- Social:
National Organization of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
Executive Director of NALEO, the National Organization of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials; former Chairman of the Los Angeles Redistricting Commission
PROFILE
Arturo Vargas
Guest
FROM Arturo Vargas
Which Way, L.A.?
The Worst Fear for Elected Officials in Southern California In 1964, the US Supreme Court revolutionized political power by ruling that all people should be represented equally: one person, one vote — in Congress, the state legislature and local jurisdictions. But it never said just what it meant by a "person." Now it’s agreed to consider defining "people" not as the whole population, but as the number of eligible voters. That could mean big change.
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Villaraigosa Won't Run for Senate Antonio Villaraigosa announced today that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer’s seat in the US Senate. The former mayor of Los Angeles said, "I am humbled by the encouragement I've received from so many to serve in the United States Senate, but as I think about how best to serve the people of this great state, I know that my heart and my family are here in California, not Washington, DC."
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A Defining Moment in the Ethnic Makeup of California California is called "the world's largest experiment in social diversity." Since 1999, when whites fell below 50%, there's been no majority racial ethnic majority. This is the month, demographers say that Latinos are becoming the largest of all the minorities . Latinos are now 39% of the state's population; non-Hispanic whites 38.8%. Asians are 12% and blacks are 6%, according to state statistics. KCRW's Saul Gonzalez starts us off with a scene setter.
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Is There 'Corruption' at LA City Hall? The LA City Council has scheduled a vote tomorrow on new boundaries for all 15 council districts drawn up by a commission appointed by the incumbent council members and Mayor Villaraigosa. The Mayor scheduled a meeting this afternoon with Korean American leaders and others, who threaten to sue if the council approves the new maps.
To the Point
Immigration and the Fourth of July In the aftermath of Arizona's new immigration law , with the prospect of other states passing similar crackdowns, President Obama has made an impassioned plea for comprehensive immigration reform, although there's no chance of action before November's elections. Transparently courting the votes of Hispanics, he bashed the Republicans. But he also addressed all sides of an issue that is polarizing the nation. He wants accountability for the federal government's failures, the greed of employers and the lawbreaking by undocumented workers. Will his speech help resolve differences or make them worse? Will it stop other states from going the way of Arizona?
Which Way, L.A.?
Will Minorities Be Left Out of Voters' Redistricting Commission? Sacramento has been paralyzed by partisanship, and Republicans and Democrats have kept it that way. In 2003, they drew up their own district boundaries, to make sure that elections made no change from Democrat to Republican or vice versa. It worked almost perfectly. But two years ago, voters said they'd had enough and passed Proposition 11 , giving the re-districting power to an independent commission. Now it's time for that commission to be selected so it can draw new districts based on this year's census .
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To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.