place in “Hollywood” wherever that may be—a movie studio in the Valley, residences in Beverly Hills and Malibu. But Daisy finds herself longing for the “cockeyed dumps,” returning to Venice Beach on her birthday to discover a colorful little beach-front café, a gay/lesbian hangout where people seem to like her for herself.

Later on, with her career in the waste basket, a sadder but wiser Daisy lives in New York’s East Village, finding the atmosphere reminiscent of the beach towns where she grew up.

One wonders what Daisy Clover would think of the changes that have happened to the beach front during the last 50 years. Condos raise their heads where the “beautiful ruin” stood in the oil field. The canals are now lined with expensive homes. Daisy Clover might see this as appropriate allegory for her own life – the funky but sincere neighborhood given a “makeover” and glamorization. The beauty of Daisy Clover herself is that she remains a feisty Venice brat all through the story. You can take the girl out of Venice but…….

All quotes are from Inside Daisy Clover,

by Gavin Lambert.

Letters

• Campaign Spending – Sandra Chen Lau
• Unenvironmental Advertising – Pirco
• Police Brutality – Name Withheld
• Michael McGuire – Dennis Stankie

————————

Campaign Spending

Dear Beachhead,

I appreciate the article Jim Smith wrote in regards to the 53AD Assembly race.  Lots of money were raised and spent.

However, the article reported that James Lau, who came in second, ranked #2 in money spent. This is inaccurate. Nick Karno who came in third spent more money than James Lau.

Here’s the link:

http://www.electiontrack.com/district.html?oc=AD53

Thank you,

Sandra Chen Lau

—

The writer responds:

At the time of our deadline for the article in June, filings by “independent” committees supporting various candidates had not be completed.

In those late filings, Lau did inch ahead of his fellow Venetian, Karno. Lau’s “independent” support came from medical associations, Asian-American businesses and the Apartment Association, while Karno’s came from labor unions. This minor “tweak” does not invalidate my contention that politicians buy elections, even in Venice.

Jim Smith

————-

Unenvironmental Advertising

Dear Beachhead,

I couldn’t help but notice the hundreds – if not thousands – of small plastic American flags strewn all over Venice, by “Tony,” the other day along with a card wishing a Happy 4th of July from his family to ours.

Times are tough these days, and as a business owner, myself, I understand the need to market and advertise services. But I’m concerned with his choice. Two days after his campaign was launched, I already see many of these flags in the gutters and blown all over the sidewalks, certain to end up in the ocean. In addition to the plastic, the flag is attached to a real wooden handle/pole.

Surely he must be aware how much this community cares about the environment. I’ve talked to several neighbors who share my concern about these flags and we’re saddened to see so much imperishable waste, and the wasting of precious resources.

Perhaps he would consider organizing a “Beach Clean-up” event or similar positive campaign to help counterbalance the negative impact of these plastic flags. In any case, I hope that in the future he might consider more environmentally friendly ways to promote his services.

Kind regards, pirco

————

Police Brutality

Dear Beachhead,

I was recently in the shopping center at Lincoln and Rose having a good old time, when I saw not one, but two acts of police brutality. The first was a man and a woman being handcuffed by two undercover police officers. I would have ignored it, but I was taken aback by the car that the two officers were driving: it looked like a sleeper’s van. With beat-up bumpers, scratches and a Mexican straw hat on the dashboard, I would have never second-guessed it to be an undercover cop car.

Just when I thought no one else was noticing, I saw a pedestrian taking a picture of the scene. But the policemen, looking more like out-of-shape trouble-makers than cops, started snapping pictures of the pedestrian. The pedestrian was then quickly approached by one of police, who put his face just a few inches away from the pedestrian’s face in an intimidating fashion and threatened to take them to jail if they continued to take pictures of him or his car. The pedestrian appeared to play it cool instead of becoming confrontational, but legally we all have a right to take pictures of anything that is happening in a public place. Far from it being grounds for arrest, it is actually the only thing that has been able to prove police brutality.

