Remember when in his official capacity as Sheriff, Alex Villanueva used to hold weekly meetings and towards the end of his tenure he introduced us to a term called the “Homeless Industrial Complex” where in essence a group of politicians and non-profits alike according to the former Sheriff enrich themselves at the expense of poor people.
Well as a self-admitted fan of the former Sheriff for full disclosure we would be remised not to consider the federal indictment of former Board of Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas who is on the verge of facing trial for abuse of public trust and distributing and or stirring County funding to USC in benefit of his son Sebastian Ridley- Thomas in return for a scholarship to attend USC.
In addition, we would all be remiss to not consider the controversy and circumstances around former County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and her connection to Peace Over Violence and the exorbitant and arguably excessive compensation they receive and the work and results they tender in return.
I mean as the old adage goes “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” and if we’re being fair to the former Sheriff if we’re to look in hindsight being that he was placed in an improbable position where the Board of Supervisors sole mission once the former Sheriff was first elected and showed that he wouldn’t submit to the political will of the machinations and evils of the “woke’ left movement that they were determined to make Alex Villanueva a one term Sheriff.
In fact, I’m willing to bet that Sheriff Luna was never considered a viable candidate even amongst his peers, particularly those he led at Long Beach Police Department. I dare to say that although the Board never really knew Robert Luna they married him out of desperation because their first candidate of choice, Cecil Rhambo, was so thoroughly flawed as a candidate that at that the time any warm body ready to pledge their firstborn in sacrifice to the Board of Supervisors would do.
I don’t know about you but I feel violated and amused because it appears this campaign to replace Sheriff Villanueva was simply a rouse to have someone whom the board could control as Robert Luna who although on paper and public appearance serves the purpose of the Board for human and public consumption but his ineptitude and willingness to turn a blind eye to the obvious corruption serves a greater purpose for the board as Villanueva’s presence made stealing from the same people that they were elected to serve much more difficult.
Ask yourself why now?
Why now the rush to close Men’s Central Jail?
Because Alex Villanueva is gone and the good times must roll and so must the illicit gains from the homeless industrial complex where funds are earmarked to eradicate our ever-evolving third world like crisis in homelessness are divided amongst, politicians, wealthy donors, and affordable housing developers who have become so greedy they defy political norms as I think we all accept that these politicians are corrupt and can be brought and paid for. If you don’t believe me look at the recent indictment and conviction of former Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar and the circumstances behind his conviction.
So when I say it’s always been about the Men’s Central Jail it’s always a King’s and or governing body’s ultimate goal is to obtain power and dictate the government purses and as a result of we were to apply these principles to modern day terms we can see it’s the friends of these modern day King’s aka politicians that benefits as they are usually donors , developers or consultants whom are in appearance in alliance to end homelessness but in fact are willing and complicit to exasperating the problem because the long term profitability of actually not fixing homelessness and housing, instability or as I mentioned before the seemingly but complicated process of closing Men’s Central Jail because in essence with these projects they never usually benefit the constituency or the community these projects are supposed to benefit but it in facts benefits the unions, trade unions, developers, suppliers, vendors , contractors and the list goes on as former Sheriff Alex Villanueva said all along the gravy train is as large as a chain of Hometown Buffet and there are no shortages of politicians, government employees, contractors and Attorney’s , developers waiting to eat from the trough.
If I remember correctly wasn’t it Inglewood City Clerk Aisha Thompson who was quoted and I’m paraphrasing that she went from eating “beans and rice to now being able to afford to eat at Maestros Steakhouse” during her inauguration speech?
Talk about politicians far removed and out of touch with the people that they are elected to serve and we shouldn’t even be shocked or bewildered because it was designed this way and admittedly we’ve all been hoodwinked and bamboozled.
Marvin McCoy is an opinion writer and lifelong resident of Inglewood, Ca. He can be reached at therealmccoymarketinggroup@gmail.com and you can follow him on Twitter @MarvinMccoy32
