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Life & Times Transcript
3/29/07 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- Does affordable housing belong on the doorstep of the "Happiest Place on Earth"? Rob Doughty>> Anaheim needs to address the issue of affordable housing, but Anaheim also needs to protect its single largest source of revenue, which is the Anaheim resort area. Isaiah Staley>> In my opinion, you know, Disney is just about the money. They don't want to see anybody in affordable housing. Val Zavala>> And then, will it be a guilty pleasure or a waste of time? Our critics score the skating comedy, "Blades of Glory". Those stories and more next on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val Zavala>> Usually, relations between Disneyland and the city of Anaheim are pretty cordial and, when they do have disagreements, they settle them quietly. But this controversy has hit the headlines. It's about housing. Disneyland doesn't want it around the theme park. Why is that? Sam Louie has our story. [Film Clip] Sam Louie>> Disneyland has been marketed as the "Happiest Place on Earth", but these days, not everyone is happy with the Anaheim-based amusement park. It has to do with providing affordable housing for low-income families. Disneyland doesn't want it at their doorstep. Eric Altman>> The reality of what's going on here is that we have a deepening crisis of working poverty. Sam Louie>> Eric Altman is with OCCORD, which stands for Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development. Eric Altman>> This is the site where affordable housing could be built in a resort district. Sam Louie>> The nonprofit agency supports a proposed project to build fifteen hundred condos a couple of blocks away from Disneyland with a portion, fifteen percent, allocated for low-income residents. This is the proposed site. Right now, a mobile home park is here, but the land is in escrow about to be bought by a private developer. Affordable housing supporters welcome the development and feel that Disneyland officials should as well. Eric Altman>> It really, in some way, shocks and surprises me that they would go to such extreme lengths to stop this from happening. Sam Louie>> Altman says that Anaheim's working poor are facing a serious housing shortage. Eric Altman>> Today in Orange County, you need to earn as a family $28.56 an hour in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Sam Louie>> Case in point, Antonio Castillo lives in a one-bedroom Anaheim apartment with his wife and adult son. The apartment is also used for babysitting his two grandchildren every day. Antonio Castillo>> It's really, really tight here. Like they need a space for to play. Sam Louie>> Castillo works for one of the Disney hotels, setting up tables for banquets. He estimates that seventy percent of his income goes towards their nine hundred dollar rent. Antonio Castillo>> Sometimes when I count my money, I say to my wife, "You know, it's not enough." I think at this time I'm just living for to live. I don't save money. Sam Louie>> In fact, money is so tight, Castillo carries around several envelopes to make sure none of it is squandered. Antonio Castillo>> I separate money for my rent, money for a loan I have with a bank and for my brother. Sam Louie>> Because of the tight budget, he can't give his grandchildren the experiences many youngsters enjoy. Antonio Castillo>> Sea World, Universal Studios. Sam Louie>> The grandchildren do get one perk: free visits to Disneyland. But more than this, Castillo would love to find a bigger place for his family. You don't want to live in this kind of condition forever? Antonio Castillo>> No, no. I don't want to live in these kinds of conditions, but I think at this time I have no choice. Sam Louie>> Over the past ten years, Anaheim has built no low-income housing, none. So when the proposed housing development came up, the City Council also proposed an amendment to the general plan. The amendment would require a certain percentage of new housing to be allocated for low-income families within Anaheim's resort district. Eric Altman>> If you build residential housing, if you build condominiums in the resort district in Anaheim, that you're going to have to commit fifteen percent to be affordable. Sam Louie>> Rob Doughty of Disney acknowledges the need for more housing, but he says that the 2.2 miles zoned as a commercial resort district should stay as is. Rob Doughty>> Anaheim needs to address the issue of affordable housing, but Anaheim also needs to protect its single largest source of revenue, which is the Anaheim resort area. Sam Louie>> To protect it, Disneyland Resort has filed a lawsuit against the city of Anaheim challenging any potential zoning change. Rob Doughty>> Housing does not belong in the resort area. The city itself created the vision in 1994 and specifically said that residentials should not be allowed in the resort area and now they're going back on their word and that's just not right. Sam Louie>> But last summer, Anaheim's City Council voted to consider residential development inside the resort area. As a result, Disney is also on the offensive. Disney wants to lock in this area for resort use only and it looks like the clash could go to the voters. Disney and other big businesses are in the process of putting an initiative on the city ballot that would keep this a commercial district. If it passes, any future changes would require voter approval. Elaine Cali>> I think it's great for them to understand what tourism is all about, the importance of tourism, and let them have a voice. Let me understand that tourism is important and let them choose how they want their city to be represented. Sam Louie>> Among those who support the initiative that would restrict housing is Elaine Cali of the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau. Elaine Cali>> It's just the synergy of the entertainment, the