After the cops took off, I went back to talk to the people who had been handcuffed and get a scoop on the situation. As it turns out the gentleman, David Garcia, has been a local at Lincoln and Rose for 42 years playing guitar, washing windows or cars, helping people, and overall being “the last of the true troubadours.” He and his lady friend were just driving down the street when the undercover police car started following them and then asked them where the drugs are. Mr. Garcia told the policemen that he does not know where the drugs are and that he does not have any, but the policemen proceeded to search his vehicle while he was standing against his vehicle, with his lady friend, both handcuffed.

After not finding any drugs in the car, and because Mr. Garcia chose to be cooperative instead of hostile, the cops took off with the same bad attitude that they arrived with. However, Mr. Garcia was left feeling embarrassed, degraded and violated, wondering, “Why did they handcuff me?”

I can’t help but feel bad for the innocent pedestrians involved and wonder how similar situations can be prevented.

Sincerely,  A Concerned Venetian

————

Michael McGuire

Dear Beachhead,

This week the Los Angeles City Council voted to embellish a $50,000 reward for information leading to the killers of Michael McGuire. I became interested in this story after reading about it in the Beachhead, the Venice beach paper. I ride my bicycle around this area, going to In & Out and Starbucks. It was with great sadness I understood this tragic event that claimed this young man’s life.

Last weekend I went to the service at the Venice pier, where his surfer buddies gathered. I have been by the memorial on Louella Street several times, including last night, and I have interviewed about a dozen people. So far I have not reached any conclusions. The information I have been able to gather from the streets is hardly evidence. For about three weeks I have been studying the writing on the internet. Again, hardly any evidence or anything NEW. As a result, I applaud the city of L.A. for putting up this reward.

In a city with countless unsolved cases, Michael McGuire’s killers do not have to get away with this tedious act. I saw 400 of his friends gather at the beach. One man on Louella Street said what is true: “The streets have ears.” Someone saw something or has heard something. Each detail of that evening needs to be examined and re-examined to create descriptions of the suspects, the vehicle and the weapon used.

I applaud the media for its limited coverage of these events. The real source of truth in solving this crime lies in the community. Those individuals with countless details need to talk and write until fear and doubt become nil and void. If we let fears and doubts about Michael McGuire’s death control this investigation, we will be siding with the killers. Our fears and doubts will be their biggest defense. Come forward and shine the light on the despicable creeps.

Dennis Stankie

HUD Grant Will House 19 Homeless People

The Venice Community Housing Corporation (VCHC) recently received $1.3 million from the Housing Urban Development (HUD) to provide low-income housing to 19 people in Venice who are homeless and suffer from mental illness or other disabilities.

The participants will have to pay thirty percent of their incomes in rent, and the rest will be covered by the HUD through their Shelter Plus Care program. The rent-subsidies will cover the 19 participants for five years, during which time case managers from St. Joseph’s Center will assist them with medical and mental health services.

“The building is a block away from the beach, which will make it easier for the participants to adjust to being housed by allowing them to remain in their familiar surroundings and within their support systems,” said Kristen Laskaris, development director of VCHC.

The building will be ready for move-in January 2011. Meanwhile, solar panels are being installed to increase energy efficiency and the entire building is retrofitted to allow for disabled accessibility.

– Greta Cobar

Navalette Tabor Bailey, Venice Pioneer, Dies at 95

By Jill Prestup

Navalette “Novie” Tabor, matriarch of one of Venice’s first families, passed away July 18. She was 95, two months short of her 96th birthday.

Born September 7, 1914, Novie was a lifelong Venice resident. Her family moved from Louisiana to Venice when she was 6 months old, and she lived for the last 52 years on the property that her father, Charles Tabor purchased the year of her birth.

For many years Novie was the person historians, journalists and community members called upon when they wanted to know about the Oakwood area of Venice. She had fond memories of her childhood, but also acknowledged the discrimination and limitations she encountered as a black child. Although she was the first black female student to graduate from Venice High School, it was a bittersweet celebration. She wasn’t allowed to enter a skating rink, the site of the graduation party.

As a young woman seeking employment, discrimination of the time continued. During the middle of the Depression, determined not to stay home, she was refused employment at a five and ten cent store. Instead, she found a job — doing housework, chauffeuring and taking care of children — that paid a dollar a day. The importance of self-esteem and her goal of being independent served her well through the decades.

