Central City East/Skid Row Heights : Downtown Los Angeles

Central City East DASH begins service on September 4th Due to the years of the local Rescue Missions and other social service providers sending out fundraising literature that the people in skid row are helpless and hopeless and for the most part unemployed , the many low income residents that do work who live in skid row were ignored when it came to DASH Bus Service. Today I walked to the corner of 5th Street and San Pedro and looked South on San Pedro Street and there it was , the sign for the DASH Central City East. When I pointed this out to an employee at the corner market he came from around the counter he was serving food from, looked through the window of the store, and saw the stop. He is a veteran pf the military that works on the westside of downtown and catches the E DASH to get to work in the mornings. HE told me that now he can use the Central City East DASH bus to transfer to the E DASH on 7th and Los Angeles instead of walking there. His life has just been made easie...

3:43 pm Pacific Standard Time Where to watch live on the internet- www.cnn.com www.wwltv.com louisiana What is happening Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Tennessee are working with Louisiana to shelter residents. Ray Nagin- Mayor of New Orleans will ride out the Storm in New Orleans. The Contraflow lanes highways rough estimate. 95% have evacuated 1.9 people have evacuated. Stopped contraflow on Interstate 49. The latest update from the WDSU weather center and the National Hurricane Center... Gustav is holding his own and the winds remain at 115 mph. The latest satellite update shows Gustav might be trying to re-intensify as the central pressure has dropped a bit to 957 mb. This ussually means the winds will follow suit and increase over the next few hours. A Hurricane Warning is now in effect from Cameron, Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border. This includes the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected in the warned...

ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GUSTAV INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 26A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008 200 AM EDT SUN AUG 31 2008 ...GUSTAV MOVING OVER THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF PINAR DEL RIO...LA HABANA...CIUDAD DE LA HABANA...ISLA DE JUVENTUD...MATANZAS...AND CIENFUEGOS. THIS WARNING WILL LIKELY BE DISCONTINUED LATER THIS MORNING. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER... INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. HURRICANE WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR PARTS OF THIS AREA THIS MORNING. A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL CUBAN PROVINCE OF VILLA CLARA. THIS WATCH AND WARNING WILL LIKELY BE DIS...

CBS news is reporting that Ray Nagin has told his residents to evacuate New Orleans . CBS News is reporting on why this Hurricane is increasing in intensity.

Hurricane Gustav is no Joke. I pray all of the Gulf Coast begins evacuations , not just Louisiana. These things are unpredictable. Gustav was upgraded to Category 5 , the National Hurricane Center website is placing the Hurricane in the category 4 range. The barometric pressure in the middle of the storm is at 945 millibars . This is going to be a very dangerous storm. Evacuations are being made across the Gulf Coast Region of the Untied States. KPRCTV channel two in Houston , Texas, is reporting that preparations are being made in Mississippi and Texas. School buses from Dallas are headed to the "strike zone" to help with evacuations.

Hurricane Gustav, pictured above , has reached Category 3 strength . The capacity for devastation is measured in how many millibars of pressure is in the center of the storm. Thus far the reports are of 956 milibars of pressur e. The lower this measure of barometric pressure the more organized the storm is and it's ability to have very intense winds surrounding this eye. CBS NEWS is reporting that Hurricane Gustav will traverse an area of the Gulf Of Mexico that is known to have deep layers of warm water . Warm water fuels a hurricane and makes them bigger and stronger. Hurricane Katrina was one hurricane that crossed"the loop current"".

Word on the street is that we are not happy. Those of us with mental illness are just not happy. I was raised a southern baptist and I hear it all over the place in skid row from these street preachers, just like they used to preach in those pulpits back then.. They tell people in skid row that they are not happy because they are sinners and it is because of sin and a character flaw that they are the way they are. They tell them they don't need their medication , only god. I remember when I was at the Goldenwest Hotel and a friend of mine named Richard committed suicide , they blamed it on his overdrinking. The case workers and the people at the Hotel went into the room before the cop got there and began to take things out of the room. They wanted to hide the liquor bottles because he had gone on a binge and he had said he was going to drink himself to death, and it was a program for the dually diagnosed. How could someone drink themselves to death in a program? Prior to all of ...

