What's Next, Los Angeles? with Mike Bonin

A week after polls closed, the results of a lot of elections are becoming and apparent, and there have been some wild developments! There have been blowouts, nail-biters and big surprises, and Alissa Walker and Godfrey Plata join Mike Bonin to review and discuss it all.  The resounding victory of Measure HLA. An edge-of-your-seats finale to the Nithya Raman re-election campaign.  A huge surge for progressives in multiple races. A closely watched anti-gay campaign in Glendale. And a helluva lot more.Check the chapter markers to find the segments of the show you're most interested in.

One of the most high-profile races on the ballot is the one for Los Angeles County District Attorney, where incumbent George Gascon – a progressive reformer – is being challenged by a large field of candidates.What does a District Attorney really do? How does the position impact criminal justice? How much does it impact crime, and in what ways? And what is a progressive prosecutor? Why is reform needed and what does it look like? In this episode, we talk about that and more, including why it important – crucial even – to re-elect George Gascon. Mike talks with Marissa Roy, the podcast’s resident legal analyst, as well as Tracee Porter, who has been through the criminal justice system, and talks about what harms it caused her, and the rest of society. 

In Los Angeles, there is a deadly crisis on our streets. People from all walks of life – grandparents, elementary school children, service workers, pastors, artists – are falling victim to a rampant killer. Incredibly, elected officials are doing almost nothing about it, but voters can change that – right now.The killer is traffic violence, and it is on the rise. In 2023, 337 people were killed in automobile crashes in Los Angeles. It’s the worst year on record, with more people dying from car crashes than from murder. In fact, car crashes are the number killer of children in Los Angeles County. An additional 1,559 people were severely injured last year. Voting yes on the Healthy Streets initiative – Measure HLA – would be a huge step to address this crisis and keep our streets safe.In this episode, Mike talks with Michael Schneider of Streets for All, the lead proponent of the measure. They discuss what it would do, why it is necessary, and how the opposition if full of lies and exaggerations.

You've seen the waves of anti-LGBTQ+ hate in Florida and other places, but did you know it is happening right here in Greater Los Angeles? For the past few years, anti-LGBTQ+ hate has been growing, thanks to the influence of Proud Boys, J6 insurrectionists, and right-wing provocateurs with groups like LibsofTikTok and Gays Against Groomers.  And now, two of the leaders of the anti-LGBTQ+ movement, which has been terrorizing parents, students, teachers and school officials, are running for seats on the Glendale School Board.In this episode, Mike talks about what has happened over the past few years with parent Angie Givant, teacher Alicia Harris and LGBTQ+ activist and GUSD alum Erik Adamian. And then later in the show, Angie and Alicia will join me to talk about the dynamics and the particulars of the school board race.Further InformationGUSD Parents for Public Schools websiteGUSD Parents for Public Schools  twitterGALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian SocietyWNLA: Who is Really Behind the Anti-LGBTQ+ protests in LA? (June 12, 2023)Guardian: ‘Chaos campaign’: how an Armenian enclave became the center of an anti-LGBTQ+ battleDaily Beast: How Far-Right Extremists Are Targeting Pro-LGBT SchoolsGlendale News-Press: Advocates Denounce Hate Speech, Harassment Across GUSDThe Real Jordan Henry: Extremist in GlendaleThe Real Aneta Krpekyan

The last in my series of 2024 primary election candidate spotlights: Heather HuttSince 2020, L.A.'s 10th council district has had a revolving cast of councilmembers, both elected and appointed. The City Council appointed Heather Hutt to fill the post in September 2022. She is now running to represent the district as its elected councilmember.Before serving on the council. Hutt served in senior roles for several public officials, most notably as state director for then-US Senator Kamala Harris, chief of staff to Councilmember Herb Wesson, and district director to state Assemblymember and Senator Isadore Hall. She has the endorsement of Mayor Bass, the council’s progressive bloc, and also the council’s most conservative members. She was born and raised in the 10th district – and she is also a single mother to 3 sons that she raised in the 10th district.She and I served together on the council for about 90 days at one of the most politically tumultuous times in modern LA history.Her website is here: https://www.heatherhutt.com/

