# LOS ANGELES ## [ #MeToo: Is the Weinstein/Price Double Punch the Beginning of the End?](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14233-metoo-is-the-weinstein-price-double-punch-the-beginning-of-the-end "#MeToo: Is the Weinstein/Price Double Punch the Beginning of the End?") Details Beth Cone Kramer [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 23 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085l.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14233-metoo-is-the-weinstein-price-double-punch-the-beginning-of-the-end) BCK FILE--The weekend after the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault story broke in the *New York Times*, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted to encourage women to use social media to share their sexual assault stories, using the hashtag #MeToo to show the magnitude of this issue. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14233-metoo-is-the-weinstein-price-double-punch-the-beginning-of-the-end) ## [ Marijuana: Is ‘Pot Therapy’ Legal for California Dogs and Cats?](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14232-marijuana-is-pot-therapy-legal-for-california-dogs-and-cats "Marijuana: Is ‘Pot Therapy’ Legal for California Dogs and Cats?") Details Phyllis M. Daugherty [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 23 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085m.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14232-marijuana-is-pot-therapy-legal-for-california-dogs-and-cats) ANIMAL WATCH-Marijuana, the shredded leaves, flower buds and stems of the *Cannabis sativa* plant, has now been legalized for medical use by humans in 29 states, plus D.C. It is said to relieve pain and inflammation and manage side effects of cancer. Some animal experts, including the late Los Angeles veterinarian Dr. Doug Kramer, who lost his own battle with cancer in 2014 at age 36, believe that dogs and cats suffering from chronic pain, inflammation or other end-of-life issues should also be allowed the opportunity for the benefits of “pot therapy.” Others disagree and say, "pot isn't for pets." [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14232-marijuana-is-pot-therapy-legal-for-california-dogs-and-cats) ## [ Kevin de Leon Enters U.S. Senate Race … Against the Wrong Opponent?](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14231-kevin-de-leon-enters-u-s-senate-race-against-the-wrong-opponent "Kevin de Leon Enters U.S. Senate Race … Against the Wrong Opponent?") Details Tim Deegan [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 23 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085o.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14231-kevin-de-leon-enters-u-s-senate-race-against-the-wrong-opponent) DEEGAN ON CALIFORNIA-Kevin de Leon (D-SD24) fascinates with his fast track rise to the top of state government, and his announcement a few days ago that he will challenge Senator Dianne Feinstein who just announced she would seek re-election to the U.S. Senate. Some may see the state Senate president pro tempore as a thundercloud about to burst over the head of Feinstein. There may be lightning bolts from the hard left adding to this brewing political storm. But, who’s he running against? Is he challenging the wrong opponent? [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14231-kevin-de-leon-enters-u-s-senate-race-against-the-wrong-opponent) ## [ From Harvey Weinstein to the CA State Judiciary: Abuse of Power](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14230-from-harvey-weinstein-to-the-ca-state-judiciary-abuse-of-power "From Harvey Weinstein to the CA State Judiciary: Abuse of Power") Details Richard Lee Abrams [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 23 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085p.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14230-from-harvey-weinstein-to-the-ca-state-judiciary-abuse-of-power) CORRUPTION WATCH-The most compelling words in Ronan Farrow’s article about the predator Harvey Weinstein in the October 23, 2017 issue of *The New Yorker* magazine are its first three: Abuses of Power. The salacious aspect of the story may initially attract public attention, but the essence of the it revolves around power – the abuse of power. And that is where the focus should remain. A predatory abuse of power permeates our entire society – a society that has made a lying pussy-grabber its Predator-in-Chief. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14230-from-harvey-weinstein-to-the-ca-state-judiciary-abuse-of-power) ## [ Environmentalism as a Conservative Idea](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14228-environmentalism-as-a-conservative-idea "Environmentalism as a Conservative Idea") Details Bob Gelfand [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 23 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085s.