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Well, this was on Facebook, and I expect that Geoff West of A Bubbling Cauldron is going to cover it, having already touched on the controversy in the first story at this link. Still — the more coverage the better. Permission to use this and other photos has been granted indiscriminately by Billy Folsom, who also produced a video of the event showing the size of the crowd. (If you count only the people clearly displaying signs over Harbor Blvd., it’s over 50, and lots of other people behind them seem to be part of the rally as well.
You can see some of the themes of the day on the signs. The Costa Mesa City Council wants to get rid of affordable housing in motels, arguing that it serves an undesirable element in the city. “Undesired” (at least by developers) they may be, but a bunch of affordable housing residents, backed up by a bunch of their friends, showed up Tuesday evening to say that they were not “undesirable” at all. They were just Costa Mesans.
The video is not embedding, but the URL should be available to you.
https://www.facebook.com/billy.folsom.7/videos/10207795463954383/
And now let us look at some of his photos!
The focus of the protest was a City Council decision that would force residents out of the Costa Mesa Motor Inn.
City authorities did not appreciate the gesture. Nor did the protesters appreciate the suppression.
A couple of the “motel refugees.”
Early on, one protester’s optimistic sign read: “City Council should care about the poor.”
Protesters targeted oncoming cars to raise awareness of what was going on in their city.
Several residents, presumably those being evicted, carried signs proclaiming “I am not a pimp or a prostitute” — the removal of whom was one stated goal of the City Council’s action. Technically, it shouldn’t matter if they are, when it comes to the presence or absence of affordable housing, so long as they are not practicing such activities in or near the motel. But “I am not pimping or prostituting near my residence” would admittedly be a less effective sign. (More attention-getting, though!)
“Our homeless matter.” They should! Do they? To some, yes. To others, no. (The partially obstructed word in the black sign, by the way, is “Vagrant.”)
Putting it succinctly — with a nicely drawn sign.
Former Councilwoman Wendy Leece accepts a request for an interview.
Last year’s City Council candidate Jay Humphrey and many others have good reason to wonder how different things might be right now had a few dozen votes gone the other way last year.
As shadows lengthened on “Friend of OJB” Greg Ridge (lower left) and other activists, more people got off work and the protest grew.
The Orange Juice Blog Editorial Board wants to proclaim that, based on a pretty convincing majority vote, our official policy is that we believe him!
Good job, Costa Mesans! (Bad job, Costa Mesa. Act like you care, Council majority!)
You’re right, Greg… I did cover this – kinda – from afar while on the way to the Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation meeting just up the road at City Hall. I wasn’t up to my elbows in the demonstration as was Billy Folsom, but my images were from a broader viewpoint. You can see what I wrote here: http://abubblingcauldron.blogspot.com/2015/10/loss-of-affordable-housing-protested.html
Nice story! People should definitely click that link.
My biggest ire towards this callous City council majority is how duplicitous they are. When Righeimer and Mensinger were on planning commission for years the city counted these motel rooms as affordable housing and used their existence to qualify our Hud requirements and exempt developers from building in any low cost or affordable housing. Now that they are on Council they target these very same units for their developers friends and rip out the rug on those in the community who require the most help. Its sinful.
Gericault had promised us a few new Costa Mesa stories, including one on one of the most obnoxious and inhumane things the Riggy majority has done to the homeless and CM citizens in general – removing bus benches and the shelters over them.
Gericault’s been in the trenches again…
That observation really deserves to be in more than just a comment.