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BREAKING: As Austin Beutner Challenges Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Race Kicks Into High Gear

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jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 2d

Despite his wealth, Austin Beutner said he will not be using personal funds as he challenges Karen Bass for mayor. He plans to raise money from donors. More in my Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/news/breakin...

Longtime civic leader says the incumbent has fallen short, but the challenge will not be easy

BREAKING: As Austin Beutner Challenges Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Race Kicks Into High Gear

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 2d

In 2022, Austin Beutner voted for Karen Bass. Now, feeling Los Angeles is "adrift," he's running against her. We discussed his attempt to unseat her for Westside Current. www.westsidecurrent.com/news/breakin...

Longtime civic leader says the incumbent has fallen short, but the challenge will not be easy

L.A.’s Got a Budget Crisis But No Layoffs, and Now There’s a Huge Convention Center Overhaul. Confused? Join the Club

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jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 13d

Los Angeles green lights a $2.6 billion Convention Center overhaul after struggling with a $1 billion budget deficit. And the city went from 1,647 threatened layoffs to 0 pink slips This is a moment of mixed monetary messages. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

Trying to make sense of the city’s very mixed monetary messages

L.A.’s Got a Budget Crisis But No Layoffs, and Now There’s a Huge Convention Center Overhaul. Confused? Join the Club

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 14d

With a deep city budget deficit, tariffs, ICE raids and more, it's like the Four Accountants of the Apocalypse have stampeded into Los Angeles and plan to stay a while. But there's still big $$ for a Convention Center overhaul. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

Trying to make sense of the city’s very mixed monetary messages

L.A.’s Got a Budget Crisis But No Layoffs, and Now There’s a Huge Convention Center Overhaul. Confused? Join the Club

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 14d

Is L.A. in a dire financial state, with elected officials kicking the can further down the road? Or do no layoffs and a Convention Center overhaul indicate that things were never nearly as bad as they seemed? I'm confused. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

Trying to make sense of the city’s very mixed monetary messages

As Council Rep Ysabel Jurado Opposes a Home Depot Project, Asserting the Business Is ‘Complicit’ in ICE Raids, Some Wonder If L.A. Is Entering the Political Allegiance Era

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 19d

Turning a former Macy's in Eagle Rock into a Home Depot would create jobs and activate a dead space. But District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado has 'strong opposition' to the plan. So what happen? My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

A politician’s stance could ensure that the dead Eastside space stays empty

As Council Rep Ysabel Jurado Opposes a Home Depot Project, Asserting the Business Is ‘Complicit’ in ICE Raids, Some Wonder If L.A. Is Entering the Political Allegiance Era

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 20d

District 14 council rep Ysabel Jurado said "Home Depot has no place in Eagle Rock." Not everyone in Eagle Rock feels the same way, saying the store could fill long-dead space in Eagle Rock Plaza, and create jobs. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

A politician’s stance could ensure that the dead Eastside space stays empty

As Council Rep Ysabel Jurado Opposes a Home Depot Project, Asserting the Business Is ‘Complicit’ in ICE Raids, Some Wonder If L.A. Is Entering the Political Allegiance Era

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 20d

Council rep Ysabel Jurado has voiced 'strong opposition' to a new #HomeDepot in Eagle Rock. Some cheer the stance. Others worry about city officials making support for a project contingent on someone sharing their politics. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

A politician’s stance could ensure that the dead Eastside space stays empty

Where the suspension-rattling, bone-jarring Eastside potholes are

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 21d

Did you hit a pothole near a freeway entrance in Boyle Heights, or on Wayne Avenue in Los Feliz, or on Collis Avenue in El Sereno? If so, you were not alone. For @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I look at where the Eastside potholes pop up. @crosstownla.bsky.social
www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

If you were driving this spring near the 10 Freeway on- and off-ramps where Soto Street meets Charlotte Street, then you might have felt the suspension-rattling, bone-jarring impact of hitting

lapdonlinestrgeacc.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 22d

A few months ago Los Angeles leaders were touting a year-over-year #homicide rate decline of over 20%. That's evaporating. According to LAPD Compstat, city has recorded 209 murders through Sept. 20. Last year at this time it was 215. lapdonlinestrgeacc.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/lapdonlineme...

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 22d

If #Prop50 passes and California gets new Congressional lines, then @hildasolis.bsky.social will seek to return to the US House. She'll be touting some of her moves on LA's Eastside. My story for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

Hilda Solis leans on Eastside track record as she eyes a run for Congress

County Supervisor Hilda Solis says she has “unfinished business” as she considers a 2026 run for Congress, with housing and affordability as top priorities.

Hilda Solis leans on Eastside track record as she eyes a run for Congress

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 23d

Why is County Supervisor @hildasolis.bsky.social considering running for Congress in 2026, more than 15 years after she left the House? "I still feel that there is unfinished business for Hilda Solis," she said recently. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story.

County Supervisor Hilda Solis says she has “unfinished business” as she considers a 2026 run for Congress, with housing and affordability as top priorities.