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14228-environmentalism-as-a-conservative-idea) GELFAND’S WORLD--If preserving those things that merit protection is the core conservative idea, then surely that idea ought also to apply to preservation of the natural environment -- in a word, environmentalism as a conservative concept. Yet the current generation of American conservatives has rejected the idea of environmentalism. Just look at Donald Trump's appointees to major departments. If ever the word *deplorable* fits, it's here. What's curious is that the American conservative rejection of environmentalism is based on a line of reasoning that is illogical -- it is essentially an erroneous confession that some sort of radical left wing ideology is ultimately necessary for environmental preservation to succeed. In this, modern American conservatives are wrong -- if only they could see it. The best example of a critical environmental danger is of course global warming. The scientific arguments are well established, the observational data are compelling, and this year's hurricane season was the icing on the cake. Yet when asked to comment, members of the American conservative establishment evade and avoid with the *de* *rigueur* answer that it isn't the appropriate time to talk about the subject. Conservatives have used various excuses that probably don't ring true even to themselves -- global warming doesn't exist, or it isn't caused by human CO2 emissions, or it isn't susceptible to anything we humans can do. But when you read their comments to each other, they take a rather different tack. Their core argument is less based on atmospheric science and more based on socioeconomics. In a word, they manage to terrify each other with the claim that environmental activists are using global warming to take over the world economy through taking over its governments in some sort of international cabal. Basically, the claim of global warming is treated as some sort of hard-left socialist plot. They don't always use this terminology, but the common thread is apparent. If they give in to the notion of global warming, it follows (they think) that Americans will lose their sovereignty to world government. In a way, it's possible to imagine a little of what they are thinking. A lot of modern environmentalism (going back to bills signed by Richard Nixon) involves the use of a command economy. Coal fired power plants have been limited in terms of their ability to pollute the air with sulfur dioxide. One way to do this is to pass laws that set absolute limits on the mass of sulfur dioxide that is emitted. Another way is to put absolute limits on the amount of sulfur that coal can contain. Now expand this approach to thousands of other issues ranging from water quality to agricultural pesticides and you have the modern critique of environmental protection. Each such rule involves the creation of a new bureaucracy (mainly in the federal government), new taxes (call them fees), and new schedules of fines and penalties. The new bureaucracy will demand specific devices be installed in power plants in order to monitor the amount of pollutants that are emitted and will demand shelves full of reports. And then there is conservative fear over the preservation of natural wonders. In order to preserve some of the more delicate aspects of our western deserts, it is necessary to limit the amount of cattle grazing. In order to preserve scenery in national parks, it is necessary to prohibit mining. All of these attempts at preservation are viewed by some people as impositions. Of course it is mainly those who have a financial stake in grazing cattle on fragile habitat or opening new oil fields in Alaska. Over the years, the right wing has built a collection of arguments that don't exactly defend the desecration of the natural environment, but do manage an end-run by calling environmentalists names. Any attempt to limit the use of national lands is treated as left wing socialism or worse. George H.W. Bush famously referred to environmental activists as "the spotted owl crowd." It's when the subject gets around to global warming that the argument gets really paranoid. The right wing understands deep down that fixing global warming will require a substantial effort, and that this effort requires the commitment of most of the world's countries. Somehow we have to figure out how to reduce net emissions of carbon dioxide and methane. Equally to the point, we don't have forever. I suspect that a lot of industrialists (Exxon for example) understand the basics. On the other hand, they don't want to commit corporate suicide by going out of the oil or coal business, at least until they have substituted some other income stream. The cynical, dishonest side of the conservative wing have made use of the anti-government phobia of a lot of Americans. They have tried to sell the argument that global warming is just a ploy to allow the lefties to take over the country and ultimately the world. It's a bit ironic, but the right wing noise machine has been raising the specter of a dictatorship that would arise if we as a people (and as a world) were to take global warming seriously. In a way, they are confessing