History and this story make the best argument for why Federal Law Enforcement has no business at the local level. A–tale-of-two-conferences illustrates nothing has changed. In 1988 President Reagan announced his war on drugs. One program that he trotted out was “Weed and Seed”. The premise of Weed and Seed was that there were areas of communities that were so bad that no transformation could take place until a neighborhood was cleaned up and the destructive elements were displaced. Weed and Seed was a two part program.
Part one was Weed. Law Enforcement along with planning and zoning, the fire department, and building inspections would target an area. Police would target drug operations, clear out drug houses, remove junked vehicles and address quality of life issues. City services would partner with police to identify substandard housing. Building inspectors would accompany police and fire to issue citations for code violations. The City attorney would identify landlords and initiate legal proceedings. Properties in violation that were not mitigated would be seized and once forfeited the National Guard was available to knock down condemned buildings and clear up lots. The theory was and still is to remove opportunities for criminal behavior, chase off the offenders and the good people in the neighborhood would stop hiding and take their neighborhood back. Neighborhoods with a healthy street life are more safe that neighborhoods without it. Don’t believe me check out “Little Italy in New York.”
The problem with “Weed” is that involves confrontation. Law enforcement had to challenge criminals for every street corner. The city had to challenge landlords to clean up their properties and maintain them up to the building code. This cost landlords money, money that was otherwise available for bribes and gifts to politicians. Building inspectors and city attorneys found themselves involved in litigation, more than they would like. Even tearing down buildings caused confrontation when in the eleventh hour the historic preservation commission decided that a pile of rubble was historically significant because a minor figure from history may or may not have taken a dump there eighty years ago.
So the transition was quickly made to “seed”. Vacant lots seized for taxes or demolition fees were sold to developers at a discount so affordable substandard housing could be built at an obscene profit. City Councilman coopted space for themselves or pet projects, “to give back to the community.” Who do you think you are questioning whether performance art space for obese, left handed, red headed lesbians, who are related to a City Councilman, isn’t the best use for the community?
On San Antonio’s east side a notorious convenience store noted as a open air drug supermarket was seized by the Feds and forfeited to the City. The City turned it into a recreation center with outdoor basketball courts. It didn’t matter that there were basketball courts across the street in a public housing development or basketball courts at a school a block away or a full service recreation center in a park a mile away. The east side got more basketball courts. It meant that customers no longer had easy drive up service. On the other hand the dealers could play or bet on a little b-ball while waiting for their next customer.
Power Line would be right to note that these two conferences are diametrically opposed to one another, if this was a bug. However it is not a bug, but a feature. Taken together it shows the denizens of that neighborhood why change is so difficult to come by. It demonstrates that why they should be content with what they get. If the conference organizers are slick enough the audience will never realize that the same hand holds both the carrot and the stick.