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As everyone knows by now, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez has dealt a blow to herself and to those opposed to ongoing gentrification in the city with her jaw-dropping stupidity. During yesterday afternoon’s council meeting, the future of the PBID was discussed – an issue central to many of the mostly Latino owned small businesses along fourth street. Alvarez seemingly came out of nowhere to situate herself on the right side of the issue last month taking Downtown Inc. to task unlike the other DINOS in local government.
She continued on during Wednesday’s meeting asking property owner/gentrifier Irving Chase about Downtown Inc.’s enjoyment of favorable rent in one of his buildings – a valid question not just for them but for many of the preferred new businesses under Chase in the newly-minted “Rear End Promenade!” (Oops, I mean East End) Then, she done fucked up. Big time. As the Reggie and Voice of OC have it, Alvarez uttered “So if Hitler rents you a place, gives you a great deal, you take it?” Not only is invoking Hitler in an argument a sign of political stupidity, it becomes downright anti-Semitic when you lob it at someone who happens to be Jewish as Chase is. It didn’t take long for the Anti-Defamation League to weigh in as the Mayor Pro Tem now finds herself in hot political water.
With one idiotic rhetorical question, Alvarez has dealt a severe blow to the moral soundness of the anti-PBID cause and its proper line of hard questioning. She should also apologize to them too for the damage that has been done and it’s already apparent. Alvarez’s Hitler comment has been stretched to them whether they know it or not. In the Reggie, Chase accused her of whipping them up into a “mob of hate.” They have indignation with cause. Let’s not paint with broad brushstrokes now.
I don’t know if all of Alvarez’s criticisms stemming from last month came from a deeply anti-Semitic soul, but legitimate critiques of a venture capitalist hopefully wont be reflexively deflected as “century’s old anti-Semitic stereotypes of Jews as financially exploitative” as the ADL puts it. Venture capitalists, no matter what ethnicity or gender they come in, are financially exploitative. Downtown Inc. has operated as a form of redevelopment that is so painstakingly obviously in its disinvestment from many 4th Street businesses. The Board recently lost its only two Mexican immigrant members to resignations in a Voice of OC story that went under reported as if to only underscore the point. (Michele Martinez in the same meeting stated her desire that Downtown Inc. find new token Mexicans! – but not in those words)
And then there’s ‘ethnic cleansing.’ Alvarez put that one out there too. Scholars such as Mike Davis and Bill Quigley have used the term in its economical sense in relation to gentrification with specific regard to post-Katrina New Orleans. (People seem to think its sole definition is that of violent expulsion — although that is what more immediately comes to mind, seen any indigenous people lately?) Is the term applicable to what’s happening in Santa Ana? Not really. Keep it in your pocket folks. If there is to be a theoretical construct, then British colonialism’s ‘Divide and Rule’ playbook is much more applicable. Read up on it and you’ll see the parallels for yourself, especially where it pertains to the necessity of favored natives to carry out colonial administrative tasks and aims (with the added bonus of being brown!)
Gentrification, in the end, is internal colonialism after all.
I’m not a fan of Claudia Alvarez, but I personally don’t consider the Anti-Defamation League to be a very reputable organization. They have a lengthy track record of falsely accusing people of being “anti-Semitic” for merely criticizing Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population.
That being said, I agree with your analysis the Chase’s behave the way they do not because they are Jews, but because they are capitalists. Alvarez’s use of ethnicity in describing the conflict is quite typical of a person who sees the world primarily through the lens of identity instead of class.
Instead of viewing the gentrification battle as being a struggle between big capitalists, the petit-bourgeoisie, and the working-class, Alvarez probably sees it as being a fight between Jews and Mexicans. That doesn’t mean she’s anti-Semitic. It means her interpretation of reality is limited to these terms.
And I suspect what Alvarez said during that heated Santa Ana City Council meeting is an opinion that is privately shared by others in the Mexican business community, but won’t say in public. Its wrong. But again, what does one expect when you see the world primarily through the lens of identity?
Many years ago, I attended a meeting in South Central Los Angeles where almost all of the people in attendance were African-American. When the issue of jobs came up, some people in the audience blamed “illegal immigrants from Mexico” as the reason why young black men couldn’t find work.
I remember a woman arguing that many local restaurants will only hire Mexicans. What she wanted to do was picket those restaurants and encourage people to boycott them until they hired African-Americans. Fortunately, that idea was rejected. But that’s what happens when you don’t have a class analysis.
“I’m not a fan of Claudia Alvarez, but I personally don’t consider the Anti-Defamation League to be a very reputable organization. They have a lengthy track record of falsely accusing people of being “anti-Semitic” for merely criticizing Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population.”
Neither do I, for those same reasons and others.
“And I suspect what Alvarez said during that heated Santa Ana City Council meeting is an opinion that is privately shared by others in the Mexican business community, but won’t say in public. Its wrong. But again, what does one expect when you see the world primarily through the lens of identity?”
Perhaps, but the community does not constitute a “mob of hate” as Chase now conveniently describes them.
“I remember a woman arguing that many local restaurants will only hire Mexicans. What she wanted to do was picket those restaurants and encourage people to boycott them until they hired African-Americans. Fortunately, that idea was rejected. But that’s what happens when you don’t have a class analysis.”
Sure, but neither can the question how class is racialized be dismissed either. There’s Latinos participating in gentrification, but what kind? The assimilated brand! Who stands to be pushed out? The un-or-less assimilated. Plus, ask yourself, would you ever see in OC a redevelopment project in Brea (…or say Irvine) that would readily invite and court an unassimilated Latino clientele through new restaurants, bars, and cultural events?
Satire to come!
Gabriel San Roman wrote:
> Perhaps, but the community does not constitute a “mob of hate”
> as Chase now conveniently describes them.
It is now in Chase’s economic interests to seize upon Alvarez’s comments and use them to falsely claim that opposition to his real estate projects in downtown Santa Ana is primarily due to the fact he’s Jewish.
