Orange County rep Katie Porter declared her candidacy for California Senate today. This is terrific news — she’s great! The whiteboard thing! Sticking it to CEOs! The upper-midwest accent (reminds me of home)! I guess the 2024 cycle has started. Thoughts: Dianne Feinstein hasn’t announced her plans I mean, she HAS to retire. I’m a fairly…

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A group of businesses and trade groups have collected signatures to attempt to overturn the recently-passed AB 257 — the “Fast Recovery Act.” Sigh. The act establishes a new state council that would have power to set wages and minimum working standards (sick pay? PTO? wage theft enforcement?) for fast food workers at any chain in the state with at least 100 stores nationwide.

Look, sometimes things are going really well at work. And sometimes… The poll found that the 15-member City Council is deeply unpopular after several years of scandals, indictments, trials and, this fall, the release of a recording of three council members making racist comments in a private meeting. A suspended…

Last month, Oakland voters adopted Measure W — otherwise known as the Fair Elections Act. Included, among other things, is the establishment of “Democracy Dollars” for city elections. Dollars! for Democracy! (Let’s get what is obviously the biggest issue out of the way first — I guess “dollars” is better…

In more weirdly coincidental timing, the LA city council just voted to ban new oil wells in the city and phase out existing ones by 2042. You will be shocked, shocked to learn that the oil industry opposed the measure, claiming that the industry brings approximately $250MM to the city’s…

California recently passed SB 1137, which prohibits new oil wells within 3200 feet (that’s American for one kilometer) of “sensitive receptors” — an adorable little phrase which encompasses residences, schools, businesses, and hospitals. Hey — that’s terrific! There are all sorts of negative health affects from living near an oil…

The long-promised what-we-like-about-Los-Angeles post… now seasonally appropriate! melting pot I come from the land of the ice and snow. Where Chris Rock joked that the only two black people were Kirby Puckett and Prince. …

Life events have interrupted my writing days lately, but a quick update. Hey maybe we fought off creeping (galloping?) fascism! Mostly. For now. A Big Fat Waste of Money: $700,000,000 in contributions to ballot measures this cycle, when everyone could’ve just done what I suggested for free. Corporations in particular…

One last ballot initiative because honestly? I’m pretty sick of them too. But this one hits on a few areas of interest. Los Angeles measure LH asks voters: Do you approve a measure authorizing public entities in the City of Los Angeles to develop, construct, or acquire up to 5,000…