With all the changes afoot downtown L.A., will it be possible for the poor residents to withstand the onslaught ahead? What do the powers-that-be have planned for the near future of Central City East and Downtown in general?

Most recently, a couple of relevant surveys have been publicly released and there are some surprising gems of information amongst the more obvious data results.

The studies -- "Many Struggles, Few Options," conducted by DWAC (the Downtown Women's Action Coalition) and "Demographic Survey of New Downtown Residents," commissioned by the DCBID (Downtown Center Business Improvement District) -- show very different but very expected results (at least, to me). One study shows that half of new residents of upscale lofts are between the ages of 23 and 34 and the other one states that the majority of poor and homeless women and children downtown (57.8 percent) became homeless because they were fleeing domestic violence. Then they face a wide range of barriers to accessing housing and services. The poor and insensitive treatment of women, the growing population of families in Central City East, the plight of the disturbed and addicted, are the serious issues that affect us all. No matter what part of Downtown you inhabit.

I was surprised to learn the median (average yearly) income of wealthy newcomers is approximately $90,000. But 43.1% of these households earn more than $100,000 a year! That's from $17,000 to $30,000 more than the year 2000 median income of residents of Newport Beach and Beverly Hills, respectively.

In stark contrast, however, the growing population of homeless families with children living and growing up on the filthy, refuse-strewn streets of Central City East--until recently, traditionally known as Skid Row--which overwhelm social service providers and studiedly ignored by almost all city policy makers.

The plight of the poor is always in stark relief to the ascent of the wealthy. But in downtown L.A. the evidence is so, well... evident. As the pundits warn of the dissolution of the American middle class into two factions: Rich/Poor--and here we are, living proof of our system's emerging economic shift; all part of our society's racist Manifest Destiny.

There are many factors at play downtown--and many players. But the rules of engagement are still somewhat flexible and open to influence from all interested parties. It is a game of politics. And politics is played on both subjective and objective levels. But it is based on an exchange of some sort between negotiating parties. I have learned that the best negotiations are always equitable.


Anti-poverty advocates (like myself) must insist upon the raising of living standards among the poor and disadvantaged. If we, as a country and a society, gave parity among our economic practices, much of the social ills we suffer would be almost nonexistent. You must think of our society as a living, breathing organism--like the human body, for example. The better you care for the whole system the better the whole system cares for you. But when you abuse parts of yourself you risk your entire system crashing. Prevention is indeed the best medicine. This is all common sense but few seem to see it that way. And, in the words of Shakespeare, "Aye, there's the rub."

Obviously, the poor do not own or control the means of production in our society or they would not be poor. But they should, don'tcha think? The illusion of capitalism is that the ownership and/or control of capital is attainable to all if only we work hard enough. Well, at least that's the spin. But hard work only makes you tired and cranky. It's working smart that is all-important. Not only is it productive, it can be fun and often is.

Unfortunately--and seemingly by design, when you look at the situation through the clarity of hindsight--this would entail our educational system to actually educate the masses. Something I don't see happening, at least in L.A., anytime soon. Schools, of course, were designed by industrialists to produce workers smart enough to run the machinery of the Industrial Age. When progressive reform brought arts into the educational system things became better. My childhood desire to be a scientist fell to the wayside because I couldn't handle higher level math. So I turned to another natural course for me--the arts. And that has been my course ever since. I'm not really sure if I ever reached my goal, but the ride has been a lot of fun.

So where do we stand in all this?

Remember the Share the Wealth plan anti-poverty advocates came up with a couple of years ago? Remember the Growth With Justice coalition? Those laudable attempts to address the needs of the many in their confrontations with power elites were skewed toward failure partly because of the sometimes unstable mix of emotionality and arrogance within their ranks.

We need to address the brokers of power in a language they understand instead of simple antagonism. And what is their language? Come on, say it with me: MONEY, honey!

So how do people who don't have much or any cash to flash influence the rich? You help them lose less, keep what they have, or provide them a way to make more. So what of substance do concerned citizens have to offer monied interests like developers?


Protests and public recriminations can be a good p.r. move. But only if you use it as leverage, not as a primary tactic.

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