U.S. to designate poor L.A. areas a 'Promise Zone,' eligible for aid (Los Angeles: low crime, neighborhoods)

[Ceece]

Seems to me that wherever the money goes WILL have the effect of pushing out the poor. The poor, whoever they are at the time, can rarely take advantage of places that have been overhauled with nice things because that will being in the folks with money and you know how gentrification works. It's not always a bad thing though. Once a place gets bad enough you pretty much have to try to regenerate it or just give up on it, and nobody likes to do that because it spreads.

[kttam186290]

Since the City of LA shifted a lot of its poverty out to the high desert, Victorville, Rialto, San Bernardino, Hemet, Moreno Valley and other places, I wonder if it will share the federal money with these same places?

[jm1982]

I thought it "Promise zone" area was kind of interesting. These areas within the promise zone are ones that seem to have already gentrified or will gentrify 'organically' .

It seems like the point of this is to just speed up the gentrification that is already happening in these areas, especially Koreatown, Hollywood , East Hollywood. Pico-Union and Westlake seem like they are further off for gentrification.

I'd like to see programs to help the poor that don't make poverty a lifelong situation.

Personally I would of liked to see poor parts of the valley get some of this money as they are further away from existing gentrifying neighborhoods.

This is kind of interesting:
"When the city applied for a Promise Zone designation, it had to choose an area with a population between 10,000 and 200,000, with at least a 20% average poverty rate. It also had to be a contiguous region that included a neighborhood that had received a related grant before. Both Hollywood and Pacoima had received qualifying grants, and the city decided to chart out an area encompassing Hollywood because it had a higher concentration of poverty, Garcetti said.[LEFT]
Some officials dismayed that 'Promise Zone' excludes South L.A. - latimes.com
[/LEFT]

Anybody that knows L.A would know that Pacoima needs more help than Hollywood...

[majoun]

Originally Posted by jm1982

I thought it "Promise zone" area was kind of interesting. These areas within the promise zone are ones that seem to have already gentrified or will gentrify 'organically' .

It seems like the point of this is to just speed up the gentrification that is already happening in these areas, especially Koreatown, Hollywood , East Hollywood. Pico-Union and Westlake seem like they are further off for gentrification.

I'd like to see programs to help the poor that don't make poverty a lifelong situation.

Personally I would of liked to see poor parts of the valley get some of this money as they are further away from existing gentrifying neighborhoods.

This is kind of interesting:
"When the city applied for a Promise Zone designation, it had to choose an area with a population between 10,000 and 200,000, with at least a 20% average poverty rate. It also had to be a contiguous region that included a neighborhood that had received a related grant before. Both Hollywood and Pacoima had received qualifying grants, and the city decided to chart out an area encompassing Hollywood because it had a higher concentration of poverty, Garcetti said.[LEFT]
Some officials dismayed that 'Promise Zone' excludes South L.A. - latimes.com
[/LEFT]

Anybody that knows L.A would know that Pacoima needs more help than Hollywood...

Freshman Congressman Tony Cardenas, who represents Pacoima, does not have the seniority of Becerra. Becerra has been in the House since 1992, has chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and is on the Ways And Means Committee which has jurisdiction over federal taxation, tariffs, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment benefits, etc. The promise zone is a reward for Becerra in return for doing something to help the Administration. Not sure what.

In short the promise zone is a classic earmark.

[LABornandRaised]

Originally Posted by jm1982

I thought it "Promise zone" area was kind of interesting. These areas within the promise zone are ones that seem to have already gentrified or will gentrify 'organically' .

It seems like the point of this is to just speed up the gentrification that is already happening in these areas, especially Koreatown, Hollywood , East Hollywood. Pico-Union and Westlake seem like they are further off for gentrification.

I'd like to see programs to help the poor that don't make poverty a lifelong situation.

Personally I would of liked to see poor parts of the valley get some of this money as they are further away from existing gentrifying neighborhoods.

This is kind of interesting:
"When the city applied for a Promise Zone designation, it had to choose an area with a population between 10,000 and 200,000, with at least a 20% average poverty rate. It also had to be a contiguous region that included a neighborhood that had received a related grant before. Both Hollywood and Pacoima had received qualifying grants, and the city decided to chart out an area encompassing Hollywood because it had a higher concentration of poverty, Garcetti said.[LEFT]
Some officials dismayed that 'Promise Zone' excludes South L.A. - latimes.com
[/LEFT]

Anybody that knows L.A would know that Pacoima needs more help than Hollywood...

Uh oh. I feel a Valley-secession discussion happening in 3....2....

[jm1982]

Prime example of how it's politics over actually 'helping' anyone.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by LABornandRaised

Uh oh. I feel a Valley-secession discussion happening in 3....2....

Sometimes I think a Valley secession may actually be beneficial for both LA and the Valley. Just as long as they don't name the new city Camelot.

[jm1982]

City Hall has made it clear they don't care or can't manage the valley. Unfortunately the politicians won't want to "give away" power although it would be beneficial to their supposed constituency.

[ProjectMersh]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Prime example of how it's politics over actually 'helping' anyone.

While I am sure politics were involved, it is also pretty clear there is a higher concentration of poverty in the LA basin as opposed to the valley. Grew up in the valley, nothing against the valley. But the need is not as great there.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Prime example of how it's politics over actually 'helping' anyone.

Isn't it always?