that they lack the ability to imagine any other way to do things on an international level than imposing a socialist dictatorship. They seem to be missing the point that western nations managed to join military alliances without giving up their national sovereignty. And at the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union (were there ever two more different governments?) managed to find mutual benefit in reducing our numbers of nuclear warheads. Yet American conservatives are caught up in the paranoid notion that even to admit the existence of global warming is to consign the world to some sort of malign world government, most likely taken out of the pages of nineteenth century Marxism. What's absurd about this argument is that we don't necessarily have to agree on any particular economic approach to global warming. We merely have to agree that it exists and that humans burning fossil fuels are the prime cause. In short, Americans should agree that there is a real problem that has been identified by careful (and robust) science, and that this problem exists independently of our various economies and governments. That, you would think, is a simple enough requirement. Americans don't have to join the revolutionary socialist brotherhood or the moderate wing of the Republican Party. They just have to understand that global warming is real and is hugely dangerous to our children and grandchildren. Once we gain that level of understanding, it is then possible to carry on a rational discussion of what we are to do about it. Conservatives like to talk about market based solutions. I say go for it. Let's hear what you can come up with. But let's be real about the danger and let's consider possible remedies with a critical eye. Your grandchildren's lives and health may depend on it. What could be more conservative than doing something about the problem? The eight hundred pound gorilla (or is it the elephant? -- I never can keep these metaphors straight) is our growing human population. We humans have taken over the majority of the planet's surface in order to develop our own life style, in spite of the fact that we are responsible for an ongoing extinction event that rivals previous extinctions. We should think about controlling our numbers in order to preserve the world that humans developed in. And what could be more conservative than that? **Conservative Environmentalists** Let's recognize that there are conservatives who are also environmentalists. They have written numerous books including Peter Huber's [Hard Green](https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Green-Environment-Environmentalists-Conservative/dp/0465031137). One recent essay by Paul Foote was published in [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/nov/11/environmentalism-conservative). I'd like to close by quoting a short excerpt from Foote's essay: *"Whilst recognizing the need for political and policy leadership, policy-making must reject statist penalties and punishments which will not bring about the changes we need and will only put people off. We must go with the grain of human nature.* *"Preserving our natural heritage, the beauty of the landscape, the farmed environment; promoting social justice by beautifying urban spaces and greening energy supply; enhancing public health, national security, economic competitiveness – these are all challenges that require action both in the UK and the US.* *"But until they can be put into the natural language of conservatives, progress on these issues will suffer. And if the Tea Party were willing to think about the environment from a true conservative perspective, who knows, it just might suit them."* Foote has included conservative terms such as *statist* in his remarks*,* but the overall idea that conservatives can and should become environmentalists has merit. *(Bob Gelfand writes on science, culture, and politics for CityWatch. He can be reached at )* -cw ## [ All California Is Wine Country—and the Wildfires Make It More So](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14226-all-california-is-wine-country-and-the-wildfires-make-it-more-so "All California Is Wine Country—and the Wildfires Make It More So") Details Joe Mathews [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 23 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085v.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14226-all-california-is-wine-country-and-the-wildfires-make-it-more-so) CONNECTING CALIFORNIA--The deaths and damage of this year’s Wine Country wildfires are a historic disaster. They are also the product of an epic California success. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14226-all-california-is-wine-country-and-the-wildfires-make-it-more-so) ## [ A 50-cent Dodger Treasure](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14225-a-50-cent-dodger-treasure "A 50-cent Dodger Treasure") Details Daniel Guss [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 23 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085w.