This is how California checks up on the poor in low income housng

[Liberal_in_LA]

Suit accuses Lancaster and Palmdale of racial bias in Section 8 crackdown


Most of the families have been cut off following surprise "compliance checks" by housing authorities and police, aimed at rooting out fraud in the federal housing assistance program known as Section 8.

Civil rights advocates say the crackdowns amount to racial discrimination, as 85% of the Section 8 households are black or Latino. Residents have also complained that the inspections often involved armed Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, which they said adds a level of intimidation to the checks.

The lawsuit says the crackdown has created a climate of fear among minorities in the Antelope Valley and may have influenced vigilante attacks and hate crimes.

----------------

Pharaoh Mitchell got housing aid after suffering a back injury in the Army that has left him unable to return to construction work. He said his family of eight was rousted in a compliance check by a dozen armed deputies last year. Mitchell, who praises the housing assistance program for giving the poor a chance to escape crime-ridden inner city projects, attributed the fruitless six-hour raid to a neighbor who called authorities reporting vague suspicions.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-antelope-valley-bias-20110608,0,1300409.story

[Arctic Dave]

1. I bet people thought they were only going to limit this type of intimidation

to dirty Iraqi scum. Now I understand why they hate invaders. I do not not blame a single one of them for their actions against them.

[izquierdista]

2. Look at the size of those!

However, it's good to know that if the U.S. is ever attacked by sumo terrorists, any local sheriff's office will have the weight advantage.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. Hey look, there is a lefty in the bunch.

[abelenkpe]

4. wow the comments section attached to that article is depressingly full of racist scumbags. nt

[Starry Messenger]

5. recommend.

[EC]

6. Last sentence says it all

reported by a noisy neighbor who was likely only going by the color of the skin as his/her vague suspicions. Why did the cops investigate if it was only "vague suspicions"?

[saras]

17. Because they're brown. Isn't that enough?

[nichomachus]

7. Expect to see a lot more of this as the country circles the drain n/t

[eilen]

8. When they kick out your front door...

When they kick out your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun

When the law break in
How you gonna go?
Shot down on the pavement
Or waiting in death row

You can crush us
You can bruise us
But you'll have to answer to
Oh, Guns of Brixton

The money feels good
And your life you like it well
But surely your time will come
As in heaven, as in hell

You see, he feels like Ivan
Born under the Brixton sun
His game is called survivin'
At the end of the harder they come

You know it means no mercy
They caught him with a gun
No need for the Black Maria
Goodbye to the Brixton sun

You can crush us
You can bruise us
But you'll have to answer to
Oh-the guns of Brixton

When they kick out your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun

You can crush us
You can bruise us
And even shoot us
But oh- the guns of Brixton

Shot down on the pavement
Waiting in death row
His game was survivin'
As in heaven as in hell

You can crush us
You can bruise us
But you'll have to answer to
Oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh, the guns of Brixton
Oh, the guns of Brixton

The Guns of Brixton by
The Clash
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/clash/#share

[gratuitous]

9. It's okay

As long as we all agree that people in low income housing are very, very bad, or likely to be abusing the "privilege," we can do anything we want to them, right? It's the new standard for "justice" in America. It's all on a continuum, and failing to object to an egregious instance of ignoring our own system implies full agreement with every other little abridgement of individual rights.

Unless you want the terrorists to win. And you don't want that, do you?

[butterfly77]

10. ...

[Xolodno]

11. This has been happening...

...for awhile now in the Antelope Valley area. During the "inspections" they've been nailing anyone with narcotics, old warrants, etc. I don't blame the law enforcement and much as the local elected leaders. They are the ones who've been pushing this, they are basically trying to push out Section 8 housing within the city limits.

Problem is, the area is a Republican stronghold where elections are basically "who is more ideologically pure". And the irony? They are pushing for the CA High Speed Rail to come through the AV and are also pushing for Solar and Wind power plants to be base out here. But then vote in the party that has publicly taken a position of opposition.....

[barbtries]

12. criminalization of poverty. nt

[Angry Dragon]

13. They already have their guns drawn............

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. Yep. amazing.

[CreekDog]

15. five officers holding guns for a housing inspection

incredible.

exactly what is the big deal about burning the flag again? remind me, i think it had something to do with what it stood for --but maybe that was a long time ago.

:shrug:

[Odin2005]

16. I'm on Section 8, I find this fucking terrifying.

:scared: