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Mayoral hopeful Bob Hertzberg has unveiled an impressively interactive new campaign website. The page features a number of innovations pioneered by Joe Trippi of the Howard Dean campaign, including a 'Hertz-blog' (groan) and a palm-tree thermometer to keeps track of new donations. It even implores Angelenos to set up "BBQs for Bob" in order to generate interest and money for the campaign.LAist is taking Hertzberg's candidacy seriously - he's raised more money than the rest of Hahn's potential opponents, and that counts for a lot. And his desire to beat the mayor on a campaign theme of "change" and "new ideas" shows that he's ambitious. But it takes actual, genuine new ideas to make that kind of case compelling (not to mention a healthy dose of charisma). Does Bob have either? Will his friendship with Governor Schwarzenegger prove decisive? And, for that matter, does the word of non-bodybuilders count for anything in this town anymore?
Who knows. But if Hertzberg can come up with an effective plan to make the 405 manageable again, he might just get our vote.
Fentanyl and other drugs fuel record deaths among people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. From 2019 to 2021, deaths jumped 70% to more than 2,200 in a single year.