That, of course, is pretty much the point of your article: that Alvarez stuck her foot in her mouth and now has given Chase an opportunity to use his identity as a weapon against people opposed to his development plans.
Up to a point, Chase’s claim may be partially correct in the sense that some in the Mexican business community may resent the fact an “outsider” who doesn’t share their culture and identity is “pushing them around.”
There are limits to what Chase can do with this. He’ll milk it for what it is worth. But if he continues to repeatedly badger Alvarez, it might backfire against him and generate more animosity toward the things he does.
And unless the Anti-Defamation League or somebody else can soon prove Alvarez is a hardcore anti-Semite–which I seriously doubt–this whole imbroglio will probably will be soon forgotten within a few weeks.
> Sure, but neither can the question how class is racialized be
> dismissed either.
Agreed.
> Satire to come!
I wonder what Alvarez would have said if Chase was not only Jewish, but of Mexican ancestry?
Gabriel, Duane – I agree with your article. However, I know that the Hispanic, Asian, Arab, European and Jewish property owners that are rallying against the PBID do not care about whether Chase is Jewish or a fat cat land owner. That is beside the point.
As property owners what they care about is:
1) The PBID was established illegally and it breaks numerous state laws, including the ability to disestablish the PBID district with a majority vote. Currently, the disestablishment committee has more then 40% majority of petitions to disestablish. (Only 15% needed to initiate disestablishment as mandated by Federal and State law. [State streets and Highway Code Section 36670(a)]) Also, City owned buildings count as the largest percentage (38%) of pro-PBID votes. Really !!!!!!!!
2) The PBID assessment has more then doubled property owners property tax payment and has also devalued their property value.
3) Their PBID and Downtown Inc’s funding is used to fund activities to attract clients to Irv Chase’s tenants, ONLY (i.e. night security, rock concerts, and skate events). Why should the other owners pay this exorbitant assessment if they do not receive any benefits? How does the laundry, travel agency and furniture store benefit from the Downtown Inc. activities????
What these multi-ethnic business and property owners are against, is the illegal and damaging PBID and how it affects their businesses and their livelihoods. Moreover, they are fed up with the dishonest behavior by Downtown Inc. and their activities. These disillusioned property owners do NOT care about Irv Chase’s Jewish ancestry, it’s a non-issue. What they care about is that they can keep their businesses open and to make ends meet. After all, business is business and they are all in it to make a buck, why should they make a pay for Chase and his tenants?
You’re right. The three core issues you outline are at the heart of the issue.
The PBID is undemocratic, exploitative, unfair, and dishonest. Dtown Inc. is, as I wrote in my post, such a blatant mechanism of disinvestment.
Thank you for your salient contribution to the discussion.
A comment worthy of its own post. Can you address these issues in another piece, Gabe? This one’s getting a lot of traffic.
Agem wrote:
> After all, business is business and they are all in it to make a
> buck, why should they make a pay for Chase and his tenants?
It looks like the City of Santa Ana created the PBID to make smaller property owners within its jurisdiction bear the brunt of paying for services that benefit the only one dominant property owner in that area, which is, as you state Irv Chase.
If so, I suspect one of the unstated purposes of the PBID is to force smaller property owners to sell out to Chase so he can transform the area into a high rent district that leases to upscale retailers like the GAP, Banana Republic, and what not.
Not only would that benefit Chase, but Mike Harrah, another major player of real estate in Santa Ana, who, if I’m not mistaken, owns about twenty buildings, including the one that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is headquartered in.
Thank you for your thought-provoking comment. I’ve not been paying detailed attention to what is going in downtown Santa Ana until this issue came to the forefront. I thought Mike Hurrah was the only big monopoly player in that city.
I will be watching this issue more closely from now on.
That area is a LONG, LONG way from getting a Gap or Banana Republic. The market isn’t even close to being there.
What would help, though, is to demolish the awful First American building, which interrupts the 4th Street retail corridor, and put in a major anchor store, like an urban, 2-story Target. Anchor stores are widely known to fuel traffic in smaller, surrounding specialty stores. It could be a HUGE benefit to existing retailers, and it’s the type of store that basically carries something for everyone (a Target in downtown SA could obviously carry more Latino goods than a typical Target).
Anon wrote:
> That area is a LONG, LONG way from getting a Gap or
> Banana Republic. The market isn’t even close to being
> there.
Oh, I fully understand that. I doubt the area will become like Rodeo Drive anytime soon–if ever. In fact, it is possible whatever Chase is doing could flop. Speculators do lose their shirts now and then.
The point I was trying to make is that it appears to me the underlying purpose of the PBID is to assist Chase in his efforts to further consolidate his control over property in downtown Santa Ana.
The net result is Chase can use his monopoly power to pick and chose a blend of tenants that attract shoppers who have higher incomes than the working class folks who currently patronize the area.
It’s clear to me Santa Ana is implementing strategies that benefit the dominant property owners. This, of course, is not surprising given I live in Anaheim, a city that serves the Walt Disney Company.
In my opinion, the discussion Santa Ana has had during the past couple of years over light rail whizzing through downtown has been to help Mike Harrah’s pet projects, like One Broadway Plaza.
I think I better understand the situation going on in downtown Santa Ana now that I know more about what impacts the PBID is having on smaller property owners. It’s something I intend to watch closely.
100% right!
Someone soon will do something totally outrageous and this incident will be fgorgotten. I give it about two weeks.
“They have a lengthy track record of falsely accusing people of being “anti-Semitic” for merely criticizing Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population.”…….. Hmmmmm
For that matter every liberal will do that.
Our Vern Nelson is a typical example, you just say JEW and he will accuse you of denying holocaust. (absolute meat-head)
Since Alvarez is same liberal Nelsonoid, I do enjoy when these idiots are drowning in their own shit.
You’re lucky Vern even allows you comment!
Well he can be like Hitler and disallow may comets.
The truth to socialist is like the cross to Satan.
But I love May comets.
Really? I had you pegged for a July comet guy. Shine on, oh Hale-Bopp!
well well well, maybe all white males aren’t dead anymore, maybe making a comeback in the city where we were forced out of by illegals under the name of diversity. now diversity is not so good is it?
