On Valerio Street, They Wait for a Customer

 
God forbid, LA or Van Nuys would do anything to help the women who hook for a living on a cold night.  Maybe a coffee shop where they can wait in warmth and have their customers vetted for VD and other issues.  No, not in LA, LA doesn't give a fuck.

Pictures courtesy of MidJourney

Disabled and Devout on Sepulveda Blvd

I drove to Western Bagels.  On the sidewalk down the block was a crippled or deformed person, probably homeless, very dirty, maybe without legs, praying.  Rocking back and forth and prostrated and praying.  To Mecca?

Image by Midjourney.  The actual person was much more crippled and dirty.

What Happened to the Van Nuys Air Show?

Once upon a time, long ago but as recently as 2006, the City and County of Los Angeles had a pretty wonderful air show at the Van Nuys Airport.  It attracted people from all over the city and the region.  It was cross generational and attendance was a tradition for many people and families.

Air shows are a way to see some exotic hardware and learn about the history of aviation.  Los Angeles was and is a center of aviation innovation and history. Many of the pioneers of aerospace such as Douglas Aircraft, Lockheed, TRW as well as hundreds of smaller companies were located here.    It is right and proper for the city to host an air show.  

So what happened?  Apparently the city sold out the air show because rich people and corporations wanted more space to store their jets.  The city said it did it for the money but some people believe the real reason was that they wanted to kiss the ass of their masters and show proper deference.   After all who cares about a festival beloved by the citizens of Los Angeles?  Certainly not us, the politicians thought.  

If the city had really wanted money, all it had to do was to lease the space to the rich for 11 months of the year and have the air show during the 12th month when the rich would have to fly their jets somewhere else, perhaps the Bahamas, or the South of France or Bali.  Or the rich people's jets could even be part of the show.  No problem.  But that is not what the city chose to do. 

I have heard that the government of the City and County of Los Angeles is corrupt and there is evidence for that.  But another explanation is that they are just not very good at their job and are indifferent to the lives and well-being of the people who for one reason or another have to live here. Our public servants are not pretending to be shallow and incompetent.  They are shallow and incompetent.  They are true to their values.

A visualization of private jet area of Van Nuys Airport courtesy of MidJourney.

No Response From Our Public Servants

 
Jill and I wrote a letter to our various local city and state representatives asking them if they would not mind looking at and possibly addressing a half dozen or so issues on our street. It was a very nice letter and we sent it to all possible relevant parties.

You know: maybe less prostitutes on the street, take down the overhead power lines, remove the derelict buildings, and modify Sepulveda Blvd so that it appeared that people who were expected to live here could do so with dignity and with some of the amenities that the rich white folk have in other parts of this Ciudad de Los Angeles.

We got one letter returned without forwarding address but no other response.  Not even a form letter or a robocall from a digital assistant.  How rude.  What were we thinking?  That the city of LA cares about its citizens?

Now we get to call their office and see if they even got the letter.  Yes, we know there is very little chance that anything will come of this.  But we think it is worth a little of our time to try and have our elected representatives do their job.

Politicians asleep courtesy of MidJourney

The letter: