Redevelopment Agency Scams

Submitted by RosemeadOne on Fri, 10/01/2010 - 15:47

Interesting article on Redevelopment Agencies in the state. I'm sure there's less to some of the examples presented. There are also more examples of wasted money than presented. Two more examples from Rosemead: the $800,000 wasted on a new track that no one except one of Steven Ly's political supporters wanted, and the $800,000 that's going to be poured into the Dinsmoor Money Pit because Steven Ly's supporters on the "board" that benefits.

I don't think the article even noted that city councils use the redevelopment agencies to pad their salaries, even though some of their meetings take all of about five minutes.

I bet the LAT was reading

Submitted by night reader on Sat, 10/02/2010 - 11:56.

I bet the LAT was reading this blog.

While there are a ton of stories out there, the blogs can give some off-the-cuff analysis. We can say "this stinks" and that's their lead.

I look at the websites of the TELACU and CRA and the few RAs that have websites... and they talk a lot about affordable housing, but it looks like many of their projects are COMMERCIAL FOR-PROFIT.

If there's one thing I like about conservatives, it's that they go after the CRA. http://ronkayela.com/2010/09/for-the-seventh-time-in.html You just read about CRA and it's WTF? over and over.

Montebello bought a car dealership and "Jimmie's" restaurant. They were speculating with public money to prop up selected businesses. Ouch.

The Marlton Square situation is sad. It's at the foothills of a nice area, but the mall looks like Iraq during the bombing. They should ED the thing and put in offices or something.

Oh yeah - no REDEV MONEY for the former mobile home park

Submitted by night reader on Sat, 10/02/2010 - 12:00.

There's a vacant lot where a mobile home park was at Garvey and San Gabriel.

It was torn down ILLEGALLY.

It's a blight... but we must not give any redevelopment money to that project. What a scam.

Seize the property and liquidate it to another developer. Punish the current owners for breaking the law.

Redevelop

Submitted by Zebra24601 on Mon, 10/04/2010 - 11:47.

I'll just toss this out: Some folks hate the idea of "giveways" to business, but sometimes, I think a giveaway is better than having a blighted area stay blighted for (literally) generations.

Have you driven by the corner of Temple City and Valley recently? It's become a shantytown. I'd rather give away millions of dollars to a developer that will turn that land into something productive than to have that place stand vacant for over twenty years, and to be slowly converted into a tent city for the homeless.