Comments on: From The Archives: Staples Center: Who, What And Where, Past, Present And Future

By: Gann Matsuda

Gann Matsuda — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:11:44 +0000

FYI: Here are a couple of links with information about the Living Wage ordiinance in the City of Los Angeles, which, from what I recall, AEG agreed to abide by for its Staples Center workers. City of Los Angeles Living Wage Ordinance Los Angeles Living Age Study There are many more links...these are just a couple that stood out in a VERY quick look at what Google found.

By: Gann Matsuda

Gann Matsuda — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:37:26 +0000

Brian…when I wrote this story years ago, I thought about the whole Dodger Stadium/Chavez Ravine/Elysian Park issue. But the story was long enough. Adding that would’ve turned it into a small novel.

By: cristobal

cristobal — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:26:19 +0000

I’m sure the “living wage” is more BS.

They probably consider $12/hour a living wage, and they probably don’t recognize that, even if you make that much per hour, a soda fountain attendant works what, 4 hours?

Staples, Inc. was created with the implicit goal of replacing small, local businesses.

These people should be in prison, not running our country’s economy via cheap imports and market gentrification.
They’re destroying our country. They have no concern for individual lives.

Anschutz is a Christian. I guess he’s never heard that passage about a rich man getting into heaven. I’ll remind him and quote it,

“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).

Of course, the rich don’t have to live by the rules they expect everyone else to live by. It’s called HYPOCRISY.

“Religion is the opium of the masses, the blind will follow like sheep.”

By: Brian Kennedy

Brian Kennedy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:12:24 +0000

Great work, and a reminder of the story of Chavez Ravine, where a lot of people were displaced for Dodger Stadium.

I always find it ironic driving through the garment district at 6:30 going to watch millionaires play that at the same time, people are setting up tents for the night. Maybe, some of them are the same people Gann is talking about in this story.

By: Gann Matsuda

Gann Matsuda — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:30:08 +0000

To be fair, my understanding is that Staples Center employees are paid what is referred to as a “living wage.” If memory serves, this was a condition AEG agreed to as part of the City’s approval for construction of Staples Center.

The living wage is higher than the minimum wage.

I do not know the details on wages earned by those working at AEG-owned businesses at LA Live, such as the Nokia Theatre.

By: cristobal

cristobal — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:06:55 +0000

America loves to displace small business with Corporate providers. Usually it brings them the lower costs, but with Staples center and the surrounding areas downtown got a tourist-type economy where a Corporation can price-gouge once you enter it’s domain.

Formerly, the Kings were backed by the Sponsor Great Western Bank – a local business that recycled money into its own community.

With Staples Inc., we get a global corporate power that trades in cheap foreign goods, minimum wage employees, and the destruction of mom-and-pop self-owned businesses.

I’m looking forward to a brighter tomorrow where human beings are irrelevant and corporate welfare finally gets to come out of the closet. I wonder how many Staples employees can afford to pay rent on what they make?

Cheers.

http://worldhockeydaily.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/great-western-forum-vs-staples-center/