LOS ANGELES

GELFAND’S WORLD-It's more important for Democrats in congress to appear intransigent for a few more days than to be seen as willing to deal.

@THE GUSS REPORT-Will the chain-smoking habit of Los Angeles City Council president Herb Wesson lead to his eventual downfall?

BCK FILE--An estimated 200,000 demonstrators gathered in Pershing Square on January 19 for the 3rd Annual Women’s March.

ONE MAN’S OPINION-If the FBI were standing on the Santa Monica pier, it couldn’t find the Pacific Ocean.

DISABILITY PERSPECTIVE-Preparing for a new baby takes a lot of work and planning, and it often comes with lots of stress and a little anxiety, as well.

FIRST PERSON--While class sizes are too large at LAUSD, which is problematic to say the least, this is not the biggest factor as to what makes it impossible for teachers to be effective.

RANTZ & RAVEZ-2019 is finally here and we begin the new year with lots of emerging situations including a new Governor with an interesting political history, an expanding FBI investigation into suspected corruption at Los Angeles City Hall, a teachers’ strike at the LAUSD and lots of rain and snow and traffic collisions on LA roadways.

CORRUPTION WATCH--Before the FBI's widening corruption probe of L.A. leaders erupted, Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu tried two years ago to cripple the undue influence of developers at City Hall -- by banning campaign cash developers give to the City Council. 

ALPERN AT LARGE--The other shoe has dropped. After more than a year of Mar Vistans asking, begging, and sending motion after motion for data, open houses, the ability to address the issues, it was announced in a very private meeting with the leaders of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) and a few key CD11 staffers that the Venice Blvd. Reconfiguration is FINAL. 

EASTSIDER-If the President is going to shut down the entire government over a Wall, he faces two problems. First the wall isn’t big enough, and second, he is a provably incompetent negotiator. As for the Wuss part... 

PLATKIN ON PLANNING-Like clockwork, each week brings forth another alarming scientific study reporting that global warming and climate disruption is accelerating.

CORRUPTION WATCH-The Threat of Donald Trump: As was evident before the election, Donald Trump suffers from serious psychological impairments.

AT LENGTH-That the national broadcast media gave up prime time television minutes in exchange for a metaphoric shadow boxing match over the border wall is telling in and of itself.

ALPERN AT LARGE--Sometimes our worst fears are realized. Sometimes life imitates art (in this case, the movies).

@THE GUSS REPORT-Well that took long enough! On January 8, Southern California Congressman Ted Lieu (Photo above-right) finally announced he washed his hands of $18,500 in tainted campaign donations he received from controversial Democratic fundraiser Ed Buck. 

NEW GEOGRAPHY--The Democratic Party’s triumphal romp through suburbia was the big story of the midterms.

SAVING OUR SCHOOLS-Austin Beutner, the current Superintendent of LAUSD, was essentially appointed to his position by Eli Broad and his Billionaire Buddies who funded their charter school supporting candidates for the Board of Education.

BCK FILE--“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” --Donald J. Trump, presidential announcement speech, June 16, 2015

FIRST PERSON-I can't think of a better way of accelerating the corporate takeover and privatization of public education with corporate run charter schools than UTLA going on strike at this time.

GUEST COMMENTARY--Leaders and Board members of Los Angeles Unified School District would like the public to believe that the teachers strike is all about salary.

DEAR MR. BEUTNER--You don’t know my two children who attend LAUSD schools or me.