| |
| |
|
Looting Hawaiian Gardens
|
| Press
Conference Statement by Sharon Raphael |
| by Sharon Raphael, Ph.D. , Professor of Sociology California State University, Dominguez Hills |
Originally published 10 July 2000
in general release
As a sociologist, concerned citizen and neighbor to the
City of Hawaiian Gardens, I think it is deplorable and unconscionable that
a person with Moskowitz's credentials and standing in the community would
take advantage of his ability to hire high powered attorneys and "pull one
over" on a tiny low-income city and then take credit for being a great benefactor
in the process. A city should not be dependent on a gambling house for its
main source of income and the report (Joint Legislative Audit Committee Staff
Report) underscores the dangers inherent in such an arrangements including
higher incidents of crime and social problems which was reported and commented
upon by former Atty. Gen. Lungren and colleagues and included in the report.
(Related to discussion on Bell Gardens Casino).
The
biggest concern here and the affect of Moskowitz and his enterprises has
been how it has impacted the democratic political process in the City. My
question is who really runs the City of Hawaiian Gardens, the people or Moskowitz
and his legal representative? I think the people have been outmaneuvered
and legally boxed in by Irving Moskowitz. By promising a supermarket that
the City badly needed, other legitimate business were forced out of the City
including Ploughboys, a well-known and thriving produce market and also a
meat market and other legitimate businesses that served the city's residents
in a positive way. What did the people get instead, a bingo parlor, a casino,
and a big parking lot and unfilled hopes and dreams.
I think the people
can do much better and will once they wake up and realize the whole sad history
of what has gone down and what is continuing in a city that still has hopes
and dreams of doing better. We implore Atty. Gen. Lockyer to deny Moskowitz
his casino license and to take the work of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
Staff Report seriously. Give Hawaiian Gardens a chance to begin again.
READ THE OTHER STATEMENTS FROM THE JLAC PRESS CONFERENCE
Rabbi
Haim Dov Beliak | Rabbis
Steven Jacobs and Jerry Goldstein | Walter
McKinney | Mina
K. Meyer | Sharon
Raphael |
|
|
|
|
|
©
2003 design by elbop for the Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem
|
|
|
