The conversion of the Ambassador Hotel site to a Los Angeles Unified School District mega-campus is almost complete, as the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools preps to welcome students for the first time ever next month. more ›

The state legislature early this morning finally passed a big water package that will bring an $11.1 billion bond to voters next year. In part, "it sets aside $3 billion for new storage and $2 billion for ecosystem restoration in the delta," explains the LA Times. "It would fund recycling and groundwater cleanup important to Southern California, pay for Salton Sea restoration and watershed projects on the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers. There is money for drought relief, Lake Tahoe, a dam removal project on the Klamath River in Northern California and Sierra foothill communities." The bond has split environmental groups. Some, like the NRDC and the Environmental Defense Fund, like it. Others, such as the Sierra Club, do not. more ›

Los Angeles has thousands of miles of failed sidewalks. Buckled, cracked, missing chunks or completey destroyed, the problem leaves the city paying out $2 to $4 million in trip and fall lawsuits each year. The city's budget only provides for fixing less than one hundred miles a year leaving residents on a wait list for 83 years to have their sidewalk fixed. more ›

The Los Angeles Unified School District is looking for your "Yes" vote on their Measure Q, which is a $7 billion bond which will help the ailing district get more kids into real classrooms, fix their buildings, get new technology, and fund enriching programs. It is, according to the Daily News, "the fifth bond in 11 years that would benefit the [LAUSD]. Local charter schools would receive $450 million from the bond." So far donors, mainly from unions, construction and management firms, and smaller fundraising coalitions, have brought in over $700,000 in funds to help promote the Measure. Q needs a 55% "Yes" vote to pass. The Daily News adds that "in promoting the bond, LAUSD officials note that even after the completion of its current $20 billion construction program, more than 200,000 students will remain in portable classrooms." more ›

In order to get the State Legislature to pass the budget, which was due by July 1st, Schwarzenegger threatened to veto any bill that came across his desk until it passed. But that meant he would have to veto bills that he supported like the bill to update the High Speed Rail proposition (SF to LA in under 3 hours) or his water bond bill. Then today he reversed course... for his pet bills, of course. For those following the Metro sales tax story, Streetsblog LA has some hope that the bill that would allow voters to approve or deny public transit funding will be signed. more ›

On this November's ballot, we will be voting on Proposition 1, a bond that will help fund a high speed rail route that is planned to have a two hour-forty minute train trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco. USA Today columnist David Grossman writes his experiences and why we need it: more ›