LOS ANGELES

THE BUTCHER SHOP … NO BONES ABOUT IT--A small, influential group of celebrities and animal activists have reinvigorated their failed 2009 campaign to move Billy the elephant out of the LA Zoo. On April 19, Councilmember Paul Koretz introduced a motion to “immediately cancel any current or future elephant breeding activities” and to move Billy to a “sanctuary environment.” 

TRANSIT WATCH--Money is best spent well, and to its credit, LA Metro has overall earned the bragging rights to money well spent, and to not taking the taxpayers' money for granted.  But we've seen lots of interesting data, and we've not always had the best partners in Sacramento and Washington...so how do we best proceed? 

DEEGAN ON LA-"Who's on first?", the comedy routine made famous by Abbott and Costello, came to mind listening to representatives of official Los Angeles explaining how the city’s little understood housing “vacancy rate” is established. But comedy turns to tragedy as we look at the consequences brought on when this controversial, almost secret “rate” is implemented to allow developers to convert affordable rent-stabilized housing into condos.

THIS IS WHAT I KNOW-California’s State Senate and Assembly have been busy writing and voting on legislation that would stall Trump’s agenda – or at least, protect Californians from fallout. 

GELFAND’S WORLD--So there I was, sitting in the front row of a little theater on Santa Monica Blvd when a rolled-up pair of socks came flying through the air and hit me in the back of the head. I wasn't alone, since the actor on stage was himself getting bombarded with socks. Within a few minutes, the stage was covered with socks. Thus begins my account of this year's Hollywood Fringe festival. 

RESISTANCE WATCH--A bill that would create the first state-level single payer healthcare system in the United States passed the California Senate on Thursday, generating applause as a major step forward in creating a necessary proving ground for a national 'Medicare for All' program.

The state of California is working to reduce urban per capita water use by 20 percent by the end of 2020. One major concern to reaching this goal is the car washing industry.  

TRUMP WATCH--Donald Trump’s favorite local TV chain is about to get a lot bigger thanks to — wait for it — Donald Trump.

EDUCATION POLITICS-When New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg spent half a million dollars to kick Steve Zimmer off the LA School Board, Zimmer (photo above) picked up the phone. In a departure from his self-described “conflict averse” nature, he wanted to pitch his version of collaborative school reform to the “education mayor.” 

ANIMAL WATCH-After much media fanfare on October 24, 2012, regarding passage of a ban on pet shops selling "mill-bred" puppies, kittens and rabbits, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Paul Koretz and LA Animal Services' General Manager Brenda Barnette have been notably silent on its success. 

CORRUPTION WATCH-The recent user poll from METRO is pure propaganda based on absurd claims designed to benefit only the super-duper rich. 

PLATKIN ON PLANNING-Among City Hall’s elected and appointed officials it easy to round up a quorum of Clinton Democrats, with non-presidential candidate Mayor Eric Garcetti at the head of the table. If you look hard you can also find a momentary Berniecrat, recently re-elected Councilmember Gil Cedillo, and a plain vanilla Republican who lost his bid to become an LA County Supervisor, Councilmember Mitchell Englander. 

EASTSIDER-Last week, in the run up to the June 6 Special Election runoff for Congressional District 34, replacing Xavier Becerra, we saw what may be the only pre-election public forum for choosing between favorite Jimmy Gomez and challenger Robert Lee Ahn. 

GUEST WORDS--I had the privilege of attending the release and presentation of the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. And I can tell you that I am not surprised by the 23% increase in homelessness in Los Angeles County. Homelessness is visible now more than ever and in places that one would not envision. 

PLANNING--The gradual decimation of local voice in planning has become accepted policy in Sacramento. The State Senate is now considering two dangerous bills, SB 35 and SB 167, that together severely curtail democratic control of housing.

CONNECTING CALIFORNIA--Riddle: When is a miracle also bound to be a disappointment?

Answer: When the miracle is a project of the state of California.

GUEST WORDS-What if I told you there’s a customer who has a goal to buy $1 billion worth of goods and services from small businesses? This customer buys everything from office supplies and computers, consultant services, clothing, hygiene products, food, bedding, cookware, furniture, and more. 

This customer is Los Angeles County. 

SKID ROW-Little Tokyo (north side) and Skid Row (south side) are neighbors on opposite sides of 3^rd Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The recent election to decide on the creation of a Skid Row Neighborhood Council (SRNC) is mostly known as a battle between Skid Row and the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. What is not well known is that Little Tokyo was the deciding factor in that election. Over 1600 people voted in this extremely close election, yet it was decided only by a 60 vote margin – it was the Little Tokyo votes that made the difference. Hundreds of LT voters went to pop-up polls or voted online. If Little Tokyo had supported Skid Row, the outcome of the election would have been completely different. 

EDUCATION POLITICS-I spent the Memorial Day weekend with an old teacher friend who lives and works in an upscale bedroom community out on Long Island, NY and was unexpectedly enlightened by yet another lesson on the state of public education in this nation. Our failing, predominantly poor minority-filled inner city public education system bears no resemblance to the still excellent public education system that remains the rule in the affluent suburbs, where the middle class live and can still exert their substantial financial influence.

CAPITAL & MAIN SPECIAL REPORT--Last August, on a scorching afternoon that saw temperatures reach 115 degrees, a small but noisy group of protesters gathered in front of an ARCO gas station in Mecca, an impoverished, unincorporated community 40 miles southeast of Palm Springs. It was an unusual setting for a demonstration: Miles from the nearest city and along a desolate stretch of highway, where the only crowds are typically farm workers and Border Patrol agents gathered during the morning rush at a nearby Starbucks. (Photo above: Elon Musk, center) 

ALPERN AT LARGE--There's a new word in our city that merits an opening in our ever-growing English lexicon: Garcettiville.  Do you live near homeless encampments ... you know:  Garcettivilles.