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.
|
Issue No. 61 - May 28, 2021
|
- California became the most recent state to institute a lottery that will award cash prizes to residents who get vaccinated. With $116 million in total prize money, California now has the biggest jackpots on The Strip.
|
- It is looking increasingly probable that Mayor Eric Garcetti will be named ambassador to India, and will not finish out his final term. If so, it is up to the Los Angeles City Council to decide how to fill the vacancy, a matter complicated by the number of councilmembers who were already considering running for mayor in 2022.
|
Police Violence and Community Resistance
|
- During a nonsensical press conference, Sheriff Alex Villanueva denied the existence of deputy gangs… Attorneys for the city of Compton, which has a $22 million contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, have accused the department of rampant fraudulent billing… District Attorney George Gascón announced that an LASD deputy will be prosecuted for perjury after video evidence demonstrated he lied about the location of a gun… Sheriff Villanueva has unsurprisingly endorsed the petition to recall Gascón.
- On Wednesday, under an overbearing police presence, Echo Park was reopened for the first time in two months. The perimeter fence around the park was left up, leaving only four entrances and exits — making it easier for police and security to make sure the park is kept empty after the newly enforced 10:30 PM curfew.
|
- Drought conditions continue to worsen, and California’s wildfire season is already outpacing 2020. CalMatters questions whether the state is truly prepared.
|
- On Thursday, LA County’s Metro board approved a plan that will provide free transit to students and low-income riders. The fareless transit pilot program is planned to last 23 months and will launch this August. In a major victory for riders, city buses will remain free between now and when the program is implemented.
- At the same meeting Metro advanced a plan to develop a Bus Rapid Transit line from North Hollywood to Pasadena. Still unresolved is the line’s path through Eagle Rock, where a plan to beautify Colorado Boulevard is opposed by local NIMBYs who worry that improved public transit will make the neighborhood more accessible to the working class. Councilmember Kevin DeLeon recently sided with the NIMBYs; you can contact him to advocate for improved public transit here.
|
|
