Category Archives: La Crisis

Putting an end to hunger in LA

Posted on by
3

Various religious groups across the city have come together to put an end to hunger in Los Angeles.  A food drive took place at Hollywood Forever this month, school children are choosing this campaign as their class project, entertainment people are joining in and volunteering at the various community food programs is being encouraged.   The organizers point out that food banks and collections are mere band-aids on the situation.   They have three major ways to end hunger in LA (check out their website at  Fed Up With Hunger –below is one of the methods and the results of an assessment made on our side of town.

A community food assessment by Project CAFÉ that mapped 1273 food establishments in three low income neighborhoods in South and Central Los Angeles found that 29.6% were fast food restaurants, 21.6% were convenience/liquor stores and less than 2% were full service food markets. In Boyle Heights, there is one supermarket for the 90,000 residents of the neighborhood. Tragically, families in these neighborhoods have the highest rates of obesity, overweight and other diet related health problems; cheap foods may ease hunger pangs, but these foods also lead to chronic malnutrition, an emerging health crisis that impacts us all.

The Action: Ask your City Council member to make grocery stores, farmer’s markets and community gardens a high priority in all land-use planning, especially in central and east Los Angeles. Visit the City of Los Angeles’ website and find your Council member in the “My Neighborhood” box.

Poverty Porn or Of Course You’re Concerned

Posted on by
16

 

This is funny to you?

This is funny to you?

As I have relented and signed on to Facebook I realized something, porn is very acceptable and never blocked on work servers. The kind I am referring to is of the poverty porn variety.

There are various genres:

Traditional: where a homeless person wanders around shouting, picking their nose or just sleeping. Yes homeless people are hilarious and great social commentary.

Rural: poor white people shopping at WalMart with funny clothes or hanging out with mullets.

Urban: poor black people are filmed with their funny hair, funny clothes, arguing, dancing or eating.

Interracial: poor people of different races participate in a fight to the finish in regards to space or dominance, with the money shot being the police coming or one of the participants being thrown out the store or the bus or the subway.

Children: poor people’s children eat cheetos, smoke cigarettes, say foul language or/and have funny hairstyles.

Snuff: poor people die through some beating act. Continue reading →

Festival de la Gente CANCELLED !!!!!!!!!

Posted on by
33

Through the electronic grapevine, I.E. I first read it/RT on twitter then I saw the press release on facebook, this years festival, which was going to be at Hollenbeck park is CANCELLED 🙁 This is what I personally consider a huge loss for not only Boyle Heights in terms of making some feria, but also, in a way, robbing the community of this kick ass Dia de los Muertos event. I loved that this years festival was going to be this weekend because it meant that I didn’t have to choose between going to Self Help and here. So why was it cancelled ? Because of $$$$$$ problems. From their press release, “Councilman Jose Huizar’s Office Unable to Waive Safety and Park Fees For What Would Have Been the 10 Annual Festival De La Gente LOS ANGELES, CA – The producer of the Festival de La Gente announced today his organization has been forced to cancel the festival that was to be held this weekend, on October 24 and 25, 2009. The producer was able to secure corporate sponsorships from GOYA FOODS, WELLS FARGO, HOY/Los Angeles Times, the WALT DISNEY Company and local art and food vendors for the budgeted costs. However, last-minute add-on fees from the City of Los Angeles for public safety and use of Hollenbeck Park were not covered by the City of Los Angeles as they have been in the past. Tony Dominguez, the producer of the event and Executive Director of Arte Calidad Cultural Institute, the non-profit organization that produces the festival, has said, “In good faith, I began this process of partnership with Los Angeles City Council District 14 back in March of 2009. Per their request, I pursued a new location for the festival at Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights. Last week I was informed of the additional fees associated with the new location and the Department of Recreation and Parks. Those costs were more than 30% of the event’s current budget and we could not raise replacement funds with such short notice. The Councilman Huizar’s office representative, Ana Cubas, stated, “Our office, like the entire city budget has faced major cutbacks,” in explaining why it could not support the festival this year although Mr. Huizar name is used in all promotional material including the web site. Marketed as the nation’s largest “Día de los Muertos” commemoration, the free festival typically includes a display of giant paper maché skeleton characters joining in the fun. Día de los Muertos is a Latin American cultural tradition that honors life and the spirit of family and friends who have passed on. The iconic playful skeletons were made famous by Mexican artist Jose Posada and are recreated by famed L.A. based paper maché artist, Tony Dominguez. In an effort to build community pride and acknowledge biculturalism, the 2-day cultural festival would have featured children’s themed arts and crafts, an altar contest, and traditional foods. The festival has also been a venue for local bands. In 2008, festival attendance exceeded the expected 60,000 per day.

