Public Comment during a meeting about the Westside subway extension

In an August 20, 2009 Los Angeles Times Blog, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stated a huge and unrealistic Subway to the Sea Construction Plan:

As the most outspoken advocate for the so-called Subway to the Sea, the mayor has long been frustrated by that timetable and it was evident again when he and other officials gathered for a news conference in a UCLA parking lot. There, final soil samples had been drawn for a line that would follow Wilshire Boulevard from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica.

“I’m 56 now,” the mayor said. “We are here today to make sure that it gets built before I am 66.”

There are many flaws to what the Mayor is asking for; a subway to Santa Monica is not possible in the timespan he wants it to be constructed. Even from public comment meeting where citizen from different communities opposed the subway to the sea plan, Mr. Villaraigosa still wants to continue to build it. What concerns me is he will to actually go through with this project, shoving aside the opposition of those who have concern over the construction of the subway.

In reality the subway to the sea will take much longer to build especially from obstacles that are similar to those that once stopped the hopes of the subway heading to the westside as well, such as soil strength, chemical issues and many other factors. Regardless of these issues Antonio Villaraigosa still wants this subway to be built, no matter at what cost.

Last Wednesday marked the day when Antonio Villaraigosa was sworn into his second term as the Mayor of Los Angeles. That is all well and good except for the fact that as a mayor, he has not kept his end of the bargain lately. He has a lot of times taken credit for things that was truly made possible by fellow citizens of Los Angeles. We will get into that subject when the time comes.

I arrived City Hall and grouped up with the rest of the B.R.U members. We started once we had gotten our info on where were going to be marching at. We began around 10′o clock and we marched in a V shaped formation, chanting numerous original chants that informed the public about the B.R.U.’s 1000 More Buses, a 1000 Less Police campaign, a campaign to support 1000 socials services such as Buses, Jobs, Parks, Farms, Schools, Teachers, etc. We made sure that our voices were heard, and that we had the Mayor listen to what we said.

I took a look around my surroundings. I noticed how police officers were on their horses ready for us to try and do something that would end up getting us arrested. But it was unfortunate for them that they couldn’t. We were not about to give them a reason for them to incarcerate us. The mood turned more calm at the end of his inauguration. Government officials came up to us and told us how they were admiring our struggle and some of them were even fellow allies. It was a time where I felt people that were more politically empowered were in the right with us, I felt as if we have more strength to keep fighting for what we believe in even if others are against us. I know that I will have to continue to fight along with the B.R.U. and other allied groups to fight for the better for the City of Los Angeles.

During the inauguration however, I watched as the Mayor took the podium.  I listen to him talk about how education is important, yet teachers, educators and other city officials are losing their jobs from the Mayor cutting city services.  He also took credit for the upcoming Bus Only Lane corridor that will begin ground breaking in 2010. In reality it wasn’t even the mayor who came up with the Bus Only Lane plan, it was the B.R.U. Villaraigosa approved it and took credit for it because it would boost him with a lot more praise and positivity.  I find him very contradicting, I feel as if he tries to kiss up to someone just to benefit him, especially back in 2008 when Barack Obama had received the primary nominations for the United States Presidency race.  Here is a quick quote from the June 8, 2008 La Times Blog,

“I’m excited about Barack Obama,’’ Villaraigosa told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer this afternoon. “His clarion call for change touched a cord all across the nation, and I’m going to work as hard for him as I did for Hillary Clinton.”

Villaraigosa promised to go “anywhere they ask me to go’’ to help him defeat presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain in November.

Are you serious? I mean did you actually say that you were going to back Obama, but yet you endorsed Hillary when she was running? Its all about consistency, don’t endorse someone else just to gain a spot in the White House. If Obama was the type to hold grudges do you think you have landed a spot in his economic transition team? I don’t think so.  I am going to close off my ranting about about Villaraigosa with a quick open thought. I expected more from you Mr. Villaraigosa, I mean when you first ran I was excited, I thought that we were really going to see alot more changes from you than Mr. Hahn. I guess I was wrong. I guess as the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold.

Rally at City Hall

A number of organizations rallied yesterday at Los Angeles’ inauguration ceremony where Mayor Villaraigosa was inaugurated to his second term.  The Bus Riders Union, the South Asian Network, and the Los Angeles Community Action Network were there in force to challenge the Mayor’s insistence on hiring more police at the expense of city workers, LAUSD teachers, and much needed social services.  Members of the Bus Riders Union were carrying signs advocating “1000 more buses, 1000 less police,” green jobs, youth centers, and bus only lanes.

By continuing to fortify the police/prison state, Mayor Villaraigosa is turning his back on environmental justice.  If the Mayor truly wanted a green city, he would advocate parks over police, public transportation over incarceration, and green jobs over jails.  In a city built on environmental justice and human rights, all residents should have the right to mobility, healthy public spaces, and a quality education.  Police should help support these essential components of healthy neighborhoods by protecting people, not by pre-prisoning youth and policing space on behalf of the powerful.

The LAPD was especially egregious yesterday in their illegal restriction of public space.  A legion of officers on horseback, bikes, and foot were present to surround the peaceful rally.  Officers initially would not let demonstrators access public sidewalks on the block of City Hall, where other members of the general public were allowed to enter unrestricted.  If the LAPD wanted to legally remove demonstrators from the sidewalks around city hall, they would have had to close the block to all members of the general public, not just the demonstrators.  LAPD finally realized they were in the wrong about the public space and allowed demonstrators onto the sidewalks on City Hall’s block.

Individual officers, however, were still misinformed about their legal obligation to allow access to public space.  A couple in particular were adamant that demonstrators not step up on a small curb between the sidewalk and an open grassy area.  Members of the general public were allowed to walk through the grassy area, sit in it, and use the portable toilets there, but demonstrators were told that they were not allowed to enter it, even to use the restrooms.

Overall, the rally and the LAPD’s response were an affirmation of the demonstrators’ message.  If the city has enough police officers to surround peaceful gatherings, keep demonstrators from legally and safely standing on curbs, and maintain a video unit (yes, the LAPD Video Unit was present), then clearly no additional police are needed, especially at the expense of teachers and green jobs.

[Show as slideshow]