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*sarcasm alert* WHERE IS THAT GALLANT TODD SPITZER, the DA candidate who’s pledged to protect us from all the evil “sex offenders” and “violent felons” who are homeless and unaccounted for in our OC cities? He sure wasn’t there yesterday, at Judge Carter’s latest hearing.
Instead we find out that the long-awaited locations for temporary emergency shelters each city was ordered to provide will be carefully kept SECRET for now, to avoid the damn NIMBY uprisings we experienced in March (fanned by the demagogue Spitzer.)
I understand why it’s being done that way, but still … I’m unused to not objecting to government secrecy.
Part of the Carter Shtick, which is still a lot of fun and hopefully will produce results, is to lavishly praise the defendants before him for their hard work and good faith, while constantly dangling threats. The big threat continues to be “TRO’s” or temporary restraining orders, against specific uncooperative cities being able to enforce their own anti-camping ordinances.
As me and Batiste walked in, close to the beginning, Carter was egging on homeless-advocate attorney Carol Sobel to describe how Los Angeles looks right now – Los Angeles which apparently has recently been given just such a TRO. “Tents everywhere, your honor.” (Eyes right.) Later, as each Mayor or city rep took their turn reporting on their new secret locations, Carter expressed faux-concern that that town’s homeless would soon overrun any uncooperative neighboring town – subtly dangling the constant TRO threat.
Carter also did the usual bit about how in charge, and permanently in charge, of this process he is. Expressing sympathy with defendants in other counties, where they can never predict who the presiding judge will be from hearing to hearing, he told the story of how his fellow OC federal judges had “graciously told me, YOU be in charge of the homelessness issue!” And also, not to worry, his doctor assures him that he will live to be 110 (36 more years.)
Santa Ana, Anaheim, Huntington Beach
Santa Ana’s Mayor for Life Miguel Pulido was the first one called to the stand. Still starstruck and energized from a meeting with Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is focused on the mental illness of the homeless and working on getting $100 million in block grants to cities for the problem, Miguel says Santa Ana has been spending $17 million a year on the homeless, and that some of them are “CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY!”
Santa Ana has a site lined up that will be MUCH better than the Courtyard, with a 700-bed capacity (an extra 300 as it’ll take the place of the dismal 400-bed Courtyard), all the services that are needed, and zero-to-negligible impact on the neighboring community. They’ve worked it out with the property owner, and “nothing will stop us.” And there’s even a Plan B, which Miguel feels will never be necessary – a big local property owner eager to donate a facility (the person unidentified but Carter said he was present.) I turned to a neighbor and asked “Mike Harrah?” and the guy responded “That’s what I was thinking, but I didn’t notice him here.”
Next, my town of Anaheim was represented by Mayor Pro-Tem Dr. Jose Moreno, standing in for Mayor Tait who was at some Mayor Bash at Yale. Jose explained that Anaheim respectfully disagreed with Board of Supervisors Chairman Andrew Do (who had spoken earlier) about fewer and larger shelters being preferable due to “economies of scale” – the City of Kindness prefers SMALLER and MORE NUMEROUS. And eventually one in each of our six voting districts, so no one council member has to bear the brunt of NIMBY vengeance more than another.
So at this point, Anaheim is offering an extra 325 beds: a 75-bed shelter, 50-bed shelter, and a 200-bed shelter in a building owned by prodigious and ubiquitous property owner Bill Taormina. (We currently have “200 shelter beds” – that must be the Kraemer Center.) At the end of his presentation, and heartened by Carter’s positive response to Pulido, Moreno asked, “So is Anaheim off the hook now, your honor?” to much courtroom laughter. Nobody is off the hook yet.
THIRDLY approached the Mayor of my PREVIOUS home town, Huntington Beach’s Michael Posey, who’s been a FOX News star since leading his town in a Trump-inspired rebellion against California sanctuary, while respectably making it sound like a non-racist, “constitutional” battle. Forewarned that Carter would have none of “there are no homeless at the beaches” arguments, Posey proudly outlined two shelters in progress, one 55 beds and one 20. And shortly after the hearing he crowed to his HB Facebook followers that they were not to be “within Huntington Beach boundaries.”
That’s correct, those two shelters, both of which are promised this year, are a collaboration of HB and Westminster, and will be located in unincorporated, 1.3-square mile Midway City. Poor Midway City with no government, even less powerful than Silverado (where South County mayors tried to dump their homeless.) FUN FACT! It’s called Midway City because it pre-dates most surrounding cities, and it’s halfway between Seal Beach and Santa Ana, a place where you can water your horse on the long journey!