In 1950, Novie was hired at Douglas Aircraft as an electrician installing junction boxes. Later, while taking care of her parents, she became interested in nursing, a reflection of her life of caring, and worked in a nursing home in Santa Monica.  She tried to retire at 62, but was a popular care giver and stayed part time until 67. She recalled that one of the best rewards of being a nurse was seeing a patient’s face light up when she walked into their room.

Retirement for Novie meant the opportunity to travel. When her father was ill, he mentioned his desire to return to Louisiana to see how things had changed. But he kept putting it off until, at last, he couldn’t travel. He advised his daughter not to wait and soon after he died, Novie began to explore the world.

She took her first airplane ride in 1964, at the age of fifty. It was a 29-day, around the world trip, offered by Douglas. And that was just the beginning. Novie island hopped six times in the Caribbean and took her grandson to the Far East. She enjoyed cruising the Mediterranean, South America, the Panama Canal and Alaska.

When Novie wasn’t traveling the globe, there were trips every two to three months to Laughlin, Las Vegas or Indian reservations to gamble. She spent whatever she could afford to lose.

While at home, Novie kept busy. She was a member of the Oakwood Recreation Senior Group since the late 70s. On Saturdays, family and friends were welcome to stop by for dinner. Novie was a gracious hostess and there was always more than enough delicious food. She generously allowed the Venice Historical Board of Directors to have its monthly board meetings at her home. Meetings aren’t always fun, but she made them appealing by offering fabulous munchies.

There are remembrances of Novie’s life in picture-packed albums. If you’ve seen photos of the filling-in of Abbot Kinney’s canals with trucks, they belonged to her father’s business. The feature article of the Argonaut’s Feb. 14, 1991 issue was “Blacks Who Helped Build Venice.” On the cover is a 1915 photo of Novie as an infant with her parents, sister and brother.

In her infinite wisdom, Novie reminded family and friends to enjoy life as it comes – do everything you can do, do what you want to do. There seems to be a lot of truth in positive thinking resulting in a longer life. That’s what Novie did – ignore the unpleasant and focus on what is good.

Novie is survived by son Alvin Christman, daughter-in-law Cynthia Christman and, the joys of her life, grandchildren Allen and Antonia Christman, plus a myriad of relatives and friends who will always cherish having Novie in their life.

Interview with Navalette Tabor Bailey and Jataun Valentine

(This interview originally appeared in the Beachhead’s March 2007 issue)

By Rex Butters

Beachhead: How long have you been with the historical society?

Navalette Tabor Bailey: Oh, about 20 years, I guess. I know it’s been a long time.

Beachhead: What does the historical society do?

Bailey: They try to restore and protect the original Venice. You know, they put up these monstrosities now, just ruin the architecture all together. Upside down houses, and everything.

Jataun Valentine: They look like bunkers.

Bailey: Until recently, Venice was just small cottages. It wasn’t designed to be a city, more of a resort. That’s what Abbot Kinney had in mind.

Valentine: One of the things the Venice Historical Society has been doing, they have all this history and artifacts and it’s costing them a fortune to keep it, because they don’t have a building of their own. That’s their goal, to have a building where they can show all of this history and things that they’ve been keeping, that people have given them.

Bailey: Especially photos, you have to keep them under certain conditions. When they built the library, they should have had a portion of it so we could store things. We’re trying to purchase one of those big red trolley cars, but we can’t find one. Put it right behind the library.

Beachhead: Did you get down on the old pier?

Bailey: I lived on the pier. That’s why I don’t care about Disneyland. I’ve had it all my life. Mr. Reese was the town decorator. He decorated the ballroom and the pier. He had a crew of men who cleaned the pier. He was in charge of everything, the plunge, where to get your towels, all that kind of stuff. Everybody knew our family, so we could go on the rides for free. We’d leave early in the morning and be gone all day long. My father was a Tabor, he was a cousin of Arthur Reese. And, his brother was a chauffeur for Abbot Kinney. He willed him his house. It was sold recently, the grand kids sold it. It’s sad. It was a beautiful old place. About 20 of the grandkids got married there.