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14225-a-50-cent-dodger-treasure) @THE GUSS REPORT-What is the coolest Dodger thing you own? Long before *Pawn Stars* and *Antiques Roadshow* made hit television viewing of gems people find, buy or inherit, I stumbled upon a Dodger treasure while shopping one day in the 1970s on an outing with my mom and grandmother. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14225-a-50-cent-dodger-treasure) ## [ De Leon’s Dilemma: He’s Got to Attack Feinstein](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14221-de-leon-s-dilemma-he-s-got-to-attack-feinstein "De Leon’s Dilemma: He’s Got to Attack Feinstein") Details Jerry Roberts & Phil Trounstine [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084a.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14221-de-leon-s-dilemma-he-s-got-to-attack-feinstein) CALBUZZ--Kevin de Leon, the Democratic state Senate leader who wants to be a United States senator has a problem: Before he can make a compelling case for himself, he’s got to convince voters that after 24 years, they should fire U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14221-de-leon-s-dilemma-he-s-got-to-attack-feinstein) ## [ Female Lawmakers Challenge Sexual Harassment Culture at State Capitol](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14220-female-lawmakers-challenge-sexual-harassment-culture-at-state-capitol "Female Lawmakers Challenge Sexual Harassment Culture at State Capitol") Details Julia Conley [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084c.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14220-female-lawmakers-challenge-sexual-harassment-culture-at-state-capitol) \#ME TOO AT THE CAPITOL BUILDING-A letter signed by more than 140 women who work in the California Capitol, including six lawmakers, reveals that many women in the legislature have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. The letter has shed light this week on the widespread nature of sexual harassment in many kinds of workplaces, in the wake of mounting allegations of sexual misconduct in the film industry and the [\#MeToo](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/10/16/sexual-assault-survivors-break-collective-silence-viral-metoo-hashtag) demonstration that garnered attention on social media this week. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14220-female-lawmakers-challenge-sexual-harassment-culture-at-state-capitol) ## [ Golden State Continues to Lead Resistance to Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14219-golden-state-continues-to-lead-resistance-to-trump-s-muslim-ban "Golden State Continues to Lead Resistance to Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’") Details Massoud Hayoun [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084d.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14219-golden-state-continues-to-lead-resistance-to-trump-s-muslim-ban) CIVIL LIBERTIES--President Donald Trump's revised travel ban was halted in the 11th hour by a federal judge just before it was expected to go into effect Wednesday. But almost since Trump's election, Californians—those both directly and indirectly affected—have been busy scrambling to fight not just the ban but also broader White House policies seen by many as targeting Muslims at home and abroad. Finally, they're seeing some legislative results. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14219-golden-state-continues-to-lead-resistance-to-trump-s-muslim-ban) ## [ Jerry Brown Signs Ridiculous New Gun Law](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14218-jerry-brown-signs-ridiculous-new-gun-law "Jerry Brown Signs Ridiculous New Gun Law") Details Dan Walters [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084e.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14218-jerry-brown-signs-ridiculous-new-gun-law) CAL MATTERS--Last year, California’s Legislature and voters enacted a veritable blizzard of legislation making private gun ownership more difficult and expensive, including new restrictions on magazine capacity and ammunition sales. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14218-jerry-brown-signs-ridiculous-new-gun-law) ## [ LA Sheriff and His Deputies Remain at War Over So-Called ‘Brady List’](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14217-la-sheriff-and-his-deputies-remain-at-war-over-so-called-brady-list "LA Sheriff and His Deputies Remain at War Over So-Called ‘Brady List’") Details ALADS Board of Directors [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084f.