Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are, by design, controlled by a very small group of commercial property owners, excluding the voice of most paying into the BID and completely excluding residential property owners, tenants, commercial operators who lease their sites, and other stakeholders in Venice. Venice Beach has long been a center for democracy and diversity...

What is a BID? Business Improvement Districts (“BIDs”) are public-private partnerships, established under State and local laws that give Cities the power to form districts in which all businesses in the district pay assessments to supplement municipal expenditures. More recent statutes greatly expanded the power of BIDs, including authorizing expenditures on private security and sanitation...

by M. Saffron Devakinanda Das and I spoke on a beautiful Sunny day at the beach. He is happy to be back in Venice after his 8 month annual stint in Vrndavan India. While in Venice Devakinanda stays in his van and can’t understand why the much needed changes regarding the ”houseless” haven’t been made...

The Westside Tenants Union held a meeting at the Venice Community Housing Corp. (720 Rose). 39 people were in attendance and some of the issues discussed were: Causta Hawkins: state law that should be overturned Stopping evictions for seniors and handicapped Taking pictures or calling 311 when you see a green fenced property The importance...

by Krista Schwimmer Each night, as the southern sunlight dissipates in the City of Angels, a shadow takes its place. This shadow sneaks across every sidewalk, through every street, and into every neighborhood. It is a collective shadow that includes our unacknowledged fears, hatred, shame, and greed. Many of us scurry from this shadow into...

by Mark Lipman Maybe you’ve noticed this, maybe you haven’t? A lot of very dramatic changes are happening around Venice. It seems like overnight entire neighborhoods have been transformed. Family businesses have been forced to close, while high-end trends and tourist boutiques pop-up in their place. Seniors, disabled, long-term fixed income tenants are being displaced...

by Lydia Ponce For the love of Venice and for how kooks call themselves locals after paying millions of dollars and living here 4 years… We need an ICO. We need an Internal Control Ordinance on all proposed projects that require a MELLO determination. Mike Bonin can pen one in an hour… He can have...

Save Venice lawsuit w/ attorney, Sabrina Venskus, who will be presenting at the community event scheduled for this Tues April 5 @ 6:30 pm at 2010 Linden Ave. Venice (Codepink HQ). If you can’t attend, please consider making a donation (no amount too small) at http://www.savevenice.me

by Mark Lipman Over the past several years we have all noticed significant changes to our Venice community. A pro-big business, pro-development agenda has literally demolished its way through Venice, while rents and eviction rates have skyrocketed. Longstanding neighbors and local residents have disappeared almost overnight as a tourist industry, which brings no revenues back...

Tomorrow night VNC Meeting at Westminster Elementary I the auditorium. Subject: Important Short-term Rental Motion to be voted on at upcoming/Tuesday VNC Meeting. This Tuesday night the VNC will vote on a motion to request the City Attorney to enforce the law and prosecute short-term rental zoning violations. Although this motion is on the Consent Calendar...