South County Faceplants
Me and Batiste had to leave soon after Posey’s presentation (and a strange appearance by railroad representatives which I won’t get into) so, since I didn’t know what I missed, I ripped open my morning copy of the Voice of OC, and lo and behold – the South County Mayors had NOTHING.
FIVE HUNDRED SQUARE MILES. TEN CITIES OR SO. And South County has nowhere they could put ANY temporary emergency homeless shelters until “permanent supportive housing” is available.
THAT, your honor, is spoiled, passive-aggressive rich people.
THAT, your honor, is spoiled rich people not taking the issue seriously, not facing the fact that this is their problem too, and NOT TAKING YOU seriously.
Is your constantly threatened TRO a Paper Tiger? Is this whole proceeding a Paper Tiger?
It’s time to see the Irvine of whiney overgrown man-child Don Wagner converted into a Mecca of the “Service-Resistant.”
It’s time to see LA-style tent encampments in Mission Viejo and Dana Point.
Hell, I know a lotta people that’ll drive folks down that way with their tents, and make a second, third, fourth trip.
We’re awaiting your orders!
ALSO, THIS:
There are two tracks on which the well-meaning and the prodded are attempting to make progress – short-term emergency shelters as discussed above, and the “permanent supportive housing” that most of us agree is really needed. 2700 units county-wide is the agreed-on goal.
And right now the great hope of reaching the estimated $900 million required to provide that housing is via Assemblyman Tom Daly’s AB 448, co-authored by assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) and Republican state senators Moorlach, Nguyen and Bates… written about enthusiastically by homeless advocate Mohammed Aly on this blog, and requiring the formation of a JPA (Joint Powers Agreement.)
To begin with, NOBODY I know, starting with me, trusts Tom Daly, a kleptocrat’s kleptocrat in the Democratic Party. And some of us – particularly one of my colleagues – has had really bad experiences with what JPA’s can do, and are permitted to do, insofar as enriching the well-connected, plundering the public, bypassing the electorate, and not even accomplishing their supposed goal.
Mohammed and other homeless advocates, new to these sort of processes, present the choice as “between AB 448 and the status quo,” i.e. continued rampant homelessness and death. And Dan Young, an Irvine Company housing development executive, testified yesterday that the passage of the bill would enable the creation of 500 new units within six months, 1000 within a year, and the entire 2700 over 7 years. Developers like Taormina and HB’s Billy O’Connell have been hovering around Carter’s hearings this whole time, wanting to keep their foot in the door for building affordable housing. (Protests Taormina, “We just don’t want to see anarchy on the streets!” but come on, he mostly wants to turn a profit, it’s in his DNA.)
Cynthia Ward, friend of the blog, veteran of these same wars, and Anaheim Mayoral candidate, takes a more moderate, cautious, and let’s-not-take-our-eyes-off-of-this view:
So far what I can see is the Daly-Silva-Moorlach bill simply ALLOWS the JPA to be created and offers a wide menu of funding options they CAN use but does not dictate which of them they WILL use. The JPA itself will have to outline its own mechanisms for revenue. This leaves us very little to review for assurance of future responsiblity, but this is how government works.
For comparison, many of us are familiar with the “Mills Act,” the State program that lets local government entities contract with private property owners for historic property preservation agreements that keep heritage structures in preserved condition in exchange for a property tax reduction to offset (minimal amounts) of the enormous cost of preservation. The Mills Act does not outline the program itself, it simply provides permission or ability for local agencies to create their own programs, and each local agency has a separate process. If we tanked the Mills Act for not providing enough detail we would have lost an important tool for preserving our built environment.
Just as it is left to each local community to watch their own local government as they set up their own Mills Act program, it will be up to OC residents to see how the Housing Trust sets up their system and process for funding permanent supportive housing, after this State Law permits them to do so. We won’t get that assurance from this rather broad-reaching bill.
So everyone sit tight and let’s see what comes out in the wash when Sacramento permits the Housing Trust to become “a thing,” and then we will see what its leaders propose to do with the wide reaching authority granted by the State. But I am making calls and trying to determine where they INTEND to get the funding and how they intend to repay the funds. We all know that how we think something will work and what the end product looks like are often not alike, especially in government, but I am sure they have an outline to share, and I am trying to track it down. So far I am not meeting the usual brick wall of resistance that comes with those who don’t want to share, so no alarms are going off yet, but I wanted to report in that someone IS trying to get more info, so let’s keep the speculation to a minimum until we know more. And if anyone has docs they want to share, please send them to me.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance! And that’s all the news that’s fit to print on THAT right now! Vern out.
re the ‘secret sites’ – I’d imagine it’ll go over much like Fullerton’s experience, where everything is approved, then the neighbors come out and lead a counter-attack, then it gets unapproved and subject to review…
I am picturing South County’s next line of attack: “Your honor, we’d love to take those homeless people, but there’s just no water for them down here! Once you finish Poseidon, then we’ll be able to house some of them…”
“Protests Taormina, “We just don’t want to see anarchy on the streets!” but come on, he wants to turn a profit, it’s in his DNA.”
