VOICES

VOICES--At the beginning of June, a little-known but critical election will be held in a convention hall in San Francisco. This balloting — for chair of the California Democratic Party will determine, among other important issues, whether our state continues on the path to being the world leader in green energy or whether we revert to our dirty energy past.

VOICES--Children shouldn’t have to step over intoxicated people passed out on the sidewalk on their way to or from school. Drunken street fights at midnight or later, shouldn’t frighten children who are trying to get a good night’s sleep in their own homes. 

VOICES--On Friday, December 21st, the South Los Angeles Homeless TAY and Foster Care Collaborative (Collaborative), along with civic and religious leaders and other local partners, will honor the lives of homeless youth who have passed away and those experiencing loss during the holiday season with an interfaith prayer and candlelight vigil. 

PLANNING POLITICS--After years of pleading for livable conditions, a disabled senior citizen is finally getting his day in court. 

VOICES--Serving on the Los Angeles City Council has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life and has gone way beyond a career. I truly love what I do and who I work with.

VOICES--We salute working men and women because they come together each day, in cities and towns across this country, to build America’s future in a way that lifts up the best of who we are: rising above differences to achieve something bigger than themselves, and moving us forward with hard work, unity, and purpose.

VOICES--This week, President Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was found guilty on 8 counts of tax evasion and bank fraud.

VOICES--President Trump and his cronies continue to prove there is no depth to which they will not sink to defend the indefensible, even at the cost of the truth or our democracy. 

VOICES--Become one of the people acting on behalf of the Los Angeles Urban Forest, the awesome, citywide shade-tree canopy that fights climate change and the "heat-island" effect, cleans our air, and captures our rainwater to sustain a livable urbanized world.

VOICES--In a May 11, 2018 letter, LAUSD officials are urging the City to approve a developer’s 73-foot tall apartment building in exchange for a half-million-dollar donation – even though the City admits that the project will emit toxic chemicals right next to a kindergarten playground.

VOICES--Mayors, City Councilmembers, City Clerk’s and City Treasurer’s are required to submit annual statements of economic interest to the Fair Political Practices Commission commonly known as the FPPC.  The forms are due by April 1st and are signed under penalty of perjury.  After reviewing the form 700s for all members of the Inglewood city council, we found that Mayor James Butts omitted his investment interest in a home located at 8808 S. 5th Ave. and like other investors, he is making money flipping homes in the city of Inglewood.

VOICES--By a 13-0 vote the Los Angeles City Council has voted to oppose SB 827.

VOICES--The LA River needs YOU! Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) is organizing its 29th Annual La Gran Limpieza / Great RIver CleanUp. Now less than a month away from kicking off three weekends of River CleanUp in celebration of Earth Month. This CleanUp is the Largest Urban River CleanUp in the nation’s history - and it relies on the participation of Angelenos like you to take hands-on action in support of River restoration. 

VOICES -- Yesterday, 30 housing activists and hotel workers protested in front of 779 Stradella Dr., a notorious party house branded as a “sober living residence” and tied to Paul Manafort.

VOICES--In 2015 an Exide Technologies plant in Vernon, Calif. that melted down car batteries for their lead was closed to avoid federal criminal prosecution for polluting nearby communities. 

VOICES—To Board of Neighborhood Commissioners--My name is Laura Velkei, I serve on the HCNC as the 3^rd VP, Chair of Land Use and Bylaws Committees, and handle communications for our Board. 

VOICES--My name is Susan Hunter and I’m the caseworker with the Hollywood Local of the Los Angeles Tenants Union. You may know me better as the evil scheming blackmailer who is trying to harm your victim client for tons of money. At least that is what you called me in your latest press release. 

VOICES--Refugio Rodriguez continues to “represent” the stakeholders of LAUSD Zone 5… six months after allegations of felony charges for perjury and conspiracy. He was also charged with 25 mysterious money-laundering misdemeanors that flummox elections ethicists since there is no limit on self-financing one’s own campaign, completely obviating any need for Rodriguez to have illegally paid his staff to donate to it. Further, it has recently come to light that these crimes may be the tip of the iceberg. And regulators further afield from LAUSD are noticing Rodriguez’ charter chain too. 

VOICES--The trendy storyline in criminal justice is to blame the prosecutor, blame the police, blame the laws and blame society. Never mind the wake of destruction violent criminals leave on the community, especially economically vulnerable neighborhoods. Never mind the approximately 17,000 Americans murdered in 2016. Never mind those people. Let's now focus on the injustice of putting away rapists, gang members and murderers. 

VOICES--Today the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality — a terrible step for the future of a free and open internet and for our democracy. In January when the State Legislature reconvenes, I will introduce legislation to require net neutrality in California.

VOICES-Austin Beutner, the one-time candidate for Los Angeles mayor and former publisher of the Los Angeles Times, recalled a funny story during a talk he gave at a breakfast meeting hosted by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce at Ports O’ Call Restaurant. It was about the time Beutner was delivering a speech on how to make a profit in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. Beutner was there as part of a Clinton administration team led by Secretary of State Warren Christopher to help Russia transition from communism to a free-market economy. But suddenly, Beutner realized he’d lost his audience. Bewildered, he turned to his interpreter and asked, “What is it that they don’t understand?”