Sotto Voce Hotsheet for Saturday
I'm feeling like I'm about to say something completely heretical again, but I remember the Carter presidency very well, and that prez never struck me as a master economist. Maybe it was the 18% inflation rate in 1979 that did it. And maybe that's why I have always wondered about the true efficacy of Habitat for Humanity in the United States.
Around the third world, the organization appears to do great work. But stateside H4H's projects are of such a small scale that, like other affordable housing projects, they seem to turn affordable housing into a lottery.
Not only that, if H4H housing projects raise the value of adjacent project properties---how is that making housing more affordable?
And not only that, but they sometimes leave it up to Cities to finish what they start.
Here in LA, the City of Los Angeles is paying 31 Housing Department "volunteers" to finish up what H4H began---on City time, the Daily News's Kelly Cavenaugh reports.
Should the City be doing that? Using taxpayer resources to finish off Christian housing projects?
Every week, the Downtown News seems to get bigger and better. Go to the Downtown News' home page for stories on the arts high school downtown, the possibility of a transit link between Red, Blue, Gold, and the coming Expo line, downtown's two Michelin starred restaurants, and downtown's top sneaker pimps.
Conspiracy, pedophile priests, a Mexican Cardinal named in a lawsuit---no laughing matters. But is it really necessary to identify an anonymous Latino plaintiff as "Juan Doe"?
Around the third world, the organization appears to do great work. But stateside H4H's projects are of such a small scale that, like other affordable housing projects, they seem to turn affordable housing into a lottery.
Not only that, if H4H housing projects raise the value of adjacent project properties---how is that making housing more affordable?
And not only that, but they sometimes leave it up to Cities to finish what they start.
Here in LA, the City of Los Angeles is paying 31 Housing Department "volunteers" to finish up what H4H began---on City time, the Daily News's Kelly Cavenaugh reports.
Should the City be doing that? Using taxpayer resources to finish off Christian housing projects?
° ° ° ° °
Every week, the Downtown News seems to get bigger and better. Go to the Downtown News' home page for stories on the arts high school downtown, the possibility of a transit link between Red, Blue, Gold, and the coming Expo line, downtown's two Michelin starred restaurants, and downtown's top sneaker pimps.
° ° ° ° °
Conspiracy, pedophile priests, a Mexican Cardinal named in a lawsuit---no laughing matters. But is it really necessary to identify an anonymous Latino plaintiff as "Juan Doe"?
Labels: a guy in la
Posted by Joseph F. Mailander @ 11/17/2007 06:39:00 AM
25 Comments:
Hey, Joe... you're not doing yourself any favors by bashing the poor, or Habitat For Humanity -- or anyone's efforts to alleviate poverty. You just look like an asshole.
Say hello to Joe Scroogelander.
Dumbass.
So tell me, 8:33, are you helping the poor or H4H? If you are, say so. If you aren't, then thank you for your armchair, couch potato, phoney advice.
Joseph, it seems to me that if H4H (or any other organization) starts a project, they durn well better finish it! If it's a Christian organization, then they should follow the advice given in Luke 14:28-30.
Jose... It speaks volumes that you assume dumbass is NOT helping the poor.
In your world, is that unusual?
Most of my friends work to help those in need. In fact, that's how many of them came to be my friends.
You might give it a try: working for others feels good.
9:34, I already work for others; I've worked for others (both salaried and volunteer) for more than 40 years.
It speaks more than just mere volumes to me that you assume I do not.
Come, let us compare what we have volunteered for, and what we plan to accomplish in the future.
You first. It's time to put your money where your mouth is.
Dammit, Jose! You're supposed to be at our sister Juanita's house with us eating breakfast, instead of playing on the computer at home! Get over here - we're getting hungry waiting for you!
Interesting group, that Sepulveda family...
Let's see, their names translated into English are Joe, John and "Johnna"?
Better yet, they talk about eating tamales and menudo all the time...
Lame racists, them Sepulvedas...
I used to belong to a church whose pastor was big on Habitat, and groups go to Mexico a lot just cuz with no building codes to speak of it was faster, cheaper more bang for the buck. For about $5000 and a couple dozen volunteers, you can put up a very decent two-bedroom cinderblock house. No need for foundations, worrying abour earthquake regs. If the thing falls apart, so be it.
It actually makes sense, because it's a one=story thing, probably easy to escape in case of danger.
In L A finding space is really hard and expensive, then with all the regs, you have to have pros == only reason to do it, is so they don't neglect the big American cities.
Religion has nothing to do with choosing the families, I don't think they have to belong to any church, even Jews help build them.
Don't know why this L A project couldn't have found church groups to finish the houses, fundamentalists for all their flaws are pretty good about doing whatever their pastor asks of them.
Maybe cuz need pros?
What's really good is the recipient family has to help build their house and promise to maintain it and pay the bills involved == not sure who holds their mortgage, but abraod in Mexico, Caribbean etc., you just build the thing and walk.
Another good argument for Carter working on Habitat: he was such a huge disaster in foreign policy, supporting any dictator who opposed Russia, his hugely successful boycott of the Olympics which only hurt the Americans, the Iran hostage debacle == then there's the 18% interest rates you mention, preventing many young people from buying homes or forcing them to take short term "bubble interest rates" which led to a lot of foreclosures -- in much bigger scale than is happening now. And that's when housing was relatively cheap, many should have gotten into the market then, before the huge jump a decade later. Now the guy's provocative title for his book on Israel, the Apartheid State (let's not get into the middle east -- he could single handedly turn that into Armageddon though),
So have the old guy and his wife building houses, to get out his energy and keep him away from foreign policy, finances or "lust in his heart" upsetting Rosalyn.
