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George Lucas' plans to build a studio upset a homeowners association, so now he's building low-income housing instead
By Sean MorrowMay 15th, 2012, 12:45 pmComments (11)
Homeowner's Associations are the worst. I know this because I grew up in the suburbs, and it's my understanding that their belief is that if their neighbor's grass isn't the same length and breed as theirs, their community is on its way to becoming South Central L.A.
George Lucas understands this too. The Lucas Valley Homeowners Association (no relation) didn't want Lucas to build a film studio on the plot he owned, so now Lucas is planning to use the property to build low-income housing. This is awesome revenge on Lucas' part because everyone knows that (generally) the kind of people that comprise Homeowner's Associations hate the poors. Also, some deserving people will get new homes, I guess.
Lucas wanted to build a "263,701-square-foot digital technology production complex" on property he owned, but the Homeowner's Association "considered the historic Lucas-owned farmland their back yards." The property is owned by Lucas, and it's not like the Association has some enlightened Native American-esque view that property doesn't exist; they just want everything to be their property.
Low-income housing is scarce in the area: the neighborhood has some of the highest-priced land in the Bay Area. Neighbors claim the move to build low-income housing is not a move of compassion, but rather just a way to flip them off through property-value reduction. Neighborhood whiners have also whined that you can't have low-income housing in such an "environmentally sensitive location," because apparently poor people are bad for the environment.
The Homeowner's Association needs to realize that while George Lucas has made some shitty movies lately, at least he's trying to make art. All they're doing is continuing their quest to dominate their neat little Stormtrooper lawns, forever attempting to improve their lives rather than just living them. I'd suggest they pull the Range Rover to the side of the road, put down the Blackberry, turn off the Taylor Swift, and search their feelings. They know this to be true.
Also, don't fuck with George Lucas. How did they think that would turn out well? The man has more money than God.
Commentarium (11 Comments)
Grasses don't have breeds. They have species.
I'm getting really tired of all the specious arguments on this site.
What Perigree posted is not an argument. There's an easy way to avoid "getting really tired:" Stop reading.
When Lucas and ILM get through with them, they'll be singing, dancing, wrecking your lawnmower, and breeding. Into breeds.
That's Marin County for ya.
Not racist.
PS @MP: Ha!
This is the first thing in ages from George Lucas that I can applaud. Well played, sir!
People needing low-income housing are not primarily racial minorities. The author made a racist statement while attempting to paint others as racist. Amazing.
What's your source on this? One reference I checked said that 30% of people below the poverty line are Hispanic, 22% are black, and 6% are "other nonwhites". Even if you account for overlap between Hispanic and those other categories, that's still likely to be over 50% -- and, more to the point, very disproportionate compared to the overall ethnic distribution of the US.
(Also, don't you think you're being a bit silly? There's plenty of research showing that opposition to low-income housing is heavily based on race.)
Sorry, a correction: that statistic was for families with incomes under 200% of the poverty line.
Argh! So frustrating not to be able to "REPLY" from iOS! Just wanted to give @Foul! a right-on.