theme parks, the hotels, the restaurants. It makes it sort of a huge downtown environment for visitors which really kind of creates a lot of energy and gets people to want to come here. Sam Louie>> Disney is also looking to possibly build a third theme park on this strawberry field which Disney owns, making housing here even less appropriate. But those who have fallen on harder times see things differently. Isaiah Staley>> Disney is just about the money. They don't want to see anybody in affordable housing. Sam Louie>> Isaiah Staley and Lisa Matthews have been homeless off and on for the past several years. They rummage through trash bins looking for anything worth recycling. Lisa Matthews>> We have to do something like this until a job comes through and the job would probably be for maybe two days, a week or slightly more, and that's not enough to really have a stable home. Sam Louie>> The possibility of having more affordable housing built nearby excites them. Lisa Matthews>> I love the sound of it if they will give people like us a chance. Rob Doughty>> Housing is absolutely an issue that needs to be addressed here, but it's a broader issue than just Disney or just Anaheim. It's a southern California problem. It's a California problem. It's even a national problem. Sam Louie>> But for those living in Anaheim like Antonio Castillo, he's slowly realizing that his American dream of home ownership may be out of reach. Antonio Castillo>> The money I'm earning is not enough for the payment of another apartment. Sam Louie>> So what will this area around Disney look like in the future? Will we continue to see more hotels and restaurants or will new neighbors get to call this place home? The clash between Disney and the city will play itself out in late April as a vote is scheduled to weigh in on this issue. I'm Sam Louie for Life and Times. Val Zavala>> So should there by housing around Disneyland or not? We'd love to know your opinion and you can post it on our blog. Just go to kcet.org and click on the Life and Times Blog. Announcer>> Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, plus transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org, scroll down the page and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> There are big things happening right in the middle of Los Angeles. Work is underway on a thirteen hundred acre state park with views to die for and that's great news for this park-poor city. Dave McNeill is head of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy. He gave me a tour of the construction site. About sixty of the thirteen hundred acres will be developed and, in the heart of it, a beautiful Visitors Center. And beyond that, a commanding view of the city. This has been your dream for about, what, seven years when you first acquired this land? Dave McNeill>> Well, yeah. When the state bought the land, it was in 2000 and we did a big planning process from 2000 to 2002 saying what do we want to put up here? We've got sixty-eight acres to work with. What kind of things would the community need? Val Zavala>> Sixty-eight acres, and this is going into the middle of Los Angeles which is notoriously park-poor, they call it. I mean, this is a big deal. Dave McNeill>> Yeah, this is. For me, it's kind of a lifetime dream. But for a lot of people before me, it's been ongoing. You don't get a big hit like sixty-eight acres that quickly. So that was a big landmark and this is, I guess, the jewel of Baldwin Hills because it's got the best views from the west to the east, to north and south, which is a hard thing to get in Los Angeles. So it's coveted. Val Zavala>> So what is this construction going to be? Dave McNeill>> This is the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. It's going to be an eight thousand square foot facility. It's going to feature interpretive exhibits. It will start off with an interpretive exhibit that talks about the built environment versus the natural environment and the evolution of Los Angeles from downtown all the way out to the ocean. Then you'll go through these long halls that have different descriptions of what's going on, what you're going to see at the park, and then there will be an administrative building obviously for the staff. Then last will be the media theater, so you'll be able to sit inside the room and they'll have a projection screen and a ranger talking to you from either the desert in Anza Borrego or the beach near you. Val Zavala>> So you can come here and get an overview of all the variety of parks and topography in California? Dave McNeill>> Correct, correct. Yeah, they have the breeding of the sea lions in Ana Nuevo down at the coast too, so you'll be able to see those kinds of things. So you'll get the first taste of California state parks in an urban setting and then, hopefully, spur their desire to see more. Then there will be a plaza and a multi-purpose room. So that'll be something that people can come and rent and do their kind of activities, whether they want to meditate or have a meeting or just have a small get-together. The plaza will spill out some concessions. You know, some people can get some coffee or a sandwich, etc. And the plaza will be set out where people can sit outside and enjoy the view. As you go past that, there will be an interpretive garden that will have all the native plants that we have around California, drought-resistant. We will promote the idea of saving water and conserving and having the beauty that we see, you know, in our natural deserts and/or the mountains, the coastal range. Val Zavala>> But, of course, one of the main reasons that people will come here is this incredible view. So let's take a look at what will happen if we walk through the Visitors Center, right, and what we see after that. Dave McNeill>> Fantastic. [Film Clip] Val Zavala>> So there's basically three incredible views. One is the Getty, one is the observatory, and now we're