I’m OK with someone turning a ‘reasonable’ profit on affordable housing – seems to me that could make it more likely that more actually gets built…that said, if the ‘agreed upon’ need is 2700 units…and that can’t be done for 7 years, by which point the need will have certainly changed…then the plan isn’t to actually meet current or future needs, but to avoid doing what is needed.
I’m not OK with kleptocrats. I’m also not sure who draws lines, or where…or probably more important, how. But I’ll sit down with Cynthia, Greg, and anyone else to hear their war stories, and learn what I can. Some declaration of principles here…
Put “Alfresco Gardens” next to the Veterans Cemetery in Irvine….’take that South O.C.’!!!
Also
Tom Daly & Lou Correa (both born in Anaheim) are my two favorite Democratic-Republicans
They still want to spend $350,000 per unit for the housing which does not go far. I did propose Modular dorms at $50,000 per room.
You don’t float a bond for “modular dorms,” Mike. Those were what some of us wanted to see on the Karcher Lot — whose purchase for use by the homeless and then transformation into … well, Not That should, I would think, be more of a cautionary tale to some of our friend here.
What’s The alternative to MAly’s bill — well, where, where judge Carter is headed seems propitious: Let the homeless camp there and eventually fine the cities for not sharing responsibility for problem-solving. The notion that we’re going to impose specific spots in various cities — one’s chosen by investors — seems poised to be unpopular enough with those chosen to live next to the homeless that it will make the gas tax look like Jordan Brandman’s “short-term rentals” law in Anaheim. Essentially, it’s choosing NIMBY’s who aren’t strong enough to fight back. That will look good — and will reinforce the notion that Democrats are just petty tyrants in waiting. Will MAly learn from the experience? How, possibly? What the hell … if Cynthia’s not trying to bite clouds over this then I’ll just sit around and hope for DA who will prosecute the worst of the abusers.
Does anyone else wonder how this is NOT PETTY TYRANNY, and how it will NOT lead to a widespread populist violent movement to export the homeless (that being what the “pro-homeless” developers ay be counting on — because it looks to me where that’s where this will quickly be heading.
Taormina is setting himself up to look like a prophet with his “anarchy in the streets” talk. If it doesn’t come along organically — well, it can certainly be arranged.
No bond for the mod housing…
The animal shelter is run by the county and paid for by the cities.
Same deal
The BOS just said- at least said- they have $70,000,000 for the homeless issue.
Tait claims no extra money for the homeless – oh but $10,000,000 for an animal shelter in Irvine!
Anaheim – $500,000 for Kramer
$10,000,000 for the animal shelter in Irvine with cat condos and a commitment for $3,500,000 a year. 2 veterinarians on sight.
Tuesday rubber stamped $7,000,000 up front for construction of the Animal shelter plus $3,500,000 a year.
And we can’t pay for some mod housing? The stuff built so far like Rockwood $350,000 per unit and 3 years to build.
Containers converted to housing – $350,000 each.
Mod dorms $50,000 each and 3 months to build out.
This is our issue with over 1,000 hours in on the stats and projects plus daily contact with the people affected and the lawyers.
We are familiar with the funding streams although there is some continuing arguments about it.
Taormina is in it for the money in my opinion. First it was “I will self fund” then “I will get a bunch of millionaires to put up $100 mil”????
HMMMM
Uh, Mike — your comment reads like you’re saying that ANAHEIM is spending big for an Animal Shelter in Irvine? Is that really what’s going on?
YES I did not know this BS till last meeting our end of the shelter is item 17 last meeting –
Anaheim’s share of the shelter cost is approximately $7.7 million and is being paid in equal installments over a ten-year period.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, approve the attached Notice of Intent with the County of Orange for animal care and shelter services for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 at an estimated cost of $3,445,555 and authorize the Mayor, or his designee, to execute said Notice on behalf of the City.
Look lets be serious they care more about cats than people.