LA Gets a Spectacular City Controller Battle, as Isadore Hall Takes On Incumbent Kenneth Mejia

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 26d

The primary for the LA City Controller election is next June. Incumbent Kenneth Mejia and challenger Isadore Hall are already sniping at each other. My Westside Current column on the contest to be LA's fiscal watchdog. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/la-g...

Contest to serve as L.A.’s fiscal watchdog will be fierce. It may also involve corgis and bowties

LA Gets a Spectacular City Controller Battle, as Isadore Hall Takes On Incumbent Kenneth Mejia

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 27d

The Kenneth Mejia vs. Isadore Hall contest for LA City Controller will be a bruiser. I looked at the burgeoning race for Westside Current. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/la-g...

Contest to serve as L.A.’s fiscal watchdog will be fierce. It may also involve corgis and bowties

LA Gets a Spectacular City Controller Battle, as Isadore Hall Takes On Incumbent Kenneth Mejia

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 28d

In 2022 Kenneth Mejia became City Controller, beating a City Hall insider at an anti-incumbent, “throw da bums out” moment. Now Mejia is the incumbent, and is being challenged by former state legislator Isadore Hall. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/la-g...

Contest to serve as L.A.’s fiscal watchdog will be fierce. It may also involve corgis and bowties

LA Gets a Spectacular City Controller Battle, as Isadore Hall Takes On Incumbent Kenneth Mejia

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 28d

The joke among City Hall observers is that the City Controller actually controls nothing. Success often hinges on knowing how to play politics, understanding when to pinch, and when you need allies. My Westside Current column looks at the 2026 race. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/la-g...

Contest to serve as L.A.’s fiscal watchdog will be fierce. It may also involve corgis and bowties

LA Gets a Spectacular City Controller Battle, as Isadore Hall Takes On Incumbent Kenneth Mejia

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 28d

The 2026 City Controller contest will be fierce and fascinating, with new entrant Isadore Hall and incumbent Kenneth Mejia already sniping at other. Expect big money, big billboards, and possibly bowties and corgis. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/la-g...

Contest to serve as L.A.’s fiscal watchdog will be fierce. It may also involve corgis and bowties

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · 29d

Wow! Yet another challenger to Eunisses Hernandez for the District 1 City Council seat! Newest to enter is Nelson Grande, who bills himself as "a business owner in the Westlake and Pico area." That's six people trying to take down the incumbent. Primary is in June 2026.

Splash Zone: Brentwood Leads the Way in Westside Pool Construction

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · Sep 11

A backyard pool remains the quintessential Southern California amenity. Where are they rising? The Valley's still popular, and if you're on the Westside, look to Brentwood. My dive into permits for the Westside Current, with @crosstownla.bsky.social data. www.westsidecurrent.com/news/splash-...

Permits take a slight dip since COVID-era peak

COLUMN: It’s Only September, But Los Angeles Already Has a Top 11 Political Stories of 2025

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · Sep 10

Is 2025 Los Angeles' wildest political year ever? With a bomb threat plea deal, a city-county homelessness fight, a fired @lafd.bsky.social fire chief, #wildfires and #IceRaids, it may be—and all that is just the start. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

In an Unprecedented Year, Fires and ICE Raids Are Just the Start

COLUMN: It’s Only September, But Los Angeles Already Has a Top 11 Political Stories of 2025

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · Sep 8

In L.A. we don't need to wait until December for a "10 Most Important Political Stories of the Year" rundown. It's September, but we've already got 11 major happenings: #homelessness, a bomb threat plea deal and more. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

In an Unprecedented Year, Fires and ICE Raids Are Just the Start

Race to Fill Maria Elena Durazo’s State Senate Seat Draws a Crowd

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · Sep 8

For @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I take an early look at the race to replace Maria Elena Durazo in the state Senate District 26 post. The territory holds over 490,000 registered voters. Primary is next June. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/race-to...

Maria Elena Durazo is the favorite to win the District 1 County Supervisor seat next year. But running requires her to give up her 26th State Senate District post. Interest

COLUMN: It’s Only September, But Los Angeles Already Has a Top 11 Political Stories of 2025

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · Sep 8

Usually, the firing of an #LAFD chief, or a $1 billion city budget deficit, would be the biggest political story of the year. But in 2025 Los Angeles, things are different. Much different. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

In an Unprecedented Year, Fires and ICE Raids Are Just the Start

Race to Fill Maria Elena Durazo’s State Senate Seat Draws a Crowd

jonregardie.bsky.social @jonregardie.bsky.social · Sep 8

It is easy to overlook state Senate races, but a battle is brewing for the District 26 seat (Los Feliz, Boyle Heights etc), with 5 people campaigning and hoping to succeed Maria Elena Durazo. The primary is next June. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/race-to...

Maria Elena Durazo is the favorite to win the District 1 County Supervisor seat next year. But running requires her to give up her 26th State Senate District post. Interest