Herb Wesson

Beware, Mayor Eric Garcetti, of the Seven Deadly Sins

Decades ago deemed as one of the most sinful cities in the U.S., with the mob corrupting the film industry, the cops corrupting the mayor, and the lust for water controlling everything else, L.A. is still a place of temptations where the well-meaning can succumb along with the craven. We know Mayo ... More >>

Mayor Eric Garcetti Pledges To Sort Out Differences With Herb Wesson "Behind Closed Doors"

In his opening days in office, Mayor Eric Garcetti -- still getting used to that -- is putting the word out that he wants a "no drama" administration.In an interview last night on KCRW's "Which Way L.A.," Garcetti said he would avoid open conflict with City Council President Herb Wesson, saying ... More >>

Hyongsoon Kim: The Koreatown Advocate

One of the fascinating Angelenos featured in L.A. Weekly's People 2013 issue. Check out our entire People 2013 issue here.On the 24th floor of Century Plaza Towers, in his office at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, attorney Hyongsoon Kim enjoys expansive views of West L.A. and the Pacific Ocean b ... More >>

Herb Wesson: Will L.A. Council President Turn Over Damning Emails in Redistricting Lawsuit?

Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson and other council members better hope they don't have any embarrassing emails or texts on their computers or cell phones. In a hard-charging legal move on Thursday, Beverly Hills civil rights attorney Leo Terrell sent out California Public Records Act ... More >>

Proposition A Los Angeles Sales Tax Election Results: Voters Rejecting Tax Hike by Eight Points

Update, Wednesday morning: In a huge embarrassment for City Council President Herb Wesson and the City Hall establishment, voters resoundingly rejected the citywide sales tax hike, 55.17 percent to 44.82 percent. See details on next page. With additional reporting by Jill Stewart. Update, 12:40 PM: ... More >>

Proposition A Los Angeles Sales Tax: Absentee Ballot Results Show Villaraigosa's Latest Tax Hike Losing By Ten Points

See: L.A. Sales Tax Hike: Will $211 Million Increase Fix City's Problems? The early absentee ballots are in, and while it's still early on, it's begining to look like your taxes are not going up. With around six percent of votes counted, Proposition A is losing by ten points, 45 to 55 percent. Th ... More >>

L.A. Sales Tax Hike: Will $211 Million Increase Fix City's Problems?

Do people trust the City Council?

Justin Wesson, Son of Herb Wesson, Sees DUI Arrest Despite Clear Checkpoint Warnings

Justin Wesson, the son of L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson, was arrested over the weekend for alleged drunk driving, authorities tell the Weekly. Normally we might raise an eyebrow and wonder about dirty political tricks. After all, it wouldn't be the first time around here. Allegedly. But ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensaries Banned in L.A. Per City Council Vote

See our updates, including a hail-Mary proposal to save some dispensaries, at the bottom. The L.A. City Council today voted to put an end to the city's infamous and numerous marijuana dispensaries, citing neighborhood concerns and court rulings that have questioned a city's right to regulate the re ... More >>

The 5 Best Jokes From The L.A. Political Roast of Councilman Herb Wesson

​If redistricting humor is your cup of tea, then the L.A. Political Roast was the place to be last night. About 900 lobbyists, elected officials, and assorted City Hall hacks gathered at the Beverly Hilton to raise money for diabetes research and roast Council President Herb Wesson.At most, there ... More >>

Helen Kim Takes on L.A.'s Old Guard

Rising star of Koreatown's Generation K

L.A. City Redistricting: Council President Herb Wesson Tries to Ram New Districts Through Approval Process

If only all L.A. City Hall decisions could be treated with this kind of urgency. City Council President Herb Wesson has issued a grueling schedule for the final consideration of L.A.'s super controversial, egregiously gerrymandered new voting districts, as drafted by the council's own appointed com ... More >>

L.A. Politicians Are Trying to Double Their Campaign Contribution Limits

Ah, but how quickly Los Angeles city officials forget the pact they made with the fed-up peoples of Occupy L.A.! At a City Ethics Commission meeting today, a proposal to more than double the campaign-contribution limits for City Councilmembers and other elected officials was almost passed by the fo ... More >>

L.A. Redistricting Commission's Final Map: Still a Mess of Gerrymandered Land Grabs

At an exasperating L.A. Redistricting Commission meeting last Wednesday night that lasted into the wee hours, commissioners tried to address a whopping 75 community complaints, re: their hilariously gerrymandered first try at new voting districts for Los Angeles. The "proposed list of adjustments" ... More >>

L.A. Redistricting: Herb Wesson's District 10 Looks Like a Fat Turkey

Simone Wilson​This is the fifth chapter in a (badly Photoshopped) series on the L.A. Redistricting Commission's gerrymandered new voting districts. Previously: "Eric Garcetti's District 13 Looks Like an Evil Squirrel" "Bernard Parks' District 8 Looks Like a U.S. Army Tank" "Tom LaBonge's Distr ... More >>

Koreatown Roars Against Gerrymander

Sleeping tiger says no more splitting

L.A. Redistricting: Bernard Parks' District 8 Looks Like a U.S. Army Tank

This is the second chapter in a (badly Photoshopped) series on the L.A. Redistricting Commission's gerrymandered new voting districts. Previously: "Eric Garcetti's District 13 Looks Like an Evil Squirrel." It's one of the most blatant land grabs in L.A. redistricting history: Westchester, an up-and ... More >>

