Skid Row: The Name Was Changed To Protect The Innocent?

What’s in a name? It seems in Central City East, the name means a lot.

The LA Times is reporting that the LA Fire Department is taking off the name “Skid Row” from the fire trucks that service the area. Some people in Central City East feel that “Skid Row” is a derogatory term, and should not be used to describe their neighborhood.

Ironically, both homeless people on the streets and housed persons living in the lofts above are against the name change. They like the term “Skid Row.”

Local community leaders are saying they will not weigh in on this debate until they get a pulse from the community.

For decades, the term “Skid Row” was used to describe bad areas in cities. The term here in Los Angeles has the same connotation.

So should the name be changed?

I think in this case… words are meaningless. Instead of changing the name, we should be changing a blighted community into one where no one is sleeping on the streets.

I like what a local business leader said in the article:

"Whenever I see the trucks and the words 'Skid Row,' I always smile," said Estela Lopez, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group for area property owners. "If we really want to clean up skid row, we shouldn't worry about what's on the side of the fire engines. We should be worried about what's on the streets."

Fighting The U.S. Army Over Land Sale is a Good Thing

There is a piece of land on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Federal Avenue in West Los Angeles that is owned by the U.S. Army. The Army wants to sell the land to a developer.

Unfortunately, this is home to an armory that houses shelter beds for the homeless during the winter time. Why the Army is selling the property now, no one knows. Maybe they need more money to fund the war in Iraq.

Whatever the case, the County of Los Angeles is suing the Army to block the sale. Under the proactive leadership of County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents the area, the County is standing up to the U.S. Army.

Clearly, the County of Los Angeles needs to add more beds for the homeless, not allow the Army to sell them off to the highest bidder.

Kudos to strong political leadership who are willing to go against the Army.

Do “Rags To Riches” Stories Help?

A new movie is coming out, starring Will Smith, that will show how a formerly homeless person went from extreme poverty to becoming a millionaire. It’s based on an autobiographical book called “The Pursuit of Happyness” written by Chris Gardner.

Hollywood, of course, loves these extreme stories of success.

Frankly, I don’t think such stories or movies help the cause of ending homelessness. For some living on our streets of Los Angeles, they have ended up there because of unrealistic personal dreams.

I think these “rags to riches” stories are not realistic. It’s great for Mr. Gardner who made it. But for the other thousands and thousands of people living on the streets, we need to encourage them to be realistic—to find a simple apartment, access proper health care, and for some to find a basic job that pays their bills. They are not going to become movie stars, overly paid athletes, or write a made-for-movies book that stars Will Smith.

I would rather see stories on “Rags To Housing” than “Rags to Riches.”