One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Eric Garcetti: Not a Hipster, but maybe a Future Mayor or U.S. Senator
Council President Eric Garcetti sat down with Neon Tommy's Senior Editor Hillel Aron for a nice interview this week. It revealed that the Councilman is a not hipster (although he represents the most hipster-dense neighborhood) and that Rodeo Grill in Echo Park is a good diner. We also learned that--as we suspected--Los Angeles is in for a worse budget shortfall fiscal year than the current one.
"It's gonna be really rough," Garcetti said. "It means massive cuts, downsizing of government. We're going to experience our basic core programs- parks, libraries, street paving - those are all gonna be shaved. It's time to focus on what we do most importantly. And to me that's public safety and public works. There's a ton of other stuff that I'd like to do, but in bad economic times, we have to do what business does, what households do. We have to prioritize."
When asked about what happens after he's termed out, Garcetti said he has three "pathways:" a music career, Los Angeles' Mayor, or a U.S. Senator. We'll go for Mayor.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
