War on L.A. River Graffiti
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This is crazy. sometimes i just can't try even to understand
WTF Files: War on L.A. River Graffiti Funded by Federal Stimulus
BJD Resourcing was awarded $837,000 in Recovery Act funds to rid the L.A. River Basin of its graffiti. Seen here, BJD's Sullas Dorsey buffs L.A. graffiti writer Saber's famed masterpiece.
Last month, during California’s desperate attempt to close its $24-billion dollar budget gap, countless programs were thinned out or altogether slashed. Among the mind-numbing list of cuts, however, was a dramatic reduction in state spending for textbooks — a decision that automatically puts kids in California schools at an educational disadvantage. Here’s what the Los Angeles Times reports:The state Board of Education won’t approve new books for kindergarten through eighth grade until January 2016 at the earliest, and districts have postponed approvals of new high school books as well. A state requirement that districts purchase books within two years of adoption has been waived until 2013.
The reasoning behind the decision, it sounds, is survival based:
Additionally, state funding previously earmarked solely for textbooks — nearly $334 million this year — can now be spent by school districts for other needs over the next four years, providing flexibility that educators say is essential at a time of severe budget reductions. (via Los Angeles Times)
In contrast to California’s vanishing textbook funds, BJD Resourcing — a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers subcontractor — was awarded $837,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to rid the L.A. River Basin of its graffiti. Now it’s obvious these two examples are completely unrelated. But they beg the question of priorities in budget spending. Sure, buffing the L.A. River Basin has afforded BJD Resourcing the luxury of hiring new staff (eight people according to Jeff Vaughn, BJD’s project manager) and ticking down the unemployment rate by some finite percentage. But given L.A.’s reputation as home to some of the world’s most prolific graffiti artists, the freshly painted walls will no doubt be crushed with new tags and pieces in no time. Which makes you wonder: Why spend the money in the first place?
Author’s note: During its stimulus-funded clean up, BJD Resources painted over legendary graffiti artist Saber’s famed L.A. River Basin Masterpiece, which held a prominent place in American/world history as a Guinness Book World Record holder for largest graffiti piece ever painted. (I know, “Boo hoo,” said the graffiti-hating masses, but we can have the art vs. crime conversation another day.) See before/after images below.
- sublocked0
Retarded.
CA gov. is broke, and they're buffing graffiti that will just get repainted a couple months down the line. More proof our lawmakers are idiots.
Is it any wonder why I'm a champion for smaller, more focused government?
PS: That Saber piece was a LANDMARK. He spent years on it. Dude caught major knee problems from painting that and it was probably one of the best graffiti pieces ever. Shame to see that go.
- mg330
That's absolutely absurd.
- vaxorcist0
culture war, pure and simple....
- bigtrick0
this is federal money vs. state money - stil absurd, taken absolutely though
- ********0
totally pointless.
- sea_sea0
yeha that was smart... i'm willing to bet there's something already on the nice big white canvas.
- sublocked0
...before (click for full res)
...after
notice they didn't even touch the chicken scratch shit all around it. what a fucking waste.
- which looks worse...really? why don't they spend that money cleaning up the GARBAGE floating in the water instead?sublocked
- wow, that really REALLY sucks...ismith
- never liked the R in the saber piece.
Just sayinmikotondria3 - couldnt they use grey paint? who does this?!?!?********
- ********0
countdown to MSK roller dub appearance.
- no doubt if i were them i'd just go drop a black outline over that white fillin...but that's just me.sublocked
- ********0
this is almost as stupid and wasteful as the guy who had the meeting of styles pieces buffed, even though the entire event had permission, and the walls were pretty much out of sight from anywhere.
- sublocked0
@max.....thought i was the only writer on here. :)
- M_C0
unbelievable, yet typical at the same time.
- ********0
good to know the fed money is going to good use
- mikotondria30
hey sublocked, point us to anything you've done, can you ?
I liked the shape you did in the typeface thread, be very interested to see any blackbook stuff of just general sketches n that :)- wouldn't be smart of me... :)sublocked
- is you like,a biter, n that ?
mikotondria3 - lol...sublocked
- www.tol23.com/graffe…...mikotondria3
- zman0
looks like a $837,000 fresh canvas
- i_monk0
Nothing stops paint quite like paint.
- ********0
MAybe the Feds want the graffitti artists to TRY HARDER
- zman0
sometimes i wonder how real street graf would be taken if more of the artists took the practice more creatively and got out the whole underground typographic shit
- ********0
ok heres another theory....
what if this isnt the work of a fed, what if (?!?) its the work of a really lazy grafitti artist that likes to cross people out... (?)