The Antelope Valley Times

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Palmdale settles Section 8 discrimination lawsuit

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PALMDALE – The City of Palmdale has reached a settlement agreement in the lawsuit brought forward by the NAACP and The Community Action League, which claims Black and Latino families using Section 8 housing vouchers in Lancaster and Palmdale were victims of constant, unbearable harassment at the hands of housing authority investigators, sheriff’s deputies and local politicians.

“While the City Council continues to believe that this is a frivolous lawsuit and that the City of Palmdale has acted at all times in a lawful manner, it also understands that in certain cases, like this, discretion is the better part of valor,” said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford in a written statement.  “We decided it was better to agree to the status quo than waste further taxpayer dollars to achieve the same result in a couple of years.”

The settlement agreement was approved by the Palmdale City Council Wednesday and settles the racial discrimination lawsuit filed in June 2011, according to Public Counsel, the public interest law firm representing the NAACP, TCAL and three Section 8 tenants in the lawsuit. Read the entire complaint here.

Palmdale’s settlement agreement comes a week after Los Angeles County Supervisors voted on Tuesday, Jan. 24, to institute new protocols for Section 8 program investigators and Sheriff’s Department personnel. Read details of the County’s settlement agreement here.

“The City of Palmdale never belonged in this lawsuit and I believe this settlement is indicative of that fact,” said Palmdale City Attorney Wm. Matthew Ditzhazy in a written statement.  “The City will not pay plaintiffs or their 21 attorneys a dime and the City did not agree to do anything of substance that it wasn’t already doing or that had not already been surrendered by the politically correct crowd at the County of Los Angeles.”

According to Public Counsel, the terms of Palmdale’s settlement agreement are as follows:

  • Section 8 participants in Palmdale cannot be identified. Palmdale will not seek any information as to which of its residents participate in the Section 8 program.
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  • Palmdale will not fund additional Section 8 investigators. Palmdale will stop using city funds to pay for a dedicated Section 8 investigator in Palmdale, and instead will allow the County housing authority to take full responsibility for policing Section 8 compliance in the City.
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  • The lawsuit is dismissed against Palmdale. The plaintiffs will dismiss Palmdale from the lawsuit, leaving only the City of Lancaster to face claims of racial discrimination.

“By entering into this agreement, the City of Palmdale is affirming that it welcomes people of all backgrounds and from all walks of life, including those who rely on the Section 8 program for rental assistance,” said Jennifer del Castillo, an impact litigation attorney at Public Counsel. “Nothing in this agreement stops Palmdale from enforcing its laws and protecting its residents’ health and safety.  The agreement simply says that Palmdale will treat Section 8 participants the same as everyone else.  That is the essence of fair housing and fair governance.”

“Palmdale has always condemned discrimination and continues to condemn discrimination in any form,” said Ledford in a written statement. “The City of Palmdale welcomes people from diverse backgrounds, including people who participate in the Section 8 program.”

Thursday’s settlement means the lawsuit continues against the City of Lancaster only, according to the Public Counsel.

“Lancaster’s mayor has characterized Section 8 families as being “dumped” on the city, and other officials have stated that the city’s goal is to reduce its Section 8 population by half.  This runs counter to the purpose of the Section 8 program, which is to enable the participants to live in communities of their own choosing and to encourage economic and racial integration,” reads a press release issued by Public Counsel Thursday.

Ledford speculated that Palmdale may have gotten caught up in the lawsuit due to its close proximity to the City of Lancaster.

“I believe the reason that the city of Palmdale was included in this lawsuit is because of the unfortunate misperception outside of the Antelope Valley that the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster are one and the same,” said Ledford in a statement.  “Nothing is farther from the truth… The inflammatory rhetoric advanced by the plaintiffs and the leaders in Lancaster has divided our community, inaccurately depicted our City in the national media, and undermined 20 years of effort on the part of myself and past and current Palmdale City Councils to promote and advance an inclusive community.”

“Now, more than ever, we need the real leaders of our community to step forward and help heal our City, ” Ledford added.

Palmdale’s settlement agreement takes effect immediately, according to City officials.

“The settlement agreement merely restates State and Federal law and the current policies of the City of Palmdale and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles,” said Assistant City Attorney Noel Doran. “The only difference between today and yesterday is that the City of Palmdale will no longer be in the lawsuit.”

Like the County’s proposed settlement, the City of Palmdale’s settlement must also be approved by the federal court, according to Public Counsel.

15 comments for "Palmdale settles Section 8 discrimination lawsuit"

  1. IM GLAD MAYOR PARIS ISNT BACKING DOWN ON THESE NON SENSE LAW SUITES ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME WE HAVE A MAYOR WHO HAS A BACK BONE AND NOT ONE OF THERE POLITICAL FIGURES WHO IS A PUPET LIKE LEDFORD IM A BIG REPUBLICAN BUT CANT SAND LEDFORD. LANCASTER FINALLY IS GETTING WAT IT NEEDS A SAFER COMMUNITY AND LESS CRIME AND MAYOR PARIS IS RIGHT SECTION 8 JUST BRINGS MORE CRIME AND MORE PROBLEMS WHY DO YOU THINK LOS ANGELES GOT RID OF ALL THE GANG BANGERS AND HOODLUMS AND DROVE THEM OUT HERE WELL WE DONT WANT THEM AND NOW WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO WILL STOP IT AND GET RID OF ANYONE WHO IS A NUCENSE IN THIS COMMUNITY

    • I’d make a comeback comment on this guy’s intellectual grasp of the situation, but the posting pretty well speaks for itself.

