The commissioners at today’s hearing have made a terrible mistake. Witnesses described some of the commissioners as “confused”, and “not understanding the scope of their responsibilities”. Another attendee said that they felt the decision had been made before the hearing ever began. Another attendee said they felt 2 of the commissioners were actually hostile towards the community.
I am told that about 15-20 members of our community were able to attend today’s hearing and that around 20 members of the Japanese-American community, many with ties to the camp, were also in attendance I am also told many had traveled great distances to attend today’s hearing.
So instead of analyzing the failure of the commission, the real question is “What do we do next“?
The matter now will go before the full LA City Council at a yet TBD date. This is where a 2/3 majority will be needed to approve the historical status of the site.
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The various groups and activists involved in this effort will meet in the coming days to plan strategy and work to get more people to attend the City Council hearing. I am sure a major letter writing campaign will be initiated in the next week or so. Maybe chartering a bus, like we did for the No Home Depothearings, would help increase turnout. There’s a lot of planning and community organizing to be done in a very short time.
And never forget, no one is better than Sunland-Tujunga at making some noise and making things happen! Stay tuned!
Sunland-Tujunga Alliance 