L.A. City Council Silences Public Commenter for Saying 'Pussies' (VIDEO)

About an hour into another snoozeworthy L.A. City Council meeting yesterday morning, a female public commenter injected a little color into the conversation. Antonia Ramirez told her elected officials that some sheriff's deputies in East L.A. had been acting like "unethical corrupted pussies." (OK, ... More >>

Descending Into Hell

Jan Perry Quits as L.A.'s Council President Pro Tem After Backroom Deals Leave Her in The Cold

Jan Perry.​Strange. Jan Perry has had no trouble with the backroom planning leading up to the L.A. City Council's rubber-spine stance on a proposed stadium that would be plopped down onto taxpayer property. She's as gung-ho as they come, even if the process has been less than transparent. But ... More >>

Mid City Blight Created by 70-foot Wall; Councilman Wesson Denies Any Problems

Ted SoquiMid City residents' beautiful view of a concrete wall​A few months ago Mars Melnicoff chronicled the on-going saga surrounding the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) created blight of a Lowes Home Improvement Center in Mid City. The newly erected 70-foot south wall of th ... More >>

Shop Local: More Freedom For Farmers Markets

A. Scattergood​ Farmers market organizers may have an easier time setting up shop in residential and commercial areas if a new ordinance is passed by L.A.'s City Council. If the plan is approved, markets could be set up in any area of a residential neighborhood, and approval for commercial-a ... More >>

Lowe's Home Improvement Fiasco

A ruined working-class neighborhood in Mid-City demands answers

Los Angeles CRA Creates Blight

Ethics Fines For L.A. Council Members Garcetti, Huizar, Wesson, Cardenas

Ethics fines for city leaders.​Looks like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wasn't the only leader in City Hall invited to this here party. But, unlike other events officials have attended, this one will cost you. Yeah, four City Council members got caught up in ticketgate and will also have to pay ... More >>

L.A. City Council Bums

Entrenched and ridiculed, they line up for a March 8 "coronation"

Herb Wesson: L.A. City Councilman, Former Assembly Speaker, Sick Skateboarder

​There are things you might know about Los Angeles City Councilman Herb Wesson. Like how he was once the state assembly speaker, one of the most powerful posts in the Golden State. Or that he got nearly 100 percent of the vote in the last election in his 10th District. But one thing you probably ... More >>

Saturday Is Yu-Na Kim Day In L.A. Yay!

​Sometimes we're critical of the Los Angeles City Council for dragging its feet on tough issues while giving itself almost Bell-like salaries and falling over itself to pass lame rules like is cat-declawing prohibition. Well, gosh darn it, this council finally got something right: It's "Yu-Na ... More >>

L.A. Council Once Again Puts Off Tough Choices

​Surprise, surprise. The Los Angeles City Council on Friday put off a vote on the city's budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, opting instead to issue dire warnings while threatening to finally make a move on Monday that could result in hundreds of job cuts. City Hall is facing $585 ... More >>

Some L.A. Residents Could Get Reprieves On Rent Hikes

​The Los Angeles City Council housing committee recommended Wednesday that tenants of city rent-controlled units should get a four-month reprieve on rent increases as a result of L.A's high unemployment and stagnant economy. "It's a very contentious issue and I think that the apartment owners ... More >>

Many On Council Admit To Having Smoked Pot

​As the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday gave its final approval to a law that would shut down hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, several City Council members recalled their own relationships with the drug. KPCC (89.9 FM) reporter Frank Stoltze queried the representati ... More >>

Local Pols Grasp at Obama's Coattails, but "Change" Isn't on Their Minds

The lesson of Wesson

Villaraigosa's Dead-End Pico and Olympic One-Way Plan ...

... hits the wall at Fairfax

Soulless Converts

L.A. tries to deal with the rush on condos

Power of Dirty Money

Can the L.A. City Council really get serious about campaign ethics?

First-Day Chatters

José and Herb can’t be bothered by the public on their inaugural day

Snap!

We Endorse

L.A. Weekly’s recommendations in Tuesday’s election

Herb the Inevitable

Playing field cleared for the former Assembly speaker

Anointed by Antonio

How Herb Wesson won an election without a vote of the people

Not So Fast

Herb Wesson’s cakewalk turns into a challenge

We Recycle!

Herb Wesson bids to succeed Ludlow, shuffling a familiar deck

Anointing the Savior

Is Herb Wesson hoping his King-Drew role turns into more?

People vs. the Police — Take Five

The Stanley Miller beating prompts more promises of citizen involvement. Haven’t we been here before?

Disassembling the 47th

One of L.A.’s truly diverse districts may be on the verge of big — and unwelcome — change

No Match for Arnold

Democrats can’t decide on next leader

Ocean of Money

Gray Davis’ role in the Coastal Commission shakeup

Blood and Cuts

Now (after the election) they tell us about the billions of looming reductions

MTA Game Plan

The poor walk, so that the middle class can shrink

Still King of the Slates

Willard Murray tastes life after term limits