White flight was/is voluntary. Sorry us brown people gave folks irrational panic-oh. Gentrification is not integration in any democratic sense. It’s an imposition of privilege and its ‘diversification’ will be hollow as such.
Now, if you want to talk something along the lines of Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘beloved community’ concept, then I’ll listen.
Gentrification is NOT necessarily an evil…there are very definite economic and cultural benefits to greater economic/ethnic diversity within an urban core. It all depends on how the city handles it. I’m an advocate of “gentrification with justice”. Everything should be done to ensure that lower-income folks are not forced from the area. Innovative housing policies, tax ordinances that offer relief to residences who own homes, loan funds that give down-payment assistance, community land trusts, tax incentives to long-time business owners are all ways to help low-income folks have a stake in a community’s redevelopment.
That said, Alvarez needs to issue an apology to the citizens of Santa Ana.
The best part of this is that the Chases now likely have discrimination claims against the City for any denial or other negative action the City may try to take against them. This is great! A city councilwoman on the record make racist comments, establishing a discriminatory purpose to any future action the city considers. This is a gift to the Chase’s and their lawyers.
NLFTP wrote:
> The best part of this is that the Chases now likely have discrimination
> claims against the City for any denial or other negative action the City
> may try to take against them.
I believe Chase would only have grounds to file such a claim if he can prove that public officials in Santa Ana engaged in a systematic pattern of discriminatory behavior toward his real estate projects because he was Jewish.
If Chase’s case against the municipality was only based on Alvarez’s flippant comments at a Santa Ana City Council meeting—which I don’t necessarily agree were “racist” in the sense of the word–I seriously doubt he would win.
> This is great! A city councilwoman on the record make racist
> comments, establishing a discriminatory purpose to any future action
> the city considers. This is a gift to the Chase’s and their lawyers.
I consider Alvarez more of an idiot than a “racist.” I’ve had some “run-ins” with her in the past and have seen her do more obnoxious things. The only reason why this issue has come to the forefront is she offended a wealthy white man.
One other notable point about Alvarez’ comments;
They supposedly come from someone who is a warrior AGAINST racism and intolerance. From someone who PROMOTES ethnic diversity.
It’s akin to a Republican who makes “family values” one of their defining issues, all the while carrying on an adulterous affair.
yeah, it’s akin to a Republican….blah …blah…blah. Or a Mexican framing everything in race but the other side is racist (?). white flight may be voluntary and therefore flight from gentrification can be just as “voluntary” as being colonized by a bunch of illegals. It is time that someone stood up for the minorities(whites, asians, blacks) in Santa Ana, who will it be?
When the downside of gentrification hits and property values cause rents to skyrocket, leaving is not “voluntary” for many low-income folks…it’s NECESSARY. Get a little perspective!
“cause rents to skyrocket” really, who is going to pay the skyrocket rents?
I heard the “Chase’s” talk about rent discounts to their tenants and a city council meeting at the Yost theather a while back.
Who indeed. That’s exactly my point. And I’m speaking primarily of residential renters. THOSE are the people most affected by mismanaged and unjust gentrification.
Letter from LULAC:
August 25, 2011
Hon. Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, California 92702
Re: Reported Comments of Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Dear Councilwoman Alvarez:
Santa Ana LULAC Council #147 was founded in 1946 during our Latino community’s search for justice against segregation within our county’s educational system. We have fought and continue to fight to end racial discrimination and prejudice that can linger within our society through the years of progress and advancement. To this end Santa Ana LULAC has endeavored to fully cooperate with various community groups and associations to establish “a mutual exchange of concepts, an understanding and recognition of an appreciation for the dignity, worth and potential of the individual.”
As a representative of LULAC, I have personally worked to establish the initial foundation of the Jewish-Latino Roundtable by the Anti-Defamation League of Orange County/Long Beach (ADL). We have made great strides in the development of close ties, understandings and respect for each other.
Members of our council were astounded to read in numerous reports of the statements made by you as an official of the City of Santa Ana at a public meeting.
Santa Ana LULAC stands in full agreement with the call by ADL Regional Director Kevin O’Grady, for you to issue an immediate public apology to the Chase family in particular and to the general public. LULAC stands firm in our mutual agreement as stated by Mr. O’Grady, that “There is no room for anti-Semitism or bigotry of any kind in civil discourse.”
It is requested that this public apology be immediate to assure the integrity of respecting any and every individual within our society.
Cordially,
Zeke Hernandez
President
cc: Santa Ana City Council
Mr. Kevin O’Grady, ADL Regional Director
From The Los Angeles Times blog:
Councilwoman apologizes for comparing Jewish property owner to Hitler
August 25, 2011
A Santa Ana city councilwoman apologized Thursday evening for comments she made at a meeting a day earlier in which she compared a downtown property owner to Hitler.
“What I said was inappropriate, and I let my emotions get the best of me,” Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez said by telephone.
Alvarez was referring to a comment she made at Wednesday’s council meeting during discussion of a controversial tax for downtown property owners. A portion of those taxes goes to Downtown Inc., an organization charged with promoting and securing the area.
“Hey, so if Hitler rents you a place, he’s giving us a great deal, so who cares what he stands for?” she said. “We need to put a stop to this.”
[Extra text deleted]
Alvarez said getting emotional did not justify her statements. She said the debate has affected her personally because her father owned a business downtown, and the incident is the culmination of escalating tensions surrounding the downtown area.
“The conversation is not over,” she said. “I obviously need to learn how to keep my cool.”
When told about the apology, Irving Chase had no comment.
Click on the following link for full article:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/08/santa-ana-hitler-remark-apology.html
Ethnic cleansing
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Not to be confused with Genocide.
