Julia Butterfly Hill -- the Original Tree-Hugger.
Posted on 05/24/2006 5:16:31 AM PDT by decimon
LOS ANGELES - Folk singer Joan Baez and tree-sitter Julia "Butterfly" Hill have taken up residence in a tree to raise awareness about a 14-acre urban farm threatened with demolition.
Hill, who lived in a redwood in Northern California for more than two years to prevent loggers from cutting it down, said Tuesday that she, Baez and others will occupy the tree in shifts.
Two door-sized platforms have been placed in the tree for the sitters, and a support group has set up an encampment on the ground.
Hundreds of farmers could face evictions after The Trust for Public Land came up $10 million short in its bid to buy the site. The nonprofit group was not able to raise the $16.35 million required by the time the purchase option expired Monday.
The trust signed a contract in April with landowner Ralph Horowitz to buy 10 of the 14 acres in south Los Angeles where about 350 families, most of them working-class immigrants from Central America, tend small plots of fruits and vegetables.
Hill said she was protesting now because Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pledged support for the farmers but has not come through yet.
Villaraigosa's spokesman did not immediately return a message left after business hours Tuesday.
Deputy Mayor Larry Frank has said the city was trying to help the farmers move to other sites, including an 8-acre plot which can accommodate 200 of them.
Tree huggers get on my last nerve. Having said that, there is hardly any open land left in the Los Angeles Area that hasn't been seized. I wonder how many crapola homes a developer can "build"(throw together using illegal workers)on 14 acres? Joan better be strapped in tight. Falling out of a tree at her age would be mighty dangerous.
I'm sure desperate homeowners will snap them up, unlike the new housing tracks here in the desert. Those will eventually turn into Section 8/HUD homes. Mind you, these ghetto palaces don't even have enough backyard to put up a clothesline, a swingset, bbq pit, or lol...an above ground pool. Nada!
Mmm, morning everyone : )
>>LOS ANGELES - Folk singer Joan Baez and tree-sitter Julia "Butterfly" Hill have taken up residence in a tree to raise awareness about a 14-acre urban farm threatened with demolition.
....
Hundreds of farmers could face evictions after The Trust for Public Land came up $10 million short in its bid to buy the site. <<
There are hundreds of farmers living on a 14 acre farm? They must be very small farmers - midgets, maybe.
Anyone wants to use my chainsaw..........I'll furnish the gas!
"Hundreds of farmers" on a "14-acre farm"?
Let's get real ... they've got 10'x10' garden plots, right?
Julia Butterfly Hill -- the Original Tree-Hugger.
Forget the chainsaw - it is much more impressive to get it to fall where you want it by drilling a hole and putting in a stick of dynamite.
LOL! Super! I'll be sure and remember that in case I ever run out of things to worry about. 
This land is worth more than 1 million per acre. Wow.
Not to mention that your way would be more fun to watch.
That is one huge hand!
Aren't they special!
Phony Joanie again.
The dank ambrosia of unkempt armpits...
Or to put it another way.
If all of the actors/actesses used 1/10 of what they spend on their jewelry at their annual butt-kissing festival (academy awards) , they could've taken care of it.
If Al Gore only used a fraction of what he will make off of his new movie or what he has made off of his Google stock, it would've been taken care of permanently.
Or if George Soros only used a small portion of what he spends trying to buy elections for Democrats , there wouldn't be a problem.
These people aren't problem solvers. Just attention whores.
There's no fool like an old fool.
These aren't birdbrains. These are the new Marxists who believe that all property is owned by "the people" (the Leftist people that is). And that even if they can't own the property, they can control it to effect their political agenda.
These folks are on the same branch as the churches who host Tent Cities in the back yards of suburban families. It's all about controlling property and forcing a Leftist agenda.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.