LOS ANGELES

GELFAND’S WORLD--Some trends are slow but build steadily. The September 11 attacks and the resulting legislation extended the government’s role in surveillance over the American people.

ALPERN AT LARGE--It's not hard to conclude that the homelessness crisis is ever worsening--some of its worsening is due to legitimate causes, and some of that worsening is entirely due to either "unforced errors" or active choices that threaten the balance of rights and responsibilities in a civilized society.

PLANNING WATCH--Yup, Santa may be coming to town in 2020, but not as a jolly old elf who knows who’s been nice.  No, it looks like 2020‘s Bad Santa will be State Senator Scott Wiener, and his presents aren’t for kids, but dollars for property owners through his third try at Senate Bill 50, his statewide upzoning bill. 

ONE MAN’S OPINION-The Founding Fathers fashioned a republic based upon thousands of years of Western history where the consent of the people had been ignored.

SOUTH OF THE 10--The former executive assistant to Inglewood Mayor James Butts has finally confirmed what he has refused to publicly acknowledge.

CALBUZZ-For months now, Calbuzz has advocated impeaching Donald Trump in the House of Representatives and NOT sending the articles of impeachment to the U.S. Senate, where Mitch McConnell’s rabid Republicans would instantly acquit the president. 

@THE GUSS REPORT-As we wade knee-deep into the 21^st century, we still have lessons to learn, as I shared last week in “Love and Political Lessons from a Special Needs Rescue Dog.” 

ALPERN AT LARGE-Poetry and sleepiness, drive and dizziness, cross my mind.

OTHER WORDS-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is back in the news on a topic close to my heart: student loans.   

AT LENGTH-“The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” — U.S. Constitution, Article II, section 4 

CAL MATTERS--To me, California has always been an amazing place with a wondrous geography far more diverse than the other two largest states.

ONE MAN’S OPINION-Money is not the root of all evil; even the love of money is not the root of all evil.

CLIMATE POLITICS--Five years ago: Nations of the world met in Paris to draft a climate agreement that was subsequently accepted by nearly every country in the world, stating that global temperatures must not exceed +2C pre-industrial. Global emissions must be cut! Fossil fuel usage must be cut! 

EASTSIDER-Last month, when we visited the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council, they had a major blow-up over a proposal to totally revamp their Land Use Committee; directly by the Board itself. This month, the food fight continued. 

ALPERN AT LARGE-As the impeachment circus in the House (hardcore Democrats probably think that Trump and his supporters are the clowns, while hardcore Republicans probably think that Pelosi, Schiff, and Nadler and their supporters are the clowns) moves now (or not) to the Senate, we're still where we were a decade ago. 

RANTZ & RAVEZ-I submit my column for publication every other week and this will be my final column for 2019.

SOUTH OF THE 10-During a week when American workers have hope with the coming United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and a phase one trade deal with China driven by President Trump, key leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are driving to restore the status quo of anemic wages and high unemployment to their communities back home by attempting to unseat Trump, the only president in recent history to move the economic needle for blacks in America.

ENERGY POLITICS-Powerful forces are quickly moving Pacific Gas & Electric towards a settlement on its hideously complex multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy case. Thankfully, Gov. Gavin Newsom has put at least a temporary hold on a final agreement.

PERSPECTIVE-As we all know, the largest US corporations and their chief executives were the main beneficiaries of Trump’s so-called tax reform in 2017.

PLANNING WATCH-A municipal version of the dog bites man story surfaced last week, with another METRO report that ridership on buses, subways, and light rail has declined yet again. 

AN ARTIFICIAL CRISIS-Something doesn’t make much sense to me that our major metropolitan areas, all with tens of thousands of homeless people on their streets, would simultaneously have four to five empty housing units sitting vacant per person for everyone sleeping outside.