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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. 67 - July 9, 2021
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- This algorithm on CalMatters lets Californians calculate their eligibility for the $600 Golden State Stimulus payment (which you must file your taxes to receive).
- It’s official: Mayor Garcetti has been appointed ambassador to India and, if confirmed, will step down as mayor. He leaves behind a legacy of disengaged mediocrity and negligent harm.
- Last week, the LA City Council voted to extend the moratorium on ticketing unpermitted street vendors. The council also passed a motion to reduce the city’s vendor permit fee until 2022. These fixes are temporary and incomplete, and street vendors are advocating for permanent reforms to the city’s permit system, calling for an end to stringent cart requirements and harsh enforcement.
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- Reporters from the LA Times, among many others, have been bearing witness to the attempts at unhoused outreach (or lack thereof) happening at Venice Beach, where an encampment is steadily being displaced, quadrant by quadrant, frequently in the dead of night.
- This thread, which fact-checks the claim, made by Councilmember John Lee while speaking in favor of last week’s homelessness criminalization motion, that his district had “60 unused beds,” demonstrates how acceptable it has become to casually lie about unhoused people.
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Police Violence and Community Resistance
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- The South Central Neighborhood Council unanimously passed a resolution demanding just compensation for the people who were injured or lost their homes as a result of the LAPD’s detonation of fireworks in a residential neighborhood. The resolution (here) also demands that the LAPD vacate the disaster zone and not be involved in relief efforts, and that those responsible be investigated criminally. A community forum is scheduled for Monday.
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- This past Saturday, a transphobic protest at Wi Spa, attempting to limit the access trans people had to use the facility, was met by a larger counterprotest. Reporting in Los Angeles Blade provides thorough coverage, including evidence that the video that incited the anti-trans protest was likely staged.
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The last 12 months were the seventh driest in Los Angeles’ 144 years of records. Statewide, Governor Newsom has declared drought emergency conditions in nine new counties and asked Californians to curb their water usage by 15%. Politico calls attention to the disproportionate risk that wildfires pose to Latinx communities, as many fear drought conditions will contribute to an intense wildfire season.
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