You have heard of Megan's law , right? Well, did you know that many registered sex offenders living downtown in the nonprofit sros don't have to disclose on Megan's law website. How many people know that there is an unspoken trust between the City of Los Angeles and these downtown housing providers to provide housing for these registered sex offenders. If one of these offenders feels that they might be in danger all they have to do is go to the central division and ask to not have to disclose on Megan's law website. All they have to do is claim they are being stalked , even if that is not the case. Who can prove it? Skid row forever has been a place where sex offenders are free to roam and seek victims on a daily basis. How many of you remember the posts I wrote about one of those offenders who went after young latino men all over this city , lived in skid row, did not have to disclose on Megan's law website and volunteered at non-profit organizations with access to...

Now that the hard part is over? The Central City East DASH bus is about to be implemented and the skid row community is engaged in speaking for itself. Now it is time to tackle the issues no one really wants to hear about. The Best exploiters of those living in skid row: the social service providers. What perplexes me is that no one really takes these things to heart. We, who live it, have to constantly be grateful for the housing we do have. Yet, what is that housing really like to live in? Do you know? We do, and it is those of us who are physically ill who are at the mercy of those who are not, those who can be bought to keep silent by the different housing providers. I don't need accolades or credit or none of that because I know that the work I am doing is going to be the hardest work of all. The work that will not make me too many friends . Having to expose the atrocities committed by the housing providers and their employees. We are neglected , tortured, and pimped out to ...

There are two shakedown organizations in skid row who are the fronts for stealing other peoples property. There are ways for nonprofits to take over property without just outright buying them. This blog will delve into the world of how tax payers and property owners are being bamboozled out of their constitutional right ot fair and just compensation or even the right to sell at market rates. Stay tuned. Read this article for a preview to understand the process.

Click the slideshow to learn more about the Union Rescue Mission and how you can help to get more water to my neighbors I will make the distinction in my writing about those in skid row who hinder and those who help. This is a story about those who help. These are those who are making a difference. Those who are seen on the streets of skid row on a daily basis making a difference and leading by example. You will never see Anita Nelson or even Mike Alvidrez ,execuive directors respectively, of each of the two largest housing providers in skid row coming to the heart of skid row to check on their tenants on scorching days to see how they are doing. But it takes people like Andy Bales to be out on the streets following through where Anita Nelson and Mike Alvidrez fail everyday. You can see Andy Bales out on the streets of skid row when the temperature is over 85 degrees behind a dolly full of cold chilled water pushing it himself. He can be seen with a group of people from the Union Resc...

IS there a high mortality rate in SRO Housing Corporation Hotels? I want to know. The LADOWNTOWN NEWS just announced that SRO will be receiving even more money to build housing , yet tenants continue to die in them. Just recently someone died in the Goldenwest Hotel , again. Of course they will blame it on something that the person should have under control. The rumor is that it was diabetes related. Whatever happened to onsite supportive services? Once again the public has the wool pulled over their eyes by these non-profits like SRO who claim to provide services for these people yet do not provide the services. They blame the victim. AS far as I am concerned it was probably another heat casualty. But SRO will blame drugs, personal illness etc. Word was that the renovated Lyndon Hotel are hovels of a room with the restrooms just as big as the rooms? Why do we keep spending money on buildings that are made half assed? Well, because the public doesn't demans anything from these non...

Ah Yes!! I can sleep at night, well , maybe not sleep , but I am at peace. Who else can claim that? Here is a good song I used to remember. But for some reason I think of running cross country. I want to run cross country again. Well, I am going to run again. I am going for it. Will be moody for some time. Getting my muscles to move is painful they love to be spastic. So moody here I come. Might ask the doc for some mood stabilizers while I go through this. Elavil should do the trick.

