August 26, 2013 – Daily Brief

If these Obamacare Sales People are anything like the Census workers that kicked out 2 of my sprinkler heads when I refused to elaborate on the information I provided on the form mailed to each home in the last census, they had better stay away from my house. We're all set until the insurance that Obama said I could keep no longer qualifies under Obamacare.

To paraphrase Karl Marx in the 21st Century, "Smart Phones are the opiates of the masses."

Watch out Joe! Christians are down to 78% or so of the US population! Time to circle the Pews (Reports) against those pesky viral Non-C's! Hide yo wife! Hide yo Daughter! I honestly have nothing against Christians (some of my best friends and relatives are Christians), but does anyone take this guys seriously? He's like the Miley Cyrus of Rush Limbaughs.

I fail to see how the percentage of Christian population has anything to do with the topic. Is waging war against a particular belief system in any way in line with the values set forth in the founding of this nation? You do not create parity for one group by attacking another. Very timely to mention of Miley Cyrus since the deviation for higher morals (as practiced in many religions but namely Judeo-Christian) is what has produced this obscene and disturbed young woman. In other words, the nihilist, sectarian direction is resulting in a continued plummet in the morality of the nation. If you are happy with this after last night's VMA's count yourself in the minority.

Last night's VMA's may actually be further motivation for citizens to stand up and demand that Big Media unbundle cable channels so that subscribers can decide for themselves what media orgs they want to watch and support. http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/t

Do you need a lesson in setting up your favorites list? Mine doesn't have any religion, MTV, Fox (news) or QVC. Call Buck for any government help in not having to pay for what you don't want to watch. Good luck!

I don't receive any cable into my home because paying the $150 a month for the package that includes channels I'd like to have means I have to pay for channels, like MTV, that I will not support financially. I am old enough to remember the day that MTV went on the air. A revolution in culture and music began that day that has now been made the victim of the moral relativity of a nihilist movement within the Democrat Party. It's a crying shame that I will always be a season behind in most quality television shows (if I can access them at all) because MTV has to act like a pimp attempting to force it's whores like that spoiled sex-pot into my home where my children can stumble upon it. Not me. You go a head and let society feed that crap to your kids.

I don't even watch network TV. I stick with Discovery, Science, History and SyFy. I gave up MTV when rap started to take over. On the bright side it's football season! Yay!

Your attraction to Erin Murphy has scrambled your brains, Jeff. Or maybe it's fatherhood. Erin Murphy played Tabitha Stephens (not Tabitha Montgomery). Elizabeth Montgomery (not Elizabeth Murphy) played Samantha Stephens, mother of Tabitha. It was nice to read the story though. Bewitched was one of my favorite shows growing up and I still enjoy catching an occasional rerun. Murphy has turned out pretty well for a child star.

Jeff is right on this one. She is a looker.

Do my eyes deceive me or does that really say "Mr. SCV by John Boston", the newest addition to the blogs? Everyone knows Paul De La Cerda was named Mr. SCV a few years ago, and he has the sash to prove it (link below, photo 3), so I think the title may be contested. Title disputes aside, I am excited. http://www.signalscv.com/archives/1508/

I believe Mr. Boston has the license plate to prove it.

Hey Jeff your being smitten by Item 10 might explain your spelling error in Item 8. It's steal, not "steel." I love these dailies!

So, let me get this straight. We are now looking at low income housing to be built in the old town area? I guess this will develop a great customer base for the so-called arts district the city has built. I know that people struggling to make ends meet will have disposable income to spend on tchotchkes, knick knacks and $10 beers at The Refinery. The city is either delusional, wants the area to fail or simply does not care.

A.) The Beacon article was so poorly written I can't make heads nor tails of it. Its really, really poorly done. B.) Nowhere in the article, nor the staff report does it say the housing would be built in Old Town. In fact, all this is really is a money transfer to have available for future projects. Bad reporting by the Beacon, bad of Jeff to quote them, because they're wrong. An affordable housing development in these areas accomplishes many things, not least of which is taking dilapidated and unsafe buildings and building new homes for families to restart their lives in a productive environment. Thereby in turn spurring increased interest and development in the area and reversing the trend of allowing properties to fall into disrepair and instead inspiring owners to keep up their properties and realize the potential of the neighborhood. From my knowledge the project can be built anywhere in the Newhall Redevelopment Area, which stretches down Lyons to the 5 and all the way down Newhall to the 14, east into the very low income neighborhoods around Race and Park. Funny thing about that area... its already pretty dirt poor, comparatively. Did you know that the area just west of old town is among the lowest median income households in the SCV, with 46% of the households below the poverty level Median income only $12K??? OK thats an extreme and small sample, however surrounding areas within the RDA are around 35-40K where the hood around Hart High is $80K and your own hood Larry is $90k. Quite a difference.

