VOICES

VOICES--In a May 11, 2018 letter, LAUSD officials are urging the City to approve a developer’s 73-foot tall apartment building in exchange for a half-million-dollar donation – even though the City admits that the project will emit toxic chemicals right next to a kindergarten playground.

VOICES--Mayors, City Councilmembers, City Clerk’s and City Treasurer’s are required to submit annual statements of economic interest to the Fair Political Practices Commission commonly known as the FPPC.  The forms are due by April 1st and are signed under penalty of perjury.  After reviewing the form 700s for all members of the Inglewood city council, we found that Mayor James Butts omitted his investment interest in a home located at 8808 S. 5th Ave. and like other investors, he is making money flipping homes in the city of Inglewood.

VOICES--By a 13-0 vote the Los Angeles City Council has voted to oppose SB 827.

VOICES--The LA River needs YOU! Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) is organizing its 29th Annual La Gran Limpieza / Great RIver CleanUp. Now less than a month away from kicking off three weekends of River CleanUp in celebration of Earth Month. This CleanUp is the Largest Urban River CleanUp in the nation’s history - and it relies on the participation of Angelenos like you to take hands-on action in support of River restoration. 

VOICES -- Yesterday, 30 housing activists and hotel workers protested in front of 779 Stradella Dr., a notorious party house branded as a “sober living residence” and tied to Paul Manafort.

VOICES--In 2015 an Exide Technologies plant in Vernon, Calif. that melted down car batteries for their lead was closed to avoid federal criminal prosecution for polluting nearby communities. 

VOICES—To Board of Neighborhood Commissioners--My name is Laura Velkei, I serve on the HCNC as the 3^rd VP, Chair of Land Use and Bylaws Committees, and handle communications for our Board. 

VOICES--My name is Susan Hunter and I’m the caseworker with the Hollywood Local of the Los Angeles Tenants Union. You may know me better as the evil scheming blackmailer who is trying to harm your victim client for tons of money. At least that is what you called me in your latest press release. 

VOICES--Refugio Rodriguez continues to “represent” the stakeholders of LAUSD Zone 5… six months after allegations of felony charges for perjury and conspiracy. He was also charged with 25 mysterious money-laundering misdemeanors that flummox elections ethicists since there is no limit on self-financing one’s own campaign, completely obviating any need for Rodriguez to have illegally paid his staff to donate to it. Further, it has recently come to light that these crimes may be the tip of the iceberg. And regulators further afield from LAUSD are noticing Rodriguez’ charter chain too. 

VOICES--The trendy storyline in criminal justice is to blame the prosecutor, blame the police, blame the laws and blame society. Never mind the wake of destruction violent criminals leave on the community, especially economically vulnerable neighborhoods. Never mind the approximately 17,000 Americans murdered in 2016. Never mind those people. Let's now focus on the injustice of putting away rapists, gang members and murderers. 

VOICES--Stop. Just for a second. I know it’s hard. The news comes at us so fast these days. Stories that, during relatively normal times, would consume us for weeks shoot across our consciousness and then disappear in a flash; like fireworks the next story explodes across our screens while the last one dissipates from our view, and vanishes from our thoughts.

VOICES--Today the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality — a terrible step for the future of a free and open internet and for our democracy. In January when the State Legislature reconvenes, I will introduce legislation to require net neutrality in California.