Big Sunday? Big Photo Op!
Mayor Villaraigosa wants to expand his "Big Sunday" day of volunteer service to two days and more volunteers. This is nice, but its not a lot more than show. This old, dead Republican mayor has a few problems with the whole program.Of course, some good works come of these programs. And volunteerism is a great thing. But when its organized by government, it loses something. More importantly this one day or even a two day effort is hollow at best. Same thing for holiday events like the celebrities who show up to feed the homeless on Thanksgiving.
The volunteers show up. They feel good. Politicians and celebrities get their picture taken. The volunteers are not seen until the same time next year.
What would really make a difference is people once again getting involved in civic organizations who once found and developed most of the solutions to America's social problems. In his essay Bowling Alone Robert Putnam talks about the growing civic disengagement, a lack of involvement in civic organizations and its impact on our democracy.
Organizations such as the Jaycees, Rotary, Kiwanis, the Masonic groups and others offer great opportunites to impact the community and develop one's self - all year long.
If the volunteer day leads to individuals getting involved further, that's great. But I've seen little evidence of it. LA could be a better place if people joined organizations, got involved and built community. So few people are doing most of the work - it would make a huge positive difference if more of you joined them.
Here is a list of many different fraternal and civic organizations. There are many others. Feel free to pitch your favorites in our comments section.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 4/05/2007 12:59:00 AM
33 Comments:
I'm not surprised people don't get involved in organizations or govt.
Here's a quick list (last 12 months)of things not resolved that should have:
commercial vending at the beach;
Prop R-terms co-mingled with ethics
AB1381- take over the schools
Gang Tzar
Anti Gang Funding
Homeless Sleeping hours
Lake Balboa (I'm sick of it already)
Living wage
EAA
Police recruitment or lack of.
Brown Act ignorance.
how about we start on this list, and settle a few problems that are easy.
let's see tons of trash gets picked up by volunteers.
the mayor tries to spark the idea of volunteerism and increase the number of participants.
and what do we do on the blog?
we piss on it!
Didn't the LAT report that some other dude started and runs Big Sunday?
Hmmm.
Another Guy was infamous for Sunday community service events. His name was Che Gue·va·ra.
Coincidence...ya sure
Wonder what Roger MaPhony thinks of the Lords Day being abused like this
Understanding 'Sams' point on public paricipation seems semi-accurate, although, I am partial to engaging the residents in Rose Hills to always get involved. It is getting to the point that the community has jointed with the Councilmembers Office to be effective as many times as the city services are provided.
Very accurate in saying.... 'so few people are doing most of the work - it would make a huge positive difference if more of you joined them'. That's where I get involved, the recognition from the residents that believe (with a strong track record) that the city provides these services for their involvement. That's how I sell it and thats how it works.
I am involved once again for the third year (organizing) this for the residents here and becoming more productive. Now I know many of you have stories as well, that's why we should embrace this more as a social responsibility (and prove that we aspire to 'represent' our CITY. - Los Angeles *NOT* Los Diablos)
ROSE HILLS REVIEW
The negative sense that impacts me the most is that if I didn't participate at the level that I do, many of these services will go unseen locally. (It does need a group or organization - Rose Hills Community & Homeowners Alliance). The city is attempting to achive a system that will prove to be effective, in my part of town it is, it is as effective as the volunteers want it to be.
~CLEAN-UPS
~MURALS (one location approaching TWO years, ONE-TWO YEARS, with-out grafitti)
~BEAUTIFICATION
~LOT ENHACMENTS
Whether you care for the Mayor or not, it is the oppertunity thats presented, if you are not involved that's your first step BACKWARDS. Do something...... you should see my project listed with the Office. It could turn out as a BIG photo oooooopppppp, but we didn't do all this for him, we did it for ourselves, we have PRIDE, CARE, AND LOVE WHERE WE LIVE.
ROSE HILLS REVIEW,
ANTHONY MANZANO
Hit me up if you don't have anything to do..... Fire Station #47 can use you or help improve a 'FUGLY' residential intersection with beautiful ROSES.
