LOS ANGELES

GUEST WORDS--With some of the richest celebrities in the world — and thousands of people on the streets — Los Angeles is the definition of an economically divided city. 

DEEGAN ON LA-Have you ever heard of an “urban heat island?” Do you know how it affects our environment? Do you know how developers can use carbon management techniques to help offset the effects of the heat and carbon impacts generated by the tall vertical masses they want to build? 

NEIGHBORHOODS LA--Oh no, Los Angeles's most entertaining homeowners association seems like it might be getting its shit together. But at least it's going out in a blaze of restraining orders and nasty emails.

FOX ON POLITICS--Labor unions, legislative leaders and the governor came together on a minimum wage deal to presumably keep a minimum wage initiative off the ballot – presumably because there is more than one way to get on the ballot. More on that later.

TRANSIT POLITICS--Having just returned from Charleston, Savannah, and Atlanta for a weeklong family vacation, I can assure you that cities both small and large do what they can to encourage a local economy, encourage proper neighborhood preservation and densification, and create jobs and affordable housing.  

EDUCATION POLITICS-Every week for the last five years I have been contacted by what seems to be a never ending parade of targeted senior teachers. These are the professionals that are at the top of the salary scale who make up 93% of teachers being charged and subsequently removed from their careers at LAUSD.

THIS IS WHAT I KNOW--A Los Angeles neighborhood grassroots matching funds program may have opened the door to a second candidate landing in hot water. LA City Council Member Nury Martinez is under Federal investigation in connection with her 2015 reelection efforts.

RETIREMENT POLITICS--More than seven million people—over one-fifth of California’s population—work without a path to retirement. They have neither a 401(k) — the so-called “roller-coaster plan” tied to the stock market — nor a traditional pension that was once considered a worker’s right and which is now a rare species outside of government employment or the public education system.

BUSINESS WATCH--Recently, when my firm, Spectrum Location Solutions, completed a study that found about ten thousand companies left California in the last eight years, it hardly surprised leaders in the business community. 

REVITALIZATION POLITICS--In the early 13th century, a wealthy merchant’s son knelt before a crucifix in a small, crumbling chapel near Assisi, a village in Italy, and received a message from the Lord: “Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.”

INSIDER VIEW--After Target tried to construct a patently illegal store at the corner of Sunset and Western in Hollywood, the courts ordered Target to stop construction. 

Upset that it could not build a 75 foot store in a zone which limited the height to 35 feet, Target decided to continue the legal fight while changing the law so that its illegal building would be legal. 

EASTSIDER-I know it must seem like I beat up on the City of Santa Monica. I have to admit, though, it’s just so easy to do. But hey, it’s only fair to commend them when they get one right -- in this case, their recent June 2015 Home Sharing Ordinance. 

GUEST WORDS--Another week, another drone scare at LAX.  Last week, a drone came within 200 feet of a plane that was preparing to land.  Airports must do something now before a serious tragedy happens.   

JUST THE FACTS-This week we witnessed another horrifying terrorist attack on innocent people, this time at the Brussels airport and at a subway station in that city. The current victim count is 31 innocent people dead with 300 plus wounded. This brings to mind the previous terrorist attacks that have taken place in America and other parts of the world in recent years. Some are closer to home while others are across the sea in faraway places. 

BICYCLE REVOLUTION--The bicycle is proving itself as an instrument of gentle revolution, helping to change not just how cities are used, but how they are shaped. Bike lanes do more than facilitate low-impact travel; they enrichen businesses and create community where before there was only stress, noise, and smog. More and more people saddle up for city travel every day, often counting on smartphone apps to help them make sense of this new old way of moving. The revolution proceeds apace, and everyone, it seems, is joining in.

VOICES--For almost two years the looming skeleton structure (photo above) that was expected to be an operating TARGET store by the Holiday Season of 2014 might have to remain looming in place for a while longer.

NEIGHBORHOOD NIGHTMARES-From the Hills of Hollywood to the Malibu coast and even the Valley, pricey real estate has provided the backdrop for countless reality shows and some out-control parties, as well as a nice income stream for investors, including developer Danny Fitzgerald who owns a cluster of glass manses in the Hollywood Dell. 

PLATKIN ON PLANNING-Based on a debate I participated in over the Neighborhood Integrity Ordinance, it is clearer to me than ever before that Angelenos live in two parallel universes when it comes to their take of the frenzied waves of real estate speculation now rolling over the city. 

HERE’S WHAT I KNOW-An initiative to raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021 has qualified for the November election, adding to an already jam-packed ballot. Should the Fair Wage Act of 2016 pass, California would become the largest state to improve the standard of living for the 3.3 million low-wage earners in the state, including 600,000 in Los Angeles County alone, perhaps setting the stage for a higher minimum wage across the U.S.  San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf are co-chairs of the initiative campaign. 

PERSPECTIVE--There is much to chew on concerning the MTA’s proposed ballot measure to add a half-cent sales tax and extend the current Measure R tax. 

I’ll focus on the Valley.

Tunneling through the Sepulveda Pass to allow a rail line is apparently one of the top priority tasks, but it would not be complete until mid-century.

The Orange Line would eventually be converted into light-rail, but that is even further down the timeline. However, in the interim, a reduction in at-grade crossings will allow faster transit times. A light rail route down Van Nuys Blvd to connect the Northeast and Southeast Valley neighborhoods to the Orange Line is another piece of the plan.

