SATURDAY POLITICS: Analyzing the #CA34 Special Election for Becerra's Replacement

Jimmy Gomez is my representative in the California Assembly (51st District). Xavier Becerra used to be my representative in the United States Congress (until he became Attorney General of California). I live in the 34th Congressional District of California, so now this is a rare open congressional seat.

The race to replace Becerra has become as crowded as I expected. This is what the actual ballot looks like for the April 4, 2017 special election:

The Top 2 vote getters (as long as no one gets a majority of votes) will face off June 6, 2017. The Los Angeles Times editorial board has endorsed Maria Cabildo but the dozens of mailers I have piling up around the house show that Gomez has garnered the most impressive endorsements:  the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Xavier Becerra, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. However, the person who has raised the most money is Robert Lee Ahn, the only Korean American in a race for a congressional seat which contains Koreatown.

I have already voted (by absentee ballot) but watch this space for the official results in just about 11 days from now!

SATURDAY POLITICS: MadProfessah Urges NO Vote On *Both* Los Angeles Charter Amendments

The 2015 municipal primary elections in the City and County of Los Angeles are Tuesday March 3rd and yours truly has been active in the opposition to two duplicitous charter amendments that are on the ballot. The measures' supporters claim that they are intended to increase voter turnout by aligning Los Angeles' city elections with the state and presidential elections by moving the March 2021 primary election to June 2020 and the May 2021 general election to November 2020.  All future Los Angeles elections would be held every two years after that. There are many reasons why voters should reject this attempt to do lasting harm to our local democratic process and vote no on Charter Amendments 1 and 2.

The immediate effect would be to make Los Angeles the largest municipality in the country to have their local elections held in the context of the much more significant statewide elections held in even years. Oh, and for good measure they would give all officials elected in 2015 or 2017 terms of office that last five-and-a-half years instead of four year terms!

Even though the Los Angeles Times half-heartedly recommended a yes vote on these charter amendments, they highlighted the MULTIPLE problematic aspects of the measures:

But although we believe in the idea, we're disappointed in the execution. The City Council chose to align mayoral and citywide elections with gubernatorial elections starting in 2022, and to match the lower-impact council races with the presidential elections starting in 2020. 
If officials wanted the highest possible turnout for the highest-impact elections, they would have paired mayoral elections with presidential elections, which typically draw 70% to 80% turnout in the November runoffs. Also, there are more local races in a mayoral election year, so combining those ballots with the presidential would have meant higher turnout for a greater number of local races. 

 What's more, the city's March mayoral primaries tend to draw more voters than June primaries in gubernatorial years. Since 70% of city races are decided in the primary, some people worry that the city might not see a big boost in turnout by moving the mayoral race to the gubernatorial year. To switch to the new election cycles in 2020 and 2022, the City Council had two choices: either hold special elections in 2019 and 2021 for a shorter-than-usual 18-month term or lengthen the terms of city officials elected this year and in 2017 by 18 months, giving them a one-time, extra-long 51/2-year term. Not surprisingly, the officials chose the second path.  

As a result, voters won't know if they're voting in new City Council members for four years or 51/2 years — and won't find out until they learn whether the amendments have passed. There is also concern that local elections will be overshadowed by the national and state races. Local candidates will appear at the end of a long ballot that could include dozens of high-profile races. Campaigning may become more difficult and expensive as local candidates fight for voter attention and limited airtime. 

 Finally, moving the election won't address the underlying causes of low turnout — the civic malaise that prevents so many Angelenos from becoming engaged in the democratic process and leaves them feeling that local elections don't matter. Charter Amendments 1 and 2 treat a symptom of the disease, but not the disease. It is essential to continue to seek ways to cure that through campaign finance reform, civics education and diverse, engaging political candidates.

And this is what the supporters of the measure say about it to urge you to vote for it! Well, I disagree. We Angelenos deserve better. VOTE NO ON CHARTER AMENDMENTS 1 and 2!

Long-Delayed Autopsy Report Shows LAPD Shot Unarmed Black Man In Back At Very Close Range

As Mayor Eric Garcetti promised, the official autopsy report on the August 11 Ezell Ford shooting shows that LAPD officers shot the unarmed, mentally-ill 25-year-old Black male three times including once in the back, with that fatal shot occurring so close that there was a muzzle imprint on his skin.