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14217-la-sheriff-and-his-deputies-remain-at-war-over-so-called-brady-list) VOICES-The California Supreme Court has decided to [hear the appeal](http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001x3r5JkqrfKJwZH-5v68uwXXT01-Bld0dl3o7WD7P6h4KLj4aWwF2493RiHlVmBjQ7fuA5SENd88TGmQOiKKqP5Vc9zePcAERW1LTWmDy54MKnr9-pFdKEVyWIRom-UXcGvXOuN8BmSyNL-zXMfwKcqIYXS5LQsyGecsL0EiSEaDquTeJd2ceCO2Ixa67ujVwkgTGs8mM2eyFTHXwmzJcTD4eUCt71WazshdKgCgvUlaEV86lZypVSPzoad6wXWBFjSbzJ4zjjQ-xl6VJVrSVIe1DbHeW20IM3t9Iip14vBY=&c=NVnw9B8MIth33B6p-YFVj3vaTNzUO7dB77hjTjnCH-VN7rGP31Ej9Q==&ch=wo1jXShsWzO24nhA_d58eWnFNc04AW26TCC1wlVROToPMMyc7lxeqg==) requested by Sheriff Jim McDonnell (center, photo above) regarding the well-reasoned [Appellate Court decision](http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001x3r5JkqrfKJwZH-5v68uwXXT01-Bld0dl3o7WD7P6h4KLj4aWwF24_FSZLtunLb537M0btkx_UHEnwbDv7kJl6j5booTFR-106Grch5OfB42MNSv4NZn6SKIBtJFXQdTiEOIVkJcPd2tIdBeJzDZQZ8YEhQbz5yYzct1C3y-MuxAPcsW0NB32GyM2Cyf5Rz7U_xV-Kh25ZyTqHHMgam-pxK-J8zSUmSgzte0ZGTqjFygGPqgtD3IcSmnPC5Ua67grSXvCUl6ecR5S0fxbKvd9GB6xhYOvUdFCXG7eKnyaZNismnCN0o6myhLh6PeJIx5&c=NVnw9B8MIth33B6p-YFVj3vaTNzUO7dB77hjTjnCH-VN7rGP31Ej9Q==&ch=wo1jXShsWzO24nhA_d58eWnFNc04AW26TCC1wlVROToPMMyc7lxeqg==) which found the department's proposed release of its self-created Brady list to be illegal. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14217-la-sheriff-and-his-deputies-remain-at-war-over-so-called-brady-list) ## [ Listen Up LA! Attorney General Sessions’s War On Marijuana Is A Jobs Killer](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14216-listen-up-la-attorney-general-sessions-s-war-on-marijuana-is-a-jobs-killer "Listen Up LA! Attorney General Sessions’s War On Marijuana Is A Jobs Killer") Details Jossif Ezekilov [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084g.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14216-listen-up-la-attorney-general-sessions-s-war-on-marijuana-is-a-jobs-killer) 420 FILE--It’s no secret that Jeff Sessions has vowed to take American drug policy back 30 years with his desire to bring back the War on Drugs. The disastrous policy of the 80s and 90s has been called [the New Jim Crow](https://www.aclu.org/other/drug-war-new-jim-crow), as it oversaw a disproportionate amount of minorities incarcerated on inflated drug charges. This resulted in the US becoming the world’s leading jailer, with about 5 percent of the world’s population but over a quarter of the world’s prisoners. Moreover, there is hardly any evidence that it reduced crime or drug use in the US. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14216-listen-up-la-attorney-general-sessions-s-war-on-marijuana-is-a-jobs-killer) ## [ Masculinity is Under Attack … It’s about Time](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14215-masculinity-is-under-attack-it-s-about-time "Masculinity is Under Attack … It’s about Time") Details David Bell [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084l.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14215-masculinity-is-under-attack-it-s-about-time) BELL VIEW--My dad died a couple years ago. Something about the South Side of Chicago – where he grew up and spent his entire life – breeds a certain toughness into you. He had stamina. I’ll give him that. On Wednesday of the week he died, he was out mowing the lawn; on Thursday, he collapsed in the bathroom; on Friday, he died from stage four cancer of the lungs, liver, pancreas, and bones. The only complaint he ever had was a little back pain. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14215-masculinity-is-under-attack-it-s-about-time) ## [ Mayor’s Plans for Bike Lanes Hide Toxic Dangers for Kids](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14214-mayor-s-plans-for-bike-lanes-hide-toxic-dangers-for-kids "Mayor’s Plans for Bike Lanes Hide Toxic Dangers for Kids") Details Richard Lee Abrams [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084m.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14214-mayor-s-plans-for-bike-lanes-hide-toxic-dangers-for-kids) CORRUPTION WATCH-I’ve got a cracker jack idea – let’s freshen up our children’s classrooms with lead paint. Better yet, let’s protect the children from fire by using a lot of asbestos. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14214-mayor-s-plans-for-bike-lanes-hide-toxic-dangers-for-kids) ## [ NCs Are Not to Blame for the Housing Crisis: An Open Letter to Kevin de León](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14213-ncs-are-not-to-blame-for-the-housing-crisis-an-open-letter-to-kevin-leon "NCs Are Not to Blame for the Housing Crisis: An Open Letter to Kevin de León") Details Casey Maddren [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084n.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14213-ncs-are-not-to-blame-for-the-housing-crisis-an-open-letter-to-kevin-leon) Dear Senator de León-We are writing to you to express our deep disappointment regarding comments you made recently on ​*News Conference* hosted by Conan Nolan. In talking about the California ​L​egislature’s recent attempts to deal with the housing crisis, Nolan made the claim that Neighborhood Councils (NCs) are somehow obstructing the construction of affordable housing. Allow us to quote your response … [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14213-ncs-are-not-to-blame-for-the-housing-crisis-an-open-letter-to-kevin-leon) ## [ No Need to Mince Words: We’ve Become Distracted on the Road to LA’s Transportation Future](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14212-no-need-to-mince-words-we-ve-become-distracted-on-the-road-to-la-s-transportation-future "No Need to Mince Words: We’ve Become Distracted on the Road to LA’s Transportation Future") Details Kenneth S. Alpern [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084o.