10 things you need to know about LA's homeless housing measure, CA's iconic palm trees in peril because of an unwelcome guest, should the term "black cinema," be retired?
10 things you need to know about Measure HHH
Los Angeles is known as the homeless capital of the United States, and the numbers support that title.
According to data released in May by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the homeless population rose by 6 percent in L.A. County to 46, 874. The same census also found that the number of homeless women increased by 55 percent between 2013 and 2016.
One effort to tackle homelessness is on the November ballot. It's called Measure HHH — Homelessness Reduction and Prevention, Housing and Facilities Bond — and is proposed by the city of Los Angeles.
So what is it, and what will it mean for you?
Here are five things you need to know about HHH – and five reasons some people are not in favor of the measure.
What is HHH?
Measure HHH is co-authored by L.A. City Council members Jose Huizar and Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Speaking with Take Two, Harris-Dawson described HHH as:
"A measure on the L.A. city ballot to fund a bond to build 10,000 units of permanent supportive housing and provide several million dollars for affordable housing in the city of Los Angeles. "
The bond aims to raise $1.2 billion, which the city of Los Angeles would use to leverage additional funding from the state, federal agencies and philanthropic organizations. The plan is to generate a total of $4 billion to spend on housing.
How much will it cost?
What everyone wants to know: how will this hit me in my pocket? Measure HHH will be funded by property tax dollars. To break it down, homeowners in L.A. will pay an extra $9.64 a year for every $100,000 in property owned. To put it another way, a home valued at $700,000 would incur a little under $70 a year in additional property taxes. Renters will not be on the hook for this.
So who will qualify for one of the units created under HHH?
The bond money raised from HHH will only serve the city of Los Angeles, which has a homeless population of around 28,000.
As for who gets the keys to a new place? Marqueece Harris- Dawson said:
"The County of Los Angeles has the Coordinated Entry System, or CES. That database puts people who are at the most vulnerable situations at the top of the list. As units become available, people at the top of the list will be offered those units. So the way you qualify for housing is being a part of the CES system, which almost every homeless person is a part of."
According to the City of Los Angeles, the cost of one of these housing units is about $350,000. On average the City will finance about a third of each unit. Also, once the tenant has moved in, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) provides vouchers to help with rent and some operating costs. When able, the tenant pays 30 to 40 percent of their gross monthly income on rent.
How many people will be housed under HHH, if approved?
Around 13,000 is the current estimate among HHH supporters.
Will HHH end homelessness?
Supporters of the measure say no, it won’t. But if voters approve HHH, some units could be available within six months.
To date, $1.7 million has been spent on the Yes on HHH campaign. Opponents say they have spent nothing. For some of the concerns around the approval of HHH, Take Two spoke with Skid Row homeless advocate General Jeff.
Measure HHH won't help enough people; it's only focused on the City of Los Angeles
"The main concern of the needs of the people on the streets is that we ALL need housing, that’s 50,000 in L.A. County — 50,000, not 10,000. So to house 10,000 and to leave 40,000 on the streets, including men, women and women with children, is unacceptable."
The units may be built in areas where the homeless are not welcome
"Even if HHH passes, where are they going to construct these 10,000 units across the City of L.A.? Because NIMBY-ism, Not In My Back Yard, will be a serious fight that a lot of people will be concerned about their property values going down if they have low-income housing in their communities. How is that going to sustain itself in terms of two communities coming together?"
To answer General Jeff’s question: Under HHH, 12 parcels of land have been identified as possible development sites in Lincoln Heights, Sylmar, Marina Del Rey, Westchester and San Pedro.
As part of the deal, Los Angeles County has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide support services, including mental health treatment and drug rehabilitation, for those being housed in the new units.
Funding for support services from L.A. County is not clearly defined
Mark Ryavec, president of the Venice Stakeholders Association is also opposed to Measure HHH.