KTLA reports:

The report was made public more than four months after the Aug. 11 fatal shooting, which caused an outcry from family members and supporters who said Ford was complying with officers’ demands and was on the ground when he was shot several times in the back. 

The county Department of Coroner document showed Ford was shot three times: once in the right side, once in the right back and once in the right arm. The first two shots were fatal, the coroner’s report stated. 

In the area of the gunshot wound to Ford’s back, the surrounding skin had a “muzzle imprint,” the report stated. The cause of death, described as a homicide, was listed as multiple gunshot wounds.

Mayor Garcetti released a statement saying that a "full" and "impartial" investigation is underway.

Hat/tip to KPCC

SATURDAY POLITICS: 10 Weeks Until Los Angeles City Elections

Council President Herb Wesson has a plan to control
Los Angeles city politics until 2020

in just ten weeks, on March 3, 2015 Los Angeles voters will go to the polls and decide who will represent them in seven even-numbered city council districts. In two of those districts (#8 and #4) there is no incumbent. However, even more important than City Council, School Board and Community College Board of Trustees races that will be decided is the two Charter Amendments which could change Los Angeles City politics forever.

Voters will be asked whether they want to change the dates of municipal elections to align them with county, state and federal elections, moving them from the current odd years to even years, and moving the primary from March to June and the general election from May to November.

On the face of it, this sounds like a good idea because turnout in municipal elections, which are often at seemingly bizarre times of the year, has been declining precipitously and has recently reached embarrassingly low levels. However, in order to effect the change, the result will be that Councilmembers elected in 2015 and 2017 will get 5½ year terms instead of the typical four year terms. Thus, if voters approve Charter Amendment One and Two current City Council President (if he gets re-elected in March) would be able to serve as City Council president until atleast June 2020!
I'm sure it's a complete coincidence that it is precisely that date when the primary election for the next Board of Supervisors seat currently occupied by Mark Ridley-Thomas (and which is considered the "Black" seat on the 5-member board) would be scheduled. Wesson is currently 63 years old and would be a formidable candidate to join the powerful body. Interestingly, the only member of the 15 Los Angeles City Council to vote against putting the Charter Amendments before voters was Bernard Parks (who unsuccessfully ran against Ridley-Thomas for that Supervisorial seat 2008 and was formerly the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department).

One bonus of the Charter Member change would be that whoever is elected in 2017 as Mayor would also get to serve a 5½ year term, which would be a great boon for incumbent Mayor Eric Garcetti. Another troubling problem with the proposed charter change to even-year elections is that adding our local elections to the end of a very long federal, state and county ballot may actually reduce the number of people who vote on these races due to "ballot drop-off"

Factoring in the potential drop-off in votes on city races stuck at the end of a long even-year ballot, city races might have attracted just 23 percent of eligible voters last month. That’s because in that election in Los Angeles County, nearly 3 in 10 people who voted for a candidate for governor did not vote for the last judicial race on the same ballot. Calculating that drop-off from 31 percent turnout yields about 23 percent turnout, the same as voted in the 2013 general election for city offices. Even the numerical case for the scheme to change elections for our city and school board officials breaks down under scrutiny based on recent evidence. 

The charter amendments to change election dates are phony “reform.” Real improvements to city voting would consider moving the city election to match the months of even-year elections, to expand early voting and mail balloting, and to hold elections on a Saturday and Sunday, when people are more easily able to vote.

There are less than ten weeks to go  before Los Angeles voters will decide the very nature of municipal democracy but there is very little discussion going on about this critical public policy change. I hope that changes soon!

Taking Subway To Westside Getting More Likely In Los Angeles

Check out this picture of the proposed extensions to the purple and exposition lines which will mean that in the near future one can take the Metro to places that people will actually want to go.

Officials from Metro and the Federal Transit Administration signed a pair of agreements this morning in Washington D.C. for a $1.25-billion federal grant and a $856-million federally-backed loan to build the first phase of the Purple Line Extension subway under Wilshire Boulevard. We’ll post video of this morning’s event later. 