Since 2020, L.A.'s 10th council district has had a revolving cast of councilmembers, both elected and appointed. Now, voters finally get to choose a permanent, voting representative on the council.There is a big and impressive field of candidates   – and on this episode I talk with Reggie Jones-Sawyer.An Assemblymember representing South Los Angeles since 2012, Jones-Sawyer revived the chamber's Progressive Caucus and has chaired the Public Safety Committee, where he was pushed major legislation to reimagine public safety and promote alternatives to incarceration. Prior to his election to office, Jones-Sawyer was an officer with the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. He served for several years in various capacities for the City of Los Angeles, including as deputy mayor, an assistant general manager, and director of real estate.You can find out more about his campaign here: https://www.reggieforla.com/

The elections are here -- and in the City of Los Angeles, seven of the 15 council seats are on the ballot, and five of them are pretty spirited. Mike is joined by journalist and political strategist Jasmyne Cannick and Democratic Party activist and former council candidate Marco Santana to discuss what's at stake, break down each of the races, and dish a bit.Some context on the elections:Council District 14: Your guide to the L.A. City Council District 14 race (LA Times)The Seething Anti-Blackness of Kevin de LeónCouncil District 10: Laist Coverage Council District 12:  Ethics Showdown in District 12 City Council RaceCouncil District 4:  LA’s Corporate Class Wants to Reverse Progressive GainCouncil District 2:  LAist Coverage

Jillian Burgos is an essential healthcare worker, and a small business owner. She graduated from Emily’s List Ignite Change Fellowship and Los Angeles Democrats inaugural TAP Academy and now a 2023 New Leaders Council fellow. Jillian ran for office and was elected to the NoHo Neighborhood Council as the Arts Organization Representative. Shortly after she was appointed as Treasurer, Chair of the Outreach Committee and Housing and Services Committee. Since then she has created a Tenant Rights Workshop in partnership with The City of Los Angeles, Abundant Housing LA and SAJE, helped pass several Neighborhood Purpose Grants that fed many of NoHo’s Unhoused, and brought mental health services and mentorship to schoolchildren with PESA.You can learn more about her at her campaign website: https://www.jillianforthevalley.com/

Councilmember Raman has fought for renters, solutions to homelessness, strategies  to combat climate change, and smart, effective programs to promote public safety. She has made significant progress — and now she is being punished for it. Special interests are spending a fortune to defeat her, reverse progress, and kneecap the progressive movement. She joins Mike and Peter Dreier to  discuss their article in The Nation this week, reporting on the campaign against her.  Their article, "Los Angeles Death Match", (the online title "LA’s Corporate Class Wants to Reverse Progressive Gains"), focuses on the combined assault of corporate landlords, the police and firefighters associations, and right-wingers are fighting like hell to defeat her.  She talks about her love for LA, tackling big challenges, and fighting the bullshit.The Nation: Los Angeles Death MatchRaman's re-election website: https://www.nithya2024.com/

Since 2020, L.A.'s 10th council district has had a revolving cast of councilmembers, both elected and appointed. Now, voters finally get to choose a permanent, voting representative on the council.There is a big and impressive field of candidates   – and on this episode I talk with Aura Vasquez.Aura Vasquez is an Afro-Latina Colombian immigrant, community leader, fearless environmental justice advocate, and renewable energy advisor.  She served as a mayoral appointee to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners from 2017 to 2020.  She has served as the  Climate Justice Director for the Center for Popular Democracy. Prior to that, she advocated for state and federal immigrant rights with the PICO Network, fought for the the largest rooftop solar program in the country, and pushed for clean energy as an organizer with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign.  She was elected to the Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council (WCKNC) in 2012, where she became the only Latina and only non-Korean American on the board. You can find out more about her at her campaign website: https://www.auraforthepeople.com/

