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Thu, Mar

LA’s Escalating Housing Costs Rooted in Local Corruption, Wall Street Greed

REMEMBER ENRON?--Los Angeles’ escalating housing costs are not due to impartial market forces, but rather, the product of judicially sanctioned corruptionism. Hillel Aron and Jason McGahan, in their November 29, 2017 article, What Happens When Wall Street Is Your Landlord?   describe the personal pain and suffering that is increasingly befalling Angelenos. 

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Why LA Will Never Look Like NY

DEEGAN ON LA-Iconic skyscrapers, a symbol of modernism, dominate New York’s Manhattan skyline and define its signature style. This came to be called the “International Style,” one that used a formal arrangement of glass and steel -- the newest building materials that came into use mid-century -- when Manhattan experienced a post-World War II building boom. Here in Los Angeles, though, the predominant architectural signature style is Spanish stucco with red tiled roofs. 

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Trump Tax: Killer for Californians

BCK FILE--As most of the country slept the US Senate passed a tax bill that included scribbled give-aways on the margins and will pack a punch to Californians, especially vis a vis the elimination of the state and local tax deductions and change to mortgage interest deductions. (Photo above: CA Congressmember Nancy Pelosi.) 

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The Moral Obligation to Provide Sanctuary

GUEST WORDS-We are living in a state of constant and overt racism under this administration. Still reeling from the decision to rescind DACA, upending the futures of over 800,000 Dreamers, it is our obligation as a society to look toward other ways to provide sanctuary for our undocumented brothers and sisters. There are two key areas we need to focus on — creating sanctuary workplaces, and passing sanctuary policies at the statewide and city level. 

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City Talk: Deciphering the Gobbledygook

GELFAND’S WORLD--Sometimes I overreact. At least that's what various relatives have told me over the years. But on Saturday, I found that a room full of people agreed with me in being exasperated with our government representatives. The occasion was the monthly meeting of the LA Neighborhood Council Coalition (LANCC). The context was a preliminary report from the LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) and the city's planning department about an expected update to something called the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Ordinance. 

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Where is Cool Hand Luke Now That We Need Him?

GELFAND’S WORLD--He sure knew how to deal with parking meters. The irritation of the parking control system here in Los Angeles is one issue that is worth talking about in a broader context. It provides a clear example of why obvious reforms are nearly impossible to execute if we leave them to the City Council and the mayor. However, there may be a way to fix things. 

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Garrison Keillor. Seriously. Garrison Keillor

BELL VIEW-I’m confused. I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t keep up. For years, I’ve been advocating strategic thinking when it comes to elections. Hillary Clinton is better than Donald Trump – yes? Sure, she voted for the Iraq War. And sure, she was smart enough to know better. But she had a political future to think of. And – yeah – Bill Clinton had sex with an intern (an intern) when he was President of the United States – but he was so good at getting under the skin of Republicans, and, you know, winning elections. 

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Downtown LA and the Arts District Station: A No-Brainer Ignored by the Brainless 

ALPERN AT LARGE--Today's a special day for me and my family:  after years of fighting for the Expo Line, I get to see my Overland Avenue Elementary School daughter and her whole grade walk to the local station at Westwood/Exposition to access the LA Museum of Natural History.  Ironically, those who fought the line (and prevented a rail bridge by demanding an underground line) are nowhere to be found. 

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Why Do Sex Harassers Do It? To Prove They Can!

BCK FILE--I’ve written my past few columns about what seems to be a floodgate of sexual harassment victims and each week, a few more men seem to be added to the list that is already bursting at the seams. Although pundits and social media commenters try to paint this as a partisan or “Hollywood” issue, harassment occurs in every industry and town. 

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Trump and Moore vs. the Military

CORRUPTION WATCH-What exactly is the “role of government?” Answer: to provide the context within which people can live their individual lives. Our government was established back when colonialists were victimized by the abuse of power exercised by England’s King George who was mentally unstable. As educated and wealthy men, American Revolutionary leaders recognized this fact and, accordingly, espoused some basic principles: 

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