Hey , General Jeff, that is the Downtown Skyline seen from San Julian Street between 6th Street and 7th Street in the heart of skid row. Have we lost our minds, cause we are walking down San Julian Street in the early morning hours? Isn't that the spot that Sterling said he would build something for the homeless? Who!!! that is one of OG's trash cans . The Skid Row Brigade. It says something on the side of it . What does it say? Oh, yeah!!! One of Manuel Compito's favorite sayings. SKID ROW is holy Ground!!! What does that trash can say? Pride in skid row!!!??. General Jeff, the social service providers and the ACLU said that we liked living in our own filth. But why is the neighborhood on the kick of trying to keep it clean? Could the trash on the streets just be a way of putting the blame on homelessness on the homeless by being able to say that it is all their fault because they throw trash everywhere. But without trash cans how can we throw the trash into the proper pla...

Well, I am not afraid lately of exposing the problems in skid row. Bascically because I will be moving on into a new phase in my life. I was on a great retirement plan from the neighborhood council for about 1 year , but I ran into someone who was removing herself from the position she had held. With so many skid row issues pending for the first time from the neighborhood council budget I had to take her place. Another board member was also not making the meetings and I was forced to accept his alternate position on the board. Now I am free. Free from the neighborhood council, free from many other volunteer positions I have held in the Downtown Community. Now other avenues have opened up for me. Reading the recent article in the Garment and Citizen about jobs in skid row. I am just amazed at the iunanbility for people not to be able to understand the inherent obstacles facing those with disabilities in being hired into the world of work. MAny disabilities can not be seen. Many chronic...

I remember when SRO Housing Corporation made their efforts to secure funding from the CRA earlier this year . I remember the executive director telling me that if I spoke on their behalf that I would be invited to a fund raiser with Movie stars. I know that she was probably afraid I might be there to speak against because of the death of CLE PEters that happened as a direct result of heat stroke during the heat wave the end of summer last year.PAhleeese!!! I have been around so many movie stars the last nine years to make me sick of being around them. I was there to speak on behalf of those who are employees of SRO Housing Corporation that depended on that money to keep their jobs. I didn't see the executive director ever giving up her salary or taking a reduction in order to help those other employees. SO of course I was there to speak to make sure those employees had their jobs and also the housing I live in can not operate without them. This is just one of the many problems ...

In this order will be the largest donations made. I don't know when, but I know who they are. IT has been a trying time praying and deciding which organizations in skid row and around skid row I will be making consistent donations to as I begin my journey into self -reliance. 1. NEW LATC 2. MIDNIGHT MISSION 3. Skid Row Housing Trust 4. LAMP Single Room Housing Corporation did not make this list for the reason that they continue to try and pull the wool over the eyes of those all over this city and the world. Skid Row housing Trust also has a no air conditioning policy , but they at least have recognized that not providing on site supportive services was not an answer to solving the homelessness problem. LAMP has been working with Skid Row Housing Trust and JWCH in providing the on site supportive housing model. SRO made no efforts to correct their mistakes nor have they done anything to make sure that their residents are protected during the hot summer months. They use their employ...

With the recent articles written by Kathryn Maese, the Downtown News is finally showing it's true colors in regards to why certain parts of downtown deserve to have the new gentry protected and major efforts to make that happen as opposed to the poorer people who reside in other parts of downtown Los Angeles. I finally responded. There is no guarantee that it will be published. I do agree with Kathryn Maese that Homelessness should not be a respected condition ;Neither should arrogance and, just throwing people into a place and leaving them there to die is also not an option. But hey, let's complain about Broadway , but not San Julian Street. There is a difference between mental illness and mental incompetence. I firmly believe that those on both sides of the debate are not fully aware of this fact. Just because a person suffers with a mental illness does not mean they are mentally incompetent. This is why there are so many mentally ill people on the streets because the law m...