going to have the Baldwin Hills Overlook? Dave McNeill>> Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Val Zavala>> Scenic Overlook. And this is the western ridge, you call it? Dave McNeill>> Yeah, this is the western ridge of the Baldwin Hills. They're split by La Cienega, so the western side is closest to the ocean and the eastern side is closest to downtown. Val Zavala>> And there's actually going to be a physical overlook where people can perch, in a sense, and really enjoy the view. That's going to be amazing. Dave McNeill>> That's funny. Yeah, it's going to be a bird's eye view of Los Angeles as you stated with the perch. It's pretty unique and it's one of a kind. We're on the inside looking out and that's pretty rare in Los Angeles because everything's surrounding it. Val Zavala>> And it is incredible what we can see. Westwood is right over your shoulder and the Mormon Temple. And you can see all the way across down Wilshire Corridor into Culver City and even all the way over to Marina del Rey and ultimately, I guess, the airport. I mean, it's an incredible view and this is only half of it. Dave McNeill>> (Laughter) This is the west side, right. This is one that's west of the 405, let's say. No, the 405 is over here, but yeah. Val Zavala>> But tell us what it means also to this area. Because not that far from us is south Los Angeles. Dave McNeill>> This is the story that, you know, doesn't get told very often and that is, you know, we have a lot of resources in California, a lot of beauty that doesn't get seen by a lot of people. Like you said, people don't make it to the beach and certainly people don't always make it to the Santa Monica Mountains or to Lake Tahoe or any of the places that you have the state investing money in. This is a bus ride away. It's a bicycle ride away for a lot of kids. We have about three million people living within a five-mile radius of the Baldwin Hills and they are indisputably park-poor with one acre per one thousand people. That's just any kind of park, grass and trees. We're talking about a unique kind of park that really speaks to California's native heritage, native culture, native environment and they'll be able to see things they haven't seen. What we try to do with this scenic overlook is incorporate a really big educational component into it. We're working with partners like the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society. They'll be able to work here and give tours and, you know, hand out literature. California State Parks will certainly be talking about all the things that they do throughout the state. Val Zavala>> So when is all of this going to be ready for people to enjoy? Dave McNeill>> Well, we're expecting to have a grand opening, the California State Parks and everyone who's been involved in the process, a year from now. Val Zavala>> That's fast. Dave McNeill>> Well, things have been going along pretty good. This has been a fourteen-month construction schedule and we're already three or four months in, so this is great. Val Zavala>> So there will be a big ribbon cutting, I assume? Dave McNeill>> Yeah. Will you be there? Val Zavala>> You got it (laughter). Obviously, besides all the educational amenities and the Visitors Center, there's good old plain hiking, right? Dave McNeill>> There's the best hiking you can find five minutes away from your car and you'll see some of the same things you'll see all the way up and down the coast in this culture zone. This park is weaved together very nicely. It's coming together and that's the idea of having this master plan because you take different pieces and you expose people to certainly ball fields and certainly the Visitors Center, but we also have a lot of things that people can't see in terms of the habitat, the coastal sage scrub, the birds, you know, just the wildlife that's here. Val Zavala>> So this is an important link in a chain of nature areas or parks, is that correct, that's going to stretch from where to where? Dave McNeill>> Well, you know, if you look at it and it's hard to look at this and say, "How are we going to create some sort of corridor?" Because the dream is really to get from the ocean to downtown and experience the built and the natural environment. Val Zavala>> Wow, that's amazing. Well, Dave McNeill, congratulations on a very, very tough project, but it's all coming together beautifully and we know you've put a lot of work into it. Dave McNeill>> Well, a lot of people put a lot of work in, but thanks to you for coming back out. Val Zavala>> My pleasure. Dave McNeill>> All right. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Larry Mantle>> Welcome to FilmWeek on Life and Times. I'm Larry Mantle of 89.3 KPCC. Our first film this week is the comedy, "Blades of Glory", which takes us into the world of male figure skating. Will Ferrell and Jon Heder costar. [Film Clip] Larry Mantle>> I'm joined this week by critics Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media and Lael Loewenstein of Variety. Lael, what did you think of "Blades of Glory"? Lael Loewenstein>> Well, the world of competitive figure skating has always been ripe for satire partly because it takes itself so seriously. In that respect, I think it finds a perfect character in Will Ferrell. He plays Chazz Michael Michaels (laughter) who, like so many other Ferrell characters in recent films, takes himself very, very seriously as the anchor man, as the elf, as the NASCAR driver. You know, Ferrell always plays this sort of gloated buffoonish guy who just thinks he's absolutely the deal. He has a counterpart in Jon Heder from "Napoleon Dynamite" and together they're the first male-male competitive figure skating team. There's a lot of really funny stuff that goes on here. There's a lot of homophobia, homoeroticism. It doesn't go quite far enough sometimes, but it's a funny film and it's a good vehicle for Ferrell. Larry Mantle>> Our second film this week is