Why does affordable housing always get referred to as “low income” housing by people that have an issue with it? “Affordable” doesn’t necessarily mean ZOMG Section 8 Welfare Moocher Status. It may just mean housing that’s more within reach than a $1,500/month 1-bedroom at the Madison.

Truth. "Affordable" can be a whole bunch of things. Again, the staff report is silent on exactly what will be built or who it will target. Its just a money transfer... It does allude to a "low or moderate-income."

Perhaps Newhall Land can build it, making it an island of Valencia in a sea of Newhall.

Will they build it as promised?

I have worked in the 'affordable' housing industry in the past and I know all about it. The city has plans in the works to build low income (section 8) housing in the redevelopment zone. http://www.signalscv.com/archives/48481/ The study and blueprint for old town specified the need for housing that attracted moderate and upper income residents that would be needed to create a customer base critical to the areas success. Without this, the trendy arts district will still be thought of as being in the bad side of town.

So, then, by that reasoning, affordable housing should be built only in neighborhoods that are solidly middle class (south Valencia) or upper middle class (north Valencia). Good idea. Let's do it.

I thought you worked in the technology department Kevin. What I am saying is that the city continues to ignore a main component of the blue print for developing old town, that is, the addition of housing for middle and upper middle class residents. Without a customer base nearby, the city has to continue to fight to attract people in to an area that many view as unsavory.

You're aware that the article specifically calls for building a development way south on Newhall Ave of "Old Town" in the park and ride lot, right? A good mile between, Google has. Like I said, the Beacon "article" is misleading at best. It makes assumptions and leads to conclusions that are not based in any fact. We just cut the ribbon at an "affordable housing" complex last week down here in the 818 and its a thing of beauty that really improved the neighborhood. "Affordable housing" can do wonders to improve an area.

I lived in a building that went 26% low income. Over time the building changed for the worse. You cannot paint everyone with one broad brush. In spite of the best efforts of management, a certain percentage caused enough problems that the good people moved out and eventually my company sold the building because it could not maintain the standards of the brand. I am sure the buildings can be nice enough, but it's not a place most of us want to live.

Should we dismiss Lar's "expert" opinions simply because he's a whiny paranoid know-it-all? No. That would be just as bad as dismissing as "undesirable" all people who happen to qualify for affordable housing.

Then don't live there. Not everyone can afford to live in the nicest, "safest" parts of the SCV (And I'm not implying anything about your socioeconomic status, as I don't know you). You stated that "You cannot paint everyone with a broad brush" but your comments here seem to imply just that: A view that "affordable housing" rhymes with "low-income problem people."

As someone who lived at a building converted to accepting low income tenants and spending many years in the housing industry dealing with low income properties, I speak from experience. Again, not painting everyone with one broad brush. There were many good, nice people there but there also was an undesirable element that could not be kept out. But my issue is not with low income housing, the issue is that the city continues to ignore the need for a local customer base for Old Town, the need which is specified in the Downtown Newhall Area Specific Plan. Without this, the area will continue to serve the needs of the local people with laundromats, dollar stores and taco shops and will not be the arts mecca the city thinks they will somehow create. We know Kevin/Remstar will continue to beat the drum of his employer because he's drinking the city Kool Aid with the rest of them. I was doubtful the city's plan would ever work. Now that they have spent over $100 million in the area, it's too late to fight that. But I can speak up about what changes they need to make to stand a chance of working. If that makes me a know it all, well, then you can call me a proud know it all.

I think we might have a higher than average missing juvenile rate because many kids go past curfew and their parents freak out in santa clarita more than parents of inner cities would if their kids were late. I know I have friends whose parents will think they've been kidnapped after midnight if they aren't home.