Paleoconservatism (sometimes shortened to paleo or paleocon when the context is clear) is an anti-communist, anti-authoritarian[1] right wing movement based primarily in the United States that stresses tradition, civil society and classical federalism, along with familial, religious, regional, national and Western identity.[2] Chilton Williamson, Jr. describes paleoconservatism as "the expression of rootedness: a sense of place and of history, a sense of self derived from forebears, kin, and culture — an identity that is both collective and personal.”[3] Paleoconservativism is not expressed as an ideology and its adherents do not necessarily subscribe to any one party line.[4]
Christmas Story' Director Killed in LA
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
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Film director Robert Clark, best known for the beloved holiday classic "A Christmas Story," was killed Wednesday along with his son in a head-on crash with an alleged drunken driver, the filmmaker's assistant and police said.
Clark, 67, and son Ariel Hanrath-Clark, 22, were killed in Pacific Palisades, said Lyne Leavy, Clark's personal assistant.
The two men were in an Infiniti that collided on Pacific Coast Highway with a GMC Yukon around 2:30 a.m., said Lt. Paul Vernon, a police spokesman.
The driver of the other vehicle, Hector Velazquez-Nava, 24, of Los Angeles and his passenger, described as a 29-year-old woman, were taken to UCLA Medical Center with minor injuries.
The driver remained hospitalized and will be booked for investigation of "gross vehicular manslaughter" after being treated, Vernon said.
"The initial investigation has concluded that Nava was driving without a license northbound in the southbound lanes while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage," Vernon said.
S: Townhall talk radio
Hector Velazquez-Nava" ........HMMMNNNNN???? How much you wanna bet ol' "Hector" is an ILLEGAL???? Any amount of money! Never fails.
Maybe Nava is an undocumented migrant worker, but think about how many cars he polished, dishes he washed and yards that he ran the blower on - all for a cut-rate price. Isn't that worth at least a few lives? What would you Americans do without our labor? I'll tell you what...
NOTHING but drive around in your BMWs think you're great.
I used to live in Venice Beach, a mere 100 steps from the sand.
Early every morning, city or county employees drove these big yellow trash-sifting tractors -- I wish I knew the right name for them -- up and down the beach, to scoop up all the crap that had washed ashore the day before.
I noticed one day that they had not showed up. This was puzzling until about 10:00 a.m., when hundreds of volunteers showed up for a "clean up the beach day."
It was hilarious and sad at the same time. All these people were presumably under the illusion that the beach had turned into a big mess over time, and that they, by wasting their day picking up trash, were making a difference. In fact, trash was never a problem, thanks to the big yellow machines, and the clean-up was "staged" to create a faux problem and good vibes.
so now where does Mel Gibson sit after this PCH crash?
Could easily have been him involved in a fatal.
His punishment was completely inadequate.
12:03 =s ROSE HILL REVIEW =s
ATTENTION WHORE!
LA Animal Services needs volunteers desperately. It's tough to recruit them because the shelters are so sad and depressing. You watch people dump their pets, see them frightened and miserable in loud smelly cages, then they get dragged to the kill room, literally dragged by a rope around their neck. The employees and volunteer coordinator treat you like shit. You have strict guidelines to follow such as you can't tell people who are dumping their pet that it will most likely be killed. You aren't allowed to help them find ways to keep their pet or at least take it to a rescue group instead. This is why it's tough for them to get volunteers.
This one day "feel like a volunteer" program of AV's is a joke. They aren't really volunteering. Volunteering is doing something all the time, like helping at the shelter to scoop poop, clean filthy animals, hold animals down so they can be euthanized. Volunteering isn't about getting a free tshirt and going to a one day party. It's doing what you don't like doing to make a difference in this world.
Please, everyone, go volunteer at the shelter. Yes, you'll cry, be sad, get mad, but you could make a difference. You could save a life.
Better yet, adopt some pets!
and even better yet:
spay or neuter whatever you got now.
"I'll take your spay, and raise it 2 neuters"
that's how they play poker in veterinary school.
"Mayor Sam" - you're just a bitter asshole who would find any excuse to find anything negative about anything.
Without being a fan of the Mayor's constant grandstanding, any grown up in this country knows by now that you need to grab the public by the hair and shake vigorously to make them pay attention to anything.