from Disney Animation. It's "Meet the Robinsons". It's 3-D animation and tells the story of a boy who time-travels into the future. It's rated G. [Film Clip] Larry Mantle>> Jean, what did you think of "Meet the Robinsons"? Jean Oppenheimer>> Well, it's a bit different from a lot of the Disney films we've seen in that it's 3-D digital animation. That means you go into the theater and they give you these glasses to put on. You have to put them on in the theater and the objects and the characters on the screen sort of jump out at the audience. I think, you know, some kids will really find this fun. Some might find it a little scary and I think it may just depend on your child, but that's something to keep in mind. It's a time-travel adventure. There are a lot of very familiar Disney themes here, mainly the longing for a family and the creation of a surrogate family. The kid who's at the center of it feels a lack of confidence and so the film also talks about another favorite Disney theme of embracing failure as a learning tool. The film borrows a lot of key plot points, surprisingly, from a lot of other science fiction films and they include "Terminator" and "Back to the Future". The first part of the film, I really liked, the end of the film I liked. The middle part is very frenetic which I'm not so fond of. There's a lot of characters and it's confusing as to who's who. Larry Mantle>> The movie, "The Lookout", stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a developmentally disabled high school student who gets a job as a janitor in a bank only to find himself pulled into a robbery. [Film Clip] Larry Mantle>> "The Lookout", Lael, your thoughts? Lael Loewenstein>> Yeah, I liked this film very much. It reminded me narratively of a great noir called "Criss Cross" in which a character who's smitten -- Burt Lancaster -- with Yvonne De Carlo in that film who's pulled into a bank heist and is forced to do things that he doesn't necessarily want to do. The same is true of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character in this film. A very complex character. He's developmentally disabled at this point and he has a lot of crisis of conscience in the film. You really feel for him. Gordon-Levitt is really terrific because he plumbs the depths of this character and it's very nuanced and very shaded. There's also a lot of great supporting work from Isla Fisher as a former pole dancer and from Jeff Daniels who's absolutely terrific. As he ages, he's turning into a better and better actor, I think. This is a moody, interesting piece and it really worked for me. Larry Mantle>> Well, Jean, do you agree with that? Jean Oppenheimer>> I really do. I'm a huge fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt who appeared in Gregg Araki's "Mysterious Skin" and, years ago, a film called "Manic" in which he played a troubled adolescent who's sent to a mental facility. Larry Mantle>> Oh, with Don Cheadle, yeah. Jean Oppenheimer>> Yes, that's the one. He's wonderful here. This is a very atmospheric film. I found it a very tough film to watch in some ways because he is playing a brain-damaged -- when he starts out, he's fine. He's in a car accident. This happens in the very first scene. He's brain-damaged and you see people taking advantage of him. This is a very difficult thing to watch, also to see him digging himself deeper and deeper into trouble. He does a wonderful job and Jeff Daniels is wonderful. Larry Mantle>> And finally this week, the Academy Award-nominated film in the Best Foreign Language category, "After the Wedding". The movie is from Denmark. [Film Clip] Larry Mantle>> Jean, what did you think of "After the Wedding"? Jean Oppenheimer>> I thought it was really wonderful. The director, Susanne Bier, is really making a name for herself here in the United States. She's done nine films in Denmark and only three here, but her three films here all have the same theme which is the fragility of life, sort of what happens when fate snaps its fingers and your whole life is changed. It changes in ways that don't just affect you, but all the characters around you. This film is so well acted. I mean, the Danish actors are so wonderful and this has that gorgeous Mads Mikkelsen in it and a number of other just wonderful performances. I was very, very high on the film. Larry Mantle>> What did you think, Lael? Lael Loewenstein>> I liked this film very much too. You know, Jean really hit the nail on the head. Mads Mikkelsen sort of recalls that other Scandinavian actor who's so great, Viggo Mortensen, but Mads, who we last saw in "Casino Royale", plays a much more sensitive, really searching kind of soulful character, a guy who runs an orphanage in India and is forced by fate to confront some things out of his past by going to Copenhagen and meeting with this billionaire who says he's going to give money to the orphanage provided that Jacob complies with his wishes. There's a lot of very complex layers to the film and I thought it was very moving in a lot of ways. There were nice performances and, you know, it could have been a very melodramatic film, but there's that Scandinavian sort of pull-back from it. It doesn't get too sentimental or mushy. There are times when it really might have gone there, but it doesn't. Larry Mantle>> But not too cool either. It sounds like it's balanced okay. Lael Loewenstein>> Yeah, not too cool either. It walks this very fine line which I really liked. Larry Mantle>> Thanks for joining us for another FilmWeek on Life and Times. I'm Larry Mantle of 89.3 KPCC joined by critics Lael Loewenstein of Variety and Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media. Please join us again next week for the next FilmWeek on Life and Times. Val Zavala>> KPCC public radio broadcasts a longer version of FilmWeek on Fridays at eleven a.m. And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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