It was sort of like a meeting place. It was large and our family was large, we would utilize the house so often for social events. We couldn’t go anyplace, we couldn’t go to any dances, because they didn’t allow us in the ballroom. We had this big house, we could do anything we wanted to do. My uncle was very good about letting us use it.

Beachhead: Where was it?

Bailey: Sixth & Santa Clara. It’s still there.

Valentine: We went through it not long ago. They were very nice. One thing I thought was interesting was that wall made of hide.

Bailey: Leather walls all the way around. Full hides each panel, beautiful.

Beachhead: Did you ever think it would get so expensive around here?

Bailey: No, I couldn’t imagine it. These flats they built all over Venice after the war, they were selling those for $10,000. I thought that was exorbitant. I wouldn’t buy one. Now they sell for a million dollars.

Valentine: There were a lot of empty lots around, now you don’t see any empty ones.

Bailey: We had that fear of losing, because my parents lost everything in the Depression. But, they weren’t the only ones. It made you leery of conditions and you didn’t take advantage of things like you should. Well, we’re still here, anyway.

Beachhead: Did you find work during the Depression?

Bailey: We didn’t have a lot of opportunities. We had to make the best of what we had. When I got out of high school I went to work in Malibu Colony, I was working for a family up there. A dollar a day, 30 dollars a month, sometimes 16 hour days.

I graduated from high school during the Depression, 1933. I was the first black woman to graduate from Venice High School. I didn’t want to be a burden on my family, because they were struggling, so I got myself a job.

I was taking care of two little girls, doing the hardest work. But one good thing, I had a car and a chauffeur’s license. I drove the kids to school. I was independent that way, on my day off they let me take the car, which is the only good thing I got out of it. I guess that’s why I stayed for that little of money. I dressed myself, I wasn’t a burden on my family. I stayed with them about four years I guess.

The woman’s family owned a lot of property in La Cañada. Her family put her on a budget. They’d only give her so much money a month, because she was a spendthrift. She was kind of spoiled. One day, she must have lost it. I had one day off, on Thursday. I heard her on the telephone inviting a lot of people over. It was the 4th of July, it came on a Thursday, my day off. I’d made plans, I heard her, I said, “You better call the employment agency in Santa Monica, see if you can get someone out here to help you, because you know I’m not going to be here.”

She hauled off, and POW! She hit me in the face and knocked me on my butt. I sat on the floor for a minute because I was stunned. I shook my head, and she was stunned too, because I didn’t get up right away. I got up slowly to get my bearings, because I was groggy. See, she didn’t know I could fight. My cousins were all amateur boxers and they use to teach me how to, 1-2-3 punch. So when I came up, I came with a hay bale. I hit her, POWEE! And I threw her up against a door, all this was in the little bathroom. It got too much for her in the bathroom and she ran into her bedroom, and I was right behind her. She turned around and kicked at me, so I just grabbed her foot and threw her on her back. Then I straddled her, and I was whaling on her.

Her husband came in, he pulled me off of her, and she said, “She hits like a mule!” She didn’t know what I would do. I was taught to fight, I didn’t fight like a woman, scratching. I was really throwing some punches. She ended up with a wet towel on her face begging me to stay. I hated to leave the kids, I was attached to them. But, I called home and had them come pick me up. I got another job, paid just as much.

Beachhead: You’ve been here since 1915. If you were granted the wish, what would you like to see happen in Venice in the next hundred years?

Bailey: I’d like it to remain like it used to be, a mecca of excitement. The railroad would bring car after car, people would get off in droves. Now it’s cars. They should never have gotten rid of the railroad.

Valentine: Those were the days, too, when we didn’t have to have bars on the windows, didn’t have to lock the door. That made a big difference.

Bailey: Everybody had passkeys. One key could open any door, so why lock them?

Valentine: It was fun when kids could be kids and stay out. Our parents didn’t worry about us, we didn’t have the kidnapping. As long as we got home before dark. Everybody knew everybody, too. It was a community. If you did something wrong, by the time you got home, your parents knew about it. Neighbors could discipline you, and the parents were glad they did it.

Bailey: They had a curfew. There was a big whistle that blew right where Bank of America is. But, you’ve got to give way to progress. I know it will never return like it was.

