KI Clergy Statement
Kehillat Israel Clergy made a statement in response to recent acts of antisemitism in the city of Los Angeles. It has been reprinted here with permission.
The ongoing anti-semitic hate speech from Kanye West, the banners flown over the 405 freeway and the leaflets passed out around Brentwood are a harsh reminder that hatred is alive and well in our own community. To see such hatred so aggressively and proudly displayed in our beloved city is shocking and deeply upsetting.
We at Kehillat Israel, along with the rest of the Los Angeles Jewish community and our allies, will continue to fight hate of every kind with our words as well as our actions.
We love this city and we will do everything in our power to contribute to it being one that celebrates diversity and honors the many cultures that make this the wonderful place we have chosen as our home.
We will not let hate win. Not now, not ever.
KI Clergy
‘Wedge Issues’
The verity “all politics is local” applies this electoral cycle. The sky is not falling—nor is democracy failing—but in Los Angeles, the Mayoral and City Council races reflect a much broader dichotomy of oppositional views in contemporary politics.
LA, the cities of California—and much of the industrial world—are confronting a very difficult dilemma: how to accommodate the world population migration and, locally, the homeless.
In fact, homelessness is the “wedge issue” du jour. The problem is hardly new or unpredicted, but the public has suddenly become incensed by the mounting evidence, like the proverbial frog discovering that the water in the pot is now boiling.
Perspective on these housing problems may elude many who have not followed the political vicissitudes in California these past 50 years. We are all to blame.
Many people anticipated increasing homelessness in the early ’70s as California reduced social welfare services during the Reagan gubernatorial administration. Evidence of the emerging problem, and the shortage of worker housing, induced well-meaning legislation that ultimately went nowhere.
The housing affordability crisis has been ignored for 50 years without a single city in California meeting its state-mandated “fair share” affordable housing production requirements. The homelessness problem is a housing problem.
As a political community, we collectively turned a blind eye to increasing evidence of mental health problems and continuously increasing homelessness. We may have “cared” but we were inert as a political force.
In LA and California, this housing dilemma has generated two divergent political ideologies. One school of thought orders the public domain around the interests of the “haves” and prioritizes civil order, building border walls, and sweeping the homeless and migrants off the street and into areas unwanted by those who are housed.
The progressive school recognizes the value of civil order but prioritizes the human rights of the “have nots,” and has undertaken the extremely difficult task of integrating the migrants into their societies, and housing the unhoused homeless and workers in all communities.
None are happy with the homelessness crisis in LA. Now we are again compelled to choose where we stand in the landscape of the prevailing political ideologies.
In LA, the 2022 election to decide our mayoral and council leadership heightens the choice of where we stand with respect to the “how” of solving our collective problems, and the foil for this decision has become, in part, how we address the shared objective of civil order and human rights.
We must actually solve the problem and not sweep it from the view of a vocal part of our community “fed up” with the too apparent civil disorder of the unhoused sleeping on our sidewalks and in our parks. Respecting the rights of the unhoused to exist and survive without violence toward them, while proceeding vigorously toward a real solution and a return to civil order, appears, to me, to be the only right choice.
Supporting Karen Bass for mayor and Erin Darling for City Council in the 11th District can thoughtfully lead us toward a real housing solution, returning the civil order we all desire without trampling the human rights of the homeless.
And that should only be A PART of the agenda for each of us.
James Watt McCormick
‘Palisadians for Caruso’
The local elections this year have been exhilarating and wonderful to read and tune into. Seldom in our lifetime does a Mayoral or District 11 Election have so much meaning and importance.
In regards to the Mayoral Election, it seems every Palisadian living here the past 25 years would cherish voting for Rick Caruso. I happen to live a block away from the new Palisades Village Center.
It was only a few years ago we had rats the size of small dogs roaming downtown. Every other sidewalk was a hazard for everyone from small children to adults. Multiple businesses were shuttered for years.
When family and friends visited I would bypass the village and venture to Santa Monica or West LA. It was sad to see so many empty businesses.
When Caruso purchased property in the business district from a family trust, he had a vision to transform our village for us. Caruso never then or now treated the Palisades as his, it’s always been about us.
He heard the green space wish from the community, and today that space next to The Draycott is being used by hundreds of people per week. It’s a pleasure to watch people and dogs enjoy the space.
He heard the Bay Theater request and delivered the best theater anywhere. He heard the request for plants, flowers and landscaping. It’s a daily highlight for dog walks and enjoying a coffee.
He listened. He took a vested interest in what we wanted. He even made Swarthmore a one-way street to our worries of traffic congestion.
In regards to our needs as Palisadians, we need to be cognizant of the homeless issue, police and sanitation. I believe Caruso when he says that he can house 30,000 beds in 300 days and build units at $60,000 vs. our current cost of $700,000. This can be done, housing the homeless with dignity, health and mental services.
The last time I saw a patrol car was at the Fourth of July parade. We the Palisades need police presence.
My home was burglarized a few years ago and unfortunately walked in while the burglars were there. Hours later the police showed up, and I haven’t seen or heard from them since.
Weekly you read about the number of incidents happening here in the Palisades. At any time of day, the village has multiple security guards. Their presence makes a difference. Caruso will FUND the police.
More police, housing with dignity, and clean streets and parks are all proven goals and tasks Caruso has accomplished. Caruso has also proven time and time again his talents of leadership and getting things done.
Recently we heard the tapes of conversations at City Hall that were disgusting and derogatory from people that have no place being in positions to represent citizens of Los Angeles. Something tells me if he is elected the first job of the sanitation team could easily begin at City Hall.
We Palisadians have seen the great examples of his talents. Let’s send him Downtown to make LA the best city in the USA. Vote Rick Caruso
Mark Tabit
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