I fail to see how this is racist (unless you're leaving something out) - Please specify?

I personally think McDonalds has lead to the downfall of society (in a round about way) and would vote on a bill to either close it down, or at least form legislation as to how they can make their food healthier and take tactics along the lines of the tobacco industry where you can't appeal to small children with toys and candies.

I just fail to see how this is racist. I digress with the idea that banning convenient stores is the answer. If this article is about obesity, the government should be forming better education to teach the youth how to eat properly.

I think it's a moral obligation for city council to encourage healthier food choices in areas that have been deprived of them.

Bumbling? I say it's a step in the right direction!

Honestly, you should try actually living in South LA and see how hard it is to make healthy food choices before you start criticizing this move.

I know Garcetti is my district; isn't South LA Jan Perry's district? First, I wonder how Jan specifically feels about the issue as well as her contituents. And secondly, Jill, what district are you in? I'm also confused about the "racist" accusation and, even though I agree with the majority of your article, I think this is the tenth one in the last few days that lets us all know that the sky is falling. Not complaining, just saying...

GREA JOB JILL!!! You hit it right where the truth is. Ok, maybe if Jan Perry was in better shape physically it would make sense to try and help her district by bringing in top notch grocery stores. But this is as communistic as you can get. Who is she and city council to start making decisions where stores ought to be if there're not selling drugs like the over 800 marijuana shops city council have allowed in the city. Jill is pointing out all that is wrong with this city and it starts in city hall. BRAVO

To hell with South Central if they don't have the balls to stand up for themselves. South Central is represented in the City Council too. Where do you live, Jill? I resist the temptation to complain about sick bikini bars in Huntington Beach, or the filthy horse-property neighborhoods dotted around LA, because I don't live there.

Should the people in South Central care any more about how Jill Stewart regards them than how the City Council regards them?

Response from News Editor Jill Stewart:

Thanks very much for your questions Jon, Raphael and Matt.

The reason I call the Los Angeles City Council "racist" is that they would never attempt to pull this in junk-food/convenience store-riddled Hollywood, junk-food/convenience store-riddled SF Valley, or the junk-food/convenience store-riddled Eastside. In other words, they will never try to force such rules on the areas of town not heavily settled with black residents that are also heavily settled with junk food outlets and convenience stores.

As long as a black council member says it's okay, the mostly Latino and white 15-member City Council immediately believes it is perfectly acceptable to tell tens of thousands of black residents how to live and what kinds of shops to have.

I thought the topper came a few months back when somebody on the City Council announced that El Pollo Loco is junk food (But here's the key: it's only junk food in South LA. In the rest of L.A., El Pollo Loco is healthy, terrific roasted chicken. How sickeningly patronizing toward South L.A.)

I find the whole thing sick. South L.A. business leaders ought to find their spines and come up with a plan for bringing veggie shops to South L.A. before the City Council bans convenience stores. Otherwise, the City Council will be encouraged by their latest "success" and probably next find a way to ban stores in South L.A. that sell too much cooking oil, too many incandescent light bulbs, and other stuff the City Council thinks is bad for us.

-- Jill Stewart, News Editor

Is it weird if I respond?

First, let me just say that I agree with your stance on the ban; in my opinion it's a foolish idea and probably (hopefully) won't go anywhere. I would be curious what the people of the district would say, but still, regardless of the neighborhood, I think it's lacking in forethought.

I think what bothered me most about the article (and when I say bothered, I mean it in the most mild sense) is that it looks like you're trying to use the fact that water mains are breaking and the council is over-staffed and over-paid to prove that the ban is a bad idea. That's totally peripheral.

Lastly, I still can't get behind the racist idea. "As long as a black council member says it's okay, the mostly Latino and white 15-member City Council immediately believes it is perfectly acceptable to tell tens of thousands of black residents how to live and what kinds of shops to have." I think you'd be hard pressed to show evidence of that stipulation being any kind of requirement for the council's motions. And, technically, the city council DOES tell us (all of us) "how to live and what kinds of shops to have" through zoning codes (which is the planning dept., but also requires city council approval), restaurant and food service permits, and liquor licenses.

I'm not saying they are not being racist; I'm just saying I'm not convinced of it yet.

I hope this doesn't look too much like a rant because I really do love reading this blog and ALL the writers' posts. I'm just kinda making an opinion of some kind.

LA Weekly swallows an alarmist industry screed and blows itself out of proportion like a frightened pufferfish apparently without bothering to check or report the facts.

The South L.A. Community Plan Update draft would not permit new small markets to open within a half mile of each other unless they sell fresh fruit and produce. It's designed to encourage greater availability of alternatives to nutritionally-bankrupt snacks. Want to open a new Quick-E-Mart close to a bodega? Stock some apples and carrots. Is this a ban on convenience stores as Stewart claims? Not exactly.

The plan is also far from imminent or a done deal facing months of review by the City Planning Commission and Planning and Land Use Management Committee. None of Stewart's "racist" council members have yet to consider the issue except for the African-American member from the 9th District, South L.A.

According to a Rand Corporation study published last week, adults in South Los Angeles "consume significantly more calories from sugary or salty snacks and soft drinks compared with residents of wealthier neighborhoods" while the concentration of small food stores is triple those found in West LA. Why? Many South LA residents rely on convenience stores because they are within walking distance -- not the case in those higher-income neighborhoods Stewart cites while slapping down the race card.

Need a villain, Jill? Try those Big Grocery moguls who underserve low-income communities and reneged on promises to build after the L.A. Riots.

Still, seems anything can trigger the combustible tirades LA Weekly laces throughout its muni stories these days, regardless of whether Ms. Stewart's stock howls are germane.

LA Weekly seems to have obliterated the line between insightful investigative probing and talkshow screaming. Next time, Jill, do your homework. Baby, I'm bored.

"Is the Los Angeles City Council the stupidest political body currently active in Southern California?"

Yes, but why stop there? I would replace "Southern California" with "the history of mankind." Seriously, can anyone identify any governmental entity ever that is so consistently stupid?

We're Number One! That's SO L.A.

It is a bad idea to ban them or almost any legitimate business. Love them or hate them, concenience stores are a better option than a vacant plot or abandoned property. That said, I wish convenience stores would follow the model of the ones you see in almost any neighborhood in New York -a selection of light groceries,fresh fruit and veggies in addition to the chips, wine and beer. It is an excellent concept for any area with deficient transportation.

If we wait for Ralphs to fill the void, people will starve to death.

PS- I cover the non juicy budget fiasco in my blog.

As person who has no love for some of the city council members and actually lives in South Los Angeles, if the ordinance requires convenience stores to carry QUALITY produce if they want to open up within 0.5-mile of another, I'm totally for it.

It's really not possible to describe the reprehensible separate and unequal treatment our community gets from every chain that exists, including 7-11, Albertson, Ralphs and even Trader Joes (who refuses to come to our community).

We really need to be about creating our own grocery stores and launching a very public boycott of these other ones.