Trouble on Ocean Front Walk

After the 2000 census, the Los Angeles City Council deemed it necessary to redraw the council district boundaries, presumably to accommodate shifts in population.  Accordingly, new districts were created, one of which was the new CD11, encompassing Venice, Westchester, West LA and Pacific Palisades,. Council member Cindy Miscikowski was appointed the representative for this new district, over the vociferous objections of large portions of their voting populations.

Immediately thereafter, talk arose about “problems” with violence and bad behavior on the Venice Boardwalk that needed some kind of city supervision.  The talk rapidly escalated into discussion of the need for a means to regulate activity on the Boardwalk and very shortly thereafter, the initial steps to this end were implemented through the establishment of a permit system for people wishing to be present on the west side of the Boardwalk – the area traditionally known as the Free Speech Zone.  Within a few months, the permit system was extended to include a lottery for the purpose of assigning spaces on the Boardwalk which had been predetermined by the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks.  All of this was done in the face of fierce, but ineffective resistance by traditional free expression people.

A lawsuit charging violation of first amendment rights was filed by opponents to the new system.  Unfortunately, a settlement was reached which modified the implementation of the permit/lottery, but did not address the problem of first amendment violation.  A second lawsuit met the same unhappy fate and has led to wholesale commercialization and egregious violations of those rights which are rampant on the Boardwalk today.

Today, true artists, performers and free speech advocates are being forced off the Boardwalk by city-sponsored resale of commercial goods which has converted the traditional Free Speech Zone into a cheap and tawdry swap meet.

Criminal activity such as selling and/or swapping of spaces, multiple family members – including minor children- entering the lottery for spaces, illegal vending (where such activity is proscribed by the ordinance LAMC42.15) and improper vending where vending is allowed (again, of a nature that is proscribed by the ordinance) are epidemic.  The twelve black spaces which were presumably set aside for true first amendment activity have been essentially highjacked by aggressive commercial individuals and groups of individuals who have threatened anyone attempting to use them for their presumed stated purpose.

Further, a reading of the ordinance reveals it is so vague and inconsistent as to be unenforceable, even if its intentions were to establish reasonable order on the Boardwalk.  The resistance maintains that such intentions are illusory, if they ever existed.

Therefore, the resistors are actively seeking a constitutional  attorney who is willing to take this issue on pro bono or for a modest fee, since these resistors are for the most part themselves of very modest circumstances.

If there is a local attorney or anyone else who can help the resistance in any way, please, please contact us at venicebeachboardwalkcoalition@gmail.com.

–VBBC Administrative Board

Venice Cityhood Drive Kicked Off

By Greta Cobar

Around thirty beautiful Venetians got together on Sunday, July 25, to take back the old City Hall, currently Beyond Baroque, and Venice Cityhood as well. What would it be like if we could make our own laws, regulations and decisions right here in Venice, instead of having some distant strangers make them for us in distant and extremely different downtown L.A.? What would it be like if we got to keep the money generated by Venice, as the top tourist destination in Southern California, instead of sending it downtown to be spent somewhere else? What if we had the power to stop the nearly automatic approval of new development that downtown is throwing at us?

Everybody in the room seemed to agree that it would be awesome. And the consensus also seemed to be that if the residents of Venice were to vote on it, it would happen. However, the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) is in charge of determining the rules and procedures that cities have to go through to either join or break away from the city of L.A. According to LAFCO, more than half of voters in the whole city of L.A. would have to support Venice’s de-annexation.

Another, more likely option, of gaining cityhood would be to amend the law that created LAFCO by adding a “Buyer’s Remorse” clause that would allow former cities to withdraw based on a majority of the votes in that city alone.

The San Fernando Valley recently tried to break away from the city of L.A., but was unsuccessful because L.A. voters did not approve it. However, the Valley was never a separate city, like Venice was from 1905 to 1925.

On the other hand, the city of West Hollywood recently gained its cityhood and prospered tremendously as a result, but their fight was also different because, although part of the L.A. County, they were not part of the actual city of L.A.

There is no past example of a city that was annexed and then de-annexed, so once again Venice will have to make history. To amend the law that created LAFCO, we would have to lobby members of the State Assembly or State Senate to introduce a bill. Lisa Green, who is running for State Assembly and who was present at the meeting, said that she would most definitely introduce such a bill.

