Mark this date - July 14, 2008. For those of you who are not familiar with Ron Kaye, he was the Editor of the L.A. Daily News for 23 years until he was replaced by a Latina editor a couple of months ago! Ron is a powerful figure in L.A., and is adamantly opposed to the Mexican mafia in City Hall.

I hope that everyone in the Los Angeles area (or ANYWHERE) will respond to Ron's column (Link below), and plan to attend this historic event on July 14th. Please email this link to your friends and family!

Acts of civil disobedience may be the only way to change L.A.

By Ron Kaye on June 4, 2008 5:10 AM

Since I retired from the Daily News two months ago, I've learned one thing above all others from email, comments and community meetings: The people of L.A. are afraid that City Hall willl trample on them at every turn.

That's what led me to this quote from Thomas Jefferson that speaks straight to what I believe is the only way to change L.A. for the better.

So many people who have worked so hard for so long for their communities believe that their government is their enemy, that even voting, sending emails and letters of protest, organizing their neighborhoods will not make much of a difference.

In Jefferson's terms, they fear their government. And that is truly tyranny.

That's what I have believed personally for a long time. I did what I could to show the truth of it in stories and editorials at the Daily News. I believe there has been some change over the years, most notably the LAPD is no longer a militaristic army at war with the people, particularly the poor and minorities.

But for the most part, the public gets lip service to their grievances while City Hall continues to serve itself and the special interests.

What keeps coming up for me is that only drastic action -- a campaign of civil disobedience -- can possibly change things.

Already, there are signs that others feel as I do.

On Thursday, thousands of parents are planning to march in Downtown L. A. to demand their civil rights. They are fed up with the schools of their choice -- charter schools -- being treated as second-class citizens by Los Angeles Unified.

"Families That Can" plans to work statewide for fair treament of charter schools. Other movements are afoot to stage parent protests for full funding of all public schools.

Why not Concerned Citizens of L.A. taking to the streets to demand their civil rights.

I keep having this fantasy that thousands of us will descend on City Hall carrying a bag of garbage and leave it there in protest of the outrageous imposition of what amounts to double taxation.

We pay taxes for garbage collection as part of the city's basic contract with the community. But now City Hall is facing bankruptcy because of reckless spending and has started charging us the full cost of picking up the garbage we already paid to have collected.

I keep thinking Bastille Day, July 14 when the French celebrate their revolution, is appropriate given that that the city's leadership increasingly seems to be emulating the arrogance and indifferrence to the people of Marie Antoinette.

Civil disobedience isn't a one-shot performance. It takes organization and persistence. But it wouldn't take that much in L.A. to turn the people's fear of government into the government's fear of the people.

City Hall is that weak. Nothing but greed holds it together. And the politicians, most of whom really have no experience outside of City Hall, will do whatever they have to in order to keep their jobs. If the public has more clout than the unions, developers, contractors and lobbyists, these frightened little men and women will do what the people tell them to.

Maybe it's just a private fantasy of mine. But my gut instinct is we're so fed up we're ready to make a stand and join hands in actions that will actually make a difference.

So what do you say? Will you meet me on the steps of City Hall on Monday July 14 with a bag of garbage in hand or will I look a fool standing there alone?





http://ronkayela.com/2008/06/when-the-p ... their.html