The agreements clear the way for construction activities to begin later this year on the 3.9-mile addition to the Purple Line, which currently terminates at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. The first phase of the project will extend the line to the intersection of Wilshire and La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Three new stations will be included in the first phase: at Wilshire and La Brea Avenue, Wilshire and Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire and La Cienega. 

The first phase of the project is scheduled for completion in 2023 with a project budget of $2.821 billion. The Metro Board of Directors is scheduled this summer to select a contractor to build the first phase. The subway is one of 12 transit projects funded in part by the Measure R half-cent sales tax increase approved by more than two million voters in Los Angeles County in 2008 (the measure passed with 67.93 percent approval).

This is very exciting news! Kudos to Mayor Eric Garcetti with moving forward with this. The next 3rd District County Supervisor will also be involved in making sure this project happens.

Hat/tip to L.A. Observed

L.A. MAYOR 2013: Eric Garcetti Sworn In!

My hometown has a new Mayor! Eric Garcetti was sworn in as the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon before a crowd of Angelenos in Grand Park. Garcetti, 42, is the youngest person to be sworn in as mayor in more than a century and is the first Jewish man to serve in that capacity. Garcetti is the second consecutive Latino mayor of Los Angeles, succeeding Antonio Villaraigosa. He earned a hard-fought electoral win over Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel on May 21.

Congratulations, Eric!

L.A. MAYOR 2013: Election Today! Garcetti 48, Greuel 41

Today, besides being my 45th birthday, is also an important day because it is also Election Day for the next Mayor of Los Angeles. Eric Garcetti, 42, and Wendy Greuel, 51, are the two candidates competing in the run-off today. Garcetti, who this blog has endorsed, has been leading in almost every poll published since the March primary, but turnout is expected to be very low in today's general election so the result is still very much in doubt although recent polls also show that among people who have already voted by mail (like yours truly) Garcetti leads 48% to 42%, and 48% to 41% in how people say they intend to vote.

The survey, conducted from Tuesday through Thursday, showed a narrowing of the race since a survey a month earlier by the same researchers gave Garcetti a 10-point lead over Greuel. 

[...] 

They are vying to replace Democratic Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is stepping down after eight years because of term limits. 

The non-partisan campaign has centered on what Greuel and Garcetti agree is a dire financial outlook facing America's second most populous metropolis, and the political clout commanded by the city's public employee unions. 

[...] 

The latest USC Price/LA Times poll indicated Garcetti had built a lead by forging an unusual coalition of liberal and conservative supporters and by winning over voters in the suburban and largely middle-class San Fernando Valley, which had been expected to be Greuel's stronghold.

Garcetti also has a slight lead in money spent, $9.4 million to  $8.9 million but has had more cash on hand in the final stretch than his opponent, but outside groups (mostly unions of city employees) have been breaking records to spend money to support Greuel, who is considered the slightly more conservative candidate.

I think Garcetti is going to take it (and I hope he does) but don't forget about the other races. Openly gay Ron Galperin is running for Los Angeles City Controller (against Dennis Zine) and openly gay David Vela is running for Los Angeles Community College District (Seat #6) against incumbent Nancy Pearlman. Progressive and very strong straight LGBT ally Mike Feuer is running against Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. As for the three(!) marijuana measures on the ballot, I voted  Yes on Measure D and No on Measure E and No on Measure F.

2013 L.A. Municipal Election: My Ballot Choices

The 2013 Los Angeles City municipal election day is May 21 (my birthday!) exactly two weeks from today, although of course, since most likely more than half the ballots will be cast by mail the election is really going on right now. Hopefully the turnout will not be as horrendously low as the estimated 21% in the March 5, 2013.

Anyway, this is how I am voting:

• Mayor: Eric Garcetti. 

• City Attorney: Mike Feuer. 

• Controller: Ron Galperin*. 

• Los Angeles Community College District (Seat No. 6): David Vela*.  

• City of Los Angeles Measures 

• Proposition C (Resolution In Support of Constitutional Amendments Regarding Limits on Political Campaign Spending and Rights of Corporations): Yes. 

• Proposition D (Medical Marijuana Regulation and Taxation): Yes. 

• Proposition E (Medical Marijuana Regulation and Taxation): No. 

• Proposition F (Medical Marijuana Regulation and Taxation): No.

