In the News
How to Tell Sh*t from Shinola
I understand the impulse to shut down white people trying to explain racism. If someone had raised a question on Facebook about whether a comment was sexist, for example, I’m pretty sure I’d sit that one out and just listen. But was the qu…
Time for the City to Pull the Curtain on Its Best Kept Secret: LA’s Neighborhood Councils
GELFAND’S WORLD--We call on the City of Los Angeles to advertise the existence of Neighborhood Councils. They are the best kept secret in t…
Why Can’t California Lawmakers Stop Sexual Harassment in the Capitol?
SUPER-MAJORITY HYPOCRISY-You know who doesn’t look so weird anymore? Vice President Mike Pence. When Pence told the Washington Post that he…
Whoa! Dockside Epiphany May Lead to Affordable Housing Solution!
DEEGAN ON LA-Hauling empty tobacco barrels around in the back of a truck as a teen who didn’t make it through high school in tiny, rural Ma…
The Public Bank Option for Los Angeles: Safer, Local and Half the Cost
GUEST WORDS--A UK study published on October 27, 2017 reported that the majority of politicians do not know where money comes from. Accordi…
LA Women Head to Downtown Streets Again … will Protest Workplace Harassment and Sexual Assault
BCK FILE--Since I last wrote about what seems to be an epidemic of sexual assault and harassment, we’ve watched numerous male actors come f…
How Greedy LA Politicos and Land Bankers Control the Game
CORRUPTION WATCH-Land Banking is a term that is new to Angelenos. The concept is simple: Wealthy people buy land rather than buy stocks or…
Maybe It's NOT a Good Idea to Turn Venice into another Wilshire Blvd
ALPERN AT LARGE--I've said this so many times I feel like a broken record: I can't stand conspiracy theories and theorists ... but I REALL…
Burglarized? LAPD Responds … If You’re a Dodger
@THE GUSS REPORT-Does the star-struck LAPD reserve its resources for celebrities rather than perform its duties evenly and for all?
Does Councilman Koretz’ Latest Proposal Legalize Animal Hoarding?
ANIMAL WATCH-Councilman Paul Koretz and his protégé, Councilman Bob Blumenfield (CD3), quietly introduced a motion on October 27 (CF 17-123…
Tax Reform Illusion
PERSPECTIVE-There is no such thing as tax reform, at least when it is framed within the same Byzantine template that has bedeviled taxpayer…
Garcetti’s Opt-Out for Governor May Have Saved Villaraigosa
CAL MATTERS-That sigh you hear is Antonio Villaraigos’s relief that Eric Garcetti won’t be running for governor next year.
PLUM Committee: Reading Between the Lines at the Latest SRO Airbnb Meeting
EASTSIDER-The much awaited PLUM Committee meeting to finalize whatever they’re going to do with the Airbnb (Short Term Rental) Ordinance ha…
What “Business as Usual” Means at City Hall and for the Residents of Los Angeles
PLATKIN ON PLANNING-It is not easy to remain “king of the hill” on a playground or even in the backrooms of City Hall. But, to hold on to…
How Can We Have a Discussion When No One is Listening?
BELL VIEW--David Brooks took another crack at The Big Picture this week in his New York Times column. According to Mr. Brooks, America suff…
Dark Money Didn’t Cause This California Problem … No One to Blame but Ourselves
GUEST COMMENTARY--Little about political contributions in California is hidden. Information is easily accessible at Cal-Access, a website r…
Auntie Maxine Calls Out LA Radio Host Handel for Calling Congresswoman Wilson a Whore
WHAT WHITE LOOKS LIKE--On Friday, October 27, Los Angeles Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters spoke out about morning drive radio host B…
LA Councilman Mike Bonin Recall, Why Bother?
CORRUPTION WATCH-Periodically some Angelenos become upset with their councilmember and want to recall him (or her). Last year people in the…
Lies, Damned Lies, Statistics ... and the Venice Blvd Reconfiguration
ALPERN AT LARGE--About 20 angry folks gave up watching the last game of the World Series Wednesday night to attend the Mar Vista Community…
South LA Mothers Shut Down Insulting Open Space Hearing
GUEST WORDS-South LA mothers halted a city hearing on open space Saturday after city planners failed to involve the black community, held i…
