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Wed, Jul

Who Ya Gonna Call … Ghost Muckrakers? No, CityWatch!

EASTSIDER-Back in the “bad old days” at the turn of the century (1900, not 2000) America was in the throes of crooked corporations and banks, employers who treated workers badly, and, oh yes, crooked politicians. Sound familiar? Like 2018? Time to check out a group of journalists referred to as the Muckrakers.  

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When are We Going to Stop Being Played for Suckers?

BELL VIEW--It should feel good to be right all the time, but it doesn’t. It feels terrible. Arguing with people on “the other side” – whatever that is – of virtually every issue of importance to the survival of our species and the continuation of democracy can be a tiring exercise. Being right all the time doesn’t make it any less of a slog. I have friends – whatever that means – who have deleted everyone from their world who disagrees with them. They tell me that feels good. But I doubt it.

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Trump Economic Policy: Wishful Thinking

VIEW FROM HERE--Federal economic policy started with Alexander Hamilton. As the first secretary of the treasury, he insisted that the U.S. government assume the debt incurred by states during the American Revolution. Taking responsibility for the states’ war debt enabled the fledgling U.S. government to, in essence, establish credit with other nations. 

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Stumped and Trumped By the City  

ALPERN AT LARGE--Last night, the Mar Vista Community Council (NVCC) Transportation/Infrastructure Committee spent a considerable amount of time and debate on a problem (in this case, the inability to remove unsightly and sometimes-dangerous tree stumps) facing Angelenos, and which is emblematic about other problems facing the citizenry in the City of the Angels: 

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It’s Charter School Co-Location Season

EDUCATION POLITICS--Every single year since Proposition 39 was passed, facilitating infrastructure spending at schools by lowering the supermajority vote requirement for funding measures to 55% – ever since that passed in 2000 there have been collateral effects to infrastructure beyond mere fiscal impacts. 

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How to Make Transit Riding Safe for All: Just Cooperate!

RANTZ AND RAVEZ-People need to cooperate with the directions of law enforcement officers and not resist or fail to follow their directions. That way, everyone can be on their way and the law enforcement officers can go EOW (End of Watch) and return the next day to continue to “Protect and Serve” you, your family and the community-at-large. 

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California Dream Being Legislated Into a Nightmare

NEW GEOGRAPHY--For generations, California has offered its people an opportunity to own a home, start a business, and move up, whether someone came from Brooklyn, east Texas, Morelos or Taipei. That deal is still desired by most, but in a state that increasingly sees such activities as socially regressive and environmentally disastrous.

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The Three Most Dangerous Groups in Los Angeles 

ALPERN AT LARGE--In a nutshell, we are all being overwhelmed by apathy, a tougher cost of living, traffic, homelessness, a lack of coherent affordable housing and transit-oriented development, and a lack of taxpayer-paid services in the City of the Angels.  No one has all the answers, but certainly raising the right questions is a step in the right direction.  But first and foremost, our greatest threat lies in the following three groups: 

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LA Councilman’s Sloppy Take on Transgender Murder

@THE GUSS REPORT-Last week marked 20 years since Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo was first elected to public office, yet he made a rookie error when he winged it during an adjourning motion, when members of the public who have died are memorialized by what are supposed to be a few thoughtful words. 

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