LA Eastside

Three people including a ten-year-old girl were shot in their Southern Arizona home by vigilante Minuteman racists. The little girl and her father died. If this happened to a black family in Alabama or a Jewish family anywhere in the USA what would be the consequences?
With the US economy in shambles and unemployment at record levels will the Mexican American population be the whipping boy for the countries ills? Will the FBI and Justice Dept now take a second look at these right wing militias and racist goons who seem to be turning more violent as their frustration with an African American President and a more multi-cultural society turns to rage and terrorism.

From the New York Times today:

New Border Fear: Militia Violence By JESSE McKINLEY and MALIA WOLLAN
“I had to take an oath, and part of the oath was that I couldn’t eat Mexican food,” he said. “That’s when red flags went up all over for me. That seemed like prejudice.”

Minutemen American Defense, a Washington State-based offshoot of the Minutemen movement, in which citizens roam the border looking for people crossing into the country illegally. Former members describe the group’s leader, Shawna Forde, 41, as having anti-immigrant sentiments that are extreme, at times frightening, even to people accustomed to hard-line views on border policing.”

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I have been helping put this together the last few weeks and on behalf of Dream Team Los Angeles, I want to invite everyone reading this post to come to city hall on Tuesday and be witness to an amazing event.    From the press release.

Students Participate in West Coast DREAM Act Rally Day

Urge President Obama and Congress to Pass DREAM Act this year, 2009!

WHAT: DREAM Graduation Ceremony held in Los Angeles, CA in solidarity with the United We Dream Coalition’s National Day of Action in Washington D.C., in support of the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act.

The DREAM Act is a bi-partisan legislation that if passed, would provide undocumented college students a path to legalize their status after meeting strict requirements. These requirements include that the student must have entered the country before the age of 16, graduate high school or obtain a GED,  have good moral character (no criminal record),  and have at least five years of continuous presence in the US. The students will then have six years within which they must obtain a two-year college degree or voluntarily complete two-years of military service, in order to have the chance to adjust their conditional permanent residency to U.S. citizenship.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 23, 2009

12:00 p.m. – 1:00p.m. - DREAM Graduation and Press Event

WHERE: Los Angeles City Hall Lawn

200 N. Main St. Los Angeles CA

WHO: UCLA student speakers will discuss the importance of the DREAM Act.

Undocumented students will provide testimonials of their journey as undocumented.

Wendy Carrillo, will be the Masters of Ceremonies

Kent Wong Director of the UCLA Labor Center will be the Key note speaker

Opportunity for interviews with members of the community, speakers, students and

allies.

WHY: Highlighting the achievements of our nation’s undocumented youth and the vast support for passage of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

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Of course, I’m talking about Santa Monica’s newly adopted rent increase of 1 percent (effective September 2009 through August 2010) for their rent-controlled units, compared to the 4 percent increase the city of Los Angeles will allow in our rent-stabilized units (effective July 2009 through June 2010).  Santa Monica’s Rent Control Board approved the relatively small increase last week in consideration of the hard times that currently afflict even the bourgie classes of renters in that city.  To say the least, it’s thought-provoking to see the contrast between the two cities’ rent policies… to think that those of us lucky enough to live in rent-stabilized units in LA could see our rents go up 4 percent after July 1—even while housing market rates actually drop in the face of rising unemployment.  

How the hell can that be, you ask?

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On my daily commute to work I spotted this on N. Broadway.  Now this side of town is not without plenty of graffiti/bombs/tags but this meanders into other territory.  It’s not just a ‘tag’ but in a way someone trying to engage us and express his “boredom” with an act of creativity! Of course bored is spelled as borred, which makes one wonder as to whether this was intentional or not. And even the last “D” looks like a “b,” further changing an interpretation of this piece.

But frankly, on a purely visceral level I love this. Reminds me of all those million punk songs that sing about being young and bored. Even Søren Kierkegaard, Dutch 19th century existentialist, wrote about the nature of Boredom. For example he said in Either/Or,

Since boredom advances and boredom is the root of all evil, no wonder, then, that the world goes backwards, that evil spreads. This can be traced back to the very beginning of the world. The gods were bored; therefore they created human beings.

And also:

Boredom rests upon the nothingness that winds its way through existence

So, whoever did this is in good company in being bored…but as the Internationale Situationiste also said:

Boredom is counterrevolutionary.

OH! Who would’ve thought being bored had such existential implications!

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As some of you might have read in the L.A. Times, the taco truck wars continue to rage on, but on this fine day the Asociacion de Loncheros La Familia Unida de California had two reasons to celebrate. Not only did they get that BS over turned with the help of some UCLA grad students, but on June 11, 2008 the union embarked on a long journey that has resulted in  an official union in the state of California. How freaking awesome is that ?!?!?!?! One year later and not only are they making progress, but they are making strides in bringing respect and dignity back to the lunch trucks, its workers and its owners.