NOTE: This interview first aired last summer, before the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.With Adam Schiff running for U.S. Senate, his Los Angeles area 30th district congressional seat – which stretches from Burbank and Glendale and Sunland Tujunga down to Hancock Park and West Hollywood – is up for grabs for the first time in twenty years. There is a wide field of candidates running for the seat in next year's election, and we are going to talk with the major candidates, one on one and in-depth, on What's Next, Los Angeles.In this episode, Mike talks with Nick Melvoin, a member of the member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education since 2017. Before taking office, he was a school teacher in Watts, worked in the Obama White House with the Domestic Policy Council and worked with the U.S. Attorney’s office,You can find more on Nick at his website: https://www.nickmelvoin.com/

NOTE: This interview first aired last summer, before the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.With Adam Schiff running for U.S. Senate, his Los Angeles area 30th district congressional seat – which stretches from Burbank and Glendale and Sunland Tujunga down to Hancock Park and West Hollywood – is up for grabs for the first time in twenty years. There is a wide field of candidates running for the seat in next year's election, and we are going to talk with the major candidates, one on one and in-depth, on What's Next, Los Angeles.In this episode, Mike talks with former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. Prior to his two terms as the city's lawyer and prosecutor, he served in the California Assembly, where he held the post of Majority Policy Leader. Before that, he served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council and as  Director of Bet Tzedek Legal Services.More info on Mike here: https://mikefeuerforcongress.com/

NOTE: This interview first aired last summer, before the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.With Adam Schiff running for U.S. Senate, his Los Angeles area 30th district congressional seat – which stretches from Burbank and Glendale and Sunland Tujunga down to Hancock Park and West Hollywood – is up for grabs for the first time in twenty years. There is a wide field of candidates running for the seat in next year's election, and we are going to talk with the major candidates, one on one and in-depth, on What's Next, Los Angeles.In this episode, Mike talks with Laura Friedman, who has represented the Burbank/Glendale area in the State Assembly since 2016. In the assembly, she is chair of the Transportation Committee, and policy chair of the Progressive Caucus. Prior to her election to the assembly, she was a councilmember and mayor of the city of Glendale.

NOTE: This interview first aired last summer, before the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.Sepi Shyne is an Iranian-born American attorney, civil rights advocate, and member of the West Hollywood City Council who has been serving as West Hollywood's mayor until last month. Shyne is the first LGBTQ+ Iranian-American to be elected to office as well as the first woman of color elected to the West Hollywood City Council.As an elected official, she has fought for support and incentive programs for locally owned businesses working to rebound after the pandemic. She worked to increase rental assistance and address homelessness. She  worked to raise the minimum wage to the highest in the nation,Shyne served on the City of West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, on the City of West Hollywood’s Business License Commission, and on the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Advisory Council on which she continues to serve. She has also led many boards and organizations, including the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles, and as a Board of Governor and Steering Committee leader with the Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles. Mayor Shyne is a Co-Organizer of WeHo Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a community group that was created during the pandemic to help provide resources for seniors, people with disabilities, and people in immunosuppressed households via social media and volunteer check-in calls. You can learn more at her campaign website here: https://www.sepishyne.com/

NOTE: This interview first aired last summer, before the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.Maebe A Girl is currently serving as Treasurer and At-Large Representative for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles. Upon her election in 2019, she became the first drag queen elected to public office in the United States. Maebe is responsible for forming the Silver Lake LGBTQIA Advocates Committee -the first queer-focused committee in the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council system. She is also co-founder of the LGBTQ+ Alliance of Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils, which is recognized as the first city-backed initiative for the LGBTQ+ Community in the City of Los Angeles. On the committee level, Maebe serves as Co-Chair of the Budget & Finance Committee, Co-Chair of the Reimagining Public Safety Committee, and Co-Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Housing and Homelessness for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council.You can learn more about Maebe here: https://maebeagirlforcongress.org/