Can you imagine how much better the world would be if Cheney, the Iranian bozo and Hugo Chavez were building houses instead
Hey, Joe... you're not doing yourself any favors by bashing the poor, or Habitat For Humanity -- or anyone's efforts to alleviate poverty. You just look like an asshole.
Say hello to Joe Scroogelander.
Dumbass.
I think the poor already have enough falsely hopeful lotteries. As a former prez, the guy could figuratively build many many more homes by sitting down with Planning Departments and Mayors and putting pressure on them to incentivize rather than marginalize lower-rung and prefab builders. Affordable housing is mostly for lottery winners, and if it's the only thing we do, communities will stay poor. Changing urban policy to incentivize missing-rung housing is what will really make an impact.
almost half the city paid "volunteers" were from Janice Hahn's office. Figures, that woman thinks city funds and taxes are hers to waste. She's using this Habitat project, like all the fee waived events in her area (she must be responsible for at least 1/3 of all the fee waived events), as personal electioneering, to show how concerned she is about her community -- as long as she can milk the taxpayers from the rest of the city.
That woman must not put her gang tax on homeowners on the ballot -- that alone will cost a million dollars. Would someone tell this idiot that the tax-and-spend of the go-go 70's are passe, just like her hideous outfits, and only did harm with their social engineering anyway?
Chick is doing an audit of how much they already waste on "fighting gangs," let her finish it.
Then if that other idiot Rocky used his office to go after taggers, truants and "troubled youths at risk" who spend their days harassing business owners and customers with their menacing presence, that would make a big dent in fighting gangs, too.
Locally H4H should be closely scrutinized. The previous agent for process of service was Eleanor Williams, previous president of the Housing Authority, City of LA Commission.
Address registered back to HACLA. Exactly what was built during her tenure? How was she paid during her Commission tenure?
How does this all connect to Montiel? But wait there's more...
HUD OIG,LA City Ethics commission and D.A. all need to look into it.
Mr. M., it's odd that you would fault Carter for his administration, rampant inflation, poor leadership, etc. and then expect that he should have sat down with urban leaders and city planners 'lo these last 30 years and come up with "missing-rung housing" programs -- as if THEY would follow his lead...
Carter did what any normal, caring person who is probably sick and tired of being faulted for everything would do. He picked up a hammer and started nailing two by fours together himself.
Props to the ex-prez.
Joseph I don't get it.
If Kevin Roderick mentions one word about Catholics you go nuts.
Why are you hating on the Protestants?
Higby I expect you to answer too if you're what you say you are.
10:25 - My twin sons showed me this site, and I'm hooked!
As for the racist comment, we forgive you this time, although my son Jose was all for "borrowing" my cane and knocking you in the head with it. Yes, we're quite an interesting bunch, this "bunch" is called a family. We imagine your own family doesn't have the custom of a Saturday morning visit as is customary in our family.
Take some kindly advice from one who has lived long in Los Angeles, quite possibly longer than you've been alive: If you cannot visit your family weekly, then use the telephone and call them. I'm sure they will be glad to hear from you.
As for Senor Carter, I am in complete agreement with my son Jose. Christian organizations should follow the advice given in the fourteenth chapter of Luke, verses 28 through 30.
Rather surprised you didn't call the twins Hose A and Hose B, then.
^^^ Don't push your luck, punk.
Mr. Sepulveda...
While we're quoting scripture, please refresh your understanding of Matthew 7:3...
Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother's eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye?
Manuel, "Hose A and Hose B" -- you are fooling no one. You are not Latino. You are as authentic as Taco Bell. So stop being assholes. We all know what you plan to set up and it is already offensive. Keep it up and we will keep calling you on your racism.
^ ...and you are as authentic as a $3 dollar bill!
You see, I know the Sepulvedas. They're quite real. They are descendants of one of the original founding families of Los Angeles. The fact that they have been completely American shouldn't come as a great surprise - they were here long before many on this blog. Some of them went to war to defend this great Nation of ours (World War II, Pacific Theater). For anyone to call them phony or racist is insulting.
They went through some hard times when the Americans came in the 1850s and stole their property from them, and yet you have the nerve to call them racist? In my opinion, we should all apologize to them.
Let me be the first to do so in public.
If there is anything I can do to right the wrongs done to your ancestors by my ancestors - Manuel and Rosa, please inform me when we exchange Christmas gifts, or wish each other a prosperous and happy new year.
Your friend and neighbor,
James P. Davenport.
Yeah, Jimmy, "Credibility" is your middle name, isn't it?
james davenport said:
8:20, South Los Angeles is mostly illegal Mexicans now. There aren't that many blacks there anymore.
September 21, 2007 8:32 PM
stephen_c_foster said:
6:00 PM - There's always the option which is spelled R-E-C-A-L-L for those on council who voted this to be placed on the ballot, and who aren't up for reelection come March.
The first officeholder in the United States who was successfully recalled from office was one James Davenport. He was recalled in 1903 from... the Los Angeles City Council!
November 21, 2006 10:00 PM
LOL
Oh dear...!
3:42 - What the... this guy Jimmy Davenport got recalled 104 years ago? Unbelievable!
Davenport, you can't be the same guy that got himself recalled. You'd have to be how old...?
I think he was reincarnated as an asshole.
Keep in mind that the high interest rates during the Carter Admin were carried over from Gerald 'Whip Inflation Now' Ford WIN button fame. I still have one of those buttons, sure didn't stop inflationby wearing it...The recesssion lasted through the first Reagan term. We might slowly be heading that way, with the looks of the dollar, oil and the stock market recently. Sordid reality check.
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