The candidates marked with an asterisk* are openly gay. Yes, there are not one, not two, but three medical marijuana initiatives on the 2013 City of Los Angeles municipal ballot.

Of course my voting record is provided here for informational purposes only. You should make your own choices for whom and what you will cast your own ballot.

L.A. MAYOR 2013: Garcetti Leads Greuel In Polls

The runoff election for Mayor of Los Angeles is on Tuesday May 21, exactly one month from today. Former City Council President Eric Garcetti, the MadProfessah-endorsed candidate, leads former City Controller Wendy Greuel (the Bill Clinton-endorsed candidate) in three separate polls published in the race, from 7 to 10 points. However two of these surveys were the little-respected computer-generated polls by SurveyUSA, released on March 28 (47-40) and April 12 (49-40).

The much more prestigious Los Angeles Times/USC poll is the latest poll to show Garcetti in the lead:

The survey also found no sign of success for Greuel's effort to gain an edge among women by highlighting her potential to make history as the city's first female mayor. Women preferred Garcetti, 50% to 41%.

Latinos and younger voters backed Garcetti by still wider margins. The city councilman from Silver Lake has strengthened his standing in the central city and Eastside neighborhoods that he won decisively in the March primary. He has also built a solid lead on the Westside — a key target of Greuel's.

Perhaps most worrisome for Greuel, the city controller, is her failure so far to establish a base in the Valley, where the two are effectively tied. Greuel, who lives in Studio City, had hoped that audits by her office that found wasteful spending of taxpayer money would appeal to the Valley's Republicans, often a pivotal vote in L.A. elections.

Instead, Garcetti has emerged with a lopsided lead among conservatives citywide, picking up support from many of those who voted in the primary for Republican radio personality Kevin James, now a Garcetti backer.

 In fact, every single one of the major candidates in the March 5 primary election (Jan Perry, Kevin James and Emmanuel Pleitez) has endorsed Garcetti for Mayor as has almost every single member of the current Los Angeles City Council, even though Greuel was herself a Councilmember from 2002 to 2009.

To me it is very telling that the people Greuel worked with on the City Council, as well as the people she beat all are choosing someone else over her to be the next Mayor of Los Angeles.

The two are relatively similar on many key Democratic policy positions (LGBT equality, reproductive rights, environmentalism, immigration, gun control) but Garcetti would be the one who would more firmly embrace the "progressive" label. And he has already played the Mayor of L.A. (multiple times) on television:

After May 21, Garcetti can be called Mr. Mayor in real life, too.

Bill Clinton Endorses Gruel For L.A. Mayor

The race for the mayor of Los Angeles, the nation's 2nd largest city, is flying under the radar of most political observers. Election day is exactly 8 weeks away from tomorrow (on May 21, my birthday!) and the only two names on the ballot are are Eric Garcetti (whom I have endorsed) and Wendy Greuel.

Greuel just snagged a big name endorsement: Bill Clinton.

I'm proud to support Wendy Greuel for Mayor of Los Angeles. 

Throughout her career, whether in the public or private sector, Wendy has been a smart, dedicated, and creative problem-solver. She knows how to make government work for ordinary people, and she's been doing it for decades, not only when times are good, but especially during periods of crisis.

I saw this strength of Wendy's first-hand in 1994, when she was a valued member of my administration's Department of Housing and Urban Development. When the Northridge Earthquake struck -- causing so much loss of life and destruction -- Wendy sprang into action. She helped deliver over a billion dollars in federal emergency aid to Los Angeles residents and worked around the clock to assist families who lost their homes.

In her many years of public service in Los Angeles, first in Mayor Bradley's office, through her tenure on the City Council, and now as City Controller, Wendy has personified good, honest, and effective government, improving the lives of countless Angelenos while saving millions of their tax dollars.

And she's not done yet.

Los Angeles is a great city with equally great challenges, so it's vital that Angelenos elect a proven, creative problem solver to lead them. That's Wendy Greuel. I urge you to join me in supporting her for Mayor of Los Angeles.

I suspect this endorsement is about keeping his wife's chances of being elected president in 2016 viable; it would look great if the top two cities in the country (New York and Los Angeles) both had female mayors when the first female President was elected.

