LOS ANGELES

PRISON POLITICS--In a reversal of a controversial rule that disproportionately sentenced mentally ill and African-American inmates to life in prison for petty crimes, California will allow all non-violent prisoners under the Three Strikes Act to seek parole.

ELECTION WATCH-According to a WalletHub survey on 2018’s Most and Least Politically Engaged States, California ranked #50 in percentage of registered voters in the 2016 presidential election. Using ten key metrics, the state ranked #24 in political engagement.

PERSPECTIVE--The unfriendly skies over the Southeast Valley got a little unfriendlier on October 18^th.

DEEGAN ON LA-Here’s an unfortunate example of “indirect democracy” coming up on California’s November 6 ballot: Proposition 7, which asks voters to approve permanent daylight saving time.

PLATKIN ON PLANNING-LA’s Council District 5 requested that a large group of its constituents – representing the neighborhood councils, resident associations, HPOZ boards, homeowner associations, and neighborhood associations impacted by and opposed to the proposed Purple Line Extension “transit neighborhood plan” -- write up their concerns and offer an alternative proposal. The following is this collective work in draft form. Comments are appreciated.

EASTSIDER-All the mainstream media seems to agree that President Trump tweets and talks to give us new bright and shiny objects to obsess about, mostly as a method of taking attention away from what he is really doing.

BELL VIEW--The other day, walking through my residential neighborhood with my wife and two kids on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I forced down a rage eruption at the driver of a car who mistook our quiet street for a stretch of the 101 Freeway.

CORRUPTION WATCH--Prop 10 represents that weird situation where “You cannot get there from here.” 

EDUCATION POLITICS--Since my July 12 CityWatchLA article entitled LAUSD’s Malfunctioning Payroll Debacle: Still targeting Former Teachers with Bogus Lawsuits, yet more disturbing information has emerged. (Photo above: LAUSD headquarters.)

DISABILITY PERSPECTIVE-People with disabilities and their family members are often too busy managing their disability to give much thought to future care needs.

CAL MATTERS--What’s the sound of one man debating? California voters got an idea today at the first and only scheduled candidate forum in the 2018 U.S. Senate race.

DONE WATCH-The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) administratively and illegally has removed a board member from the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council (VNNC).

MY TURN--This statement may sound like I am using a broad paintbrush, and indeed I am.

CAL MATTERS-The latest conventional wisdom among state political insiders: There’s a good chance a Californian will be on the presidential ticket in 2020, and that Californian is likely to be Democratic U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris. 

BCK FILE--Since his election in 2016, Donald J. Trump has been alleging massive voter fraud by millions of votes in California and other blue states, baseless allegations meant to cause mistrust in our electoral process. 

CORRUPTION WATCH-“Build-out” is the term that means any increase in population density will exceed the infrastructure to support it.

INSIDE INGLEWOOD--Is Inglewood Mayor James Butts continuing to intimidate city employees to suit his own needs?

ALPERN AT LARGE--One of my life's greatest adventures was the fight to create an Expo Line, which is now one of the most ridden light rail lines in the LA Metro Rail Network

@THE GUSS REPORT-Just when you think a story has reached its conclusion, something remarkable happens.

NEW GEOGRAPHY-Long a hotbed of new technologies, California insists on seeing its transit future in the rear mirror.

CAL MATTERS--It’s perhaps no surprise that apartment owners, real estate interests and corporate landlords have spent $61 million to kill Proposition 10, an initiative that threatens their income by reinstating rent control in California.