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.[1]
An earlier draft by the Commission of Experts described ethnic cleansing as “the planned deliberate removal from a specific territory, persons of a particular ethnic group, by force or intimidation, in order to render that area ethnically homogenous.” which it based on “the many reports describing the policy and practices conducted in the former Yugoslavia, ‘ethnic cleansing’ has been carried out by means of murder, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, extra-judicial executions, rape and sexual assaults, confinement of civilian population in ghetto areas, forcible removal, displacement and deportation of civilian population, deliberate military attacks or threats of attacks on civilians and civilian areas, and wanton destruction of property. Those practices constitute crimes against humanity and can be assimilated to specific war crimes. Furthermore, such acts could also fall within the meaning of the Genocide Convention”.[2]
Ethnic cleansing is not to be confused with genocide. These terms are not synonymous, yet the academic discourse considers both as existing in a spectrum of assaults on nations or religio-ethnic groups. Ethnic cleansing is similar to forced deportation or ‘population transfer’ whereas genocide is the “intentional murder of part or all of a particular ethnic, religious, or national group.”[3] The idea in ethnic cleansing is “to get people to move, and the means used to this end range from the legal to the semi-legal.”[4] Some academics consider genocide as a subset of “murderous ethnic cleansing.”[5] Thus, these concepts are different, but related, “literally and figuratively, ethnic cleansing bleeds into genocide, as mass murder is committed in order to rid the land of a people.”[6]
Irv is on record stating he has taken off his tenants from along term leases to month to month. He wants his tenants to change their merchandise that cater to immigrant Hispanic customers. If they do not he will evict them.
THE EFFECT OF THIS BUSINESS PLAN IS TO EXCLUDE A CUMMUNITY FROM AN AREA THEY FREQUENT FOR DECAES. THIS ACTION IS INLINE WITH THE DEFINITION ABOVE.
Alvarez committed an error in associating this term with the genocide associated with Hitler. She has apologized for this transgression….error.
“Ethnic cleansing is not to be confused with genocide. These terms are not synonymous”
At no time did she mention Irv’s Judaism in the argument. I do not believe this is a anti-semitic argument as she never mention his Jewish background, ethnic cleansing is not associated with genocide and she apologized when she wrongly associated ethnic cleansing with genocide.
The downtown property owner’s argument with the PBID is that it was unconstitutionally implemented, with a 30% voter approval and Downtown Inc’s by-laws prevent the property owners that fund it to vote for the Board of Directors that are to represent us…….TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
THIS DRAMA IS AN UNFORTUNATE DISTRACTION STRATEGIZED TO DIVIDE AND DIVERT ATTENTION FROM THE REAL ARGUMENT FOR THE DISSOLUTION OF THE PBID.
Using a Hitler reference to a Jewish person like that is out of bounds, but I don’t personally believe that Claudia Alvarez is a dyed in the wool anti-Semite the likes of say CSULB professor Kevin MacDonald.That’s not an excuse, just an assessment. Like Duane I feel she’s more of a pendeja than anything else.
The drama is indeed an unfortunate distraction.
Art Lomeli wrote:
> Irv is on record stating he has taken off his tenants from along term
> leases to month to month. He wants his tenants to change their
> merchandise that cater to immigrant Hispanic customers. If they do
> not he will evict them.
>
> THE EFFECT OF THIS BUSINESS PLAN IS TO EXCLUDE A CUMMUNITY
> FROM AN AREA THEY FREQUENT FOR DECAES. THIS ACTION IS
> INLINE WITH THE DEFINITION ABOVE.
Chase is a wealthy real estate speculator who buys and sells property with the underlying purpose of making money. That’s what capitalists do regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender, or sexual orientation.
The problem here is tenants whose businesses serve “immigrant Hispanic customers” impose limits on the amount of profits Chase can make. Why? Because most “immigrants” are working-class origin and have low incomes.
What Chase is trying to do is make more money from the properties he owns by getting rid of those tenants who serve working-class customers and replace them with businesses who serve customers that have higher incomes.
By doing that, not only can Chase charge higher rents–and thus earn a much greater cash flow from his properties–but the value of the real estate he owns will start to appreciate directly as a consequence.
If you carefully look at the “big picture,” Chase is not trying to get rid of tenants that serve “immigrant Hispanic customers”; he’s really trying to get rid of tenants that serve working-class customers.
This is class war, not race war.
Yes. The negative affects of mismanaged gentrification are primarily economic. It need not be that way. Problem is, the callous developers are usually white, and the victims are usually minorities. Under those conditions, it becomes quite easy to inject race into the mix.
That said, isn’t it interesting that, in this case, the entire Council is Latino. I don’t think the majority of them has a clue about steering these economic forces in a positive way.
Duane Roberts wrote:
“If you carefully look at the “big picture,” Chase is not trying to get rid of tenants that serve “immigrant Hispanic customers”; he’s really trying to get rid of tenants that serve working-class customers.
This is class war, not race war.”
But again, the working class in U.S. capitalism is highly racialized. More accurately he’s seeking to boot immigrant Latino working class stores in OC. The clientele that populates the Artists Village and East End, as evidenced by an old Voice of OC write up and by visiting them, is increasingly being imported from Irvine (which itself boasts a Latino population of less than 10%) I had a friend from outside of SA send me an email, not knowing where I really stood on things, inviting me to a pub crawl saying in effect, “Santa Ana, trashy I know, but some of these bars look nice online!”
Furthermore, a venture capitalist can take a Mexican immigrant population and be successful in a redevelopment project. It’s all in the approach. Take a look at Plaza Mexico in Lynwood. Korean venture capitalists there figured out a formula in a working class immigrant community. Celebrities like Jenni Rivera are looking into opening up boutiques. Univision has its most popular shows host from there during live broadcasts. Chase *chose* to go with the Brave New Urbanist gentrification model instead…
Irv Chase also demonized a Mexican Cultural Center in the media that is being evicted by a property management company he has an informal role in and family ties to. They made their rent every single month. What was their sin? According to his statements it was those ‘delinquent’ youths and an organization that turned the building into a ‘disaster.’ When you acknowledge that a lot of Mexican youth and just Mexican people in general frequent the place, those are some hyperbolic characterizations!
Gabriel San Ramon wrote:
> But again, the working class in U.S. capitalism is highly racialized.
