Tom LaBonge

Mayoral Contenders Keep The Gloves On At L.A. Political Roast

Councilman Tom LaBonge was the honoree at last night's 16th Annual Los Angeles Political Roast at the Beverly Hilton. And while there were plenty of jokes about his fondness for pumpkin bread, all eyes were on mayoral rivals Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti to see if they would get in any nasty digs a ... More >>

Food Trucks Booted From LACMA Area During Day

Food trucks, those ubiquitous attractions along Wilshire Boulevard's Museum Row for hipsters and tourists alike, are getting the boot. The L.A. City Council voted last week to prohibit the trucks from parking on Wilshire between Fairfax Avenue and La Brea Avenue between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Is this a ... More >>

Hollywood Lawyer Fights City Hall's Attempts to Gate off V.I.P. Neighborhoods in the Hills

Should the posh dead-end streets throughout the Hollywood Hills -- which offer the best views in Los Angeles, and allow access to some of the city's coolest hiking trails -- be gated off to protect homeowners from tourists and riff-raff? In three different instances (a number that Hollywood attorne ... More >>

Bob Marley Day Comes to L.A. as Countdown to Marijuana Ban Begins (Irony?)

City Hall continues to ream you with parking tickets, rock you with the worst roads in America, and wow you with red ink. But the most important thing on the plate of the L.A. City Council today was ... Bob Marley. Yes. Your favorite, overpaid politicians earned their highest-in-the-nation salarie ... More >>

Beach Eats: Food Trucks Roll Out to Marina del Rey this Summer

As anybody who's lived here for any length of time is painfully aware, proximity to the fine cuisine of Los Angeles and proximity to L.A.'s beaches are inversely proportional. This, at least, for those of us who do not count Gladstone's as an example of fine L.A. cooking. You can find some serviceab ... More >>

L.A. Tries to Ban Soda Vending Machines From City Parks, Libraries

The highly politicized crackdown on America's fat people hits Los Angeles today, with a motion from L.A. City Councilman Mitchell Englander to ban all soda vending machines on city-owned property. Englander, a physically fit frat-bro type who is clearly trying to one-up New York Mayor Michael Bloom ... More >>

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 >>

Buscaino vs. Furutani

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

Eric Bauman, L.A. Democratic Party Kingmaker

Elevates the ossified, keeps out L.A. talent

Mike Vitar, 'Sandlot' Star Turned Los Angeles Firefighter, Adored by Internet

TumblrBenny done growed up.​It's hard to hate a man in uniform. Especially when he gets caught by news cameras casually saving a kitten from smoke inhalation, emerging from a car explosion unscathed, etc. Add a starring role in the cult childhood flick of a generation, and you've got Internet ... More >>

Five Most Beautiful Parking Garages (Yes, Parking Garages) in Los Angeles

MOCA Facebook page​ Los Angeles is a city in thrall to automobiles (though there is evidence that's beginning to change) so it's not surprising some of our best design comes in the form of parking garages. What's especially intriguing about some of these structures is their public art that app ... More >>

Campaign Consultants Stank up L.A. on March 8

City Council candidate Rudy Martinez should have listened to his mom

Tom LaBonge vs. Stephen Box and Tomas O'Grady: Los Angeles City Council District 4 Election Results

The good news: Stephen Box can grow his goatee back​By Simone Wilson Update: LaBonge squeaked out a win with 55.09 percent; O'Grady came through with 30.93 and Box with 13.98. A total of 16,257 voters participated in the District 4 election. Update: The vote for O'Grady has risen to 29.37 pe ... More >>

March 8 2011 Los Angeles Election Results at Your Fingertips: Click Here for Winners and Losers

Will Mona Field, a college trustee for years, be called to account by voters?​Beginning at 8:30 pm tonight, the Los Angeles City Clerk will issue the first Election Day results for seven Los Angeles City Council races where Jose Huizar, Bernard Parks, Tom LaBonge and other long-timers face ch ... More >>

Stephen Box, City Council District 4 Challenger, Has Best Balls in L.A. Tweeting on His Behalf

We love you, Stephen, tweet tweet.​Stephen Box, candidate for City Council District 4, has food trucks tweeting up a storm for him. @greatballsot (Great Balls On Tires) tweets: "You've voted us as best BALLS in L.A., now vote for BOX because he supports Food Trucks in District 4. Get out an ... More >>

Stephen Box, City Council Candidate, Likens L.A. to Titanic Heading Toward Iceberg (VIDEO)

​L.A. City Council candidate Stephen Box has had the Best Month Ever. First, he nabbed the cover of LA Weekly with a centerstage cameo in "The Bikeroots." Then, he won over the editorial board of the LA Daily News for its official endorsement -- no small feat for an indie activist hoping to r ... More >>

