2011-03-31 "Mare Island denied National Park Status and rightly so trashed and contaminated by Lennar" by Francisco Da Costa
[http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/03/31/18676016.php]
Mare Island did have a Naval History and it did play a major role in the Shipbuilding during World War II. Mare Island is also very contaminated and prone to flooding and liquefaction. When Congressperson, George Miller - naively thought he might try passing is as an designation as a National Park - much like say; the Presidio of San Francisco - he was totally mistaken. Mare Island is contaminated and a total mess. Lennar, a Rogue Developer was given a chance and promised Vallejo City - under whose jurisdiction Mare Island comes to develop Mare Island. Complete with building 10,000 homes and a through clean up. Ten years later in 2009 - nothing came of the promise. Lennar declared BANKRUPTCY and a year later so did VALLEJO. Vallejo was anxiously waiting for the tax increment money - from the proposed 10,000 homes and nothing - happened. Much the same as will happen at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. - LENNAR is DEAD at the Shipyard - but, still trying to pull a fast one.
Our City and County of San Francisco has not learned much from mistakes - and continues to play with fire. Case in point trying to salvage and help LENNAR who is deeply entrenched at Treasure Island and Hunters Point Naval Shipyard - and who is destined to fiscally ruin San Francisco - if we UNITED do not severe our relations with LENNAR and bury this monster after severing its head - this City will endure the same as did Vallejo - from the repercussions linked to Mare Island.
LENNAR is a Rogue Developer that thought it would take us San Franciscans for a ride. This will NOT happen on my watch.
I have watched this monster since 1998 when it incorporated as an Limited Liability Corporation. It changed it LLC status three times - and in now incorporated in Delaware and is a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). In 1998 with the blessing of Willie L Brown Jr. and some dubious folks all Blacks, sell outs were put on Lennar's "thug pay roll". I remember Roy Wills and I do remember very well - Willie L.Brown Jr. who invited Lennar to California and gave them opportunities on a platter. Starting with the Golf Course in Sacramento in the early 1995.
Well, in this case that this article addresses - Lennar was involved with Mare Island. Mare Island affected VALLEJO the City under whose jurisdiction Mare Island come. Lennar promised VALLEJO millions in tax increment money but nothing came ten years later. Today VALLEJO a City that is bankruptcy, is also in a mess, and where Health and Safety issues are minimum and the constituents of Mare Island and Vallejo - desperate.
It all boils down to good judgement. Never, ever trust Lennar and today more and more folks have come to a conclusion that LENNAR is very bad news.
Some of us said it a long time - look at Mare Island. Some of ventured as Stop Lennar Action Movement (SLAM) to speak to the Vallejo Council and we did well. We openly called Lennar a Rogue Developer then and we call it openly a Rogue Developer - now.
There will be no MOVEMENT at Treasure Island and Hunters Point Naval Shipyard - not with the DEMISE of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and rightly so. The pimps and whores that made their abode at this agency - have come to realize that for too many years - these evil people - adversely impacted innocent people - while placating Big Developers who are going no where. Not with today Economy and the unstable state of the U.S. Dollar. Time will tell.
The former Mayor of San Francisco -Gavin Newsom aka Mr. Dipstick was involved with Lennar and with the various fake promises made at Treasure Island and Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. " No good will happen at both of these locations".
Congressperson, George Miller tried one more time not to moth ball Mare Island and leave it sore for all the world to see. However, in trying to declare Mare Island as a National Park is a JOKE.
Mare Island is not Port Chicago - where over 400 Blacks lost their lives and more were injured and traumatized for life. The Blacks were mandated by the U.S. to hurry up and load cases and more cases of dynamite on Ships that who go out to Sea - as part of the World War II operations. The did this manually - something today's Black do not know and few really remember Port Chicago.
When that explosion took place - Oakland for sure heard it but we heard it in San Francisco. Few want to talk about such incidents - because racism was rampant and discrimination against people of color practiced openly.
One fateful day - some mishap dynamited most of what is called Port Chicago today - uprooting the Piers and shattering debris all over the place. Blacks lost their lives and the U.S. authority that be - caring less about the Blacks and their lives - forced those that were traumatized and alive, to to back to work. The Blacks refused - were court marshaled and jailed - treated bad and only recently President Bill Clinton - formally acknowledged the grave mistake made, apologized vaguely, and made good to forgive a few of the Blacks still alive - by honoring them for their service and brave deeds.
However, the U.S. Government has yet to apologize for the "dirty deed" of using Blacks to work like slaves - and putting them in harms way.
Forcing the the hard working, innocent Blacks in the name of serving their Nation - to meet quotas and hurrying them up in despicable conditions to load dynamite and carry out other dangerous operations - without first putting SAFETY - first. The U.S. Navy has learned some but even today - nothing much has changed. Study the word "jettison" and learn more about nefarious activities linked to the U.S. Navy.
Today's news about Mare Island is something some of us knew for some time.
The National Park Service knows much about Lennar and more about contamination.
Clean up cost money - millions of dollars - even though some think the Presidio of San Francisco is clean - it cost over $400 million to do some basic clean up. Yet, today there are contaminated batteries - large underground salvos or bunkers where linked to one Battery; the size of three football fields - atomic experiments were conducted - some of us remember the NIKE missiles.
In a another at the Presidio of San Francisco; which has a National Park Service designation for all practical purposes - a Battery large and the size of four football fields - where "germ warfare experiments " were carried out. Few know about the exact locations - but, for the curious trying researching Battery Caufield and Battery Wagner.
These sites are underground and all sealed - but still very dangerous and in a National Park Service that defies - logic.
Mare Island has been disgraced by Lennar - the contamination wide spread and surrounded by leaking old ships and other contamination linked to the World War II operations; that only recently are been salvaged and addressed by clean up and recycling of the material gathered.
Mare Island is a Light House shinning to the world - a light pointing to Lennar and saying - watch out for this monster, this Rogue Developer, this scumbag of scumbags - that has destroyed the lives of many.
Do not trust Lennar in any form or shape: [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/31/BA4T1IMQI5.DTL]
Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy
http://www.hunterspointnavalshipyard.com