Allocated $500,000 for the Kramer shelter – $40 mil over 10 years for cats and dogs.
““modular dorms”…some of us wanted to see on the Karcher Lot…should, I would think, be more of a cautionary tale to some of our friend here.”
A cautionary tale worth telling – where is it told?
Vern? Can you find it? I’m off at work. Donovan really ought to know this saga — living in the district in which Jordan Brandman plans to run for Council and all.
OK, Rehab Homes, Homeless Shelters, Low Income Housing and Portable Toilets………all seem to be considered No No’s! Now, the hot tickets are: Wi-Fi Booster Systems on every tall building, the Three State Solution for California, Restless Immigrant Detainee’s with children and getting a new Sheriff! Pretty exciting….eh? By the way, where do the two
Sheriff Candidates stand on Separating Kids from the arms of parents? How about put
a age limit in place…say 12 years of age or older can be separated. All others remain
with their parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles?
So we have a three state solution.
The Northern state will have a population problem because of the large gay population.
The Central state will have all the food.
The Coast State and OC will have all the tourists, money and Republicans.
Now
Here in the Coast state we keep all the immigrant kids in pens and sell them to the Northern state that needs more kids so we can use the money to build bigger houses.
If we get in a trade war with the central state and they cut off our food we eat the kids or if we run out of fresh meat we get human carcass from our allies in North Korea.
The North state could cut off the water after we eat all the kids, but drinking beer seems to be the staple here in OC anyway.
So we get bigger houses anyway you look at it and isn’t that what life is all about?
My opinion? Keep the Sheriff fire all the rest of the police force, eat the tourists, save the children, drink whiskey or scotch, live in a house that fits your needs…
Imagine though… pizza made out of real Italian sausage made from real Italian tourists?
Better life more money, more money, bigger houses.
Bonds require collateral. You cannot use modular, temporary emergency housing units as collateral for bonds, just as you cannot use your motorhome to secure a mortgage.
The kind of modular units suggested are good for temp emergency shelter, far better than tents for keeping the elements off humans and their faithful pet companions, but that is not an appropriate answer for long-term housing. It is too constricting, and will eventually create emotional and mental stress from close quarters living over a long period. People need more space for permanent housing.
p.s. please note that it was Tom Daly who was Mayor in October 1996 when the agreements that promised 500 housing units to be built by Disney suddenly (and without public any discussion I can find) morphed into an addendum slipped into the docs to substitute $5MM of PUBLIC FUNDS from the taxpayer-funded BONDS (not Disney) for “neighborhood improvements” while creating NO HOUSING UNITS AT ALL! Until recently, even the head of RDA Lisa Stipkovitch was telling people Disney gave $5MM to RDA to rehab Jeffrey Lynne into Hermosa Village, which turns out to be not true, and the not-Disney-funded project resulted in a net LOSS of housing units in order to create larger units. Forgive me for seeing the irony in Daly now championing a housing bill.
THIS is why I have said Anaheim has a responsibility to address the crisis, because it was OUR elected representative Mayor and/or our professional staff that let Disney off the hook for what all parties AGREED were impacts to the COMMUNITY. The argument was not made that there were no impacts, the Brandman and Associates EIR showed all involved understood the theme park workers were still largely students living at home, but the hotel workers were documented as PRIMARY WAGE EARNERS already struggling to make ends meet on their meager pay even back then, and that by dramatically increasing the number of hotel rooms Anaheim would permit to be built we recognized the impact of that low wage labor disparity would also grow. When our own City representatives let Disney off the hook, we essentially took the impacts onto our own shoulders as a municipal authority, and I believe we have some obligation to fix what our representatives have broken.
Also somewhere in the 1990s, a childcare center for Resort workers on Resort property was promised and then lost to the paperwork shuffling. Anyone know where that went?
So while this issue brings to light the responsibility of Anaheim to fix what was broken on our watch, I believe there are better ways to address the crisis than what is proposed in the union-backed ballot measure. But since unlike the ACLU Districting issue the “living wage measure” is going to voters BEFORE litigation is initiated, much less settled, as a potential party to the litigation as Anaheim’s possible next Mayor, I am reluctant to show bias for or against the issues, other than to say I see better ways to resolve this, but will follow the rule of law as the voters approve or oppose such laws. But 500 housing units out of a potential 2,700 needed should have already been provided long ago, and we can look to one of the people now claiming to fix it. Sigh….
“Vigilance is the eternal price of getting Disney to live up to its contractual obligations.”
Seriously, any time it makes a promise to the city it should have to half the entire amount in escrow and provide its own security bond for the rest.