Photo: type of project opposed by VNNC

I attended last night’s meeting of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council. That is, me and about 40 others in a district of 170,000.

First order of business: everyone stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Now we can get down to the matters at hand.

Officer Jason Armendariz spoke about the VN Tagger Task force. These are the two men (!) who fight graffiti and gangs in this ten square mile area. They spoke about community involvement including one encouraging story of catching three gang members with drugs while tagging.

Another LAPD Officer talked of shutting down an “illegal medical marijuana clinic” up on Sherman Way. Applause.

Then the matter of the 44 homeowners whose homes are being targeted for demolition by the LAUSD…..five people showed up to plead their case and the VNNC unanimously voted to oppose the school. Echoing my argument against removing a stable, middle class district while decay swirls around unchecked.

Pet neutering. A man appeared to speak about a program to neuter dogs and cats to prevent unwanted animals from proliferating. This raised the ire of the board. “Unwanted government interference!” The animal rights lefties versus the for-profit breeders. Guess who won?

Los Angeles Community Design Center: Then a proposed assisted living facility for families of moderate means, with on-site social services at Woodman and Sherman Way: 52 units, 5 stories tall! Opponents spoke. They called it a Manhattan sized super-skyscraper, mega monster development that would “totally overwhelm” [this magnificent district of Thai restaurants, car washes and marble outlets.]

“Where’s the parking?”
“This project raised eyebrows at the LAPD!”
“When you pack people with needs into an area you can imagine the trouble!”
“Where are they all going to park?”
“I live next to a low income apartment and they have more cars than most homeowners!”
“Studio City and Sherman Oaks wouldn’t tolerate this, why should Van Nuys?”

Nobody discussed the architectural merits of the project, whether it might actually have a beneficial effect on the depressing ugliness of Sherman Way, and perhaps be an asset rather than a noose around a community of struggling people.

Voted down, overwhelmingly!

The council of curmudgeons was also approached by a man leading a clean-up of trash next month. He asked for $2,000 to assist his group. “Who else is contributing?” “Why does it cost $2,000?” It was as if he were asking for money to buy new clothes at Nordstroms.

A council person got up to express solidarity with the anti-fire forces in Andy Griffith Park. He urged us all to plant trees because he once grew up near Los Feliz Boulevard and the impending mudslides, from the denuded hillsides, “could endanger some beautiful homes.”

A cheerful and articulate woman who works in the state comptroller’s office spoke about how happily, the State of California now has an additional $7.2 billion (from collected income taxes) to apportion to schools. Rather than rejoice… this elicited a rather snide and sarcastic exchange where this minor, number-crunching, Van Nuys resident and bureaucrat had to answer council questions about gas taxes and the War in Iraq. She was treated as the court ambassador from the IRS.

An 80-year old man talked about how during WWII sales taxes dropped when “the men were away” somehow implying that our present day war was emptying out Target and WalMart.

There is something inspiring about the notion of local community councils meeting until you actually sit through one. Then you see the reactionary, troglodyte, status quo blindness in it.

It is in the fog of war that men are lost. Here at home, the larger oceanic concerns of illegal immigration, war spending, gang violence and suburban decay are taken up with a swizzle stick of stupidity and provincialism.