Re “Gross Explains Why City Hall Failed to Meet State Housing Obligations”
It's not IF the City Council “borrowed” Redevelopment Agency funds.
It's not how much or for what purpose. It is this: Is there an actual agreement in place on how and when the City Council is going to pay it back?
Now there may be a payback plan in place, but I never have heard of it. Have you?
If there is no plan, were the funds really being “BORROWED” or just slyly taken from one pocket and put in another over the years to balance our city's budget?
I can see this would be very easy for Council members to justify (maybe too easy?), having both the Redevelopment Agency and City Council members as one and the same.
A couple of years ago, during the summer, I wondered how many original, old-time residences were still being covered since the 1978 inception of Prop. 13. I did a random sampling of Culver City residences, about 2400 in all from around the city.
I found that between 30 percent and 40 percent of the homes in Culver City are still being assessed at or below $125K.
No wonder the city has a hard time balancing the annual budget when one out of every three properties is not being assessed enough to pay for the amenities that local homeowners expect the city to provide. No wonder it has to “borrow” Redevelopment Agency funds to balance the budget and keep up appearances.
Something has to change if our city is going to get back to its once-balanced (pre-1978?), diversified, well-rounded tax base.
Change Is Inevitable
Sunkist Park needs to grow with change.
A few years ago, developer Robert Champion offered the city his vision of what a section of South Sepulveda could be.
But the neighborhood locals became so up-in-arms over the project that it died. I have lived in the Sunkist Park area all my life, and I have seen the decline of the area slowly happening.
Over the years, I have heard of different redevelopment projects being shot down for various reasons — but, mostly by quite vocal NIMBYism.
Sign of the Times
Here in Sunkist Park, we now have a seemingly thriving 7-Eleven market in our midst. When I see a 7-Eleven, it usually isn't in what most people would call a “nice” neighborhood. Rather, it is in the seedier parts of town Having a 7-Eleven here in our neighborhood is an unmistakable, ominous sign of the decline of Sunkist Park.
Does anyone really think that if the Champion Project had gotten off the ground that there would be a 7-Eleven on the corner of Berryman and Sepulveda?
Right.
I don't think so, either.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMlaase@aol.com