No

Posted on by
7

No. How can someone think of putting pancakes into a BURRITO!?!?!? Puras locuras. I could not belive my sleepy eyes when I went to Denny’s with the GF this morning. Her choice to go there. I wanted a torta after reading Chavo’s post. So you can believe my shock when I saw this on the menu. And the price !?!? Pfft tan locos. I was THIS CLOSE to actually giving it a try and not being close minded and judgmental about it. But after I saw the syrup trying to be salsa, I took a stand and said NO. Denny’s, I’ve enjoyed the 3 a.m. breakfast and pumpkin pie in the winter, but this atrocity against burritos has gone far enough. All I have to say is NO.

Jack in the Box Accepting Food Stamps

Posted on by
27

ebtjack1

I saw this sign at my local Jack in the Box and instantly though WTF? How come they are taking EBT at a fast food joint? (EBT is the new electronic food stamps, for those not in the know.) Shouldn’t they be encouraging healthy eating instead? And this from someone that might have traded a food stamp or two for some Sierra Nevada Porter, back in the day. Apparently this is not some freak thing, this place just participates in the Restaurant Meals Program which actually seems like a good idea. It’s intended for the elderly and disabled that have a hard time cooking, and the homeless who might not have access to a kitchen. Most of the places on the list of participating restaurants seem to be fast food places but there’s a few that might be a mom and pop type of restaurant. There’s tacos, pupusas, burgers, hot dogs, Teriyaki, pollos, pizzas, and dragon locos, BBQ, and even soulfood. It’d be easy to complain about this use of public funds for fast food, but fuck that, poor folk have it hard enough as it is. Better yet, why not call out some of the “healthier” establishments for not participating in this program?

Continue reading →

American Social Problems

Posted on by
7

I attended an intro to sociology course called “American Social Problems” during the second week of school at ELAC and left questioning my academic, sociocultural, and career intentions with a shed of liberal light from an episode of Michael Moore’s “Awful Truth.” Why do I really want to go to school? Am I making a bad investment with hopes of an unreasonably better return that I probably don’t deserve? If I succumb to the system, will I turn into a capitalist-driven bloodsucker whose bottom line is money?

I think America is inflicted with an at-large social cancer that is slowly (or quickly, depending on how one interprets time and space) detiriorating the human spirit and his/her pursuit of true happiness. This cancer is so detectable, it’s undetectable. I cringe when I see my neighbor’s toddler children eating corporate-made candies with their silver capped teeth. My heart aches when I see jobless, injured, disabled people loitering around Downtown LA, in front of LA County Hospital, at Hollebeck Park.

Will I change in a semester? Where is the hope in a deteriorating society?

More American social problems:
– Prescription drug addiction
– Overprescribing people
– Overdiagnosing people
– Inhumane conditions in American city/county jails and state prisons
– Close-minded Americanism
– American greed
– American obesity
– Corporate takeover on food
– Lazy, apathetic government employees
– American apathy
– Under-representation of day laborers who live month-to-month
– Corporate education


**http://halfenough2.wordpress.com/

Artists Not Paid by Villaraigosa’s Summer Night Lights Gang Reduction Program

Posted on by
9

img_2581

I was copied on the following email by east-side artists who have been working on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Summer Night Lights project, now in its 2nd year.  A week ago the Mayor visited the Jordan Downs housing Project (pictured above) for a press tour.  Artists have worked diligently to provide what they could with their own resources to children who have no other summer alternative.  I took this picture above and witnessed how crucial art is to inner city youth who are starving to learn and desperately need patient mentorship.  –Victoria Delgadillo