Nature put on a display for us in Los Angeles last night. Lightning could be seen in the southwest from Downtown Los Angeles. These photos were grabbed while at the after party at Barker Block for the Downtown Film Festival's second night of screenings.

Is it voodoo? The budget came before the whole board of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council and it was the shortest item that was discussed at last night's neighborhood council meeting. This is the most polarized community in the city with every type of stakeholder represented on the board. Yet, even after the executive committee had chopped budget requests from all committees before the board meeting, there wasn't any fighting going on at the meeting last night. Everyone was pleased. I think there is some sort of magic happening. Is it white magic? Black MAgic ? Is it voodoo? God only knows. But this neighborhood council has meetings and debates but still gets along even after we disagree on lot's of things. What do you think? Is it voodoo?

The answer is that it boils down to it's simplest essence. You don't need textbooks , college degrees or seminars. The definition of government is this: Fighting over other people's money

One thing is for sure . The excitement is great on the stretch of Main Street that the Nickel will be on. One reason is that many people know Monica and can't wait for her to open up that diner. They are all claiming that it will be clifton quality food. Not being able to afford the prices on 4th and Main and other establishments around the area also has the Leonide and the Sanborn residents excited because now they can enjoy quality food in their own neighborhood they can afford. Speculation is that the Nickel will be inexpensive. But the people are looking forward to not being malnourished because the only food around they could afford for many of them has been processed food. Now they can eat healthy. I hope Monica takes into consideration the many sick people in those buildings who need items that cater to their illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. This is what is needed. The good stuff too. All I Hear from the people even this far into skid row is that they...

Denial is a funny thing. Denial is what happens when we can't see the forest for the trees. Denial is what keeps us from moving forward. Denial is what makes us stall in our tracks. I can't sleep. I keep getting the same dream. My work is accomplished here in skid row. The major work is seeing it's seeds now sprouting a crop. What was that work? To get skid row from being isolated. To have the residents here networking with the rest of downtown and the rest of the world. That work involved leading by example and interacting with the rest of downtown . The newdwontown. It involved making sure the residents of skid row and the homeless had a place on the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. I have seen this work finally come to fruition as I see my neighbors in skid row working and networking with the rest of Downtown. They now hold prominent positions in policy making committees and have direct contact with those who can help make those changes. Having skid row isol...

Father? Are you there? I have tried to be humble... I can't say I have done my best... but I have tried... Sometimes I lose track and site of the mark. Sometimes in my pain I can see it up close...sometimes when I am feeling well I can see it only in the distance. The doctors have me on a new medicine I have to inject it everyday twice a day now. I still can't believe the diagnoses I have and am still alive. Medicines that others could not get, but I trusted you to be there for me...it has been miracle after miracle that has kept me alive.. I asked you to let me be who I am ... Let me be the person who I knew was me just for a little while longer...instead, it has been many years after I asked that I would be the servant that you would have wanted me to be .. When I graduated from the marine corps and I was carrying my green seabag ,I said in my heart .. "I need no one now , not even god"... oh , how wrong I was . I need you for everyday. Now I am in a place that ev...

Wendy Beatriz Bruget being honored by the Chair of the County Democratic Club Wendy Bruget, who has sat on the board of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, has worked tirelessly with the fund raiser for the American Diabetes Association and also worked with the Southwest Voters to do outreach in the latino community to register people to vote, was one of he many honorees last Sunday before yesterday , at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. SHe was honored as a democrat of the year. Wendy Bruget not only helps in those arenas and areas but she has been a big encouragement in my trying to become self-reliant. She has been there for me providing access to lap tops, others who can teach me new things , has taken me to meet very important people in the advocacy community. Her inspiration has been great. She bought me my first suit when I didn't feel like getting into one because of the weight. As a result, I lost over 40 lbs and now I have a personal tailor who outfits me because ...

