INGLEWOOD – The city of Inglewood continues to move full steam ahead with clearing out a pathway for NBA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer to build the Intuit Dome.
Long-time businesses owners in close proximity to the project site have been issued 90 day notices to vacate while the city’s attorney Royce K. Jones is enriched with hundreds of thousands of dollars for representing the city in the process. He and his sister are long time friends of Inglewood Mayor James Butts, with his sister earning a six figure salary while working in the city’s Information Technology department.
The City filed ten (10) actions related to eminent domain in the immediate area arguing the properties are needed to build the multi-billion dollar stadium for “public use” while it continues to be alleged the arena is “50% complete”.
The defendants argued the City didn’t demonstrate their properties were being taken for “public use” so the owners filed an appeal which was denied.
Ballmer wins, while business owners continue to lose.
A mysterious fire erupted between 2am and 3am on the North end of Inglewood at the site needed to begin construction of the Inglewood Transit Connector which is directly tied to the Intuit Dome project in order to ease congestion in the area.
What’s up next?
Eminent domain will be used to buyout properties along the path of the Inglewood Transit Connector ultimately putting more long-time businesses in jeopardy of permanently closing.
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Does anyone else think it is crazy that residents of Inglewood regularly pay an attorney so that we the residents can buy (or kick) out our small businesses because the 9th richest man in the world yes the world doesn’t want to pay to relocate the small businesses himself?
Imagine someone standing on the corner taking up a collection to give to the Billionaire to hire someone to officially kick you out of your business or home……yes that is what it is but in our case we are not choosing to put money in the Collection Hat – BUTTS is using OUR TAXES – the same “collection hat” money that should be paying for sidewalk repair!
Shame SHAME SHAME both Ballmer the Billionaire and the paid-for -no -reason -in this- situation (except his long term buddy hood with the Mayor ) Attorney Royce Jones can be added to the list of unethical and immoral opportunists willing to take from poor for advantage for the rich.
When those with leadership responsibility abuse their power for self interest what is best for the community is “thrown out the window” and the result is putrid.
EMINENT DOMAIN whether for residents or businesses is nothing more than corporate welfare if the use is not for a public facility!
That Mayor’s claims that eminent domain was not used to clear the land on which the Intuit Dome is being built is just another one of his totally complete lies!
During the years when a different group of 3 seriously flawed characters were Inglewood City Council members (2 prosecuted and found guilty one awaiting trial), they began “Land Banking”, nice-speak for using eminent domain on groups of parcels for future “improvement”. The falsehoods of the day included the ever-so-mobile billboard that was moved around the city claiming “This is the future site of the new much needed State-of-the-Art Police Station!” Yes, the sign moved as businesses and homes were “acquired” for “redevelopment” . (In case you are wondering: the sign was eventually relocated to the land fill and no police station was erected though promised as was a school site when permission for a 24 hour gambling casino was placed on the ballot.)
The city had a slick process of devaluing the properties which hundreds of residents call homes by calling them “dwelling units” which were “acquired” using a combination of Redevelopment Funds and Los Angeles Airport Attenuation Funds ! There were some truly revolting shenanigans!
Literally hundreds of apartments provided housing during the fifties and the sixties and yes into the seventies and even early eighties while JAMES T BUTTS was a young police officer. – If he does not remember them perhaps we should be concerned about his failing memory !
Inglewood began relocating residents from the mobile home parks and massive apartment buildings utilizing the services of Dell Richards (current wife of Inglewood now Los Angeles Council member Curren Price) and Associates. The tenants were moved leaving no incoming rent payments so that the city could then pay landlords less than fair pricing for their life long investments in Inglewood!
The Properties was left vacant but standing unboarded for years, later they were boarded up, and eventually in the Dorn years bulldozed.
Then after Kroenke’s Walmart project failure and the Stadium plan kicked in James Butts and His Council Team leased the property at the South Century East Prairie Corner to the Forum Owner for parking.
But wait the Murphy’s Bowl ing alley fake out began and Butts claimed a tech park would suite the property better. But alas, he really meant the tech billionaire wanted to put his Arena there.
It will take some minutes to do your own research to verify all this but please do, there is so much those who don’t remember should be made aware of !!!!!!
If Ballmer could pay $400 million 8 x the $50 million James Dolan paid for the Forum, shouldn’t Ballmer be able and willing to pay these small businesses out of his own Billions?