      A truly stereotypical Parris supporter, indeed. XD

      • I have learned that making light of someone’s apparent intellect (based on their literary abilities) when they are trying to make a point or state an opinion, gets you nowhere. Let “Adam” say what he wants and have his opinion. It doesn’t make you any more or less superior.

      • Stinger is a retard on most of these postings. Ignore his ignorant crap. The fact that I have had too many encounters of methed out crack head attempting to car jack my wife the first month we got a house here and were engaged at the time. My brother in law was Knifed from over his fence for telling thugs to stop harassing his dogs. I chased a thug out of my garage at 4am. NAACP making this a racial thing trying to turn Mexicans and blacks agains the whites in the community. It’s scary shit here. I hope when the LA riots began again this falls on NAACPs head for encouraging this to happen. I’m not a Paris supporter nor care for any politics. But wheather it’s him or the next or the next mayor that stops sec 8 a term that is now associated with deviant and criminal behavior due to lack of parenting, education and heavy drugs and 40s in the community wheather they are BLACK WHITE MEXICAN or ASIAN. Statistics don’t lie and statistics/math is not racist. It is the calculation of predominate crime committed by certain people in society. I hope the bird in the sky makes any criminal in the AV run back to LA and let the law abiding citizens that are only here to work have peace.

        • I love how everyone who is on section 8 is on drugs or is a criminal and is automatically from LA. Guess what people, I know lots of WHITE people who are on Section 8. Most of the meth heads in the AV are white, and not everyone on section 8 is a criminal, alcoholic, or “thug”.

          The fact is, that the city does not have the right to invade the privacy of it’s citizens who must use affordable housing. We don’t know the circumstances behind why some families can’t afford housing without assistance and we shouldn’t pass judgement on the people who have to rely on the government to maintain a roof over their heads.

          Just because they receive Section 8 doesn’t make them bad people. That’s like saying that all white republicans are racists. Are they?

  2. In Palmdale, the concerns of the people outweigh the ego of the Mayor, which allows for mutually acceptable solutions to be had. Kudos to Mayor Ledford and the Palmdale City Council for clearheadedness.

    In Lancaster, however, the ego of the would be king is more important to their mayor and city council than anything else in the entire world – that much is positively clear!

    • Sounds about right. I don’t know how mayor Ledford does it. I don’t think he’s making big bucks at the job or elsewhere, for that matter. He does seem to have an unusual commitment to Palmdale.

      During the past several recessions and hard times, he’s managed to bring in some important retail and restaurants, a new medical center despite the fight from AV Hospital, a power plant despite a fight from Parris and Lyle Talbot!!!

      He fought hard to get the Palmdale station for the High Speed Rail. I was at the Bakersfield meeting last year when he spoke passionately about the importance of the Palmdale station to the area.

      Although I’m a Democrat and Mayor Ledford is a Republican, you can’t tell he is one. I generally have little respect for most Republicans like the Runner’s, Parris, McKeon and the ones in Congress. Dear God, they’re awful. He puts the city before politics and his own self interest. I’m going to hate to see him leave the office someday in the future.

      You’ve heard the saying ‘the fish rots from the head’. Well, it works in the opposite way. I’ve talked to many people at Palmdale City Hall, the former 2 city managers, the current communications manager, council members, code enforcement and other staff. They’ve all been great with my inquiries and complaints. I suspect that Mayor Ledford’s exceptional work ethic has infected everyone at City Hall because it shows.

      • Well put, William. The way that Mayor Ledford and the Palmdale City Council runs things is proof that one does NOT have to have an evil despot for the trains to run on time.

        • Wellput as well. The stark contrast between the mayors of these 2 cities could make a movie like ‘Black Swan’ which was on HBO the other night. I watched some of it. Guess who would be the evil black swan in our movie?

          Can you imagine how Palmdale will be in 10 or 20 years if and when the High Speed Rail is built, the airport up and running, Desert XPress, High Desert Corridor, and, of course, more businesses and whatnot? I hope I’m around.

          Look at what has been accomplished during rotten economic times. Wait till the economy takes off again. LOOK OUT!

          If Macy’s and Yard House located here during the height of the recession, what will come in better times?

  3. I feel worry for the residents of Lancaster they are stuck with Mayor Parris and his endless law suits and make no mistake there are more lawsuits comming down the Pike. He is going to be re-elected for another 4 years, like it or not 4 more years of Eye in the Sky, more aggrasive sherrif dept, croonies make buckets of cash, torn up streets, turn about, etc….

    • Eyein the sky is a good thing for law abiding citizens. And a great tool to catch the thugs in my garage or cutting my brother n law or robbing my friends house. Now they can catch them red handed and take them off the streets and prevent others from committing crime. This is not spying on you Jose no one want to see your [removed] in the backyard sun bathing. Get over your self.

      • What bigger thugs than D’raccico and his his band of goons? what do you think they do? have you seen the tape of him attacking the guys they send to jail for speaking out against the Mayor of Lancaster, D’raccico also rughted up a 70 year old on the Mayor’s behalf, and talk about spending goverment money they get buckes loads of it, while they turn the citizens against each other, who is getting money for Eye in the Sky? isn’t the guy a croonie of the Mayor’s, you complain of money going to section 8 people, but if you look closer there is more money exchanging hand in the City of Lancaster between croonies that don’t even live in the AV. OPEN YOUR EYES, or maybe your are one of the guys that is getting the $1,300,000.00 for an old plane and $90,000.00 a month.