Race and class go pretty much hand in hand with one another.
Duane Roberts wrote:
> Race and class go pretty much hand in hand with one another.
Although I consider racism to be the epiphenomenal product of deeper class forces, I realize it isn’t that simple.
“Race and class go pretty much hand in hand with one another.”……. Hmmmm
Not true!
The class is economically based. You can buy yourself a class.
Race is genetic and racism is natural force to protect the race.
Any idiot who will underestimate his/her own race as not to be superior will be enslaved and eliminated by the other race.
From the Exile wrote:
> Race is genetic and racism is natural force to protect the race.
Hogwash.
Go crawl back into your cave.
“Hogwash.”…… Hmmm
How so?
Taking in a consideration that you have substandard education you do not need to make ass of yourself by answering.
Art,
Forcing Latinos to change their merchandise is NOT ethnic cleansing.
Ethnic cleansing is forcing people out using violent methods. Rape, murder, etc.
What happened in Yugoslavia is how the term came about. Muslim Bosnians were slaughtered by the thousands and intimidated into leaving their country.
Irv isn’t asking his tenants to leave. He’s asking them to change their merchandise. They can stay as long as they do that.
Again, not ethnic cleansing.
“He’s asking them to change their merchandise.”…….. Hmmmm
You mean bagels, cream cheese and salmon?….. No burritos?
I should add that no Landlord should dictate to his tenant what merchandise he should sell unless he is communist or JEW the inventor of the communism.
If there are no repercussions from the City on Ms. Alvarez, then this “Code of Ethics” is nothing but a toothless farce. Each Councilmember has affirmed and signed the Code. I quote:
“I treat my fellow officials, staff and the public with patience, courtesy and civility, even when we disagree on what is best for the community.”
Ironically, Measure D, which included proposal of the Code, also extended Ms. Alvarez’ time on Council. She, of all people, should be held to account.
If you think the mayor pro tem should go, do a recall. there is time to hold a recall before the primary election,
If no recall is held, she may be unopposed in her run for her forth term.
(her second of three proscribed in measure D)
Where did I say she should go? There are other measures well short of recall that would suffice. Censure, or reprimand on the dais comes to mind. You could also strip her of the Mayor Pro Tem position.
Censure, or reprimand on the dais comes to mind. You could also strip her of the Mayor Pro Tem position.
Yes those would be appropriate measures, thanks for mentioning them.
To get an idea of her mistake, watch the video, run it out to 3 hours 10 minutes.
She was point on in the history of the area, too bad she had to mess up.
I am a bit disappointed by this practicing attorney, she should have been able to develop a stronger logical argument vs. resulting to the use of dramatics words, which merely produced undesired and unnecessary repercussions.
There are obviously serious concerns to be explored here, unfortunately for the Mexican merchants of SanTana, she look a callow course.
Nice to see that of the three local opinion blogs who wrote about this, our article from Gabriel is the most mature and nuanced. The others just use the whole issue as a club to bash the folks that they always hated. We know what to expect from our friends at our sister blog New Santa Ana, and I don’t want to attack them. I’d rather lampoon Dan at the Liberal OC, who’s suddenly hellbent on getting the DPOC to condemn Claudia’s stupid comments. Why should he care so much? When someone’s main motivation is, as Dan claims, just saving one’s Party from the embarrassment of double standards, it doesn’t generally result in such passion. No, Dan is just overjoyed to finally have a chance to drive a wedge between the local Dem party and Santa Ana’s Democratic City Council which he and Chris have always despised.
(The last time Dan puzzled me was when he 1. complimented Bushala for his Kelly Thomas work; 2. agreed that the Three Blind Mice on the Fullerton Council should be recalled; 3. tried to go Bushala one better by insisting that all FIVE councilmembers should be recalled, including Sharon and Bruce, even though the latter had been working all along to get to the bottom of the Kelly situation and get some openness and justice. Why all FIVE? Then I realized, it’s because he suspects Sharon and Bruce are Bushala tools and didn’t want to be lulled into giving them a free pass.)
What I’m saying is it always takes a little digging to figure out Dan’s true motives, but it can be done.
At the end of the day, Claudia seems to be both a hothead and a retard, although probably correct on the specific issue. Is it too late in her life for her to learn the way a grownup politician should express themselves? (Beginning with Godwin’s Rule 101.)
And sadly, I predict these Chase people are gonna milk this for all it’s worth, probably to the point of tarring all opposition to their gentrification projects as anti-Semitic. (Note to Chris P – that’s the spelling. Not Anti-Semetic.) Claudia has hurt her noble cause with her impulsive lameness, but there’s no reason to think she’s really anti-Semitic.
Oh, I should add her apology is seriously missing a few things. For one, it should have been addressed to the Chases; there should have been a sentence or two about her respect for the Jewish people and the tragic history of anti-Semitism; and finally it would have been nice if she could have quickly made her real point again in a non-offensive way.
Yeah, well the problem with Art and his blog is that if this had happened to any of a number of other local politicians, he would have been ALL OVER THEM. And so at the end of the day, he has no credibility. His “opinion” isn’t based on principle…it’s based on naked, raw politics.
Pedroza is an anti-Semite apologist who hates anything not Latino. He will defend racist and hateful remarks if uttered by a member of the city council. Where the he’ll is Tinajero, Martinez and Sarmiento on this hare? They all walked out on Benavides. Pulido has no choice but to condemn clown or all that Jewish money goes away next election. Does Disney know they have an anti-Semite working for them?
“Oh, I should add her apology is seriously missing a few things.”……… Hmmmm
Perhaps you should do the apologizing on her behave comrade Vern since you are the greatest pro-Semetic apologist.
However, Claudia has balls and you do not so she would be probably offended by your cowardly manhood.
“.. our article from Gabriel is the most mature and nuanced.”
If I never hear the term “nuanced” used in a political blog again I would be quite pleased – very trite.
Well, it is the perfect word for what I was saying. Look it up. I am comparing Gabriel’s article with a couple others we’ve all seen, and that’s what distinguished it.
