LA Joins County in VA Property Litigation

As a veteran of the Vietnam-era, I am outraged that the federal government would attempt to sell land that is dedicated to veterans. There is no excess land available for development, just underutilized land in need of more services for veterans.

The City Council unanimously voted today to join the County of Los Angeles in filing litigation against the federal government to stop them from selling off chunks of the VA property in Brentwood. I brought this motion forward with my colleague Jack Weiss because we need to hold the Army accountable. They have tried to rush this sale through with no scrutiny and no public input. They have violated their own rules in the process and have shown a lack of respect to local governments, to the local residents and, most tragically, to the veterans that the property was intended to serve.

This lawsuit is about respect. It is about the federal government respecting local governments and their land use decisions. It is about the federal government respecting their own rules. It is about the federal government respecting the intent of those who donated this piece of property for the benefit of old soldiers. Finally, it is about the federal government having respect for our veterans, who have given so much to us all. We have a sacred duty to honor their sacrifices and protect this property for them.

-Bill