General Jeff speaking with the City Of Los Angeles The photos I took of that days events became corrupted. I had some good shots of General Jeff speaking with the parks representatives from the city. I moved the photos to a hard drive on my computer. I am going to move photos to my external drive from now on. It started out a pretty good day. Of course we had our little earthquake. Hey , General Jeff , is that someone from the city? You mean, during the earthquake you were representing the people of skid row? Someone told me to hurry as soon as I left my building. Gosh, General Jeff, everyone wants you to represent and they want me to document it. Jeff, isn't that the Abbey Hotel being worked on? Doesn't it look good next to the Midnight Mission? I wonder what was going through the minds of those working on that hotel during the quake earlier in the day? Isn't that the new edible wall garden that cal poly students put in the wall behind your building? I wonder when we ca...

While many people criticize the Councilwoman for many things , there is one thing we can not criticize her for here in skid row. She is seen here by the people, people know her and she is a very prominent figure in the community. I was speaking with Thomas the documentary director and he always wonders why I love Jan Perry so much. I told him because she has balls. Many want me to say guts, intestinal fortitude , etc, out of respect. Nope, she has bigger balls than all of the male politicians who could have dealt with skid row when they had the chance but did not for fear of political downfall for not being able to control an intractable problem in the City of Los Angeles. She brings forth the Agenda and we can accept it or push back. By doing so we can make changes. They may not be to everyone's liking , but they are changes nonetheless. Almost every skid row watch walk she is here. Whether there be big media cameras or not . Jan Perry is here walking on the skid row watch walk. T...

The picture above was taken at 1 am . This photo was taken in the heart of skid row. For those who read the below posts I will say that I never see LAHSA or the Streets or Services people out late at night or during the early morning hours. It is interesting that people who work for said entities and even those who work for City Government will try and use their positions to discredit when I say these things. No one that I know of from County or City Government other than the LAPD and the LAFD are out at those hours dealing with the homeless population in skid row. Homelessness is 24 hours a day 7 days a week, but even when you go to the LAHSA website you will see that they say only from 8 am until 5pm will they provide emergency services for people who find themselves needing those services. Anxiety fills my body when I write these things , but it is the truth. There is a dog and pony show going on that certain entities want the world to see regarding skid row. They don' want...

The bitter odor of weed and crack and other substances saturated the air as we waited to leave on the August Skid Row Watch walk. I have the strangest feeling that it was this aroma that was emanating from San Julian street between 5th Street and 6th street that may have had me agitated. How could one not notice the air was just full of second hand cigarette, crack, and weed smoke. It was a horrible time to be in front of the Midnight Mission . UH OH !!! The movie people are here!!! It was a different walk than others. I sensed that many of the residents and the walkers knew that a doumentary crew was on the walk with us. It was said that when Thomas the director was saying that this documentary was sepearate from the SOLOIST movie , I sense that it is still a part of that production , somehow, somewhere it is still a part of the ongoing series of skid row since Steve Lopez wrote those first articles about the area. INtutitively you can't convince me otherwise, after what I saw...

While I was resting my feet after going on the skid row watch walk... A funny thing happened. I got to see the LAPD stop a car that was stolen earlier in the day and apprehend the suspects. The drama occurred on the corner of 4th Street and Main Street . SO there I was, sitting down, having fun with my friends taking their photos and bam !!! Police cruisers swarmed in from every direction. Everyone at Pete's ,after the bulk of the LAPD showed up in force to take action were told to move towards the center of the front porch of the San Fernando building. People were everywhere trying to take photos. I have had my apprehension about moving into gilville. Now that I see that Gilville is a ghetto I may not want to move into his buildings, but you never know. The Rents keep going up and the folks who don't like me there seem to be the ones having to move on. As long as Tom Gilmore keeps raising the rents the hopes that I may move in increase. Considering the rif raf that live in ...

