Direct Air Capture and Big Oil
CLIMATE POLITICS-CNBC recently produced a 17-minute video about direct air capture (DAC) and corporations, specifically big oil, funding R&D operations.
Our mission is to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.
CLIMATE POLITICS-CNBC recently produced a 17-minute video about direct air capture (DAC) and corporations, specifically big oil, funding R&D operations.
GELFAND’S WORLD--In terms of Meghan, Harry, and Oprah, I think Patrick Freyne says it best:
LA COUNTY POLITICS-Near the end of last year’s swirling and ongoing feud between the LA County Board of Supervisors and Alex Villanueva, the first LA County Sheriff to unseat an incumbent in over 100 years, County CEO, Sachi Hamai, left her $450,000 a year position with a $1.5 million dollar payout from the county.
EASTSIDER-The new vote by mail election for California Delegates to the State Party worked great and resulted in a big surprise for the establishment Dems!
The New System
In an earlier article, I went over the new all vote by mail election system:
“On the plus side, this year’s effort by the State Party is a lot simpler than it was two years ago, since there is no physical voting location. All voting is being done by mail ballots, inherently more egalitarian (as long as you have an email address and a mail address that they can send the physical ballot to).
Any registered Democrat could sign up by January 11, with ballots going out early February (I got mine on the 11th). However, it was really a two-step process. When you signed up, you were then verified (name and address) as a bona fide democrat, and then the Party sent you a code. The code has to be used on the actual ballot before you send it in, as an additional safety check.
Not only that, but the Party popped for “postage paid” on the return envelope. You can vote for up to 14 candidates, with the caveat that anyone voting for more than 14 will have their ballot voided.”
Below I have listed the actual final election results for AD51, sorted by slate:
The Establishment Slate (Communities United For AD51)
Susana Lopez Theresa Montano Maggie Darett-Quiroz
585 591 466
Jamie Tijerina Stephanie Maynetto-Jackson Sarah Rascon
606 492 569
Kathrina Abrot Michael Contreras Victor G Sanchez
454 478 540
Luiz Antonio Sanchez Francis Engler Vincento Gonzalez-Reyes
508 483 442
John Gallogly Alexander De Ocampo
411 508
In the earlier post, I characterized the slate as:
“First, there is what I call the “Establishment” Slate, in the sense that it is essentially controlled by Maria Eleana Durazo and Wendy Carrillo, our current State Senator and Assembly member. You can find a link to their website here.”
Progressive Democrats For Justice (East Area Progressives)
Tessie Borden Maggie Buckles Eileen Hatrick
455 475 523
Angelica Lopez Moyes Alicia Romero Perez Casey Revkin Ryan
538 510 473
Emily Spokes Ben Cassorla Hugh Esten
486 480 ` 428
Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia Matt Kaczmarek Azeen Khanmalek
501 428 426
Paul McDermott Brian Mico
420 402
“The second major slate, similar to the last time out, is that from the East Area Progressives folks, called “Progressive Democrats for Justice.” Again, you can find a link to their website here.”
AD 51 Peoples Action (Bernie and Allied)
Abby Austin Selene Betancourt Lauren Buisson
869 915 849
Hayley Coupon Victor Frias Jeremy Gray
792 877 745
Phillip Iglauer Yolanda Nogueira Carolyn Park
734 847 938
Ismael Perra Eric Pierce Ezra Pugh
560 800 789
Amanda Miguel Staples Jose Gama Vargas
848 871
(Winners in bold)
“Finally, the third slate I found is “AD 51 Peoples Action,” an alternative to the two relative goliaths fighting it out and is affiliated with the DSA-LA (Democratic Socialists for America).
Their Facebook page can be found here.
Actually, they are an interesting group, and if their platform is any indication, looks to me like my Bernie folks! Like Medicare for All, Green New Deal, Criminal Justice Reform, Black Lives Matter, and such. Check out their link.”
The Takeaway
I included the slate descriptions of my first article so that those interested can click on the various slates’ links.
