In the News
Follow the Ricochets: Who are Those Campaign Ads Really Intended For?
Which makes it odd that when Becerra’s supporters bought TV time to air a campaign commercial for him, they chose the most Trump-boosting network around: Fox News.
The ad spends 15 seconds describing Becerra in ways that likely repel the…
Election vs. Appointment: The Shocking Cost To Taxpayers for an LACCD Election
THE GREENAWAY WAY--On May 3, 2018, a communication was released from Los Angeles Community College District regarding the “Option to fill B…
Is Antonio Villaraigosa Really the Candidate for the People?
MY TURN-According to federal data, California is the fifth largest economy in the world ahead of the United Kingdom and therefore, the fisc…
You, Too, Can Be Austin Beutner (No Prior Experience Necessary)
CONNECTING CALIFORNIA-No Californian inspires me more than Austin Beutner. Haven’t heard of this Los Angeles investment banker? Your loss…
Why We Should All be Concerned about the Attempt to Buy the District Attorney's Office
KEEPING THE ELECTIONS FAIR-We have highlighted in previous blogs the attempt to bypass the legislative and initiative process through the i…
The Real Reason NFL Owners Want to Punish Players for Protesting During the Anthem
SPORTS POLITICS--In what has to rank among the worst ideas in the history of the National Football League—alongside decisions to cover up c…
Permitting LA’s Cannabis Dispensaries Moving at a Crawl … Responsible Departments Out of Sync
THE CITY HALL STALL-As of this writing, the City of Los Angeles still has only issued 147 permits for pre-prop D marijuana dispensaries. Th…
Oh, Yeah ... We've Got Those $tate Propo$ition$ to Vote For, Huh?
ALPERN AT LARGE--For those of us not too busy with our families, jobs, hobbies, Trump-hating, Trump-loving, Stormy Daniels, obsessions with…
More Mischief at CalPERS: A Staff Takeover of the Board?
EASTSIDER-There are really only two types of public sector Boards.
Los Angeles Desperately Needs a Design Makeover
PLATKIN ON PLANNING-Despite a few charming corridors, like Los Feliz, Larchmont Village, and Abbot Kinney Boulevard, most of Los Angeles is…
Is There No ‘Redline’ on Crazy? Now the Trump Administration Supports Mass Killing of Birds
GELFAND’S WORLD--This is the hundredth anniversary of something called the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Have Hope: All That Trump Has Done Can be Undone
POLITICS--As a liberal Democrat, I join all that wake up each day to see and hear the horrors that Trump and the GOP have accomplished.
CA Service Sector, Hertzberg’s Latest Tax Reform Pinata
PERSPECTIVE-Give the senator credit. He keeps trying to peddle his “tax modernization” bill, altering subsequent versions to deal with the…
Message Received: Time’s Up! Enough of the Lies and Abuse on Venice Boulevard!
ALPERN AT LARGE--A year has passed, and after the one-year anniversary (May 20, 2018) of a sneakily-implemented and harshly-imposed Venice…
When Voting for Judges, Don’t Expect the Crooks to Reform Themselves!
CORRUPTION WATCH-Once again we are faced with a conundrum: and we’re all responsible for it, though at the same time, none of us is. I spea…
The Fate of the Homeless is in the Short-Handed Hands of LA Homeless Authority
GUEST COMMENTARY--Los Angeles Homeless Authority (LAHSA) is in immediate need of change to improve outcomes, produce transparency, and to a…
The ‘Fairfax Mile’ - Home of Solid Gold Mega Developments, and a Few Big Questions
DEEGAN ON LA-The “Fairfax Mile” building boom of mega developments continues, from Fairfax and Wilshire north to Fairfax and Beverly, inclu…
The Density Debate: Why Sacramento Lawmakers Need to Listen to Homeowners!
TO MEMBERS OF THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE-It is time for you to come down from your ivory tower in Sacramento and speak directly to the peop…
New California Law Makes It Harder for ICE to Arrest Immigrants from Courthouses
PACIFIC STANDARD-In another move to cement California's status as a "sanctuary state," Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Thursday that…