Jus sayin'

2013 L.A. Municipal Election: Analyzing The Results

The results of yesterday's Los Angeles Municipal elections are in and it looks like Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel will be competing in the May 21 runoff (on my birthday!) The Los Angeles Times (and MadProfessah) had endorsed Garcetti, so we are happy about this result. Even if he loses and Greuel is Mayor, history would be made in having the first female Mayor of one of the Big 3 cities (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago), so as a feminist I would not be totally displeased with the result. Surprisingly, an openly gay candidate (who also happens to be a Republican) Kevin James looks to be placing third, which must be somewhat embarrassing for Jan Perry who seems to be coming in fourth place.

Here's what the results look like so far:

Garcetti is firstwith 32.9% of the vote, which is pretty good in basically a 5-person feel, more than 10,000 votes ahead of Greuel with 29.2% which is not too shabby either. James and Perry are just over 1,000 votes apart so its possible that margin could tighten.

In other important news, Mike Bonin was able to win his former boss's City Council District 11 seat, ensuring that the body will continue to have an openly gay member on it with an overwhelming 62% of the vote. In fact, it is likely that the 15-member body may have two openly gay members. In Garcetti's City Council District 13, openly gay Mitch O'Farrell (18.6%, 3535 votes) is a few hundred votes ahead of John Choi (16.4%, 3158 votes) while two other openly gay candidates Matt Szabo and Alexander Cruz de Ocampo failed to make the run-off. This was a disappointing result for Szabo, who was a Deputy Mayor in the Villaraigosa regime.

Openly gay candidate Ron Galperin (37.1%) is just squeaking ahead of City Councilman Dennis Zine (37.0%) to replace Greuel as Los Angeles City Controller.

In West Hollywood, openly gay members Jeffrey Prang and John Duran won re-election to the 5-member council, which will maintain its longtime openly gay majority.

LA TIMES Endorses Eric Garcetti For Mayor

The primary election for Los Angeles Mayor is in exactly 14 days, on Tuesday March 7, 2013. MadProfessah has endorsed Eric Garcetti, not just because he used to teach at Occidental College, where I am a mathematics professor, but simply because he was the first person to ask me, way back in October 2012, to endorse his candidacy for Mayor.

There is not much to separate the three major Democratic candidates, Garcetti, Wendy Greuel and Jan Perry regarding LGBT issues and other progressive issues that are important to me. That being said, the Stonewall Democrats, the Los Angeles-area LGBT Democratic club has endorsed Garcetti while the Los Angeles County Democratic Party was unable to come to consensus on an endorsement.

This past Sunday, the Los Angeles Times also endorsed Garcetti:

Los Angeles is an underachieving city led in recent decades by a succession of underachieving mayors — people who came in with big dreams or big talk but soon got bored with the day-to-day task of steering a municipality. Voters don't get to conduct a casting call or sift through hundreds of applicants until they identify the ideal candidate, but must instead choose from a field prescreened by the political and fundraising processes. This year that field fails to include a candidate who stands out as the obviously superior choice. The task for voters then becomes to scrutinize track records, eliminate the worst hazards and seek potential that can be forged, with the proper pressure and continued voter vigilance, into accomplishment.

The candidate with the most potential to rise to the occasion and lead Los Angeles out of its current malaise and into a more sustainable and confident future is Eric Garcetti.

Read the full endorsement yourself. Do you agree?

2013 L.A. City Elections: The Mayoral Contenders

The four main contenders for the Mayor of Los Angeles are City Controller Wendy Greuel, 51, City Councilmember Eric Garcetti, 41, Councilmember Jan Perry, 58, and gay Republican  Kevin James, 49.

The Los Angeles Times breaks down the race:

Greuel claims an advantage because she's the only candidate to have won a citywide contest. She's landed endorsements from a number of prominent Latino politicians, as well as Democratic Sen.Barbara Boxer and entertainment titans Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, who ran the DreamWorks motion picture studios when she was an executive there.

Her campaign believes that female voters will also be key, galvanized by the potential of electing the first female mayor in city history. Taken together, it's a coalition that will get her to the general election, Greuel campaign strategist John Shallman says, and then give her the win, probably against Garcetti.

Garcetti's camp isn't conceding anything. Son of former Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, he is backed by the Latino Coalition of Los Angeles-PAC and recently won an important endorsement from the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley.