As we all know too well, commuting through the pass is a nightmare during drive time (no one says rush hour anymore). But is there an effective alternative to the tunnel? A great opportunity was lost when the car pool lanes were added. They could have been busways. Perhaps they still can, with stations at both ends. No doubt a far less expensive option, but buses can’t carry the volume rail can.

The interim plan for the Orange Line might be the most cost-effective strategy on the menu. Light rail might cause over-crowding at the NoHo Red Line station. It is already a busy place; I can only imagine the mob scene on the platform as light rail discharges throngs of commuters. Ever been on an over-crowded subway platform? I have twice … and it’s pretty scary as people get antsy waiting for a train to arrive. Several years ago, MTA acted on a recommendation of mine, when circumstances dictated, to stage people at the upper levels until the train-level crowd could be absorbed. That strategy may not be as effective with light-rail feeding the station.

A busway down Van Nuys Blvd would offer most of the benefits of rail without the heavy costs.

Could we trade cost savings from alternatives to expand or improve other transportation modes in the Valley?

All of us need to seriously consider the options and express our opinions to the MTA.

Even if the measure passes, there will still be time to reconsider the plan’s components and insist on the best value for the money.

We don’t want to suffer the fate of poor old Charlie. 

HERE’S WHAT I KNOW-The rest of 2016 will be consumed with a nail-biting Presidential competition, the possibility of a brokered convention, the first Tuesday in November, and let’s not forget, the race to fill Boxer’s Senate seat. Those of us for whom politics is a favorite spectator sport are watching the brackets fill in for the 2018 Governor’s race to replace Gov. Jerry Brown. 

Numerous media reports point to Villaraigosa as a potential addition to the crowded field of prospects. In February, the former LA mayor ditched a possible Senate run. If Villaraigosa rises to the ranks of governor, he’d be the first Hispanic governor since Romualdo Pacecho held that post. To put things in perspective, Pachecho spent some time mining during the Gold Rush and was likely the only California governor who lassoed a grizzly bear. 

Villaraigosa could face some stiff competition in the cash department. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newson has been filling his campaign chest for over a year. A poll of six hundred Californians considered “likely to vote” in the 2018 election that was conducted for Newsom’s campaign by David Binder Research in late January, placed Newsom -- the only candidate to formally declare -- ahead of the competition by 30 percent. Villaraigosa trailed third at 8 percent, behind Republican San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer at 20 percent. GOP Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin clocked in at 6 percent; former hedge fund manager/environmental activist Tom Stever, a Democrat, had 3 percent; state Treasurer John Chiang and former eBay executive/venture capitalist/former state Controller Steve Westley, both Dems, came in at 2 percent each. Nine percent were undecided. The margin of error was 4 percent. 

The gubernatorial race comes at a time when the state’s economic conditions have been generally on the upswing but the state continues to face many challenges. Millions of Californians are at the poverty level or are holding lower-wage jobs, the state’s infrastructure is crumbling, commuters face congested roads and freeways and the drought is still an issue. Local and state governments continue to be hit with escalating pension and employee healthcare costs. 

California’s gubernatorial race is what’s called a “jungle primary” – only the top two vote-getters make it to the playoffs. The primary is open and voters aren’t bound to select a candidate along party lines, so the independent vote is up for grabs. Getting in early can mean more time to garner support throughout the state. Newsom has a strong base in the Bay Area, but Villaraigosa could potentially lock up the Southland. In order to go the whole way, any candidate needs to extend his or her reach throughout the state. 

So what about Villaraigosa’s record? The former mayor had a number of successes. He beefed up the police department, seeded a mass transit boom, but is sometimes criticized for trying to bite off more than he could chew, such as a failed plan to take over LAUSD.  Despite a stint at UTLA early in his career, he has, at best, a lukewarm relationship with unions. In 2014, the former mayor penned a Wall Street Journal opinion piece questioning the teachers’ unions. Challenges emanating from the 2008 financial crisis sometimes pitted him against municipal unions. And under his watch, the 10,000 member LAPD didn’t get a raise for three years. 

Villaraigosa’s term in office was marred by scandal.  Toward the end of his tenure, his affair with a Telemundo reporter was uncovered, ending his marriage. He later told a crowd at Loyola University that his handling of the breakup with his former wife was his “biggest regret as mayor.” However, this personal scandal is unlikely to be an issue in the upcoming campaign for Governor because Newsom also faced a similar scandal during his San Francisco mayoral term. 

Since leaving office in 2013, Villaraigosa has been focused on private business and consulting, leaving him open to some criticism, especially for his role as an advisor to Herbalife. The supplement and weight-loss company has been under federal scrutiny for an alleged multi-level marketing pyramid scheme. The former mayor has also helped Hillary Clinton raise money and was a co-chair for her 2008 run for President. 

All things aside, the widening number of contenders in the gubernatorial race could be positive for the state of California. And Villaraigosa just might be ready to step up to the competition. 

California’s free-for-all style gubernatorial primary, in which Democrats can vote for Republicans and vice-versa, means candidates must reach out beyond their traditional constituencies. 

It’s important to note that Villaragosa is the only Southern Californian in the mix -- and the only Latino. Should he become governor, he would become the first Latino governor in nearly 150 years. Similarly, Chiang, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, could become the state’s first Asian governor.

(Beth Cone Kramer is a successful Los Angeles writer and a columnist for CityWatch.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.