UN4LA News - March 2024
A monthly newsletter published by United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles.
UN4LA's mission is to bring communities together to plan for a sustainable future. Growth must be shaped by community engagement, not developer dollars.
L.A. COUNTY ELECTION ROUNDUP
There were no big surprises in the March 5 primary election, but a few incumbents could be looking for work come November. The three members of the Board of Supervisors that were running for re-election, Holly Mitchell, Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger, all won easily. It may be time for Alex Villanueva to start thinking about a career outside the public sector.
As of Tuesday night, District Attorney George Gascón held the lead with about 22% of the vote, but fell far short of gaining the 50% needed to win outright. It seems likely he'll face Nathan Hochman in the general election.
On the Los Angeles City Council, incumbents Imelda Padilla (CD 6), Marqueece Harris-Dawson (CD 8), and John Lee (CD 12) all coasted to victory. In CD 4, it looks like a tight race between incumbent Nithya Raman and challenger Ethan Weaver, and the two will likely face off in November. CD 10 representative Heather Hutt had racked up 37% of the vote on Tuesday night, which was not enough to avoid going to the general election. Her opponent will probably be attorney Grace Yoo.
And Kevin de León fights on, bloody but unbowed. Having held on through the scandal that brought down former Council President Nury Martinez, the game politician is struggling to hang on to his seat representing CD 14. Unfortunately, with only 29% of the vote, he's obviously having a harder time than any of his council colleagues. He will likely go head-to-head with Assemblymember Miguel Santiago in November.
In the race for CD 2, the only open seat in this election, it appears that Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and businessman Sam Kbushyan will be the finalists.
Shrieks of agony could be heard reverberating through Downtown on election night, as officials at City Hall realized that Measure HLA would pass easily. The measure was placed on the ballot to compel the City to implement the Mobility Plan that it approved in 2016, even though it was clear at the time that funding for the Plan wasn't available. In the weeks heading up to the election, City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo warned that the measure would cost the City of LA over $3 billion, money it doesn't have. In early returns it looked like passage of HLA was a slam dunk, as 65% of voters were in favor. Maybe this will be a lesson for the folks at City Hall. Stop approving plans and programs you have no intention of funding.
In Long Beach, the passage of Measure RW is much less certain. If approved it would increase the minimum hourly wage for hotel workers from $17.55 to $29.50 by 2028. As of election night, the count was 52% for to 48% against.
CONTROVERSY OVER REPORT ASSESSING EFFECTIVENESS OF HOMELESS STRATEGY
In July 2021, the LA City Council approved a controversial addition to the LA Municipal Code, Section 41.18, which prohibits homeless persons from camping in designated areas throughout the city, including near schools, parks and libraries. In April of last year, the Council ordered city departments to review the anti-camping ordinance to assess its effectiveness. Last week LAist reported that the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) delivered a damning assessment of the ordinance in November of last year, but that it was not distributed to councilmembers. According to LAist, the report was withheld by city officials because it could be seen as supporting the view that the City of LA was not making progress on homelessness.
Hidden City Report: Controversial Encampment Law is Failing
Council President Paul Krekorian objected strongly to many of the assertions in the LAist story, and published the following rebuttal.
Council President Krekorian's Response to LAist Story on LAHSA Report
L.A. CITY ETHICS COMMISSION REJECTS MOONVES AGREEMENT
In an unusual turn of events, the LA City Ethics Commission rejected a settlement agreement that would have required former CBS chief Leslie Moonves to pay $11,250 for allegedly conspiring with the LAPD to bury a sexual assault complaint. The complaint was filed by a woman who accused Moonves of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s. As part of the proposed settlement, Moonves acknowledged having received confidential information about the complaint from former LAPD Commander Cory Palka. However, the Ethics Commission members felt that the settlement wasn't enough, and that Moonves' actions required a harsher penalty.
LA Ethics Panel Rejects Proposed Fine for Ex-CBS Exec Les Moonves over Police Probe Interference
WILL MAYOR BASS' EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE 1 CREATE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING L.A. NEEDS?
Mayor Karen Bass' Executive Directive 1 (ED1) states as its purpose: "To aid in swiftly sheltering people who are unhoused in the City of Los Angeles [....]" But a recent story from CalMatters raises questions about whether ED1 projects will actually produce housing that's affordable for the Angelenos who need it most. The story points out that a number of for-profit developers have submitted applications under ED1, and that while these units could technically be called "affordable", a studio apartment in these projects could actually go for about $1,800 a month. Is this really going to "to aid in swiftly sheltering people who are unhoused"?
Los Angeles’ One Weird Trick to Build Affordable Housing at No Public Cost
MOVIES AFTER THE PANDEMIC: ONE THEATER CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS
Having struggled to recover after the pandemic, the Highland Theater closed at the end of February. Designated a Historic Cultural Monument by the City of LA in 1991, for decades the theater was a favorite destination for the residents of Highland Park. It closed temporarily in March 2020 as Covid cases mounted. Unfortunately, after reopening in May 2021 it was never able to draw the crowds it had in the past. The owner hopes that the theater will find new life, possibly as a venue for film and music events.
Historic Movie Theater in Highland Park Closes after 100 Years
While one theater is going dark, the lights are coming back on at another. The Village Theater in Westwood, for decades a mecca for filmgoers, was facing an uncertain future, but now things are looking very bright indeed. A group of Hollywood's most prominent names has come together to purchase and revitalize this historic movie palace. Led by Jason Reitman, the group includes Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Steven Spielberg and Lulu Wang.
Jason Reitman and a Group of Directors Have Bought Westwood’s Iconic Village Theater