He identifies himself as half Latino, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, and often addresses Latino audiences in fluent Spanish. Although he now lives in Silver Lake, he's a Valley boy, having grown up in Encino before leaving for college at Columbia.

[...]

Perry believes she'll draw not only the 10% to 13% of votes cast by African Americans, but also fiscal conservatives who like her tough-on-unions talk and pivotal council role in shaping downtown redevelopment.

When people find out she's Jewish, her share of that vote grows dramatically, Perry says, citing internal polling. She also thinks she'll do well among working-class white women and Latinas, who see her as an aspirational figure.

[...]

James, the only candidate to support Riordan's proposal to switch new city workers from defined pensions into self-managed 401(k)-style retirement plans, said he would emphasize that stance and his status as the only major candidate not embedded in the City Hall establishment.

GOP ad man Fred Davis recently created a Super PAC to independently support James, and the candidate also believes he'll draw backing from voters disaffected with City Hall.

However, political analysts say a big infusion of outside cash could end up hurting instead of helping the race's only Republican candidate. Los Angeles is largely Democratic, liberal and suspicious of large sums spent to frame a campaign.

The primary election is March 5, 2013 with the run off on May 21, 2013 (my birthday!)

A Gay Republican Mayor of Los Angeles?

Kevin James is a former conservative radio talk-show host and gay Republican who has declared his candidacy for Mayor of Los Angeles. The Mayoral primary election is March 5, 2013 and James is facing off against three other declared Democratic candidates, former City Council president Eric Garcetti, City councilwoman Jan Perry and City Controller Wendy Greuel. Millionaire real-estate developed Rick Caruso declined to join the race in October 2012.

Currently, Garcetti is considered the slight front-runner in the race, which is confirmed by fundraising totals which show him slightly ahead of Greuel and both way ahead of Perry.

Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti has raised $2.87 million for his mayoral bid, edging ahead of City Controller Wendy Greuel by about $72,000 in the search for campaign cash, according to figures released Wednesday by the two campaigns.

Garcetti raised $664,000 in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with $592,000 collected by Greuel, who has taken in $2.8 million since launching her campaign.

[...]

Garcetti reported $2.35 million still available in his coffers, compared with $2.25 million for Greuel.

Meanwhile, Councilwoman Jan Perry reported raising $1.3 million since the start of her campaign, including more than $150,000 over the last three months. Perry said she wasn't worried about her third-place position in the money race.

"I will continue to raise money till election day," Perry said. "And I will have enough money to run my race in a competitive manner."

Former prosecutor Kevin James reported collecting a campaign total of $275,090 as of the end of last month. A fifth candidate, tech company executive Emanuel Pleitez, reported raising slightly more than $110,000 since joining the race in July.

If no candidate gets more than 50% on March 5, there will be a run-off between the two top vote-getters on May 21, 2013 (my birthday!)

The latest wrinkle in the money race is a report this weekend that a Super PAC run by a Republican political operative says it may spend $4 million to promote Kevin James' candidacy.

Looking to dramatically tip the scales in the race for Los Angeles' next mayor, a nationally prominent Republican media strategist has formed a "super PAC" that aims to spend millions of dollars to elect dark-horse mayoral candidate Kevin James.

Fred Davis, a GOP advertising man who has worked on campaigns for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina and former President George W. Bush, said the Better Way LA committee has raised nearly $500,000 on behalf of James and plans to collect at least $3.5 million more.

Will Republicans in Los Angeles (and California) really rally behind a openly gay candidate for Mayor? And is Kevin James going to become the first openly LGBT head of a major city after openly lesbian Annise Parker of Houston?

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is termed out and can not run for re-election.

Saturday Politics: L.A. Mayoral Race Heating Up

Garcetti (left), Greuel (center) and Yarosalvsky (right) are
statistically tied in a poll of voter preferences for L.A. Mayor

The Los Angeles Times reported on the upcoming March 2013 primary election to become the next Mayor of Los Angeles earlier this week by discussing the results of a poll of the presumptive and announced candidates. Former Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry and former investment banker Austin Beutner are the names most people are discussing to replace current mayor Antonio Villaraigosa when he is termed out in July 2013.

