Richard Alarcon

L.A. Council District 6 Early Election Results: Cindy Montanez and Nury Martinez in Front

Updated below; first posted at 9:03 pm Early returns in tonight's most specialist election, the City Council Dstrict 6 special election, puts Cindy Montanez in first place with 46 percent of the vote, with Nury Martinez in a distant second with 18 percent. The contest, which will choose a replacem ... More >>

Dogs & Cats Won't Have To Be Left Home Alone At L.A. Shelters Under New Proposal

Labor and animal rights activists joined hands to fight a proposal that would leave cats and dogs home alone overnight at L.A. city shelters. The proposal to end overnight supervision by animal care technicians was much-needed in the face of budget woes, said Los Angeles Animal Services general man ... More >>

Homeless Vets' Tough L.A. Winter

Many reject society's lofty plans for them

California Assembly District 39 Campaign: Will Raul Bocanegra Be Any Different Than Richard Alarcon?

Lyrics from The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" (see video after the jump) have probably been used many times before by political pundits, but that won't stop us from using them again: "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss!" Those immortal words from The Who's Pete Townshend are particularly relev ... More >>

The State of the Occupation

From City Hall to suburban Van Nuys: Occupy L.A. looks much different one year later

Manuel Figueras, Richard Alarcon Aide, Faces Manslaughter Charge

A field deputy for embattled city Councilman Richard Alarcon was charged today with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. Fifty-year-old Manuel Figueras was driving at 7:30 p.m. fatally struck a homeless man, 55-year-old Gary Woodford, on Vineland Avenue and Erwin Street in North Hollywood on March 1 ... More >>

Art Walk Los Angeles' Nasty War: Oops, Food Truck Ban Is Illegal

Porn Condom Enforcement Issue to be Worked Out by ... L.A. Arts Committee?

The L.A. City Council made a history when it voted to require condom use at on-location porn shoots in our fair metropolis. But history still awaits. We reported last week that a top city official has requested that a report on how to enforce this rule be put off until almost the end of summer. N ... More >>

Raul Bocanegra Sees Sexual Harassment Claim Dredged Up in Assembly Race Against Alarcon

A group of women said today that a candidate for California's 39th district, Raul Bocanegra, has faced an allegation of sexual harassment "several years ago," a claim that they want to know more about as he faces off against embattled L.A. city Councilman Richard Alarcon for the office. A letter fr ... More >>

The Five Most Furious Reactions to the Redistricting of Los Angeles

As insanely boring -- and incomprehensible to the average voter -- as the redistricting of Los Angeles may be, it's kind of a big deal. We understand the apathy. In a city where only a little over 10 percent of eligible voters turn out for municipal elections at all, they can hardly be expected to ... More >>

L.A. City Redistricting Land Grab: Appointed Commissioners Try to Gerrymander Westside, Downtown

Updated at the bottom with a map of the land grab. This just got ugly. Every 10 years, Los Angeles is required to readjust its 15 City Council districts to accomodate for population shifts. But as with most decisions made at City Hall, the 2012 redistricting effort has turned from what should be a ... More >>

Buscaino vs. Furutani

L.A. City Council race is about preserving lifer politicians

Stupidest Things Said by Los Angeles Civic Figures in 2011

Brenda Barnette's Animal Services Mishaps

Do unproven groups and extremist Pamelyn Ferdin have City Hall's ear?

With Dennis Zine Out of the Room Due to Romantic Conflict, Council Awards LAX Contract

LAX: Bidding controversy heating up​Dealing a defeat to construction magnate Ron Tutor, the L.A. City Council today awarded a $271 million LAX contract to rival firm Clark/McCarthy. The contract attracted some attention because Tutor's lobbyist, Veronica Becerra, is dating Councilman Dennis Zine - ... More >>

Year in Review: Best Blog Comments of 2010

Flickr/Shaun Martin​ Reader comments are to blogs what letters to the editor used to be, more or less. But as anyone who used to read those has long recognized, blog comments are -- not unlike blogs themselves -- faster, shorter, and often far more irreverent. Which is what makes them so much ... More >>

The Worst Legislator in California

San Fernando Valley Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes takes Sacramento bill-peddling to a new low

Wanna Run For L.A. City Council? Move To Your District Of Choice Now Or Steve Cooley Will Getcha (We Have Some Recommended Digs)

​All you politicians and would-be politicos out there it's time to play that game we call musical chairs: The L.A. City Clerk warns that it's time to move to the voting district you plan to temporarily represent while you think of a better political gig.If you don't move now, you won't just be ine ... More >>

City of Airheads: Villaraigosa Dismantles L.A.'s Vaunted Library System

Mayor mirrors Detroit's disastrous choice

D.A. Continues To Review Allegation That Councilman Bernard Parks Lived Outside His District: Parks' Spokesman Calls It A False Accusation

Councilman Bernard Parks.​It looks like Richard Alarcon isn't the only Los Angeles city Councilman facing questions about his place of residence. A complaint alleging that fellow Councilman Bernard Parks did not live in his district a few years back remains under review by the county District ... More >>