We have a long and rich history of victories here in Venice, such as the overturn of the biggest eviction in the history of the city of L.A. at Lincoln Place and the defeat of permit parking with of the Coastal Commission on two occasions. Through the years we also prevented the gated community project at the MTA lot, blocked the building of a freeway through Venice three times, prevented massive shopping centers from being built at Lincoln Center and where Costco is now, and made sure that our beautiful canals do not become another yacht harbor. As Tomito Kakos said, “don’t approach Venice cityhood with doubt, but as a process, the most important part of which is your participation.”

There are 88 cities in the L.A. county, 42 of which have less than 40,000 residents. Venice itself has 40,000 residents, right about average for the county. The city of L.A. itself, the largest in the county, also has the most problems. Obama bailed out the banks under the assumption that they are too big to fail, but Jim Smith pointed out that they are actually too big to work, much like the city of L.A.. New York, although a big city, is divided into Burroughs and provides more local control than L.A. does.

The meeting was dominated by people expressing anger, disappointment and frustration towards the city of L.A. and its annexation of Venice. Logistics such as police, schools and water were discussed, but the feeling was that we would be able to easily manage all those and in addition make improvements and provide services. Lisa Aycock recognized the fact that even in Venice there are different viewpoints on issues, but stressed the fact that we all need to work together instead of bickering.

In the 1950’s L.A. mayor Sam Yorty advocated that “Venice should be all torn down and start over.” Most of the canals and the lagoon were covered with cement, the pier at Windward was torn down, and 40 percent of the buildings on the Boardwalk were destroyed, including the most beautiful building in town, St. Mark’s Hotel. The money generated by the oil wells in what is today the Marina peninsula was used to build the pier in San Pedro, while the brand new fire truck that Venice bought just before annexation was taken and replaced with an old one.

Venetians have had it with the abuse, neglect and authoritarian leadership provided by the city of L.A. Kakos inspired us all at the end of the meeting by declaring that “this is the beginning of our journey towards Venice cityhood.” The time has come for us to rise to the occasion and take back our cityhood, livelihood and ability to decide for ourselves. If you would like to get involved, please email cityofvenice@freevenice.org or call 310-396-2525.

Two Views of RV Living – Lisa Green

By Lisa Green

At the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC), July 20, Officer Peggy Thusing, stated, “The Oversized Vehicle Ordinance (OVO) will be implemented on streets in Venice where we’ve tried for years to get them off your streets.”

Silly me, I was under the impression the mayor had instructed the City Council and Department of Transportation to find other solutions in lieu of implementing a OVO? Is the City implementing the old version?

The presenter of the Streets to Home Program, a recently hired consultant in Rosendahl’s office, was very unorganized, unfocused and scattered in her presentation. I suppose she expected a hostile crowd, and she got it from those angry NIMBY people, but if you’re going to do the job you have to be able to take the heat, stay on task. Yes, she had a tough task but she just didn’t come across as the right person for the task.

Some points of interest mentioned by the presenter(s):

• 250 vehicles counted that are assumed to be people living out of cars, van and campers on the Venice streets, no specific amount of spaces for the program were identified but 40 was used as an example;
• VNC will hold multiple meetings to inform the community about the Streets to Home Program (Linda Lucks did a good job with a tough subject);
• Apparently some believe that a good portion of the people are living in vehicles but have other alternatives, such as housing (believing the LA Weekly article, I suppose);
• The streets to Home Program will provide intensive case management, requiring a contract, and violations will result in termination from the program (sounded very militaristic);
• No lots specified at this time, but only 5 vehicles per lot will be implemented;

Arturo Pina was quick to state that Rosendahl’s office tried to help the angry NIMBY people but the darn Coastal Commission on two occasions believed the City of LA’s request was in violation of the Coastal Act. When you lead with fear, or anger (same emotion actually) you often tune out, losing your intuition, and reasoning abilities, but wait there’s more!