The poll of 1605 randomly selected Angelenos (with roughly equal numbers of "Whites," "Blacks," "Asians" and "Latinos") was conducted February 1 to March 2, 2012 by Loyola Marymount University's Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles has some interesting results:

The first feature which jumps out the viewer is the whopping 65.75% who respond they do not know who they prefer to be mayor. Of the remaining 34.25% who did have a response, the results are: 22.19% Garcetti, 21.74% Greuel, 19.11% Yaroslavsky, 17.06% Perry all closely lumped together. In fact, if you consider the margin of error of the poll is ±2.89 percentage points the four are essentially statistically tied.

Another curious feature of the race to be Mayor is that Yaroslavsky has not even announced that he is actually running. The three current and former councilmembers (Greuel, Garcetti and Perry) have been officially or unofficially running for the better part of a year (if not longer). The thing is, it is unlikely that any political types in Los Angeles will be able to focus on the Mayoral race until after the federal elections are decided in November, meaning that it will basically be a 4-month sprint to the finish from November 7th 2012 to March 5, 2013.

Celebrity Friday: Herb Wesson Becomes LA City Council Prez

The Los Angeles City Council made history recently by electing Herb Wesson its first African-American President. This is the second most important position in the government of our country's second largest city. Interestingly, Los Angeles has previously had an African-American mayor (Tom Bradley), but in a city which is now only around 10% Black with 3 Black members in a City Council of 15 people, Wesson's election is historic.

Wesson had previously served as Speaker of the California Assembly, spot on his resume he shares with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Bizarrely, even though the selection of Wesson to replace outgoing City Council President Eric Garcetti was technically unanimous, the two other Black members of the Council, Jan Perry and Bernard Parks, were not present.

Wesson's election was necessary because Garcetti and Perry have already announced they are running for the open Mayoral seat which must be vacated by Villaraigosa in Spring 2013.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Los Angeles City Councilman Herb Wesson made municipal history Wednesday [November 16], with his colleagues agreeing unanimously to make him the council's first African American president. 

That vote may appear in the history books with an asterisk. Wesson's two black colleagues, both of whom have had strained relations with him in recent weeks, did not show up — providing the only no-shows during the vote. 

Councilman Bernard C. Parks, who for days refused to say whether he would back Wesson, called in sick Wednesday morning. Councilwoman Jan Perry received permission for an excused absence. But when called by The Times, she would not say where she needed to be during the council meeting.

Congratulations to Council President Wesson!

Charlie Beck Officially Sworn in as LAPD Chief

Charlie Beck was officially installed as Los Angeles's 56th Chief of Police by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at a ceremony at the new LAPD headquarters in downtown LA on Thursday.

The bunting-laced dais was packed with Beck’s family – a clan rooted deeply in the department. His father is a retired LAPD deputy chief, his sister a former department detective, his stepdaughter a young patrol officer and his son is scheduled to graduate from the LAPD academy Friday.

Many council members, civilian police commissioners and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca also attended. Beck’s predecessor, William J. Bratton, returned from his new job as head of a police consulting firm in New York City for the celebration. Next to him was Daryl F. Gates, another influential leader of the department who served for 14 years until 1992.

As before, Beck was sworn in as the 56th LAPD chief by Villaraigosa, who, in his remarks, called the new chief “the right man at the right time to shape this department in the future.”

Council President Eric Garcetti took up the refrain, saying Beck – a 32-year veteran of the force – had the trust and respect of the department’s nearly 10,000 officers needed to solidify reforms Bratton introduced.

“For the first time in many decades, what we are asking of this chief is to continue the momentum of reform, rather than be the first to usher it in,” he said. Beck “embodies the new era of LAPD.”

For his part, Beck hit familiar, self-effacing notes from the many speeches and town-hall talks he has given since being selected. Saying he was “humbled” by the responsibilities of the new post, he praised his officers for successes in pushing down crime and portrayed the LAPD as a vital agency “inexorably tied to the city” that wants – and needs -- to collaborate with other city departments.

Congratulations to Chief Beck, let's hope he does a better job of reforming the LAPD than some of his predecessors!

