In the News
California Politics: Mostly White People
VOTING DISPARITY-The United States is, by and large, not a very politically participatory country. Not only do Americans vote in relatively small numbers, they also don’t contact their representatives, take part in campaigns, or even talk…
Are LA’s Community Plan Updates Ready for “Unexpected” Bumps in the Road?
PLATKIN ON PLANNING--In their forced march to promote large, speculative real estate projects, LA’s elected and appointed officials have co…
Alert! Snagged Votes In Los Angeles
ELECTION WATCHDOG--Julie Tyler, an election observer who volunteered to make sure our democracy is on a good footing, went to the LA County…
University of California Publicity Campaign Unnecessary, Misguided
GUEST COMMENTARY--Some state legislators and student leaders called a University of California advertising campaign “tone-deaf” and accused…
We Will Preserve Our Republic ... If We Have the Brains and Courage to Keep It
ALPERN AT LARGE--"Well, Doctor, what have we got--a Republic or a Monarchy?"
"A Republic, if you can keep it."
--Benjamin Franklin, at…
Jerry Brown’s Concerns Reflect Hillary Clinton’s Vulnerability
ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY-Governor Jerry Brown has signed another California budget essentially along the lines he proposed, once again thwartin…
Did the Declaration of Independence Authors have LA’s Ethics Commission in Mind?
POLITICS LA--Among the British-inflicted “repeated injuries and usurpations” spelled out in the Declaration of Independence, none holds gre…
What is Loretta Sanchez Thinking?
CONNECTING CALIFORNIA--Has Loretta Sanchez given up?
Given how much ground the U.S. Senate candidate has to make up on Attorney General Ka…
Are Valley Stakeholders Buying Into LA County’s R2 Transit Tax Pitch?
GUEST WORDS--"(T)he Metro plan itself, looks good on paper. It’s missing one critical element though, which is a transit system to Californ…
Independence Day, Los Angeles: What It Means in 2016
THIS IS WHAT I KNOW-The Fourth of July, like many holidays, has lost some of its luster as a patriotic paean to independence. We think of b…
LA’s Mayor Flunks the Budget Test
LA WATCHDOG--In August, the Los Angeles Times awarded Mayor Eric Garcetti a C for his performance during his first two years in office. Wh…
Westside Mega-Project Comes Under Fire
HUGH MARTIN EXPO PROJECT WILL OVERWHELM THE NEIGHBORHOOD--The Coalition to Preserve LA, a citywide, community-based group that seeks to ref…
To Protect and Snoop: LAPD Using Tech Tools to Spy On the People … BLM Says ‘Slap in the Face’
POLICING THE POLICE--U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to highlight the police department’s efforts…
Street Talk … from Inside the ‘Still Bernie’ Rally Supporters Rally in Hollywood
PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS LA STYLE-On Sunday, June 26 at high noon, various groups supporting Bernie Sanders for President inspired a march/ral…
Missing Pet Alert! ‘Cash’ Disappears from LA’s Pooch Hotel
PET WATCH-On June 11, 7-year-old lab-pit mix “Cash” opened doors at the Pooch Hotel where his owners Talita Trygsland and Louis Angelo left…
Charter School Founder’s Run for Mayor Will Ensure LA Education has a Place in the Campaign Debate
EDUCATION POLITICS--The just announced candidacy of Green Dot Charter Schools founder Steve Barr (photo above) for the mayor of Los Angeles…
Was it a Stunt, or the Beginning of the End of NRA Supremacy?
GELFAND’S WORLD--On Monday, June 27, congresswoman Janice Hahn brought the House of Representatives gun control sit-in back to Los Angeles…
Updates: Sex Assault Loophole, Rehab Mogul Arrest
THIS IS WHAT I KNOW-First, an update on the Stanford rape case.
The six-month sentence of former Stanford athlete Brock Turner has elicite…
Tale of Two LAs: The City Hall Reality and … the People’s Reality
EASTSIDER-If you’re an LA City Council member, life is grand. You are part of the highest paid city council in the United States, your term…
Short-Term Rentals Crisis Seeking Long-Term Solutions
DEEGAN ON LA- Mixing and matching the needs of guests, hosts, neighbors and the City is a challenging problem being attacked and defended…