And it's a necessary evil that you need publicity and celebrities and poster children to make the otherwise apathetic uncaring public give a crap and whip out the check book or go to the voting booth.
That's why you need intelligent dolphins and chimpanzees, patriotic eagles, and cute pandas to protect natural habitats - no one gives a crap about preserving threatened insects in senstive habitats.
That's why you need big splashy events like Big Sunday to get people to care about volunteering and philanthropy.
Anthony Manzano and Victor are hot!!
you gotta be f'n kiddin'
In LA City you can only have three dogs and three cats maximum. I'm at my cat limit or else I'd go adopt another cat. Help the LA Animal Services Commissioners do away with the limit law. It should be based on conditions, not numbers. Some people can't take care of one pet but others can take great care of 10 pets. I would have no problem getting a permit to have over three cats.
2:43 PM
YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKKKKK
3:05 I second that, YUUUUUUUK.
RoSe hill reveiw GAL =S
ATTENTION WHORE!!!!!!!
This entry was dull and pointed out the wrong point. As much as I am not a fan of Divaraigosa's constant Diva photo shoots, Big Sunday is an actual helpful ritual. People get involved and it shows evidence that people in Los Angeles have potential to become civicly involved. Of course, I think Mayor Sam and other republicans (and I am not a democrat) are upset that this 'publicity sham' is garnering more democrat votes. Mayor Sam and republicans would do the same if they were in office. However, the point is any volunteerism for a positive public cause is helpful and should not be disparaged. Just look at this blog and people participating in public discourse. Even if this blog is checked once a year or once a day by a LA resident, the action will contribute to civic life and hopefully encourage people to participate more or in different areas of civic life.
Lastly, Putnam's book was helpful but unfotunately people (like Mayor Sam) reduntantly emphasize his selling point for this book (that civic participation is waning compared to the past). The book meant to stir things up and should not be taken as a solution. For example your entry encourages people to join tradtional mainstream organizations. What is left out is that there is other types of civic action (that may be new and different from the old) going on now. Blogging is an example, therefore Mayor Sam's blog. So before we go into a moral panic about civic participation, residents should think about their motivations and join a suitable cause, whatever it be.
What would be better than a day of picking up trash is paying attention, year-round, to local government, and taking action to steer it in the right direction. Or you can just contribute to my campaign, and I'll take care of all that for you. MooreIsBetter.com.
As for the three-pet limit, that should be changed. Maybe something like three pets or 300 pounds of pet, whichever is more. I mean, our chihuahua is less than 10% as big as one of our other two dogs...
so, say, if Snoop Dog, Zuma Dogg and Cat Stevens all shared an aprtment, how many pets could they have?
ooops, I mean condo.
You can have three Saint Bernards in a one room apartment, but you can't have more than three Yorkies on a ten acre property. Go figure. There are places such as Van Couver, Canada that have completely eliminated euthanasia through PR and Education. That takes activism, volunteers, money, common sense and government officials who care.
In this town, the City Council does not care about their constituents who are human much less those who are animals.
8:32 -- Funny!
I like corny jokes.
I'm against Big Sunday cause all it does is make legal residents clean up the mess the illegals have made in neighborhoods. Have you seen the mess the illegal vendors leave behind after a day of making tax free dollars. People aren't getting involved as much cause its become politicial because of Antonio. Now he has to bus in people from the County to make it appear he has tons of volunteers. This photo op shows the entire nation that the mayor of the 2nd largest city can't do anything but have residents pick up brooms. Shame on Him!!! What about teaching the illegals to clean up their own damn mess? He's enabling them to behave like pigs
So what Nativo Lope is basically saying is its ok for illegals to kill innocent people as long as they wash cars, water your lawn, and wash dishes. This is the type of mentality that has brought down this city. Better jobs at a better pay rate for legal residents would be available if all these illegals didn't work for next to nothing to bring wages down.
Why is this Sunday, EASTER Sunday a good day to be a "Volunteer" Folks will be at home with family or at Church services on this day and will not care about picking up trash that LA City tax dollars should be picking up.
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