ACTION NOTE: Carol Schatz told us that City Council was going to be taking up street vending again soon, and she was correct. It’s scheduled for the Economic Development Committee on April 16 at 2 p.m. in City Hall room 340, which is the Ferraro Council Chamber. Obviously they’re expecting a crowd.
Business Improvement Districts and other white supremacist zillionaire flunkies like various chambers of commerce and the Central City Association have spent the last three years fighting against legalized street vending in Los Angeles because they’re a bunch of puritanical racists. Ordinarily, though, they have the sense to hide their puritanical racism behind a thin screen of concern for slightly more acceptable issues like civic order, the rule of law, public health, whatever.
However, a couple days ago, Leron Gubler of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce let the mask slip just for a moment. He sent this letter, a transcription of which is after the break, to City Council to oppose legalizing street vending.1 And in it he stated:
The Chamber and the Hollywood Entertainment District BID continue to be inundated with complaints from our property owners and visitors on Hollywood Boulevard about the increase in sidewalk vendors over the past year. The street, especially at night, is being compared to a third world bazaar.
It’s not even a dog whistle. He’s explicitly complaining that there are too many unruly darkies on Hollywood Blvd., because who else is found in a “third world bazaar”? These people2 don’t seem to have the first clue that they don’t own Hollywood Blvd., they don’t own this City. And this is not the first time they’ve complained about nonwhite people taking over Hollywood Blvd.
Their visions for Hollywood Blvd., for Los Angeles, are no more important or valid than anyone else’s, no matter what the color of their skin or whether or not they have a zillion bucks in the bank. Most of Los Angeles likes street vending. Most of Los Angeles likes unruly darkies. We are unruly darkies here. Without unruly darkies there would be no Los Angeles. Our City would be just like freaking Hancock Park or San Marino. Most of Los Angeles likes what vending does for our streets, our neighborhoods, our humanity. If these BIDdies don’t like it, why don’t they move back to America or Palos Verdes or wherever they came from?
Transcription of Leron Gubler’s letter
April 10, 2018
The Honorable Curren Price, Jr.
Chair, Economic Development Committee
City of Los Angeles
200 N. Spring Street, Room 420
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear Councilmember Price:
On behalf of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and our over 800 members, I am writing to respectfully ask for your help in bringing immediate and much needed enforcement resources and tools to Hollywood Boulevard and the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame, while the City continues to work on finalizing its Citywide Vending ordinance.
As you know, Hollywood Boulevard is the most famous street in the world and is home to some of LA’s most crowded sidewalks. With tens-of-thousands of visitors each day, Hollywood is a unique area of the City with very specific public safety concerns surrounding the use of its sidewalks and protection of the Walk of Fame. The Chamber is appreciative of the work that has been done by this committee in moving towards the adoption of a sidewalk vending ordinance that will provide protections for the Walk of Fame. However, the delay in adoption of a vending ordinance, compounded with the City’s policy to decriminalize vending activity, has led to a free-for-all on Hollywood Blvd. For our business owners and tourists alike, the situation has become a very real public safety concern that can no longer wait to be addressed until the City passes its Sidewalk Vending ordinance.
The Chamber and the Hollywood Entertainment District BID continue to be inundated with complaints from our property owners and visitors on Hollywood Boulevard about the increase in sidewalk vendors over the past year. The street, especially at night, is being compared to a third world bazaar. Vendors are hawking their wares- everything from food to neckties, to unlicensed merchandise. Additionally, some food vendors are now setting up tables and folding chairs so their customers can sit and eat on the Walk of Fame. We are also seeing some vendors setting up their displays on top of the Stars, making it impossible for tourists to take photos. Adding to this problem, it has become so congested that tourists are regularly seen walking in the streets to get around the blockage, creating a hazardous situation and potentially huge liability issue for the City.
With the busy summer tourist season quickly upon us, it is imperative that we are given adequate enforcement resources and tools to ensure the public safety and protect our historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. While we understand that the implementation of the final vending ordinance may inevitably take a while longer, we beseech this Committee and the full City Council to find a way to bring immediate enforcement relief to Hollywood Boulevard.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration of this important matter. I look forward to working with you and your staff as the City moves forward with the creation of a city-wide vending policy.
Leron Gubler
President & CEO
CC: Councilmember Joe Buscaino
Councilmember Jose Huizar
Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell
Image of racist fucking moron Leron Gubler is ©2018 MichaelKohlhaas.Org. It’s roughly based on this other image of racist fucking moron Leron Gubler.
- It’s possible that the letter was actually written by Kerry Morrison, also famously racist. It has a few of her favored turns of phrase. On the other hand it has far fewer parenthetical clauses than she likes. Maybe they wrote it together.
- Courtesy terminology, not meaning to state a factual proposition.
