LA’s Most Corrupt City Council: No Reforms Despite Jose Huizar Indictment
On Thursday, a federal grand jury threw the book on Councilman Jose Huizar, returning a 34-count indictment on “charges that he lead a criminal enterprise where he used his powerful position at City Hall to enrich himself and his close associates, and unlawfully gave favorable treatment to developers who financed and facilitated bribes and other […]
LA City Hall’s Embarrassing Corruption Scandal: Goes Way Beyond Jose Huizar
On Tuesday morning, the FBI arrested Councilman Jose Huizar on “a federal racketeering charge that alleges he led a criminal enterprise that used his powerful position at City Hall to solicit and accept lucrative bribes and other financial benefits to enrich himself and his close associates in exchange for Huizar taking official actions favorable to […]
The Vacancy Tax: A Rush to Ballot
Without any hearings, the City Council voted to ask the City Attorney to draft a ballot measure to place a vacancy tax on the November ballot. This ballot measure will need to be approved by the City Council not later than July 1. However, the City Council has not held any hearings on this highly […]
Garcetti: What He Says v. What He Budgets
Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Eric Garcetti have prioritized the lives of Californians and Angelenos over the premature opening of our economy unless there is adequate testing, tracking, and monitoring; proper social distancing; the protection of vulnerable communities; surge capacity at hospitals; continued research and development; and the development of adequate guidelines in the case […]
Bank of Los Angeles: A Pet Project That Won’t Die
In November of 2018, 56% of the City’s voters rejected Charter Amendment B that would have allowed the City to establish a municipal bank despite the measure being endorsed by 170 organizations and members of the political establishment, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and 12 members of the City Council, including then City Council President Herb […]
Is Homelessness Really an LA Priority?
There are rumors emanating from the Mayor’s office and the Los Angeles City Council that they are considering placing on the ballot a new tax or bond measure to finance the City’s homeless initiatives, now that the $1.2 billion in Measure HHH funds has been fully allocated. Details, including the marketing and political strategy, have […]
Another School Bond? Why It’s Easy to Say No!
While it is not easy to say no to State’s nine million public school and higher education students, it is easy to say no to the educational-industrial complex that is expected to spend over $10 million to buy our approval of a ballot measure authorizing the issuance of $15 billion of general obligation bonds. This […]
Shocked! at Goings-on at LA City Hall
“I’m shocked, shocked to find gambling going on here.” Like Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) in the 1942 classic movie, Casablanca, City Council President Herb Wesson and his fellow members of the City Council were shocked, shocked when the FBI raided the offices and home of Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar in November looking […]
Labor Peace at the LA Port, At Least for Now
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (“ILWU”) and the Pacific Maritime Association (“PMA”), an organization that represents the Pacific Coast maritime industry, have entered into an agreement that will allow APM Terminals, a subsidiary of Maersk, the giant Danish shipping company, to proceed with its $1.3 million infrastructure improvement program that will allow APM to […]
Is LA Unified Using Our Money to Promote the $500 Million Parcel Tax?
The special election for the $500 million parcel tax that will benefit the Los Angeles Unified School District is a little more than three weeks away. As a result, we will be bombarded by mailers and advertisements urging us to reject or support Measure EE, inappropriately named the “Quality Teacher, Class Size Reduction, and Local […]