Yes on Measure S Report: Public Unaware of Closed Door Meetings
The Yes on Measure S campaign releases a special report, “Pay to Play In Los Angeles City Government” entirely assembled from official city information that has been released publicly, but unpublished to date. This report reveals how L.A. City employees and politicians work behind closed doors for months or years on behalf of specific developers and usually without […]
Governor’s “Nowhere Money” a Violation of State Spending Limit, Says LAO
The Legislative Analyst’s Office says the governor’s budget proposal attempts to dodge the state spending limit that was overwhelming passed by voters in a 1979 Special Election. In declaring that the governor’s budget does not count $22 billion dollars against any appropriation limit, the LAO report states clearly that the Governor’s proposal violates the spirit of […]
Striking the Right Balance on Air Quality
California, long-known for its environmental leadership, also boasts the world’s sixth largest economy. For Southern California, with our large, diverse population, the leadership challenge we face is how to create more good-paying, middle class jobs while improving our quality of life – cleaner air and water, reduced road congestion and increased affordable housing. Nowhere is […]
Capitol Housing Battles Ahead
It had to happen. California is suffering through one of its worst housing crises and all the while the state legislature is doing nothing to solve the problem. In fact, based on the numerous pieces of legislation introduced before the curtain went down for such proposals last month, they’re making things worse. Inadequate supply. By […]
More Transparency Needed for Little-Known Driver of Health Care Costs
Imagine walking into your pharmacy to pick up your medication only to find that the drug you have been prescribed is not covered. What does that mean? Because your medication was not “chosen” by a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) – a shadowy third-party entity that insurance companies hire to manage prescription drug benefits – your […]
Hardly Anyone Running for Office in LA Election
Isn’t it a problem in a great metropolis like Los Angeles that two of the three charter officers running for election are unopposed and the third—the mayor– has only token opposition? The situation brings to mind the old question: What if they gave an election and no one came? Unfortunately, close to that result is […]
After Recent Storms, California Drivers Deserve a Better Transportation Infrastructure Plan
A recent study put Los Angeles and San Francisco in the top five worst cities on the planet for traffic congestion. Roads and bridges around the state are literally crumbling from recent storms. And the extra wear and tear caused by the poor condition of our roads costs the average California driver an extra $739 […]
Is L.A. Back? Don’t Buy the Hype
With two football teams moving to Los Angeles, a host of towers rising in a resurgent downtown and an upcoming IPO for L.A.’s signature start-up, Snapchat parent Snap Inc., one can make a credible case that the city that defined growth for a half century is back. According to Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Rams, Chargers and the […]
All Aboard, Bay Area, on Your Fast Train to Wasco
Dear Bay Area, Welcome to Wasco. You may never have heard of this small city of 25,000 in the San Joaquin Valley. You probably can’t pronounce it (it’s WAW-skoh). But you and Wasco share a future. You could be connected—at least temporarily—by the most expensive infrastructure project in state history. Your Wasco connection is a […]