Food Truck Battle: City Council Hears Testimony

​The Wild West era of Los Angeles mobile food trucks is likely coming to an end, as a City Council committee heard testimony today on how to regulate the 4,000 trucks that are a prandial delight to many but a nuisance to others. The transportation committee, led by Councilman Bill Rosendahl, ... More >>

L.A. Council Votes Unanimously 99.993% Of The Time

L.A. City Hall: beacon of unanimity​A rather startling stat from the Center for Governmental Studies report on money and politics in L.A.:In the first seven months of 2009, the council voted unanimously 99.993% of the time. Even considering that most votes are on uncontroversial matters, that's pr ... More >>

Development Fights Of The Week: Echo Park, Lopez Canyon

Echo Park​ Sure, when your formerly inexpensive and sleepy neighborhood becomes a hipster haven, you get the obligatory American Apparel and better quality coffee. Plus, beautiful people who take hours trying to make themselves look greasy. But there's downsides: Lots of new development and ev ... More >>

Mayor Villaraigosa Praises Business For Not Leaving City, Proposes 'Tax Holiday' For Firms That Relocate To L.A.

​Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday praised a local business for not leaving L.A. and, at the same time, backed a proposed three-year "tax holiday" for out-of-town businesses that locate in the city. Nothing says your city leader is confident in its economy like a press conference touting a ... More >>

L.A. Should Sue Arizona, Says Council President Garcetti

Eric Garcetti.​Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti on Wednesday proposed that L.A. join a class-action lawsuit against Arizona over its controversial immigration law. The challenge in Phoenix federal court is being carried out by the Mexican American Legal Defense and several civi ... More >>

City Council Approves Relatively Small DWP Hike

​The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday again defied the mayor and called for a smaller hike in Department and Water and Power rates than what Antonio Villaraigosa called for. The .6 cents per kilowatt-hour increase was approved despite Villaraigosa's backing of a plan that would have hiked r ... More >>

Villaraigosa Backs Off Massive Rate Hike Plan (For Now)

​Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday threw his support behind a one-time, "small" rate hike for customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, acknowledging that his proposal for a series of increases in electricity rates that would reach 28.4 percent for some was too ... More >>

Smaller DWP Increase To Be Proposed By L.A. Councilman Garcetti

​As the city is poised to vote Tuesday on whether or not to hike Department of Water and Power rates by 0.8 cents a kilowatt hour starting April 1, Councilman Eric Garcetti says he's going to introduce a competing proposal for an even smaller rate increase. Garcetti's plan might echo the 0.5 ... More >>

In Face Of City Hall Budget Crisis, Everybody Goes To Washington

​You might have gotten the idea somewhere that the city's facing a historic budget crisis with 4,000 layoffs planned, departments closing, libraries cutting hours, less cops on the beat, and fire engine companies being furloughed. But someone has yet to inform the Los Angeles City Council that ... 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 >>

Invasion of the Granny Flat

Los Angeles weighs a plan to allow back yard dwellings and car parking on lawns

Facts or No Facts, L.A. City Council Still Plows Ahead on Medical Weed Law

Whether they were taking their cues from medical marijuana advocates or still dreadfully ill-informed, several Los Angeles City Council members continued to throw around bad numbers and loose facts as they worked for hours on a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance yesterday.L.A. City Councilman De ... More >>

Bye-Bye, Bill Bratton

Top five reasons the chief is really leaving Los Angeles

The Unsung in Today's Los Angeles City Council and LAUSD Elections

L.A. is a city of steamroller politics and barely aware voters. It is exceedingly difficult for everyday citizens to beat an incumbent running for Los Angeles City Council or Los Angeles Unified School Board. It is almost as difficult to win an empty seat on either body unless you are the one being ... More >>

Women Firefighters: The Gender Boondoggle

City Hall's dream of recruiting more females is a multimillion-dollar disaster

Revolving Door

Doling out dough to current and ex-girlfriends, Alarcón spent a small fortune to win a post he no longer wants

Beyond 30-second spots

Debating the merits of a civic discourse

Dennis Zine, City Council District 3

The Mayor Gets Squeezed

Why Jim Hahn may not survive the primary, and other mayoral dynamics

Babbling Idols

And the L.A. 5 can’t be humiliated

Secret Summits

Laura Chick summons Hahn’s challengers to her home for scandal talk

The Hahn Referendum

Why it really matters who the mayor of L.A. is

Making It Personal

What’s really driving these L.A. mayoral candidates?

Dawn in L.A.

What were 12,000 people doing at the Convention Center?

Enter the Hugger

Why Bob Hertzberg could take Jim Hahn

X-Raying Workers’ Comp

Employers gain, insurers really gain, as for workers...

Voting Guide

Trashing Cheap

Janitors make progress on health insurance, but many still go without

Our Choices in the June 8 L.A. City Elections

For the Weekly's handy one-page tear-out Voter Guide, see the inside back cover of next week's issue.

Our Choices in the April 13 L.A. City Election