Oh, I know – that’s a word you righties learned to hate, when W said “I don’t do nuance.” Well, life is full of it. But enjoy your Rick Perry and FOX News. (Trite)
How about “TONE”, honky tong man.
Tone’s got nothing to do with it, ESL.
Check dictionary Mater Dei, EFL.
OK then. By “nuance” I mean that Gabriel looked at the matter from different angles, saw good and bad on both sides, analyzed it, didn’t just simply try to bash people he already hated or blindly defend people he was loyal to.
That is not the same thing as “tone.” ESL.
“That is not the same thing as “tone.” ESL.”…… Hmmmm
Wrong!
With a little IQ a reasonable person must conclude that everything you have described is a TONE with which Gabriel approaches the sensitive issue.
As a musician you know or should have known that a tone creates resonance at specific frequency on specific object.
Therefore, Gabriel’s post positively resonated with a majority of readers because of the tone he set it at.
I am sure that my tone would not resonate with your cranium as well and would crack it as crystal glass, showing that the glass is half empty.
Not suprisingly, Dan took an opportunistic appraoch to this. Below all the venom and accusations, the guy just really seems like he wants to be known for something or make a buck, the similarities to Jubal are striking.
I suppose there is nothing wrong with this, except for Prevatt and Chimeliwinski have no skin in the game, they repeatedly write about Santa Ana’s woes, while absolutely ignoring thier own cities issues. I guess you could say Chris has got some vested interest because he works for the county, and gets paid here, he works for an organization whose mission is to protect people like (as in SELFISH or SELF SERVING).
Just once I’d like to see these guys post something genuine about thier communities and not have it seem like they are all of a sudden throwing on a Packers jersey.
As for NS, bullshit laden it maybe, but you know what you get and why you go there, like an old hole in the wall reasturaunt, the real deal.
How you doin’ with my spell chek?
Now I know why:
http://www.tmz.com/2011/08/26/chaz-bono-dancing-with-the-stars-dancing-woman-female-partner-chastity-cher/
Rumor has it that Dawn will be returningto DWTS as Chaz’s partner!
The comment was something about Chaz looking just like my husband Dan, PLUS, she’s actually got some balls!
Boy thats embarassing!
I do think Claudia messed up royally. And once that horse is out of the gate, there is no turning back. Her career has been royally smudged, and it may cost her more that just a few bad articles/blogs. That being said, if anyone wishes to buy the Chases’s property and do something different with it, so be it. If they are not willing to buy it, then who the eff are you to tell them who they should rent to??? The Chases’s subsidized the hispanic tenants for years trying to make it work. They gave them steep discounts, and still the tenants could not pay rent. Property owners need to make money in order to do business. If the current tenants do not pay rent, then the owners are free to find those that will. Has nothing to do with race, class or ethnicity. It is good business. End of story.
The Downtown Hispanic Shopping District historically has bee second in sales tax only to The Main Place Mall. This in spite of virtually no city assistance to even vaguely resemble the assistance given to the Main Place Mall.
Issues currently with a decline in business is due to the competition….Main Place Mall and large department stores that offer free parking , restrooms, rest areas safety, well lighted areas, comfort food courts etc.
The Downtown Hispanic Shopping District does not offer this so customers so some will gravitate away. Downtown businesses ask from the city this infrastructure to compete.
It is not a class culture argument. Target, Walmart, others and the Main Place Mall do great business with the community in question.
Leases in Downtown historically have been higher than leases in Downtown Huntington Beach. So much for the subsidizing misinformation.
The Chase Fiesta Market Place development was given to, by the city of Santa Anam Chase and his group with grants and bonds specifically written to service the surrounding Immigrant Hispanic Community. In this deal the Chase group acquired two city blocks with city assistance of Downtown real state with the purpose to service the Surrounding Immigrant community.
IF HIS ACTIONS NOW ARE DUE TO A BUSINESS FAILURE FROM THE ORIGINAL AGREEEMENT TO PRODUCE A DEVELOPMENT TO SERVICE THE LOCAL IMMIGRANT HISPANIC COMMUNITY THEN HE SHOULD AKNOWLEDGE HIS FAILURE AND THE CITY SHOULD TAKE AWAY WHAT THEY GAVE AND GIVE IT TO SOMEONE THAT CAN PRODUCE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREENMENT CHASE HAS FAILED TO PRODUCE.
This happened in 1984. Simce then he has bought out his partners and now actively seeks to replace the community responsible for his Downtown wealth.
HIS HIPOCRACY IS OVERWHELMING. HIS WEALTH OF THE BACKS OF THE COMMUNITY HE SEEKS TO REPLACE AND THEN CRIES ANTISEMITC ACCUSATIONS AND REFERRING TO HIS CRITICS AS BIGOTS AND RACISTS FOR CITICISING HIS BUSINESS TACTICS BECAUSE HE IS jEWISH……..WHILE TAKING THIS ACTION IS INFURIATING.
Santa Ana wants to be the County seat. However, its downtown business district has essentially failed to provide any significant revenue flow for years. It was stagnant, failed to attract any significant income for the city, and failed to meaningfully develop. The whole purpose of the business development district is to develop business, and to generate income. Santa Ana is in the RED. Property owners typically WANT to have their property values INCREASE, not decrease or stay stagnant. If the development has failed since 1984 (it has) It is certainly time to RETHINK the plan itself. What has occurred downtown is beneficial to the City, constitutes diversification, and is not anti-Latino by ANY stretch of the meaning.
Economic development, such as that occurring, is positive. The methods being used to fight it by Alvarez and largely Latino business owners using the ugliest of race bating and racial arguments that are not only reprehensible and hypocrtical, it is contrary to the overall well being of the City of Santa Ana short term and long term.
OCmartiniman,
You missed this city documented information.
“The Downtown Hispanic Shopping District historically has bee second in sales tax only to The Main Place Mall. This in spite of virtually no city assistance to even vaguely resemble the assistance given to the Main Place Mall.”
The Downtown needs infrastructure to compete, not replacement of the market that has been successful …….second in tax revenue to the Main Place Mall.