Who will unseat disgraced Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León? That’s the question a lot of people are asking as we head into the March primary. There is a big and impressive field of candidates   – and on this episode I talk with Lalo Vargas.Vargas is science teacher at Franklin High School in Highland Park. He is the son of immigrants, a community organizer, and a gay man. A former firefighter/EMT, he is running to the left of a pretty progressive field of candidates. He is an avowed socialist, and is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation You can learn more about him here: https://www.laloforcd14.com/

For fourteen years, Paul Krekorian has represented the 2nd council district on the Los Angeles City Council. He has been a powerful leader, chairing the Budget & Finance Committee for several years, and serving as City Council President since October 2022. But in less than year, he will be termed out of office, and it is time for voters to choose a new representative for the neighborhoods of North Hollywood, Studio City, Sun Valley, Toluca Lake, Valley GLeb, Valley VIllage and Van Nuys.  There is large field of candidates running for the seat, including today’s guest, Sam Kbushyan.Kbushyan is an immigrant to Los Angeles, and describes himself as a social and economic justice advocate. He operates Sam Kbushyan Group (SKG), which consults with small businesses and non-profits. He serves on the L.A. Community Alliance and Immigrants Charitable Foundation. In 2023, Sam was appointed to serve on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s advisory transition team.  You can learn more about him here: https://samforcd2.com/

Since 2020, L.A.'s 10th council district has had a revolving cast of councilmembers, both elected and appointed. Now, voters finally get to choose a permanent, voting representative on the council.There is a big and impressive field of candidates   – and on this episode I talk with Rev. Eddie Anderson.Pastor Eddie is a civil rights activist and ordained minister with degrees from Morehouse College and Claremont School of Theology.  He is an organizer for LA Voice(PICO),advocate for  Black Lives Matter, Co-Founder of Clergy4BlackLives, a convener and former Co-Chair of the New Poor People's Campaign in California. He served as a Commissioner for the Los Angeles Redistricting Commission (2020-2021) and is on the board of the ARDI Advisory Body of Los Angeles County and the Black People Experiencing Homelessness Committee for LAHSA and LA County.He has the endorsements of the Los Angeles Times, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, and the California Working Families Party.You can learn more about him at: https://anderson2024.com/

Who will unseat disgraced Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León? That’s the question a lot of people are asking as we head into the March primary. There is a big and impressive field of candidates   – and on this episode I talk with Ysabel Jurado.Jurado is a tenants rights attorney, affordable housing activist, single mom, daughter of undocumented Filipino immigrants, and lifelong Angeleno. She is running as a strong progressive, with the backing of Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and City Controller Kenneth Mejia. We talked about personal story, and her thoughts on a range of issues, including homelessness, housing, public safety and a lot more.You can learn more about her at: https://ysabeljurado.la/

Who will represent South Los Angeles in the California State Assembly? That’s a big question facing voters of the 57th Assembly District,  which includes  South Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles, West Adams, University Park, Florence, Watts, Downtown Los Angeles and Skid Row.Greg "Baba" Akili is a longtime community, civil rights,  and labor organizer and a well-respected leader in Black Lives Matter movement in Los Angeles.  Akili, as he likes to be known, is a senior advisor to the Black Worker Center at UCLA and one of the leaders of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. He has worked for the United Farm Workers, the Obama presidential campaign, and campaigns to protect voting rights and social security. I first met him in 2008 when he was training people –including me – to be organizers for the Obama campaign.He has the endorsements of:Sen. Lola Smallwood CuevasAssembly Member Buffy WicksLA City Controller Kenneth MejiaHon. Herb Wesson, Jr., 65th Speaker of the State AssemblyDr. Daniel Lee, Mayor of Culver City, retiredDolores Huerta, American Civil Rights leaderDanny Glover, American Actor, Film Producer and ActivistDr. Cornel West, American philosopher and political activistCarl Douglas, Civil Rights AttorneyDr. Melina Abdullah, Civil Rights leader, BLMLA & BLM GrassrootsYou can learn more about him at: https://akili4thepeople.com/