That said, this was an amazing job of using magic, smarts, social media, and electronic outreach on the part of the AD 51 Peoples Action group. They won 100% of the delegates for AD 51.
Most of the unsuccessful candidates were in the 500’s or less votes, while Carolyn Park and Selene Betancourt were over 900!
For comparison, in the election two years ago, the counter establishment forces came close to winning despite a whole tangled web of actual election irregularities by the establishment slate. You can read about that election here.
I do think that courtesy of the COVID-19 issues, that the EAPD slate folks, who include a lot of LAUSD employees, were trying to juggle too many issues with the school district to fully focus on the AD51 election. We’ll see next time.
Any way you look at it, his election marks a huge change in how to run a successful vote by mail election. As I wrote in the earlier article,
“This internal election, like almost all Dems elections, is gamed by the players. For example, it is quite possible that there will be less votes in this election because no one except the interested players and their friends even know there actually is an ADEM AD-51 election going on. And if you find out about it from this article, it will already be too late to register to vote.
On the other hand, it may be easier to vote this time precisely because you don’t have to get in a car, take public transportation, or walk to a polling place. Should be interesting, and this time, no Eric Bauman.”
Wow!
(Tony Butka is an Eastside community activist, who has served on a neighborhood council, has a background in government and is a contributor to CityWatch.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
HOUSING OR HOTELS?--Does Hollywood need more housing for essential workers or more luxury hotels? This is the decision facing the Los Angeles City Planning Commission.
PLANNING WATCH-In previous Planning Watch columns I debunked the claims of YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) groups.
MY TURN--RICO stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968) and was designed to stop the Mafia, La Costa Nostra, wise-guys, etc.
OTHER WORDS-President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is more than just a response to the coronavirus. It’s also one of the largest anti-poverty measures in U.S. history.
AMERICAN WAR MACHINE-So wrote Stephen Zunes, in the wake of Joe Biden’s first act of murder as president. . .excuse me, his first act of defensive military action: bombing a border post in Syria last week, killing 22 of our enemies.
PEACE VOICE-As the Biden administration settles in, let’s pause to take stock of where American politics now stands. It’s not a pretty picture, but it has the potential for improvement. Here goes:
GELFAND’S WORLD--The $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill passed by the Senate as the American Rescue Plan Act is a big deal.
NEED MORE THAN SUBURBS--Anybody who pays attention to the news knows that there’s a heated, ongoing debate in LA, and across California, about how to solve our housing problems.
MY TURN--Sometimes, one waits for the other shoe to drop, but in the Erika Jayne - Tom Girardi saga of lust, power and greed, there’s a whole closet full of designer shoes to stumble forth.
@THE GUSS REPORT-Largely unknown to most people before the pandemic, Zoom is the video chat service now ingrained in daily life around the planet, keeping colleagues, schoolmates, congregations, and families in contact at a safe social distance.
HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT-Since 2018, when Proposition 10 sought to expand rent control in California, rent control movements have only gained momentum throughout the United States.
CLIMATE POLITICS-A recent UN Assessment, as of February 26, 2021, regarding progress or lack thereof by the 195 nations to the 2015 Paris climate agreement is starting to look like a big bust.
TOM’S DISPATCH--The Four Horsemen of our media apocalypse — Rush Limbaugh, Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, and Donald Trump — have ridden roughshod over us this past half-century leaving their hoofprints on our politics, our culture, and our lives.
LA REAL ESTATE--The property Jordan Mazer bought in December is the classic Venice beach house in more ways than one.
PERSPECTIVE-On Tuesday, March 2, SPUR hosted an hourlong online conversation with Assembly members Phil Ting and David Chiu (above right) and State Senator Scott Wiener (above left).
GUEST WORDS--It's no secret - marginalized communities in Los Angeles are in constant threat for falling victim to displacement and gentrification.
THE DOCTOR IS IN--Anyone who thinks that the "doom and gloom" and lockdown-lifestyle we have, and all the economic misery, mask-wearing, and social distancing that go with it, is a courageous, patriotic challenge for us all to get through together too often misses the mark.
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