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14212-no-need-to-mince-words-we-ve-become-distracted-on-the-road-to-la-s-transportation-future) ALPERN AT LARGE--No need to mince words here--it's been tough being a transportation advocate. Political agendas, feel-good laws, ridiculous policies that send the wrong messages, and divisive paradigms have really distracted all of us from a unified approach to the planning, consensus and funding (and building) of a modern, 21st-Century LA City/County system. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14212-no-need-to-mince-words-we-ve-become-distracted-on-the-road-to-la-s-transportation-future) ## [ ‘Taste of Soul’ Needs Some Soul Searching](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14210-taste-of-soul-needs-some-soul-searching "‘Taste of Soul’ Needs Some Soul Searching") Details Eric Preven & Joshua Preven [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084q.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14210-taste-of-soul-needs-some-soul-searching) PREVEN REPORT-For months last year, every other word out of LA City Attorney Mike Feuer's mouth was a condemnation of Wells Fargo Bank, but at the Taste of Soul street fair this coming Saturday Wells Fargo's giant logo will appear right beside the seals of the Los Angeles City and County. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14210-taste-of-soul-needs-some-soul-searching) ## [ The Great Inequality Machine – How LA City Hall does its Part](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14209-the-great-inequality-machine-how-la-city-hall-does-its-part "The Great Inequality Machine – How LA City Hall does its Part") Details Dick Platkin [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084r.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14209-the-great-inequality-machine-how-la-city-hall-does-its-part) PLATKIN ON PLANNING-As our illustrious President tries to bamboozle the American public into believing that his back-of-the-envelope tax and health plans -- that allow [the rich to get even richer](http://www.newsweek.com/trump-tax-plan-inequality-637770) – will actually lift the income of working people, it is hard not to think about ever growing economic inequality in the United States. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14209-the-great-inequality-machine-how-la-city-hall-does-its-part) ## [ What the Heck is the DWP ‘Equity Metrics Initiative’? And, Why It’s Important that Know](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14207-what-the-heck-is-the-dwp-equity-metrics-initiative-and-why-it-s-important-that-know "What the Heck is the DWP ‘Equity Metrics Initiative’? And, Why It’s Important that Know") Details Tony Butka [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084t.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14207-what-the-heck-is-the-dwp-equity-metrics-initiative-and-why-it-s-important-that-know) EASTSIDER-I’ve always been amazed at bureaucracies’ ability to mask their programs for the poor, the disabled, people of color and other under-represented/underserved groups, with opaque titles. Here, what is truly at the heart of the Equity Metrics Initiative is inequality. [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14207-what-the-heck-is-the-dwp-equity-metrics-initiative-and-why-it-s-important-that-know) ## [ Why LA Shouldn't Bend Over Backwards to Get Amazon to Headquarter Here](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14206-why-la-shouldn-t-bend-over-backwards-to-get-amazon-to-headquarter-here "Why LA Shouldn't Bend Over Backwards to Get Amazon to Headquarter Here") Details Rick Paulas [LOS ANGELES](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles) October 19 2017 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/084u.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14206-why-la-shouldn-t-bend-over-backwards-to-get-amazon-to-headquarter-here) PERSPECTIVE—*(Editor’s note: Amazon is looking for a second headquarters city. Los Angeles is [preparing to make the case](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/la-watchdog-for-rss/13990-amazon-has-5-billion-to-invest-in-a-second-headquarters-city-will-business-unfriendly-la-make-the-cut) for Los Angeles. Rick Paulas thinks that may be a bad idea. Read on.)