PROFILE
FROM Jim Higdon
Racial barriers to cashing in on the recreational pot business Starting on January 1, recreational marijuana will be legal in California. Selling weed could produce an economic boom — but for whom? Thanks to racial disparities in drug enforcement and in funding, the marijuana marketplace is not equal for black and white Americans.
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LA Renters Fight Back The housing crisis is so bad that some landlords are boosting rents without making fixes to big problems, like mold and infestation. Now, some Angelenos are taking a labor union approach and organizing renter strikes. We go to Westlake and Highland Park with LA Taco editor Daniel Hernandez. The housing crisis is so bad that some landlords are boosting rents without making fixes to big problems, like mold and infestation. Now, some Angelenos are taking a labor union approach and organizing renter strikes. We go to Westlake and Highland Park with LA Taco editor Daniel Hernandez.
What you need to know about the Gas Tax Last year, California legislators increased California’s gas tax by 12 cents a gallon. The revenue raised from the increases, over $5 billion a year, is supposed to be spent on improving transportation in the state. But there’s been a backlash to the gas tax increase, resulting in Proposition 6 on the November ballot. If passed, it would roll back the tax and require all future fuel tax increases to get voter approval.
As sidewalk gardens grow on Skid Row, homeless residents lose a sidewalk In a city with tens of thousands of people living on its streets, sidewalk space can be a hot commodity. Businesses want to keep the sidewalk clear for customers, but the city’s housing crisis means that for some people, the sidewalk is home. Some property owners have reportedly used sprinklers or private security guards to make sure no one sets up camp outside their doors. And in recent months, people living on the streets have noticed a new tactic – business owners effectively occupying a portion of the sidewalk themselves.