The Thorn West is a state and local news roundup compiled by members of DSA-LA. Our goal is to provide a weekly update on the latest developments in state and local politics, and to track the issues that are most important to our membership.
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Issue No. 58 - May 7, 2021
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- Mayor Garcetti is rumored to be under consideration as an ambassador to India, potentially before his term as mayor is up. The last time Garcetti considered taking a position in the Biden administration, activists protested outside of the mayor’s mansion for weeks, but BLM-LA co-founder Melina Abdullah would support such a move, as “an ambassador is not going to be setting policy” and it would get Garcetti out of Los Angeles.
- Councilmember Mike Bonin has announced that he will be running for re-election for a final term in 2022, while City Council President Nury Martinez is considering a run for mayor.
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Police Violence and Community Resistance
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- The People’s Budget LA Coalition made a presentation over Zoom to several councilmembers, including Nury Martinez. The presentation noted that community surveys indicate overwhelming support for defunding the police and redirecting that money to community support services. Coalition member Kendrick Sampson encouraged the council to imagine a future where the city budgets humanely. Baba Akili’s segment presented five steps (@53:39) that could be taken immediately, including rejecting the Mayor’s proposed increase to the LAPD budget.
- The councilmembers’ hearing of the People’s Budget LA Coalition was incredibly collegiate, as was the council’s unanimous vote last week in favor of approving a $30,000 donation to the LAPD to be spent on surveillance equipment.
- On April 26, the Culver City Council discussed the recommendations of the Solidarity Consulting report on reimagining public safety (by defunding the police). Culver City Action Network has an excellent breakdown of the results, which were mixed. Coverage in Spectrum News adds the context of Culver City’s history as a racist “sundown town.”
- The LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion calling for an investigation into the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department’s pattern of harassing the families of people killed by deputies. Numerous family members testified to the cruel intimidation tactics perpetrated by deputies. Activist coalition Check the Sheriff has been instrumental in calling for justice for the families of victims of LASD violence.
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- Metro attempted to get a widening of the 710 Freeway approved without studying the impact on air quality in neighboring communities. The EPA said no. For more, see this statement released by the Coalition for Environmental Health and Justice.
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