LOS ANGELES

TENANTS RIGHTS - The promising new tool in the fight to preserve affordable housing: a coalition of tenant unions. 

EDUCATION WATCH - Poverty has increased in LAUSD post-covid. And in two board districts the late Eli Broad’s plan to transfer half of LAUSD into “charter school seats” is nearly fulfilled.

LA GOVERNMENT - Does the City of LA need to update its Municipal Lobbying Ordinance (MLO)?  The Ethics Commission thinks so, and they’re proposing a number of amendments to the LA Municipal Code.

DEEGAN ON LA - Alex Gruenenfelder Smith is a big-tent, practical, Progressive running for Mayor, staking out room on the left-leaning spectrum for thoughtful reforms; preaching progress through supportable change, not by radically retooling how the city is managed. 

LA POLITICS - You can always count on Buscaino to take advantage of somebody else’s misery.

THE EASTSIDER – Just turn on the TV, or go online, it doesn’t make much difference. 

LA MAYORAL RACE - Why does Los Angeles trust Sacramento and Washington more than it trusts itself?

PLANNING WATCH - In last week’s Planning Watch column I explained why LA’s mayoral candidates are mum on the climate crisis. 

THE VIEW FROM HERE - This involves the old adage, “figures don’t lie but liars can figure.” 

ACCORDING TO LIZ - There are seven candidates vying to fill some pretty big boots in the Office of the City Controller when Ron Galperin leaves later this year. 

RantZ and RaveZ - The Los Angeles Police Departments COMPSTAT (Crime Statistics) continue to show increases in major crimes as the number of LAPD Officers shrink to lower numbers month after month.  

DEEGAN ON LA—A one and done election on June 7 will guarantee three councilmanic candidates a council seat.

THE VIEW FROM HERE - They all falsely claim that Los Angeles has a housing shortage, when in reality we have tens of thousands more vacant units than homeless people.

CHARITY - As one of the nation’s most comprehensive providers of mental health and support programs for children, youth and families living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and transgender/gender diverse youth, The Laurel Foundation is thrilled to host its inaugural international online art auction, “The Art Of _,” from May 2 to May 13, 2022. 

PLANNING WATCH -  Even though the local evidence for the climate crisis is overwhelming: a 12 month wildfire season, a megadrought, a water shortage, heat storms, and sea level rise - 

THE VIEW FROM HERE - In the 1950's game show, To Tell The Truth, three contestants tried to fool a celebrity panel as to who had done something unusual or had a strange occupation.   

LABOR WATCH - When William Dudley “Big Bill” Haywood — future secretary-treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners and thorn in the side of mine owners west of the American Rockies —

JAIL TIME - Just before I started graduate school, I was arrested and spent a night in jail.

ENTERTAINMENT WATCH - If ever there were steps of power that need storming by an angry mob, they are those of the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on Oscars Night.

RantZ and RaveZ - Mayor Garcetti implemented “Vision Zero “ in 2015 to ELIMINATE traffic deaths on Los Angeles streets by 2025. 

PLANNING WATCH - Sometimes a cure is worse than the disease, especially supply-side/trickle-down solutions to the housing crisis,