A Tale of Two Newsletters: Traci Park, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and the Politics of a Budget Crisis
This week, two Los Angeles City Councilmembers sent newsletters to their constituents — and the contrast lays bare exactly where their priorities lie. On one hand, CD11 Councilmember Traci Park sent out a breezy update packed with ribbon cuttings, photo opportunities, and self-congratulations. On the other, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez of District 13 issued a clear, […]
Post-Grants Pass, Traci Park hopes to revive cruel and unusual punishment against vehicle dwellers by reinstating LAMC 85.02
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s right-wing ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which gives cities broad authority to criminalize homelessness, Traci Park is pushing legislation that would reestablish the core elements of LAMC 85.02—a law the Ninth Circuit rejected in 2014 for being vague, discriminatory, and unconstitutionally cruel. Her new […]
When Park says “more resources lead to better outcomes,” we must ask: for whom?
In a recent profile by The Los Angeles Times, Councilmember Traci Park reaffirmed her support for expanding the city’s fire department, stating, “More resources lead to better outcomes.” At first glance, this sounds like a reasonable position, especially in a city increasingly vulnerable to climate-fueled wildfires. But Park’s record tells a very different story. In […]
Traci Park’s latest Venice Town Hall: Virtual-Only, Police-Led, and Out of Step with LA
For over two years, Councilmember Traci Park has represented Los Angeles’ Council District 11—a district made up of renters, working families, unhoused neighbors, and a growing coalition demanding real solutions to the housing and homelessness crisis. But if you tuned into her latest virtual “town hall” for Venice on April 3, you wouldn’t know any […]
The L.A. Times’ Traci Park Puff Piece Overlooks Her True Constituency: Corporate Landlords
Dakota Smith’s puff piece portraying Councilmember Traci Park as a compassionate leader guiding Pacific Palisades through wildfire recovery is more than misleading—it’s an insult to the thousands of renters, working families, and unhoused people she has actively harmed while in office. If you read the article in isolation, you’d think Park was a tireless public […]
From Venice to MAGA: One of Councilmember Traci Park’s Biggest Supporters Joins Trump Administration
When Traci Park ran for Los Angeles City Council in 2022, she framed herself as a pragmatic voice ready to bring “common sense” to Council District 11. But a closer look at her political alliances reveals something much more aligned with far-right ideology—and increasingly tied to figures who have now joined the Trump administration. At […]
SMBRC Executive Committee Caving to Climate Denialism and Erasing Equity?
Following widespread public concern—and a pointed letter from community members urging the Santa Monica Bay Foundation to hold the line on its core environmental and equity commitments–the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission’s Executive Committee met to deliberate over revisions to its annual work plan. What transpired was a striking display of institutional contortion, as board […]
Traci Park Crosses Mayor Bass in Crowley Appeal
For much of her tenure, Mayor Karen Bass has taken a strategic, if not puzzling, approach to her relationship with Councilmember Traci Park. Despite their stark ideological differences—Bass, a progressive leader focused on housing and social services, and Park, a former Republican and one of the Council’s most conservative voices—the mayor has gone to great […]
Community Members Take to the Streets in Traci Park’s Neighborhood to Rebuke Her Anti-Immigrant Stance
On a beautiful, sunny day, community members took to the streets in Councilmember Traci Park’s neighborhood to send a powerful message against her anti-immigrant stance. As Park aligns herself with Donald Trump’s politics of fear and punishment, her constituents are making it clear that they reject her vision. They marched not just for justice, dignity, […]
What good is saving a celebrity’s house if the entire neighborhood is at risk of burning down?
LA Times reports today that “LAFD could have had at least 10 engines patrolling Palisades hills” according to a former department chief. And since everyone is in the business of pointing fingers, perhaps we should take a closer look at CD11 Councilmember Traci Park. When the Palisades Fire ignited on the morning of January 7, […]