Snow in Los Angeles: Burbank, Universal City See Flurries (Photos)

bowtothecrownSnow in Burbank.​Updated after the jump: There seems to be some debate about whether the white stuff is snow or "graupel." Snow in Los Angeles? Looks like it. The National Weather Service told us there was an outside chance as the snow level for metro L.A. fell to 1,500 Saturday. ... More >>

L.A. City Council Bums

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

Monuments to Me

Legacy-obsessed L.A. politicians are covering buildings and parks with their names

Rushed and Confused L.A. City Council

Library, weed, DWP measures aimed for ballot all get short shrift

Steve McQueen, 'The King of Cool,' May Get Shabby L.A. Intersection Named After Him

Hollywood icon Steve McQueen​Nicknamed "The King of Cool," the late great movie star Steve McQueen, who often sported a unique sense of style in his films, may get a shabby intersection named after him if Los Angeles City Council members have their way. On Tuesday, the City Council will vote ... More >>

L.A. County To Consider Health Grades For Food Trucks

​The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will take up the issue of whether or not to give restaurant-style health grades to food trucks. The board was originally scheduled to consider the matter Tuesday but the proposal was postponed until next week. County public health director Jonathan ... More >>

Food Truck Update: Lake Street Creamery Truck Now Rolling

Gary Ferguson​ The latest big-deal food truck on the scene? Lake Street Creamery, an ice cream and float concept created by former toy designers Beth Colla and Tim Ferguson that hit the streets June 27th. Lake Street did practice runs over the winter, setting up card tables in the shadow of p ... More >>

Black Lung Lofts

Many children being raised in L.A.'s hip, new freeway-adjacent housing are damaged for life

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 >>

L.A.'s Medical-Weed Wars

How the potheads outwitted Antonio Villaraigosa and the L.A. City Council

CIM Group: Hollywood's Richest Slumlord

Two fed up YouTubians embarrass a City Hall insider into demolishing a shocking hovel

Claiming Poverty, L.A. City Council Tries to Defund Its Critics

But then drops its threat to slash the 90 neighborhood councils

Morning Sixpack: A News Roundup

Zero for Conduct L.A. Unified School District officials are calling for legislation to make it easier to fire incompetent, tenured teachers. State Senator Gloria Romero, formerly opposed to the idea, now seems to be on board somewhat. L.A. TimesNo Cash Flow The Palmdale Water District's cash reserve ... More >>

L.A.'s Density Bonus Blowup

A judge says City Hall broke the law by allowing outsize projects

Should L.A. City Council Agree to Slash Its $178,789 Salaries?

15 richly paid politicians are happy to cut their pay — by 2.5 percent

City Council's Birthday Gift to Scientology

LAist and L.A. Observed are among those questioning why the L.A. City Council, in the depths of an economic sinkhole, voted to waive $3,000 in city fees for the Shrine Auditorium celebration of L. Ron Hubbard's birthday. Zach Behrens quotes from Councilman Bernard Parks' motion: "This annual celebra ... More >>

Is Tokyo the Future for Los Angeles?

A new "ban" would allow 20 areas citywide thick with billboards

Pachyderm Forest: Zoo Gem or Elephant Graveyard?

It's one of those stories that has Only in L.A. stenciled all over it. The L.A. Times reports that as rock guitarist Slash and zoo employees rallied at City Hall to keep the L.A. Zoo's $42 million Pachyderm Forest habitat on track,  Bob Barker has thrilled animal-rights opponents of the forest ... More >>

2008 Wind-down: Free and Sundry Activities

As 2008 hobbles to the finish line and telephone calls to offices across the city go unanswered, here are a few quick freebie activities to engage in.Rose Parade Route Stakeouts Beginning at noon you can start marking your territory along the Tournament of Roses Parade route. Before that time cops w ... More >>

"Roadblock" and Other Cyclists Revolt at LAPD Ticketing for Bike Riding Without a License

Ticket to Ride: Fighting over a $3 license, midnight riders claim harassment

Best Moonlight Stroll: Sierra Club's Griffith Park Hike

Griffith Park's Empty Canvas Problem

Will an obscure "cultural" board resist the density hawks?

Angelenos Sue City Hall Over Prodensity "Affordable Housing" Pretense

Delgadillo's War

Quietly, the city attorney is targeting Hollywood’s historic preservation protections

The Lost Streams of Los Angeles

Uncovering our wet and wild past. Is it safe, or even possible, to let the water flow again?

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Watchdog Scorned

Is Fran Reichenbach the patron saint of Hollywood or its biggest NIMBY?

Annual Anagrams

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Endorsements

Our recommendations in the March 4 Los Angeles municipal election