May 2009 Archives
Schools Feel Fiscal Crunch
Budget woes mean school's out for the summer for the L.A. Unified School District, and more cuts loom for education statewide.
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L.A. Neighborhood Councils Evade the Ax
Los Angeles's system of Neighborhood Councils, often severe critics of our highly-paid City Council, managed to evade having their budgets cut by nearly 80 percent through loud citizen activism and complaints this month.
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State Looks to Cities for Billions
Schwarzenegger announces plans for easing CA's troubled fiscal situation--but Villaraigosa doesn't want the state balancing its budget on the backs of cities.
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Prop. 8 Upheld by California Supreme Court
California, often thought of as a leading indicator of social trends, falls behind on gay marriage as the Supreme Court upholds Prop 8, banning the practice moving forward in the state--while ensuring that same-sex marriages that happened during the period when it was legal in the state will stay legal.
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Is Villaraigosa Over?
Local political watchers seem to agree: L.A.'s Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa may have won his second term mere months ago, but it's probable that his political future is over.
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Initiatives Fail, Media Blame Voters
Measures meant to cope with CA's fiscal crisis failed at the polls. Citizens who bothered to vote seem mad at politicians, but local media is mad at the citizens.
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Governor Pushes Initiatives
There's an important election on Tuesday. Fiscal-related ballot initiatives are in trouble, and the Governor is desperate for them to pass.
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City Attorney Race: Is it Really About the Mayor?
Next week is the runoff election for Los Angeles City Attorney, between former city councilman Jack Weiss and former prosecutor Carmen Trutanich. But hanging in the balance might be more than just their fates--it might be Mayor Villaraigosa's political clout.
Continue reading City Attorney Race: Is it Really About the Mayor?.
L.A. Teacher Walkout Shut Down by Courts
A planned one-day walkout by L.A. teachers to protest thousands of planned layoffs has been squashed by an L.A. Superior Court judge.
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The War Against Supergraphics
Your personal opinion on "supergraphics"--giant, sometimes building-sized, advertising images--might vary, but Los Angeles' City Council is against them. However, the city's war against these mega-billboards is running into some snags.
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L.A. Crime Is Improving...So We Need More Cops
The debate over the real meaning of L.A.'s recent crime rates heats up, with Police Chief Bratton reporting significant year-to-year drops in the most serious of crimes--and insisting this means budget woes can't be an excuse to stop hiring new cops.
Continue reading L.A. Crime Is Improving...So We Need More Cops.
How's Los Angeles's Crime Rate?
Antonio Villaraigosa and Bill Bratton have been crowing about rates that make L.A. as safe as it was in 1956. But does their rosy picture hang straight?
Continue reading How's Los Angeles's Crime Rate?.
Firing Teachers in California
Amid all its money problems, the L.A. school system also has a problem with getting rid of crummy teachers.
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May Day in L.A.
It's May Day in Los Angeles, the international workers celebration that has come to stand for immigrant workers' rights in Southern California. That means lots of marches are rallies, but the varied interests of different immigrant rights coalitions has split the unity of 2007's controversial pro-immigration gatherings.
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