Greetings,
I am David Lozano. Let me start by saying I have been a Federal attorney and CEO of my firm here in Los Angeles for over 30 years, representing all types of financial matters and complex business issues. Prior to that I was a Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff for many years in the streets of Watts in South Central LA, and in between that time I worked all over the world as an international relations representative in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Australia, Greece, Mexico and Fiji to name a few.
In 2020 I ran for Congress in the 25th Congressional District, the recall election for California Governor in 2021, and in this current 2022 race for Governor, even though I received over 66,000 primary votes, it was not enough to take the second position in the November election.
I am here today as a legal representative of Exodus II, but more importantly, to convey to you, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness two things.
First: There is an entire legal team standing by to assist your office – not just to defend, protect and promulgate your courageous actions taken here today, and the actions of this Exodus Committee, but those of “the people” who have been disparaged from legally acquiring property – land – that has been withheld from them – that they were entitled to – from the original laws that all of us so deeply believe in and placed into law over a century ago (I am speaking of the 14th Amendment – “No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property – including former enslaved people – and guaranteed all citizens equal protection of the laws”).
But as we now know, as soon as the 14th Amendment was passed, Jim Crow laws went into effect and would continue until the mid-1960s. And even though slavery, by definition, had been eradicated, segregation had begun in America – and people of color were once again – second class citizens. And at the top of this list, was their inability to acquire land, which meant their inability to acquire a home, a secure family structure, a strong educational foundation, and the beginning of systemic racism – in other words . . . the beginning of homelessness.
Second: As an attorney – my greatest ability and skill is to advise. I therefore advise your team, this administration, the President – to look carefully at the individuals that make up this Exodus II committee. This is not just some random team of concerned citizens. These people are the most highly skilled experts in their field, gathered from around the country.
Aside from their educational background, and decades of practical “hands on” work, their scholarly knowledge reflected in the various books they have written to notate their findings and reflections they’ve uncovered, these people are gathered together as a team to resolve what no one else in this country can do – solve homelessness. They possess the knowledge, skill, ability, drive, experience, background, and unquestionable dedication to see a project of this magnitude reach its goal.
The President does not just have an “A” Team – he has a “Triple A, 5-Star team of professionals, unmatched, with the experience of knowing all aspects of homelessness. As such, I respectfully advise you to notify the President to invite this team to Washington and schedule a five-day, face-to-face meeting so that they can explain step-by-step exactly how they will implement their plan to resolve homelessness by the start of the 2028 Olympics here in Los Angeles.