FROM: Community Artist, Apprentices, and Master Artist/SNL 2009

RE: Summer Night Lights (SNL) Contract

DATE: September 2, 2009

To Whom May It Concern,

We the artists of the SNL Gang Reduction Program demand immediate payment for our services.  Many of us turned down other work to be a part of this important effort. The SNL programs success is majorly due to the arts component that is present at all 16 parks.  We all depend on this – this is our work, we have committed ourselves not only to our craft but to our community to provide the services they all deserve. Likewise we deserve to be treated as professionals in our field of expertise.  The Arts community is one of the most effected groups from the current economic downturn and continue to be disregarded by this neglect on the part of the City of Los Angeles.

The experience working hands on with the community has been remarkable. Many of us artist have gone through various lengths and have over exceeded in order to sustain the art, music and dance workshops for Summer Night Lights. For example, asking our colleagues, friends and organizations to donate materials, paying directly from our pockets, swiping our credit cards, borrowed money for equipment and materials. Although we have been partially reimbersed for materials, we have not been paid for our time and professional experience.  There has been a significant amount of preparation, time, planning and effort to make SNL a success. Our efforts have over exceeded our expectations and requirements. Continue reading →

Women’s Job & Resource Fair

Posted on by
1

From the press release:

Take advantage of opportunities this summer to start a new career. On Saturday, August 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the City of Los Angeles’ Human Services Department, the office of the Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, City Council President Eric Garcetti’s Council District 13 and the L.A. Derby Dolls will host a free job fair for women at the home of the Derby Dolls – the Doll Factory (1910 Temple St., 90026).

The free community fair will include job placement assistance, opportunities for green jobs and unexplored avenues for women (such as local trade unions), as well as career training for positions in which employers are currently seeking candidates.

In addition, as part of the Economic Stimulus Package, the City of Los Angeles has received funds for improvement of infrastructure to the city. This has created numerous job opportunities within the city of Los Angeles. The goal of the Free Women’s Job Fair is to help interested women get connected, trained and ready for these jobs.

For any women currently unemployed or looking for a new career, join these community organizations on August 22nd at the Doll Factory for workshops and to meet employers, recruiters and trainers that want to see the women of Los Angeles succeed

La Crisis: Recycling Lines

Posted on by
10

re_line
(Click on pic for a larger version)

I’ve spent time waiting in recycling lines before, but this one struck me as being massively long. You must take into account the other waiting people outside this frame, towards the left of the photo, whom left a gap to allow car traffic to come in and out of the parking lot. We were turning a corner and I just barely managed to turn on my camera to snap this one pic, but I’d say there were at least another 5-7 people waiting to turn some cans and bottles into a few dollars.  Consider also that this was on a Tuesday around noon, not a common time for the casual weekend I-want-my-money-back recycler. These all appeared to be jobbers. Also note that is was just off Atlantic Blvd in Monterey Park, certainly not a place I’d expect this scene. Monterey Park, Montebello, and the areas beyond always seemed like neighborhoods that represented a first step beyond urban poverty, at least to me. I don’t know what’s happening out there right now but I’m seeing some familiar sights.

When the non-wino class starts getting into this less than lucrative business, that’s when you know things are getting tough.

Teocintli is closing down

Posted on by
5

This is one post I thought I would never have to write and as much as I hate to write it, it’s the way things are as Teocintli is closing its doors. After four years of being a community space for local artist to have a place to get their start and offering great merchandise. I know that the kids from Roosevelt will miss the place just as much as everyone else. However this is just another bump in the road. Talking to Nico about the future of the place, he said that even though they’re closing down their doors, the heart and spirit of Teocintli is still going to be around. He me ruined that now they won’t be confined to a store front and be able to conti ue to grow by taking that very spirit that helped them unite the community to other spots that needs it. They’re still going to be having workshops and selling their unique brand of goods all over the Eastside so don’t count them out. With that being said they’re in there last week and are having an everything must go sale. Stop by for the first time or the last time and check it the spot. It’s going to be sorely missed, but they’ll still be around.