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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. 63 - June 11, 2021
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- Once again, the end of California’s temporary eviction moratorium is looming, with little indication either way if the state will extend it. SB 91, the current eviction protection, sunsets on June 30.
- SB 91 already has plenty of holes, leaving renters affected by COVID-19 with tons of rental debt. A motion proposed by LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis may remedy that, by having the county acquire all remaining debt of low-income tenants, at the true market value of the debt (based on likelihood of recovery). The motion as written also, shockingly, toys with the idea of corporate landlords who can afford to do so simply absorbing some losses as the cost of doing business. It is a motion for a further study to be conducted and reported back in 45 days. The Board of Supervisors passed it unanimously on Tuesday.
- After threatening to show “tough love” to Venice’s unhoused population, Sheriff Alex Villanueva led a team of deputies to conduct a sham outreach operation along the Venice Boardwalk. As noted by Sahra Sulaiman, the LASD does not have primary jurisdiction over Venice, but the media response to this unilateral usurpation of civil authority has been muted.
- Though the LASD immediately bragged about the success of their “outreach” in Venice, follow-up reporting for Spectrum from Kate Cagle noted that one of the unhoused people who deputies claimed to have sheltered ended up sleeping outside.
- Reporting from Lexis-Olivier Ray in L.A. Taco examines the city’s failure to properly service handwashing stations for the unhoused throughout the pandemic.
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Police Violence and Community Resistance
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- As first reported by Cerise Castle, the Los Angeles Demoratic Party voted overwhelmingly to call for the immediate resignation of Sheriff Villanueva, with 91% support. The motion cited Villanueva’s roadblocking of investigations into deputy gangs, and calls for solidarity with the family of Andrés Guardado who was killed by LASD deputies.
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- In his Boiling Point column, Sammy Roth examines a groundbreaking new report on California’s transition to clean-energy jobs. The report has been endorsed by nineteen trade unions, including two unions representing oil workers. A union representative explained that support: “As an oil worker, you’re standing on the track, and you can see the train coming […] The choice for us is, do we stand on the track and face whatever happens?”
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