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. This last walk we saw her praying with the preacher lady , the prophetess, on the corner of 5th Street and San Pedro with an LAIST photographer.
Last week with the prophetess
JAN Perry is a spiritual woman and, I believe , sincerely, that many miracles have happened for skid row since she became the councilwoman of the 9th Council District. No other politician can be said to be down here on a consistent basis. She interacts with the residents not just the heads and executives of the not-for profits. She understands our hardships and the suffering we go through sometimes with those who are charged to look out for us here in skid row. She reads our e-mails and answers them. She and her office take our advice and actually implements projects and helps start them based on what she has heard from those living in skid row.
On the July 2005 Skid Row Watch Walk speaking with a resident
Jan Perry is our Councilwoman. For bad or worse , we are not ignored. And that in itself is why skid row was the reason it was what it was. Skid Row was ignored.
Now I am starting my own business , others are doing the same. The disability rights movement is taking root in the community which is helping with the restoration of dignity for those who so desire to work again although we have disabilities. There are things going on on the weekends and the evenings that are as a result of resident initiated programs and not those from the huge non-profits, Empowering programs that teach once again self-reliance and the hope for such.
AS long as there is no one to hear our demands then things will not change. Jan has heard us and those programs that are here for the people to utilize on the weekends and the evening hours are being supported. Many people attack me when I say that our voices had been filtered in skid row by the huge not-for profits. What I mean by this statement is that the huge non-profits always claim that they know what the needs of the community are and, that they speak for us. This is not entirely true. Things did not begin to change in skid row until the people living here who were not employees at the non-profits began to speak for themselves. The huge non-profits will tell you that only they and their organization can help the people. They always have their hands out.
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. This last walk we saw her praying with the preacher lady , the prophetess, on the corner of 5th Street and San Pedro with an LAIST photographer.
Last week with the prophetess
JAN Perry is a spiritual woman and, I believe , sincerely, that many miracles have happened for skid row since she became the councilwoman of the 9th Council District. No other politician can be said to be down here on a consistent basis. She interacts with the residents not just the heads and executives of the not-for profits. She understands our hardships and the suffering we go through sometimes with those who are charged to look out for us here in skid row. She reads our e-mails and answers them. She and her office take our advice and actually implements projects and helps start them based on what she has heard from those living in skid row.
On the July 2005 Skid Row Watch Walk speaking with a resident
Jan Perry is our Councilwoman. For bad or worse , we are not ignored. And that in itself is why skid row was the reason it was what it was. Skid Row was ignored.
Now I am starting my own business , others are doing the same. The disability rights movement is taking root in the community which is helping with the restoration of dignity for those who so desire to work again although we have disabilities. There are things going on on the weekends and the evenings that are as a result of resident initiated programs and not those from the huge non-profits, Empowering programs that teach once again self-reliance and the hope for such.
AS long as there is no one to hear our demands then things will not change. Jan has heard us and those programs that are here for the people to utilize on the weekends and the evening hours are being supported. Many people attack me when I say that our voices had been filtered in skid row by the huge not-for profits. What I mean by this statement is that the huge non-profits always claim that they know what the needs of the community are and, that they speak for us. This is not entirely true. Things did not begin to change in skid row until the people living here who were not employees at the non-profits began to speak for themselves. The huge non-profits will tell you that only they and their organization can help the people. They always have their hands out.
Skid Row Watch walk August 2007
Jan Perry continues to hear those of us who really know what the needs are. We can tell her if the huge non-profits are correct, where they are failing, or if they are providing the services they claim to be providing. An example of this was the expansion of the Midnight Mission when it moved. There were many anti-gentrification people who don't live in the community claiming the reason for the move was gentrification. I had spent time on the streets with many people who cursed the Midnight Mission. People who were addicted to drugs and alcohol etc.As I listened through their drug induced talking that is was the fact that they couldn't get into the Midnight Mission's programs which was the problem. There just wasn't enough room. Thus, the resident's who didn't even use the Midnight Mission began their drive to support it's move and expansion when there was resistance by property owners. 
Antonio Villaraigosa , LarryAdmanson , Someone whom I don not know ,James Hahn, Dick Van Dyke
Antonio Villaraigosa , LarryAdmanson , Someone whom I don not know ,James Hahn, Dick Van Dyke
Praying together at the Cornerstone laying of the Newly Expanded Midnight Mission April 2005
Once again, Jan Perry heard the resident's that wanted to help themselves to clean up their lives and she supported the move.It isn't only this blog that reaches her it is the hundreds of e-mailers living in skid row who can reach her directly through e-mail. I literally do believe it is literally hundreds of skid row residents who contact her directly through e-mail now. She responds. Jan Perry wins her elections because she is accessible to everyone in her council district. How she does it, I will never know . But she has god on her side.
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