“You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Author: cherrywoodleimertblockclub_0pkop8
Surprise visit from City Council President Herb Wesson
En route to Taste of Soul on October 19, Herb Wesson made a friendly visit to the block club. It was agreed that he will return soon for a longer visit and discuss community issues. A committee was formed to get a list of top issues to the Council office, and Gwen Jones will coordinate with the office to schedule the next visit. “In my neighborhood, I’m just Herb.”
Education from Crypto Blockchain Plug
“Our people deserve to be at the beginning of something, and not only at the end.”
Najah Roberts
Najah Roberts of Crypto Blockchain Plug in Inglewood spoke at the Block Club meeting on September 21, 2019 about the importance of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in empowering communities financially.
LA Times – the battle for District Square
72-hour Towing – legislation alert
Assembly Bill 516 would repeal cities’ authority to tow vehicles for having multiple unpaid parking tickets or long out-of-date registrations, or for being parked in the same spot for 72 hours.” This LA Times opinion piece raises serious concerns about this proposed legislation. This could impact our neighborhood, where nuisance vehicles are often a complaint.
Climate Change Presentation
At our April block club meeting, Adele Wallace and Sue Romo of The Climate Reality Project made a presentation on climate change. They ask that we support the Green New Deal by contacting our local representatives and by supporting only candidates for public office who reject donations from fossil fuel companies.
Here is their list of organizations fighting climate change:
- StandLA
- Climate Reality Project
- Sunrise Movement
- Food & Water Watch
- SoCal350.org
- Extinction Rebellion
- Climate Mobilization
Cherrywood/Leimert Block Club meetings are free and open to the public.
The controversy over Senate Bill 50
There has been a lot of discussion of Senate Bill 50, a bill proposed in December and modified in March. This bill is a followup to the earlier SB 827 proposed by Scott Wiener. It is an amendment to existing law that allows developers a package of incentives if they provide affordable housing. It is targeted to transit-rich and job-rich areas of the city.
“SB50 will replace single-family homes with 7-8 story buildings on RESIDENTIAL streets 1/2 mile from Metro Stations, and 1/4 mile from busy bus stops. This goes way above and beyond Transit-Oriented Communities and has the potential to wipe out a significant portion of our beloved communities including most of Leimert Park.” –local activist Caeli Lynch
In April, the city of LA came out against the bill.
CurbedLA: “LA takes a stand against SB 50”
Additional Reading:
New Report: Black People and Homelessness
This ground-breaking new report from LAHSA identifies institutional racism, discrimination and unconscious bias as key drivers of homelessness.
Black People and Homelessness (LAHSA Report)
“This report is a critical first step to address the collective failings of systems and institutions that—de facto and de jure—have been designed to deliver the painful disparities that affect so many of our brothers and sisters. Hard work lies ahead to counter this tragic inheritance. If our region is to prosper, it is not only a moral imperative, it is an absolute economic imperative that all who call Los Angeles home are able to attain their full measure of dignity and self-worth.” –Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
Sidewalk Vending – new regulations
The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services has published new regulations for sidewalk vending, effective January 1, 2019. See the full text here.
Imagine LA: breaking the cycle of homelessness
The guest speaker at our meeting on February 16, 2019 was Imagine LA, a non-profit organization that helps break the cycle of homelessness by partnering volunteer mentors with people who have been homeless. They are looking for volunteers, mentors, partners, and sponsors.