* In early 2010, the city of Topeka, Kansas, was in trouble. The city's [unemployment](https://psmag.com/economics/suicide-rate-linked-to-high-unemployment-3688) rate had risen to unprecedented levels. Some in the mayor's office thought that a lack of affordable broadband [Internet access](https://psmag.com/news/only-43-percent-of-californias-rural-residents-have-broadband-internet-access) wasn't helping. Mayor Bill Bunten tried to remedy the situation by [changing the city's name to Google](http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/02/google.kansas.topeka/index.html). [ Read more … ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14206-why-la-shouldn-t-bend-over-backwards-to-get-amazon-to-headquarter-here) 1. [ CA’s Opioid Epidemic Needs a Tougher Response](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14199-ca-s-opioid-epidemic-needs-a-tougher-response) 2. [ Can Agitator de Leon Really Unseat California’s Most Unruffable Liberal?](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14198-can-agitator-de-leon-really-unseat-california-s-most-unruffable-liberal) 3. [ City Hall’s Bigamist? Could a Smoking Gun Sink Him for Bigger Crimes?](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14197-city-hall-s-bigamist-could-a-smoking-gun-sink-him-for-bigger-crimes) 4. [ David Ryu Opens His Books … Guess What Pops Out](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14196-david-ryu-opens-his-books-guess-what-pops-out) 5. [ Ex-inmates Win New Law Telling California Employers to ‘Ban the Box’](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14194-ex-inmates-win-new-law-telling-california-employers-to-ban-the-box) 6. [ From Hollywood to the Corner Office and Every Cubical In Between: Sexual Harassment Pervades the US](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14193-from-hollywood-to-the-corner-office-and-every-cubical-in-between-sexual-harassment-pervades-the-us) 7. [ Herb Wesson, LA Mayor for Almost a Year Now](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14192-herb-wesson-la-mayor-for-almost-a-year-now) 8. [ How Technology Will Help Angelenos Flee to the New ‘Urbs’](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14191-how-technology-will-help-angelenos-flee-to-the-new-urbs) 9. [ Immigration Courts: A Game of 'Refugee Roulette'](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14190-immigration-courts-a-game-of-refugee-roulette) 10. [ Lessons Learned From a True Westside-Style Friday the 13th!](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14189-lessons-learned-from-a-true-westside-style-friday-the-13th) 11. [ 'No Kill' Alert! LA City Trust Funds May be Used for Feral Cats and 'Free' Pets](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14185-no-kill-alert-la-city-trust-funds-may-be-used-for-feral-cats-and-free-pets) 12. [ SoCal’s Future: Driverless Cars or Carless Freeways?](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14183-socal-s-future-driverless-cars-or-carless-freeways) 13. [ Virtual Reality … So Real It’s Scary!](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14182-virtual-reality-so-real-it-s-scary) 14. [ California Scores In Bottom 10 on Gun Deaths … But Sill a Long Way to Go](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14179-california-scores-in-bottom-10-on-gun-deaths-but-sill-a-long-way-to-go) 15. [ Los Angeles: Illegal Planning Capital of the World](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14176-los-angeles-illegal-planning-capital-of-the-world) 16. [ How the People of America Change in Just a Few Terrifying Moments](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14175-how-the-people-of-america-change-in-just-a-few-terrifying-moments) 17. [ Must Read! How Nextdoor Found 10 Million People While LA City Planning Found 100](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14174-must-read-how-nextdoor-found-10-million-people-while-la-city-planning-found-100) 18. [ Predictable Cash & Endorsements Fuel the ‘Lifer Pipeline’ for Assembly District 51](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14171-predictable-cash-endorsements-fuel-the-lifer-pipeline-for-assembly-district-51) 19. [ Stepping on the Neck of Constituents is Just ... Not ... Funny!](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14169-stepping-on-the-neck-of-constituents-is-just-not-funny) 20. [ To Oust Hawkish, Centrist Feinstein, Progressives Push for Primary Challenge](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14168-to-oust-hawkish-centrist-feinstein-progressives-push-for-primary-challenge) Page 255 of 355 - [Start](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles "Start") - [Prev](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5313 "Prev") - [250](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5229 "250") - [251](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5250 "251") - [252](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5271 "252") - [253](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5292 "253") - [254](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5313 "254") - 255 - [256](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5355 "256") - [257](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5376 "257") - [258](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5397 "258") - [259](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5418 "259") - [Next](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=5355 "Next") - [End](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles?start=7434 "End")