LOS ANGELES

POLITICS--If you’d have asked me before if I was ever going to run for any type of public office, my answer would have been no. I’ve spent most of my career supporting those in elected office and getting others elected.  But then a few things happened.

ALPERN AT LARGE--Caught up in the "I hate/love Trump" or "MAGA is racist/wonderful" is the fact that we each have our own individual lives, and our own individual challenges, to contend with that have little direct results from what's going on in Washington. For example, are you familiar with "GHOSTING"?

PLATKIN ON PLANNING-You don’t need to be a lobbyist for the real estate industry to realize that the entire country, especially Los Angeles, is in the midst of a housing crisis.

FURTHER--If you were hoping our lunatic village idiot miraculously grew a brain or soul for the new year: Sorry. After weeks of sulking and skulking around the White House - "I was all by myself in the White House. 

CANCELLED--If this undisguised reality series played by Hollywood rules, it would have already been canceled. The President Trump show has failed to grow its audience, and the reviews, even from the mildly sympathetic, are consistently bad. 

CORRUPTION WATCH--As 2018 closes and we step into 2019, let’s review the history of the media in not only world history but also in Los Angeles. 

BCK FILE--Charles Dickens wrote of three spirits, the “Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.”

GELFAND’S WORLD--There is a building consensus among both Democrats and Republicans that climate change is real and that something should be done about it.

CORRUPTION WATCH-When writing began in Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago, lying was not part of it. Today, one of the main uses of writing is to lie, lie, and then lie some more. 

MY TURN-Conservatives have long known that liberals and independents outnumber them to such a great percentage that the only way for them to win is to…well…cheat.

CONNECTING CALIFORNIA-Are you a Californian looking for a New Year’s resolution?

RANTZ & RAVEZ--I recently heard the streets of Los Angeles described on Channel 4 News as the “Streets of Shame.” 

FIRST PERSON-Recent medical studies have shown that "Fit Seniors Can Have Hearts That Look 30 Years Younger" than one would anticipate finding in a 70-year old. According to the study, these unexpectedly youthful seniors owe their vitality to a shared lifelong engagement with sustained vigorous exercise. 

TRANSIT TALK-The Global Climate Action Summit was held September 12-14, 2018, in San Francisco. The summit was led by Co-Chair California Governor Jerry Brown.

ALPERN AT LARGE--More likely than not, you're probably part of the problem with respect to border problems and immigration.

ORIGINAL HOUSING SIN-There's no better example of the tyranny of the ballot measure than Article 34.

CAL MATTERS--Don’t hold regular press conferences. Reward loyalty. If you’re a Californian with presidential aspirations, move to New York.

Are you taking notes, Gov-elect Gavin Newsom?

Perhaps nothing will define our future politics more than the dispensation of Latino voters. Once limited to a few states, Latino voters are now an important and growing factor in many parts of the country beyond the Southwest or New York. 

EASTSIDER-It’s not much of a secret that I have never been a fan of Councilmember Jose Huizar.

OTHER WORDS--As I reflect on the controversies that plagued the Trump administration throughout 2018, the unforeseen political power plays that shocked our nation, and the party stalemates that unfolded like a suspense thriller between Democrats and Republicans, I must admit that I’m sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the finale. 

CORRUPTION WATCH--The Black Plague wiped out 25% of people in Europe in the mid-14^th Century. That would be the same as 81 million Americans’ dying.  Since people did not understand how the plague spread from rats to humans via fleas, they had no idea how to protect themselves.