Comments on: OC Register: Why Just Exempt the Stadium?

By: calwatch

calwatch — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:04:12 +0000

Everyone else is going to want to get exempted, though. There is talk among some circles that the HSRA may try to get a CEQA exemption as a last resort to preempt Atherton’s objection for elevated HSR tracks through their community, for example. Certainly, every semi-controversial project proponent will now tell some community “I have the year of Assemblymember Jones and if you don’t play ball I helped raise $1,000,000 to his campaign last year so he is going to write a bill for me.” The legislative pressure should have been placed on the court system to expedite the judicial review process because of its importance to the region, not on creating one-off exemptions that set bad precedent in the future.

By: DJB

DJB — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:45:17 +0000

By the way, the environmental justice implications of this are huge. We’ve been complaining about the Gold Line Extension, but at least that had an EIR and was planned in a more or less open public process.

When people clog the freeways to go to games, what impact will that have on the communities of color around or on the way to (e.g. East LA) the City of Industry? Their respiratory health has clearly been sacrificed for profit maximization and short-term job attraction. Would we be waiving CEQA if this stadium were proposed in an affluent white city, like Santa Monica? Nope.

We won’t even know the impact precisely because it hasn’t been properly studied.

By: DJB

DJB — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:34:20 +0000

This is raw power at work. Ed Roski Jr. and his Majestic Realty Co. showed what billions of dollars in personal wealth and the capital to attract tens of thousands of temporary construction jobs can do in a state that’s desperate for tax revenue and jobs.

Of course, important questions won’t be considered by the public. What impact will the project have on pollution, traffic, noise etc.? That’s why there’s supposed to be a proper EIR. Well Arnold, you helped attract some construction jobs and killed some environmental analysis jobs.

Decisions about land development should not be made in haste or desperation, since we will live with their consequences for many years to come. What’s that called? Oh yeah, planning. Don’t bet your money on the longevity of a society that refuses to plan.

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:07:48 +0000

Reminds me that I need to find and read this book somewhere soon: City of Industry: Genealogies of Power in Southern California. Anyone taken a look at it? Or have opinions?

By: poncho

poncho — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:07:23 +0000

exempt a gigantic football stadium from environmental review and yet the painting bike lanes on SF streets were derailed by environmental review. wow