This person was a resident at the Midnight Mission before he was a director. I can't believe the things he told me last night on the skid row watch walk. He said I had no idea what the Midnight Mission was all about. If I didn't know how important the Midnight Mission is to skid row , I would have never done the things I have done to support their programs nor would I have gone to a zoning hearing as a resident of skid row who didn't live in the Mission, to speak on their behalf of the Midnight Mission's move many years ago to where they are now, two days after being in the intensive care unit because of a flare up of the demyelinating neuropathy. Maybe he sees himself as doing more for the Mission because he is making a documentary and can bring attention to the Mission . As I was telling Thomas, the director, after the skid row walk last night about certain things, that person began to tell me that I didn't know about the mission. I don't care how muc...

Ok for all of the dissing of the large not for profits in skid row, I am also guilty of supporting many of them. For instance, in Septemeber, I plan on going to my very first Golf Charity Event put on by the Midnight Mission. Being an honorary Midnight Mission family member, I am always allowed to crash these parties. From GALAS to whatever , myself, I will be paying my own way this year. It is a good cause, Plus I want to know what it is like to play in one of those charity golf events. The Midnight Mission for some odd reason has chosen to publicly stay up to date with it's accountability by being accountable at charity navigator . Not only that they have received 4 star rating. I think this type of transparency is important and it puts many at ease who contribute to the programs of the Midnight Mission.

WE have seen this happening all over skid row. People set up near homeless missions to recruit those with medicare and medi-cal cards. I have been approached. It is a horrible thing knowing that there are those out there defrauding tax payers and using the sick to get and make money. I am now wondering when they have said at local hospitals, that their beds are full, how many of really sick and ill have been turned away while the hospitals milk the system. The people arrested were those high ranking administrators of the two hospitals. "This is a rather large operation. They were receiving kickbacks up to $20,000 a month from some of these hospitals and they were delivering between 30 and 50 patients a month," said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the city attorney's office. Mitts ran the 7th Street Assessment Center, which screens people for health needs and takes them to hospitals if necessary. The lawsuit said the "patients" were picked up by recruiters who...

What a night last night!!! It was family reunion time once again. Many newbies to downtown don't understand how long I have lived in Downtown Los Angeles and how far my relationships reach . They seem to think that just because I live in skid row I don't have friends all over downtown. These are friends that will always be my friends no matter how ill the new folks opening up shop downtown treat me. For instance, below, are photos of a great friend of mine and a great friend of the councilwoman Jan Perry. Frances Hashimoto who sells Mochi. Almost every shot I have from last night's National Night out with others was taken with her . Check it out. Frances Hashimoto eating her own product; Moshi. The party was great . Whoever put this party on knew what they were doing. I ran into all of the bloggers there. I met whitedude for the first time He looks like he doesn't have a problem getting dates. We talked about the asian beauties that surrounded us that evening. They...

Many multimedia sources and person's working on their PHD's are finding that having a real source of information about skid row flowing from Downtown Los Angeles is important. Two PHD candidates have contacted me in less than two months for interviews and information. A production company is now saying they want to pay me for consulting . While we watch other bloggers turn into the bought main stream press, Central City East Blogger will not pull any punches in the ongoing saga of that which is the newdowntown. I have even received e-mails from developers looking to invest in downtown expressing gratitude for the truth about Downtown found on this blog. One huge real estate developer stating " I had only gotten the salesman's pitch from other sources , your blog has put things into perspective.I am now able to change my business strategy to fit what is really happening downtown. I almost walked away. There is way too much positive and local periodicals are nothing bu...

At 1 am on a Early Tuesday Morning there was a mess in and around San Julian Park. San Julian Park is managed by SRO Housing Corporation. This early Tuesday morning you could see the trash that was in the park ? Is SRO maintaining the parks like they should? Across the street, where the Central City East Association keeps that area clean because it is a part of the Toy District and the property owners tax themselves to have a business improvement district to maintain that area, you could see the difference.