Whoa: Vincent Gallo fought City Hall and won. A year ago, the actor/Arts District resident sued to kill the Arts District Business Improvement District (which assesses a fee on business owners to pay for things like beautification and beefed-up security for the neighborhood), saying it provided "no benefit." He was later joined by a group called Rid the BID--they declared victory late last night, writing on their website that a judge had ordered the city to dissolve the BID within 75 days. RID the Bid says that the "Arts District has been taken back from a minority few whose self interests trumped those of the neighborhood" and (shoutily) assures residents that "WE CAN AND WILL DO BETTER." Though most were jubilant on Facebook, there were sour notes as residents were greeted with the harsh realities of post-BID life. It seems the BID didn't need its 75 days to wind down, and has already closed up the dog park and stopped emptying trash cans.
Congratulations, Rid the BIDders. We hope your fighting spirit carries you through the difficult transition (and good luck especially to the person on Facebook trying to convince everyone that removing trash cans is trendy and cool).
· Rid the BID [Official Site]
· Vincent Gallo Wants to Shut Down the Arts District Beautification Program [Curbed LA]
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