Officer Thusing was the most inappropriate telling the angry NIMBY people that they should tell her which parking lots to exclude, because she has her opinion as well, and she’s going to interject. Her job as an police officer works only if she promotes fear, and she’s trained at that. I like Officer Thusing as a person, but I am not in agreement with the dialog used. For example, “That her work to clean up the library will be protected. “

We are speaking of people that are being cleaned off the streets, with no services, no affordable housing available, etc. It’s unacceptable, this approach. Most of the people I know that are living on the streets or are sleeping in vehicles, are trying to get housing, and have been on lists, but the lists are long, and some of them just are not messed up enough? Get the picture?

No? Well, let me explain, if you’re just poor, ya know, not making enough to pay for the basics, to receive many of the limited services an individual must either be addicted, pregnant, mentally unstable, or unable to hold down a job but have no fear, living poor, and being attacked numerous times by other members of your community will get you that ticket to unhealthy mentality over time.

Yes, some of the angry NIMBY people were vile, hateful and loaded lots of trash into our collective consciousness. The worst comment I heard utter from a very inappropriate male was, “Maybe we should kill the program,” alluding to the Streets to Home Program.

So, the angry NIMBY people took the hate to a new level last night, showing their emotional immaturity level exceeded their actions at the Coastal Commission meeting last June. Sounds like we should ask the City of LA to implement a program to reconnect angry NIMBY people with their heart center but the residents of Venice will have to take on that task.

Thankfully, I know many people in Venice that believe the community is inclusive,and are working to find effective solutions for the challenges we face while we tolerate a small segment of our larger community that has an emotional immaturity level that screams “ inner child wounded.”

As someone who chose to leave a high paying corporate job to spend my time bringing awareness, assisting others to act, taking on lots of accountability, while working to get us back in balance with our compassion, and concern for our planet and each other, offering and working to find effective solutions for very challenging issues, I found the tone from the speakers of the City of L.A. departments very inappropriate, and filled with harshness for people that are struggling economically, and working, and waiting for services that are not available. The spokespersons fueled the NIMBY people by repeatedly stating, we’ll get them off your streets. The streets are public streets, and all people are part of the public common.

Thankfully, Venice is love not fear. I never invited fear to move here but Venice is an inclusive community so all are welcome. Maybe one day fear will actually believe that fear is a waste of energy and depart. In the meantime those of us that chose love, we’ll have to work to mend the wounded, heal our sick community, and get us back in balance with our living planet, and each other. Love is the strongest power in the universe.

Lisa Green is the Green Party candidate for State Assembly in the district that includes Venice.

Two Views of RV Living – Bill Rosendahl

By Bill Rosendahl

We are making progress on a groundbreaking program to deal with the issue of people living in their vehicles in Council District 11.

As many of you know, city agencies and I have been working very hard to develop a comprehensive strategy to come up with a solution that balances restricted parking and law enforcement with social services for those who need them.

Last month, the City Council approved amendments to an ordinance that will make it easier to restrict oversized vehicles from parking on our streets overnight.  At the same time, I have been working to create a Safe Parking program, which would create designated areas where economically disadvantaged people living in vehicles could sleep lawfully, obtain counseling and social services, and begin the transition to permanent housing.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the City-County agency charged with administering the program, has prepared a draft Request for Proposals (RFP), a legal document that solicits bids from social service providers to run the program. The RFP provides a broad framework and foundation for the program; more specific details will be worked out with the community once LAHSA selects a service provider.

LAHSA will formally release the final RFP next month, select a provider in early fall, and launch the program before the end of the year.  In the meantime, I wanted to circulate the draft RFP and ask for your feedback.  I have also asked my staff to prepare, in consultation with LAHSA, a PowerPoint presentation, summarizing how the program was developed and highlighting some of its key elements.

This proposed program is the result of months of collaborative effort by hundreds of people. This is s smart and cutting-edge program that builds on the successes of similar programs in other cities, and improves and tailors them for our community.  I hope to launch the program before the end of the year, concurrently with the implementation of the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance.

In a few weeks, I will be holding a Town Hall meeting to thoroughly discuss the program.  Prior to that, key members of my staff are available for meetings and briefings in smaller groups.   In the meantime, I welcome your comments and feedback.

Bill Rosendahl is the L.A. City Councilmember whose district includes Venice.