Lizzie Buchen: Keeping low-risk inmates behind bars does not enhance public safety; in fact, doing so may endanger the public, as excessive prison terms hamper reentry, damage families, and weaken communities.
California Democratic Party Disses Fracking, Still Loves Money
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Wendy Block: It’s heartbreakingly clear that the Democrats won’t act courageously. But a number of non-partisan outside groups will. The MOVI coalition and Common Cause are sponsoring Prop C on the Los Angeles ballot next month, to let voters tell electeds to fight Citizens United. They need you.
The State of the State (Song) of the Golden State
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Michael Sigman: My next-door neighbor flagged me down recently to enthuse that the California State Song brought back memories of childhood hikes in the Alps. I wondered what in the world she was talking about.
Union Leaders and Activists Descend on Sacramento to Support Labor’s Legislative Agenda
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Rebecca Brand: From corporate tax breaks to immigration reform to environmental protections and health care, we’re working with hundreds unions across the state to move one of our most aggressive legislative campaigns in California history.
Why Jerry Brown Bucks Prison Realignment
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Gov. Brown’s recent actions show that it is not just the most visible partisans of the “prison industrial complex,” who we must persuade or overcome, but unfortunately the political establishment of the State.
Fixing California’s Mass Incarceration Mess
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Dick Price: As California grapples with a prison system so broken that the U.S. Supreme Court has mandated reductions in the number of prisoners it holds, the three-part “Smart Justice: Rethinking Public Safety in California” discussion begun this past week is examining both consequences and possible solutions to the state’s mass incarceration mess.
LA City Council Redistricting: What Price Belligerence?
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Anthony Samad: Parks and Perry went straight at Wesson in the most belligerent manner they could. The outcome hasn’t been pretty. Did the constituents of the 8th and the 9th districts pay a price for their representatives’ belligerence?
California Tax Measure Compromise a Victory for Progressives
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Paul Hogarth: When it comes to crafting state budget policy, Sacramento’s leadership never bothers to consult the grass-roots – cutting deals with big business and a small handful of unions, and then expecting the rest of us to take our marching orders.
LA ‘s Mayor Race: Campaign in Search of a Front-Runner
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Stephen Box: Eight of the twelve registered candidates for Mayor of LA participated in a candidate forum at the Holman United Methodist Church, giving powerful testimony to the claim of some that politics is theatre.
Wendy Greuel Charms Audience, Eludes Questions
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Stephen Box: Greuel navigated the hot topics of land use and urban design without hitting any potholes or committing to any controversial positions on topics that ranged from Farmers Field to affordable housing to corruption within City Hall.
Homeless in Los Angeles
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Jerry Drucker: In all of Los Angeles County, except for Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach, which conduct their own census counts, the 2011 census count of the homeless was 51,340, 3% less than 2009 at 52,931.
LA’s Secret Meeting Habit: Contempt and Arrogance or Just Bureaucratic Malpractice?
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Stephen Box: The open and transparent attempt to violate the Brown Act can only be attributed to contempt of the public, arrogant hubris, or complete and thorough ignorance of the law.
Dealing with City of LA: Get It in Writing
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Stephen Box: The City of LA is fast to find fault with its residents and slow to accept responsibility for its mistakes, a pattern that is demonstrated by its reluctance to put things in writing when it puts the City of LA in an unfavorable position.
After Redevelopment: Creating Real Investment in Our Cities
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Madeline Janis: While the death of California’s redevelopment agencies is a blow to cities, this could also be a moment of opportunity to create a more vibrant, equitable and sustainable future for all Californians and a model for the country.
Most Vulnerable Angelenos at Risk
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Stephen Box: Dying young is a tragedy, but it pales in comparison to the real tragedy which is growing old in a city that takes you for granted and doesn’t have a plan for you in case of an emergency.
RIP, Community Redevelopment Agency
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Madeline Janis: What went wrong? Why couldn’t redevelopment agencies reach a compromise with the state legislature — which, after all – was only trying to find a way to save public education and other essential public services?
Two Triggers: One Stuffed, One Deflated
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Although I have to admit I found it a bit creepy, the stuffed remains of Roy Rogers’ beloved steed was displayed on a Rose Parade float honoring Roy’s 100th birthday. Dangerously wobbling at the front of a somewhat over-the-top float, this Trigger, though dead, looked fat and healthy. The state budget Triggers, on the other [...]
Judge Sides with Portantino on Open Records Issue
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Dick Price: “I’m ecstatic that the judge gave a decisive ruling on behalf of transparency and accountability,” Portantino said.
Portantino’s Staff Turning Lemons into Lemonade
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Faced with the unprecedented closure of the 44th State Assembly offices, Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s staff has decided to turn a bad situation into a great opportunity.
Portantino’s Staff Faces “Leave Without Pay”
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Eliot Sekuler: The ultimate victim of Perez’ punishment will be the people who live and work in Assembly District 44. And the wall of secrecy surrounding the State Assembly’s operating budget certainly has no place in state government.
Schwarzennegger Fathered Child with Household Staff Member
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The Los Angeles Times has reported that former Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger admitted to fathering a child with a member of his household staff during his marriage to Maria Shriver. According to the report, the staff member worked for the Schwarzenneggar / Shriver household for more than 20 years. Schwarzenneger disclosed this information to Maria Shriver, [...]
Arnold Schwarzennegger and Maria Shriver Separate
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The former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzennegger and his wife, Maria Shriver have announced that they have separated. In a statement they jointly released, the pair said, “After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together. At this time, we are living apart while we work on the [...]
Disaster Capitalism in the Budget Debate
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Adam Eran: Historic tax reductions on the wealthy, and the Wall-Street-Fraud recession, have reduced public revenues, and this reduction now makes otherwise too-popular-to-cut programs vulnerable. But are such cuts really necessary?
Democrats Negotiate on Republican Terms
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Randy Shaw: How much more evidence does Brown need that a shift to “Plan B” – moving on tax extensions without Republican support – is overdue?
Total Recall: A Cautionary Tale
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Jerry Drucker: The Terminator was bought in to help the Texas energy companies and special interests with Arnold delivering by settling the $9 billion lawsuit for 2 cents on the dollar and never touching the rich or corporations to do their fair share.
Portantino Proposes Alternative to Early Release Prison Reform Efforts
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Anthony Portantino: Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) has introduced legislation that shifts the prison reform debate from an early release and sentencing reform emphasis to stopping the revolving door at California’s prisons.
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LA City Hall: The Great Pabulum and Placebo Dispenser
Stephen Box: From medical marijuana to fast food to code harassment, LA is the Capital of Moratoriums, demonstrating that there is nothing as attractive as the opportunity to kick an issue down the road and to leave it for the next round of elected officials.