The economic market power is here, just needs some city assistance to compete with other venues. This being true then where is your economic argument in replacement of the current market.
IT CAN NOT BE AN ARGUMENT OF REPLACEMENT DUE TO ECONOMICS . IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING ELSE???????
What economic development as occurring are you referring to?
Doc Art,
I’ve seen those numbers to on the economic activity of the 4th street business district as compared to the Main Place Mall (Westerfields?) and that it is a close second place.
But when you look at the number of square feet in retail, plus the additional number of square feet of office / commercial being more than 5 times the size of the Mail Place Mall.
The 4th street business district should be doing 5 times more economic activity than the mall.
So after 25 years of being restricted to a Mexican only shopping district as required by the development agreement. The current owners left holding the bag gets to fix the mistakes made 25 years ago, or at least try another way.
“IT CAN NOT BE AN ARGUMENT OF REPLACEMENT DUE TO ECONOMICS . IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING ELSE???????”………. Hmmmmmm
Dr. Amalgam is right!
We need Equal opportunity Red Light District down town SanTana.
Claudia Alvarez would make good Madam.
She is of age and experienced too.
Great post, Gabriel. As Vern said above, the most mature post on the internets about this so far!
Thanx Amber 🙂
Thanks for the solid analysis, Gabriel. It is no surprise that Claudia Alvarez said something this inappropriate. She has a long history of offending people from the dais and taking advantage of the fact that they can’t respond immediately to her comments due to the structure of the meeting. Something like this was bound to happen to her, it was just a matter of time. She’s the kind of politician that doesn’t like to be held accountable, she see’s it as a threat to her overly bloated pride.
The anti-gentrification efforts by the small business owners and concerned community members have been admirable and will hopefully not lose steam, especially since Claudia was a late-comer to this fight anyhow. Obviously, having support on the council is important, we’ll see if the other council members step up or hide further from the issue due to their collegue’s lack of judgement.
if you don’t like gentrification and forcing poor people to move then you must support Prop 13 to be consistent though prop 13 isn’t about la raza
Who said anything about getting rid of Prop 13?
Although actually, now that you mention it, it does need to be modified to exclude commercial property.
Sure,
So the product prices of these commercial rentals increase and Chines can sell more their inexpensive junk.
Comrade Vern, you are as stupid as is Obama.
Please play piano and forget about the economy.
Claudia has probably DQed herself from participating On anything relating to the chases at this point under common law conflict doctrine. If she doesn’t recuse someone should file a complaint w the fppc.
“By “nuance” I mean that Gabriel looked at the matter from different angles, saw good and bad on both sides ..”
I would call that “Fair and Balanced” Vern.
OH ya, MUCH better word. You are a walking thesaurus!
Now, if you caught me saying “nuanced” every day … but you don’t.
La Opinion
Nelson, no mater what you will do, your fucking socialism will not work.
In the end you will lose as all socialisms failed.
Your censure-ship is old communist trick which will speed up your failure.
Cook,
Westfield MainPlace
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Westfield MainPlace Location
Santa Ana, California, USA
Opening date
September 26, 1987
Developer
JMB Property
Management
Westfield Group
Owner
Westfield Group
No. of stores and services
175[1]
No. of anchor tenants
2[1]
Total retail floor area
1,109,800sq.ft.[1]
Parking
5,300 [1]
No. of floors
3
Westfield MainPlace, formerly known as MainPlace Santa Ana and sometimes colloquially as Main Place Mall, is an indoor tri-level, 1,100,000 sq ft (102,000 m2) shopping center located on the far north side of Santa Ana, California. The regional mall comprises 190 stores, 15 fast food shops, and five restaurants with Nordstrom, Macy’s, Macy’s Men Store and JCPenney as current anchors.
The location where MainPlace stands was the site of a Bullock’s department store built in 1954. In 1958 Santa Ana Fashion Square was built adjoining the store. The small plaza, which totalled only 35 stores, acquired an I. Magnin in 1978. Other stores in Fashion Square included a See’s Candy and Luggage Etc. In 1986 the plaza, except for the original Bullock’s store was razed and a new enclosed mall constructed.
With its September 26, 1987 opening by developer JMB Property, the new MainPlace Santa Ana, with new anchors Nordstrom, May Company and J. W. Robinson’s as well as the existing Bullock’s became a leading regional shopping mall in Orange County. May Company and Robinson’s were merged in 1993 to form Robinsons-May and retained both locations, operating one as a women’s store and the other as a men’s and home location. The Bullock’s location was renamed Macy’s in 1996. JMB Realty eventually became Urban Shopping Centers, Inc., which was acquired by Rodamco North America, N.V., a Netherlands-based property firm in 2000.
Acquired by the Westfield Group in 2002 from the dissolution of the Rodamco group, the center was renamed “Westfield Shoppingtown MainPlace”. The “Shoppingtown” was dropped from the name in June 2005.
In March 2006, following the merger of Macy’s owner Federated Department Stores and Robinsons-May parent May Department Store, both Robinsons-May locations were closed and the north location and the freehold of the existing Macy’s store (former Bullock’s) were sold to Westfield. Westfield subsequently sold the north store to JCPenney which opened in Spring of 2007, while Macy’s (which had retained ownership) reopen a men’s and home store in the south location in late 2006.
Westfield has tentative plans to redevelop the center to fit modern retail and entertainment trends. Eventually it is expected the former Robinsons-May location at the south end of the mall will be expanded to accommodate a full-line Macy’s, and the existing Macy’s building, dating from 1954, will be demolished for a lifetsyle and entertainment center. No official announcements have been made to date, only discussions with local planning and zoning authorities.[1]
cook
Posted August 28, 2011 at 5:22 PM
Doc Art,
I’ve seen those numbers to on the economic activity of the 4th street business district as compared to the Main Place Mall (Westerfields?) and that it is a close second place.
But when you look at the number of square feet in retail, plus the additional number of square feet of office / commercial being more than 5 times the size of the Mail Place Mall.
