Real estate growth chart. Image by Mohammed Haneefa NizamudeenOPINION – It sounds crazy: The $12,000-a-month apartment. How can an average American afford to pay $12,000 per month for an apartment? But it’s really not as far-fetched as you may think.
Loyal Terry, photo by Scott Duncan, Capitol WeeklyThe newest Capitol Weekly Rising Star, Loyal Terry, Assembly Fellow for Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), takes inspiration from the lived experiences of his late father, his aunts and uncles, and himself. Terry approaches policy from a holistic perspective, having experienced how housing, transportation, health, and more intersect to impact working-class people.
Image by Ritu Manoj JethaniIn the California Legislature, there are “special statute” bills that are used when legislators believe a bill’s provisions are unique and should apply in only a specified circumstance or to a specified entity or jurisdiction. Not any bill can be given a special statute designation.
Image by SamaraHeisz5OPINION – The COVID-19 pandemic exposed long-standing gaps in health care access and education among communities of color and low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles and existing health disparities continue to leave Los Angeles’ large LatinX community at a higher risk for significant health threats.
Image by Blue Planet StudioOPINION – When it comes to expenditures of public funds, taxpayers of every political stripe deserve accountability. Above all, they want to know that their hard-earned dollars are not padding the pockets of unscrupulous actors who fail to honor the public’s trust. California’s most recent legislative session delivered real protections on this metric, though you may not have heard about it yet.
Housing image by zimmytwsOPINION: Los Angeles now exempts all affordable housing developments of more than 49 units from undergoing a site plan review – reducing development costs and speeding up the final approval of critical housing projects, but there is still resistance to new construction affordable housing due to pre-existing beliefs about its impact on neighborhoods and communities.
Amreican Dream, image by Yuganov KonstantinOPINION – App platforms provide huge audience reach, consistency and reliability, and protect consumers’ data. Digital advertising platforms help us affordably reach key audiences so we add new customers. If platforms are significantly disrupted by the government, it would be very difficult for app-based companies to expand to new markets and grow.
Mae Gates. Photo, Scott Duncan, Capitol Weekly Only 24 years old, Mae Gates is already chief of staff for a state senator, owner of a political consulting business and a passionate advocate for food justice.
Via ShutterstockIn California, the state that led all others in the failed social experiment of emptying psychiatric hospitals, the pendulum clearly is swinging. Not that Gov. Gavin Newsom aims to return to the days when forgotten souls were locked away in large asylums. But in a proposal to be detailed on Sunday, Newsom will call on legislators to place a $3 billion bond measure before voters in 2024 to pay to house thousands of people with severe mental illness.
Via ShutterstockOPINION: There is nothing more frightening for a parent than not having the resources to care for a child. Yet, this is the reality for far too many Californians who have children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).