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In regards to this whole Eastside vs. Westside discussion, I want to restate something that keeps getting ignored and lost in the scuffle. I have said this many times in the past, but I thought perhaps, this merits it’s own post. SOME people seem to need to have things plainly spelled out for them (and even then, ’stan pendejos sometimes!). I shall repeat this for the LAST TIME. Speaking for myself, my point of view and belief is that…..

THIS IS NOT AN EASTSIDE CHICANOS vs. WHITE PEOPLE THING!

THIS IS NOT AN EASTSIDERS vs. WESTSIDERS THING!

THIS IS NOT AN EASTSIDERS vs. NEWBIES THING!

THIS IS AN EASTSIDERS vs. A FEW IGNORANT AND/OR INSENSITIVE SCHMUCKS THING!

…THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, I FOUND THAT ABOUT 90% OF WHITES AND WESTSIDERS (and even most NEWBIES) HERE IN L.A. ARE TOTALLY COOL HUMAN BEINGS WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS!

I hope this provokes some of you to rethink your oversimplistic conclusions. As for the majority of you readers who do get it, Thanks!

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Al Desmadre here, reporting from Silver Lake, CA. This evening, (Wed. June 10, 2009 at approximately 7:00pm PST) at a public meeting of the SILVER LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION held here in Silver Lake, 4th District City Councilmember Tom LaBonge made a stunning and revealing statement that I believe calls for an L.A. Eastside Extra! AY! Witness News Report!

But first, a little background on Councilmember LaBonge.….

Thomas J. LaBonge born in Silver Lake, Ca., he is a member of the L.A. City Council and represents the 4th district. His district stretches from North Hollywood to Hollywood and Griffith Park and Wilshire Blvd. He is Chairman of the Arts, Parks, Health and Aging committee, Vice Chairman of the Public Works Committee, and member of the Audits and Governmental Efficiency Committee and the Ad Hoc River Committee for our city. Before he was councilman,  Tom LaBonge was Director of Community Relations at the Department of Water and Power, Special Assistant to Mayor Riordan, and Chief Deputy to Council President John Ferraro. Tom LaBonge calls himself the Cheerleader of Los Angeles. His reputation for adding history lessons in City Council meetings is well known. A graduate of John Marshall High School, Tom LaBonge received his Bachelor degree in sociology from Cal State L.A. Some call him “Mr. Los Angeles“. Believe me, this man knows and loves this city like no other.

So, tonight, as Councilmember LaBonge spoke to those of us in attendance describing how a number of Westsiders have been moving into his and Councilmember Garcetti’s 13th District, he was heard to announce;

“By the way, THIS IS NOT THE EASTSIDE!, Silver Lake, Los Feliz,…That is not THE EASTSIDE.”

WOW! HA! HA! Well, you could have knocked me over with one of the empty paper cups from INTELLIGENTRIA Coffee Shop that I find strewn on my lawn every day!!!… So- I couldn’t wait to spill this news here! Requests have been made to Mr. LaBonge to follow up on his statement, and I will add any additional info from him as it becomes available. In the meantime, all of you hipster wannabees in SL/EP/LF calling yourselves eastsiders, can continue to BITE ME!

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The flyer pretty much sums it up ; Lincoln High School Teachers/Faculty and more are protesting @ Lincoln High School through the evening…and into the morning. This is late notice but  be sure to spread the word that such an ACTION is happening. These sort of ACTIONS lose any power if no one knows about them! This also late news but bestselling writer, Luis J. Rodriguez, author of “Always Running” will be there at 8pm tonight!

Follow this link for more info.

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~ Jose Guadalupe Posada ~

I just got this info literally handed to me five minutes ago. P3000 asked what it took for people to get angry, well students from ELAC and other community colleges are coming together to fight the class cancellations, Cal Grants and EOPS cut backs, health care for the lower income, health insurance and everything else that is going to make life unbearable for a lot of people. Here’s the message I got handed, “Due to the economic crisis all of Los Angeles Community Colleges are cancelling summer school and winter session! Come and support our students !!! Monday June 1, 2009 at 2:30 in Downtown Los Angeles. We will be protesting for our education. We need those classes to transfer to a four year university.” If you’re wondering if I’ll be there supporting my fellow students in fighting these injustices, no I will not. I’ll be at ELAC studying for my finals and taking care of business. We all do what we can with what resources we have at our disposal. There also getting students and supporters to sign a petition. This protest has nothing to do with the one going on at City Hall. FYI.

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