Loyola Marymount University
Fernando Guerra is Professor of Political Science at Loyola Marymount University and Director of its Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles. A practicing Catholic, he sits on the board of The Tidings, a publication of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Prop 58: Bilingual education in schools One in five California students speaks another language at home. How to educate these children was the subject of Prop 227 passed in 1998. It ended transitional bilingual education in the state, requiring schools to provide a year of intensive English before mainstreaming the non-English speakers.
Can taxing marijuana help solve LA’s homelessness crisis? Los Angeles County supervisors are hoping that a state ballot measure to legalize marijuana will pass in November so that they can tax it. The idea is part of their plan to fight homelessness – tax recreational pot to pay for homeless services. Previous ideas like a millionaire’s tax and a sales tax have fizzled.
South L.A. to SOLA? What’s in a name? A lot, if you ask people south of the 10 Freeway. First the area was called South Central. Then, because of the stigma of violence associated with “South Central,” the name changed to South L.A. More recently, city officials proposed changing it yet again to SOLA. And that’s not the only L.A.
Housing Opportunity in L.A. Like many big metro areas, Los Angeles has a history of white neighborhoods working hard to keep other colors out. That history continues to influence where Angelenos live, and their economic and educational opportunities.
Voteria What’s it going to take to get Angelenos out to the polls? How about some cold hard cash... like $25,000? If you happen to live in the Los Angeles Unified School Board’s 5th district, you’ll be entered in what’s being called a Voteria: anyone who votes—legally—in that district’s election will automatically be entered to win $25,000.
A History of L.A. Neighborhood Name Changes South L.A. is only one of the city’s neighborhoods that has been branded or re-branded. Just last month, the city council approved a community petition to name the neighborhood in West LA around Sawtelle Boulevard, “Sawtelle Japantown.” What drives neighborhood re-naming campaigns, and what impacts do they have on the ground, if any?
Asian-Americans and the Ballot Box in Los Angeles Chinatown, Little Tokyo and Koreatown are just three of the Asian-American neighborhoods with long histories in Los Angeles and immigration continues. But, despite their numbers, their cultural and economic importance, Asian-Americans have been all but invisible in local electoral politics.
The Political Temperature's Rising in the City of LA Affordable housing, parking, illegal billboards and organized labor will be some of the issues and interests in conflict during this year's primary campaign for District 14 of the LA City Council. Many political careers have begun there— now at least one will come to an end.
Mayor Villaraigosa Exploring Senate Bid Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he won't run for the US Senate when Barbara Boxer retires next year. Neither will current LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. But former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is back on Facebook for the first time in a year and a half saying he's giving it "serious consideration."
Yesterday's "Jungle Primary" Didn't Have Much of a Roar Award-winning moderator Warren Olney leads lively, thoughtful and provocative discussion on the issues Southern Californians care about.
Latinos Have the Numbers, What about Political Power? This month, demographers say, Latinos became California's largest ethnic minority — with 39% of the population compared to 38.8% of whites. But they don't have voting power that's proportional to their numbers or proportional representation on local elective bodies.
Sheriff Lee Baca Resigns… Why Now? Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca will step down at the end of the month. He made the announcement at a news conference this morning. Baca was running for a fifth four-year term and facing some stiff opposition, not to mention a lot of negative press.
Al Jazeera, the FBI and a Political Dynasty in California A 124-page FBI affidavit describes the details of an elaborate sting operation, with agents setting up a fake Hollywood film company and paying State Senator Ron Calderon for legislative favors in Sacramento. The document is still officially sealed, but it was uncovered by investigative reporters for Al Jazeera America.
Republicans Roll Out Campaign to Court Latino Voter The Republican National Party is spending 10 million dollars to reach out to Latinos, and the blue state of California presents an especially tough challenge. Pete Wilson was re-elected Governor by trashing illegal immigration in 1994 and that’s political history that has not been forgotten.
Throw caution to the wind Zocalo commentator Joe Mathews has some advice for incoming California Gavin Newsom: don’t follow in the footsteps of Jerry Brown.
What are LA parents doing with their kids during the strike? During the teacher strike, a lot of students are not going to class. According to the district’s tally, about 163,000 turned up for school Tuesday, out of a total of about half a million. Some are spending their time on the picket line. Older students might go study at Starbucks or play hooky. But the parents of younger children in L.A.