Laurette Healey and the "Complexion" of Sherman Oaks
"Your lights are on, but you're not home. Your mind is not your own"
-Robert Palmer
Following a recent "victory" by perennial gadfly candidate Laurette Healey in convincing the Los Angeles City Council - over the objection of two local Neighborhood Councils - to rename a lower middle class section of Van Nuys to Sherman Oaks, more of what could be the compelling reason behind the name change has come out recently.
In a recent interview with Healey, Los Angeles Times writer Patt Morrison asked her what she meant when she said "we share common complexion and values with Sherman Oaks." The best Healey could come up with as to her definition was that she meant "infrastructure." I am sure most folks when they think of the "complexion" of a community think of something else if you know what I mean.
Despite winning their "battle" Healey and her movement issue press releases and make comments on blog accusing longtime respected political activist and Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council President Jill Barad - as well as other members of the Neighborhood Council - as racists.
Maybe now that Sherman Oaks has been forced to annex the low-rent district they may wish to consider a name change in that as much as Part of Sherman Oaks didn't want to be associated with "those people" in Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks' name itself is now a bit tainted. So feel free to make suggestions for the new name for the old Sherman Oaks.
Laurette Healey announced she was withdrawing her candidacy for CD2 despite her reported significant campaign contributions and endorsements. That's good, because if you read about her past antics, you will see we all dodged a bullet.
-Robert Palmer
In a recent interview with Healey, Los Angeles Times writer Patt Morrison asked her what she meant when she said "we share common complexion and values with Sherman Oaks." The best Healey could come up with as to her definition was that she meant "infrastructure." I am sure most folks when they think of the "complexion" of a community think of something else if you know what I mean.
Despite winning their "battle" Healey and her movement issue press releases and make comments on blog accusing longtime respected political activist and Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council President Jill Barad - as well as other members of the Neighborhood Council - as racists.
Maybe now that Sherman Oaks has been forced to annex the low-rent district they may wish to consider a name change in that as much as Part of Sherman Oaks didn't want to be associated with "those people" in Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks' name itself is now a bit tainted. So feel free to make suggestions for the new name for the old Sherman Oaks.
Laurette Healey announced she was withdrawing her candidacy for CD2 despite her reported significant campaign contributions and endorsements. That's good, because if you read about her past antics, you will see we all dodged a bullet.
Labels: jill banks barad, laurette healey, sherman oaks, van nuys
Posted by Michael Higby @ 8/02/2009 04:28:00 PM
9 Comments:
Having known Laurette for the years since the Valleys attempt at Independance, I can say there were many times I did not agree with her and found her to be a bit of a snob. At no time did I ever see or hear of anything like what is being implied in this post.
When I begin to hear the race card being tossed out it is ususally due to a lack of facts or a different position on an issue.
So lighten up and I do not mean skin color!
Mayor Sam, I could not agree with you more. No one is leading the charge for a "white" area to leave a "white" area. You don't hear about anyone wanting Valley Village to become Studio City. It is only the "white"flight from "brown" areas like Van Nuys. You hit the nail on the head and called it for what it is - fiscal racism. And the fact that Laurette Healey was too stupid to hide her true feelings is just icing on the cake.
I live in this 'low rent' area and make over $250k per year. My 3bd 2bath house was just appraised (even with the current market) at $750k.
We're not Mulholland Dr. but the homes are certainly equivalent to those south of Burbank Blvd.
Also, I don't care what color the people in my neighborhood are as long as they maintain their homes, and keep the community nice and safe.
You should be ashamed for posted a picture that is totally misleading and a complete lie. There is no such banner anywhere in our neighborhood.
If you want to say that this was about home values, fine. But don't use baseless lies and misleading images to accuse an entire community of racism.
Higby listen to these people spin. I was at a party in this area. Someone was complaining that everytime one of their friends asks where they live they ask "Oh you have a lot of Mexicans there."
This entire article is ridiculous. Obviously the so-called journalist writing this "article" didn't check his sources or reality - racial breakdown of the area in question is completely mixed with approx 30% Hispanic....do your homework before you spread vicious rumors. This neighborhood came together to accomplish a goal -- the entire community with all kinds of last names. This has nothing to do with Laurette Healy and more to do with bitter community leaders that can't and don't represent the people. If anyone is a racist it's the neighborhood council presidents. Since you didn't actually do any research before writing this piece of slander - maybe you should listen to how Jill Barad described Van Nuys on "Which Way LA" and KCCP last month, Sorry but democracy rules here and the people spoke! Our neighborhood collected 1000 signatures including 400 from Sherman Oaks residents. In addition, our elected officials received 1000's of emails showing the community's support of this name change. Shame on you for dragging politics into something that is and only ever was about residents and people with community pride.
Laurette again. Mayor Sam looks like you hit a nerve! Liberals hate to be called out as racists.
Not Laurette again - actually Melinda and I was one of the non- politicians who spearheaded the whole entire movement -- just stop with your politicizing!1111
And I love that you comment on your own blog...how fair and balanced...and I bet if I started digging we'd actually find out who the real racist is!
How incredibly stupid, slanderous, dishonest and inaccurate it is of this blog to post a photograph of a banner that has absolutely nothing to do with us and was never in our neighborhood. What's next, posting a photo of Stalin next to a post about the Obama administration? Clearly this was done to spin the perception of our neighborhood name change effort into something that it wasn't. It's evident this blogger has an axe to grind and isn't at all interested in accurate journalism. The name change was not motivated by racism, it was motivated by the frustration with the apathy of the area North of us, and our common bonds with the neighborhood South of us. You could ask the numerous Latino's, African-Americans, Asians, Persians, etc in our neighborood to verify this if you like. We are united in pride and civic mindedness - that is what divides us from Van Nuys - not race.
This blog is so ridiculous it's doubtful anyone would take it seriously anyway.
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