For Angelenos and for veterans, the most important component of a $555 billion spending bill President Bush signed on Dec. 26, is a provision that specifically bans future commercial development or sale of the West Los Angeles Dept. of Veterans Affairs campus.
“It's been a long fight for us," said Keith Jeffreys, president of the Culver City-based Citizens for Veterans' Rights. "This frees us up to concentrate on ensuring that
veterans who are supposed to receive services at that hospital are actually getting them.”
The 388-acre site off the 405 Freeway was donated by U.S. Sen. John P. Jones, one of the founders of Santa Monica, and Arcadia B. de Baker in 1888, deeding the land for the sole use of serving soldiers and veterans of wars.
Breaching a Trust?
The Veterans' Administration has been sharply criticized in recent years by various local community groups who charged that the land was not being used per wish by its former owners.
The V.A. provision in the omnibus spending bill was added by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Specifically, it states that “the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not declare as excess to the
needs of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or otherwise take any action to exchange, trade, auction, transfer, or otherwise dispose of or reduce the acreage of, federal land and improvements at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Medical Center, encompassing approximately 388 acres on thw north and south sides of Wilshire
Boulevard and west of the 405 Freeway.”
What Veterans Believe
Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl has been outspoken on the subject.
“As a veteran,” he said, “I cannot tell you how much that veterans strongly believe that the land is for
veterans and for veterans only.”
Mr. Rosendahl is a member of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) panel, created to assess the needs of veterans' health care facilities.
In addition to his role as President of the Citizens for Veterans' Rights, Mr. Jeffreys also is the Artistic Director for Los Angeles Area Veterans' Artists Alliance, which is just west of the Vets Auditorium.
A Bridge to the Arts
LAVAA is a full-fledged arts organization. Members actively participate in a wide variety of artistic fields; in theatre, film, fine arts, photography, literature, movement and dance.
In addition to ensuring that veterans have every available opportunity to work in the arts, LAVAA is dedicated to ensuring that all U.S. military veterans are fully informed about the
benefits due upon completion of their military service.
The Los Angeles Area Veterans' Artist Alliance is at the historic Pete Valdez Sr. Am Vets Post 2, 10858 Culver Blvd., Culver City.
Mr. Jeffreys can be reached at 310.559.2116. Their website is laavaa.org.