CA-31: Becerra Tells Obama "No, Gracias"

Xavier Becerra has dashed the hopes of the next generation of Los Angeles Latino politicians by reportedly turning down an offer to join the Obama cabinet as U.S. Trade Representative. The prospect of the 31st Congressional district (in which MadProfessah has lived for over a decade) becoming open caused almost every big-name politician in Los Angeles to consider their future: Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina quickly said no, Los Angeles City Council Oresident Eric Garcetti was touted by progressives, potential 2010 primary rivals State Senator Gil Cedillo and openly gay Assemblymember John Perez were said to be considering throwing their hats into the ring.

But Becerra eventually said, "No, gracias" to the Obama job offer:

Becerra said he felt elated when first approached about the job, but that ultimately "I wasn't sure if at the end I only wanted to be focused on trade."

Becerra, who was just elected to his ninth term representing Los Angeles, faced competing pressures in considering whether to accept the Cabinet post.

He is moving up the ladder on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee that writes taxes and oversees health care and trade, and was just chosen vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

It could be difficult for another Latino to immediately replace Becerra in the House Democratic leadership. Becerra said he heard from members of the Latino community who wanted to ensure he was involved as Congress grapples with immigration, health care, tax code reform and other issues.

Becerra clearly wants to be the first non-white Speaker of the U.S. House and is on track to make that happen. He's relatively young (51 on January 26 2009) and could see his ambition come to fruition within the next decade.

CA-31: Rep. Becerra May Join Obama Admin

My congressperson, U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra is widely reported as having been offered the cabinet-level position of U.S. Trade Representative in the incoming Obama Administration.

If so, his Congressional seat, which would be one of the most coveted political positions in Los Angeles since they are not subject to term limits, would become available in a special election in early 2009, possibly as soon as March (to coincide with the Mayoral election). This would set off a feeding frenzy among Latino politicians in L.A.:

Potential candidates are jockeying to run for Xavier Becerra's congressional seat as word spreads that President-elect Barack Obama is considering him as U.S. trade representative.

Names include Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, state Sen. Gil Cedillo and Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, each of whom represents parts of Becerra's district, which includes the heart of Los Angeles.

"I am definitely considering it," said Cedillo, who has represented the area for the last decade as an assemblyman and senator.

"I am beginning the process of consulting people who have supported me over the years, including my family," he said.

Cedillo, who has significant labor ties, has become most identified with efforts to help illegal immigrants obtain driver's licenses. He said that if he were elected to the House of Representatives, he would use it as a "platform to bring immigrants into our society."

Garcetti said it was premature to speculate on a possible run but did not rule it out.

Molina could not be reached for comment.

Other possible candidates include Assemblymen Kevin de Leon and John Perez.

Becerra ran against Villaraigosa for Mayor in 2001 although I am not sure if he is affiliated permanently with the Molina wing of the Latino Political Elite. I believe that Molina would have an easy time of winning, but for progressive Eric Garcetti would be my choice.

City Of Los Angeles Settles Tennie Pierce Case for $1.43 Million

Gary Friedman / LA TIMES

L.A. Observed, L.A. Weekly and the Los Angeles Times are all reporting today, as Mad Professah noted earlier this week, the City of Los Angeles has settled the racial discrimination lawsuit of African American firefighter Tennie Pierce for $1.43 million. As the Weekly noted, the actual cost to city taxpayers is actually more than the original $2.7 million settlement vetoed by Mayor Villaraigosa in November 2006, because the City Attorney's office has already spent $1.35 million preparing to defend the city against the Pierce lawsuit. The Weekly provided the text of Mayor Villaraigosa's statement was:

MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA STATEMENT ON SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

MAYOR ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA
City of Los Angeles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2007


LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa issued the following statement today regarding the settlement agreement in the case of Tennie Pierce v. City of Los Angeles:

“Today’s agreement is the best possible outcome for the taxpayers. It reduces the original settlement by nearly half, while protecting Angelenos from further liability.”

The settlement is paltry compared to the $6.2 million awarded in July to black lesbian Brenda Lee. However as part of the settlement Pierce will be eligible for his 20-year pension valued at over $1 million.

This is good news for newly installed Fire Chief Douglas Barry, although the Times pointed out the Fire Department has paid out $13.5 million in legal payouts over the past fiscal year!