The 4th street business district should be doing 5 times more economic activity than the mall.
So after 25 years of being restricted to a Mexican only shopping district as required by the development agreement. The current owners left holding the bag gets to fix the mistakes made 25 years ago, or at least try another way.
Cook,
The owner of 25 yrs is the same owner today. He has failed to produce the requirements of the developing agreement.
4th street retail is basically street level shops averages about, generous estimate, 1,000sq ft per business. The Downtown Hispanic shopping district is basically 5 blocks running down 4th street. Each block averages 14 shops (north and south sides of 4th st.) except Broadway to Patton only about 7 shops. The north side of 4th is the federal court building.
So:
The Downtown Hispanic shopping District roughly has 63,000sq ft. of retail to 1, 109,000sq ft of the Main Place Mall.
The Downtown Hispanic Market has no infrastructure to compete with the Main Place Mall……free parking, food courts, public bathrooms ,cinema, rest areas, good lighting etc.
BUT PRODUCES AS YOU HAVE RESEARCHED A CLOSE SECOND IN RETAIL TAX TO THE MAIN PLACE MALL………AGAIN! 63,000 SQ FT. OF RETAIL VS. 1,190,000 SQ FT. IS PRODUCING THIS WITHOUT CITY INFRASTRUCTURE ASSISTANCE.
IMAGINE THE SALES TAX NUMBERS IF THE PROPER INFRASTRUCTUE WAS IN PLACE.
ACTUALLY A CITY FUNDED STUDY WAS DONE 5-6 YRS AGO……THE SANTA ANA DRILL DOWN STUDY. THE STUDY FOUND THAT LACK OF PROPER DEVELOPEMNT TO HARNESS THE MARKET POWER OF A 1 MILE DOWNTOWN RADIUS IS LOOSING OVER $250 MILLION OF SALES TAX PER YEAR .
THIS GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS IS COMPOSED OF A OVER 90% HISPANIC POPULATION.
THE CURRENT AND ORIGINAL(MR. CHASE AND HIS GROUP) DEVELOPER OF THE FIESTA MARKET PLACE HAS FAILED TO HARNESS THIS MARKET POWER AS THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN HE AND THE TAX PAYERS CALLED FOR.
Well I was looking at it in a broader sense of the area and not just the retail on one street.
I can only hope that both places do well as I enjoy visiting old downtown and the Santa Ana mall often.
I think what Chase is doing in Downtown Santa Ana is great. Why not have good restaurants, The Yost Theatre, specialty stores. If he owns the buildings, he has the right to charge rent. He pays property taxes, he spends money fixing up the buildings. If somebody has a lease that expires, the property owner does not have to renew that lease forever. In America, you have a right to make money on your investments. Every city with an old downtown eventually finds a way to fix it up and make improvements. Keep up the good work. The old customers now go to Target, Walmart and other big box stores. The little shops that sell 99cent T-shirts will have to make way for new business interersts. Sorry, but that’s American Way. Claudia Alvarez needs to apologize and move on to another career. It will not be in politics or being a Judge. Burned her bridges.
“The old customers now go to Target, Walmart and other big box store”
A rich man says it, so it must be true!
85a on the coucil agenda for Tuesday 6th, calls for the mayor pro tem to resign from all posts and step down from the council.
Well, I was planing on going because I have lot to say about this imbroglio but my daughter has a university class till nine so I have no car.
Unless some liberal socialist from this forum will offer me a carpool seat in his Yugo, I can’t be there.
Peter,
Irv is on record stating he has taken off his tenants from along term leases to month to month. He wants his tenants to change their merchandise that cater to immigrant Hispanic customers. If they do not he will evict them.
THE EFFECT OF THIS BUSINESS PLAN IS TO EXCLUDE A CUMMUNITY FROM AN AREA THEY FREQUENT FOR DECAES.
You missed this city documented information.
“The Downtown Hispanic Shopping District historically has been second in sales tax only to The Main Place Mall. This in spite of virtually no city assistance to even vaguely resemble the assistance given to the Main Place Mall.”
The Downtown needs infrastructure to compete, not replacement of the market that has been successful …….second in tax revenue to the Main Place Mall.
The economic market power is here, just needs some city assistance to compete with other venues. This being true then where is Irv Chase’s economic argument in replacement of the current market.
IT CAN NOT BE AN ARGUMENT OF REPLACEMENT DUE TO ECONOMICS . IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING ELSE???????
Irv chase can do whatever business plan he chooses but his actions are unmistakably exclusionary of a resident group which is responsible for his downtown wealth, in the guise of economics. He was given public funds to service this community exclussively. He is now arguing against this community.
This is no less appalling than what Alvarez has apologized for. The Hispanic community will take this fight on to pressure Chase off his ethnic cleansing plan.
Let him try. It will fail.
Who is going to shop there? Dawn Chmiliwinski, from Irvine? I don’t think so.
You can take the Mexican out of Santa Ana, but you can’t take the Mexicans out.
Let this old greedy fool do what he wants. Soon enough, he aolong with his spoiled brat kid will come around and stert “reaching out”
Things change. I remember going to Downtown Santa Ana and on the corner of Main and 4th there was a Thom McAnn’s shoe store. I visited the See’s Candy store and a Newberry’s on 4th Street as well. This was back in the early 90’s. There were lots of empty stores then and the Latino and Asian merchants came in during that time. I also remember there used to be a Trader Joes on Washington and Main. I am so tired of hearing that its just a Latino Street – that is exclusive on the business owners part. We should embrace a diverse downtown!
I would ask all the Mexicans in Santa Ana to allow people of any race to pursue their economic dreams. Demographics change all the time. Santa Ana was very “white” in the 60’s and 70’s and just because they left does not mean the cannot come back. It is not all about “la raza” and its conquest of a city.
We all must vote for Karina Onofre who is running aginst Alavarez this coming election. To read more about her, you can log in to her website:www.Karinaonofre.com. I met her last week at a fundraiser, she is smart and educated and passionate about meanigfull change in Santa Ana…