Sherman Oaks, California used to be considered the crown gem of The San Fernando Valley, with its diverse eateries, shops, and charming homes. Homes that were worth more than two million dollars (most to the south from Ventura Boulevard). It was a great mix of upscale but welcoming, and you could get an affordable rental, even among the homes with a high price tag. I was a resident of the area for a number of years and loved the neighborhood-like, small-town atmosphere, as well as the accessibility to everything within walking distance. It also offered security, and events for the community.
Unfortunately, this is a thing of the past.
Due to the numerous homeless encampments and homeless individuals harassing business owners and residents, you shouldn't wander through the streets, much less go to any of the establishments. Walking along Ventura Boulevard means you are walking over feces, and sleeping or dead humans. It is best to hope that they don't strike out of the blue with a machete.
In the end, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, it boils down to the quality of life and this crisis of homelessness has ruined everyone's quality of living: the housed, the homeless, and residents who try to run their own businesses and pay the taxes that are a source of support for politicians who don't care about anything, including City Councilwoman Nithya Raman.
The New York Post:
The footage of a Los Angeles homeless man has been caught on camera throwing his own feces towards an owner of a business. The owner has criticized city officials for “not caring” about the ever-growing transient issue.
Paul Scrivano, owner of the Blue Dog Beer Tavern near Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks posted a video of the naked man who threw a bag full of dung over the top of his vehicle.
“Every day, it's like ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,'” Scrivano said to FOX11 the other day about the homeless individuals who populate the area surrounding his Tavern.
“Literally a psych ward.”
Scrivano stated that one person particularly defecates openly in the area of Ventura Boulevard.
“Every single morning, I'm wiping that off my property before I have to do business,” Scrivano explained.
It's not just Scrivano's private business.
Lawyer Larry Spade, chair of the Homelessness Committee for the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association stated that business owners have the right to be disappointed.
“Many business owners are at their wits' end, they're not getting the responsiveness that they need and that they deserve,” said the expert.
“Homeless individuals will set up camp in front of stores and build their homes there and bring their belongings to make it their bedroom. When business owners arrive at their offices they will have to handle homeless people who are blocking their entrance to their establishment. Then they are faced with the cleanup of the hazardous waste that is before their establishment located at Sherman Oaks, right on Ventura Boulevard.”
Scrivano has sent video and photo evidence of this inappropriate and unlawful behavior in a letter to Nithya Raman, the Los Angeles District 4 City Councilwoman where the business of Scrivano is situated. Scrivano is essentially begging her to intervene in the insanity of this situation.
With Scrivano's permission, colleague Bob Hoge supplied the images together with the emails exchanged between Scrivano's office and Councilwoman Raman's office.
What the councilwoman's office has to say is nothing short of tone deaf, and not to be dismissed the way it was reported.
The N.Y. Post also reported:
Scrivano on his own has repeatedly sent videos of homeless people in a state of fear and defusing themselves from Ventura Boulevard to the office of Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who is the representative for Sherman Oaks.
However, Raman's office countered by instructing the business owner that he should stop sending graphics materials.
Here's that reply to an email to L.A. City. Raman's office advised Scrivano he had “crossed a boundary” by the material he sent.
A lot of boundaries are being broken here, but none through Paul Scrivano.
We will request to not send such photos to our staff since we won't be able to react to them if they contain offensive content or a subject who is sexually exposed. It isn't appropriate that you or your customers were impacted by this, it's not acceptable to email these photos to our staff members without asking permission.
Excuse me? Where, precisely, do I send Scrivanos complaints about the vagrancy and public nuisance driving his customers away and ruining his business?
Nithya Raman is, in essence, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti wearing a dress. A social democrat (big surprise) and a full-on model, she was rewarded with praiseworthy puff pieces such as this one from Vogue magazine during her City Council campaign, trumpeting her Masters in Urban Planning from MIT and her research on massive homelessness problems in India.
Did you know she's the first Asian female city councilmember to be elected to district 4 of the City of Los Angeles?
Raman lives in the exclusive urban neighborhood located in Silver Lake, where Garcetti also lives.
Birds of a feather.
For the residents in District 4, they voted for this train wreck who is currently transforming Sherman Oaks into Calcutta.
Although Hollywood was already on its way to becoming Mumbai, Raman has contributed to its transformation too and not in a positive way. In April, Hollywood people complained on ABC 7 News that Raman was not doing anything about an encampment of homeless people on the once-famous Sunset Boulevard.
The camp is located at 7323 Sunset Boulevard. It is located around the AT&T building. It is situated within L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman's district. Raman visited the camp one year ago, accompanied by residents, which included Terry S.
“She promised. She stated that she'd be determined to enforce ADA compliance. She's thinking about creating a safe camping area for campers. It's never ever happened,” Terry S. stated.
“In August, 41.18, an ordinance passed and we were very hopeful because finally we thought that they would have some tools at their disposal,” Lawrence S. stated. “But that city councilwoman only enforces one aspect of that ordinance that is part of the Care Plus Cleanup program. It's true that she's acting when she feels she is compelled to enforce it and that's three times over the span of 17 months.”
The camp was cleaned Thursday, however, residents informed Eyewitness News every time the camp is cleaned, those who are not housed will return within 24 to 48 hours. That's the case on Friday. Residents believe that allowing tents to be returned is not humane.
“It was once an amazing place, but now it's a trash heap. I'm thinking that people who are homeless view the cleaning as if they're their own personal maid service.” Sally C. said.
Not the only reason that Raman doesn’t care, but in her role as a councilwoman she supported defunding police and continues to be opposed to law enforcement, as this affirmation of her vote to remove Sheriff Alex Villanueva as well as protecting corruption-prone L.A. Board of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl's reflection.
In the afternoon of Wednesday, Scrivano spoke with local KFI 640 radio hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampo on his as well as the other owners of businesses' struggles and Raman's uninformed and ineffective response. In response, John & Ken asked Scrivano whether Raman could be reinstated or exiled. He was blunt:
“She's an absolute fan. She will never be voted out. She's likely to be governor someday.”
The words are enough. Incompetent stooges such as Raman can pretend to help homeless people and build their political profile, while destroying small businesses and the standard of living of taxpayers.
It is business as usual in the City of Angels.