"Right now, the County is AWOL. They have not indicated how they’re going to provide the funds to provide the services for the people who are going to be in the permanent supportive housing: how they’re going to provide the outreach, the counselors, the mental health counseling. It needs to be on the table and thought out and funded, before you go ahead with the housing."
The $1.2 billion bond will cost property tax payers closer to $2 billion
According to the City's Tax Rate Statement, the interest on the bond is estimated at $693 million, which will be added to property tax bills.
Once the funds are collected, who will be in charge of oversight?
This is a big concern for Mark Ryavec:
"One of the other major concerns with HHH is the lack of oversight. We have seen in the past, both in the community college district and, for example, advanced development and investment where there was millions and millions of dollars of fraudulent billings, that you run the risk of fraud and corruption of extraordinary levels."
You can find out more about HHH by clicking on the blue button above and listening to the audio.
Voting has begun in California. KPCC is here for you and will help you develop your Voter Game Plan. Use our election guide to find your personalized ballot.
Homeless funding may ride on who wins LA County supervisors race
Opponents to L.A. city ballot measure HHH say it only pays to build housing for the homeless – it doesn't provide the money for services, too.
But there is a path on Tuesday's vote that could lead to cash for these programs.
Two L.A. County supervisors are retiring – Don Knabe and Mike Antonovich – and who takes their seats might throw their support behind a separate ballot measure in the spring to increase sales taxes that fund services.
KPCC reporter Rina Palta and Mary Plummer break it down.
Why can't the money from HHH be used for services?
Palta: Because it's only intended to build buildings – create the actual physical structures for people who are currently homeless to live in.
It’s also a bond measure, which really means one-time funds, not an ongoing stream of revenue that the city has available to it in indefinitely.
The argument is, we need something that will be a permanent source of cash to use for services.
What kind of services are we talking about here?
Palta: There’s a wide range of stuff that falls into this category, and the county has a plan that's about 100 pages long with different strategies.
One would create outreach teams to get people signed up for income programs they may qualify for, like disability benefits.
Another would provide mental health services by hiring case managers and counselors who may work with some people for a lifetime.
Why is it important to have both homeless housing and services at the same time?
Palta: Housing helps provide stability for those currently homeless on the streets.
Services will address the prevention of homelessness so more people don't end up on the streets of places like Skid Row.
To fund services, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors would have to approve putting the issue on the ballot. How does this Tuesday's vote factor in?
Plummer: Four out of the five supervisors need to support this measure. This election that this could be the moment for a power shift on the board of Supervisors depending on how the races for the two open seats shake out.
Palta: Last time this issue came up in July, the three members of the Board who will remain, all voted in favor of a sales tax.
So at least one of the newcomers needs to be open to the idea of placing this on the ballot. Where do the candidates stand?
Plummer: Only two out of the four candidates are firm yes’s.
One is Democratic candidate Darrell Park, who's running to represent the 5th district. He supports a measure that lasts until 90 percent of homeless people have housing.
The other is Republican Steve Napolitano, and he's running for the 4th district seat which covers the South Bay. He supports a 1/4 cent sales tax measure with a 15 year limit.
Both of these candidates’ opponents were less clear on the issue.
Republican candidate Kathryn Barger, who’s competing against Park, said she didn’t want to comment on a tax measure she hadn’t seen.
And in District 4, Congresswoman Janice Hahn, who is the democratic candidate running against Napolitano, is calling for an emergency plan to address homelessness. But she didn’t commit to whether she’d support the sales tax measure.
If one of the candidates who support the measure get elected into office and votes for it, then it would come before voters in a March referendum. Why?
Plummer: Any local sales tax that is earmarked for a specific use requires a two-thirds supermajority vote for approval.
How much would the sales tax increase? And how much would be raised?
Plummer: This would be 1/4 cent sales tax increase at the county level. Keep in mind we’ve got a 1/4 cent sales tax at the state level that is sunsetting at the end of the year, so that would help off set an increase.
But this could raise an estimated $355 million a year.
Palta: However, county officials estimated it would take $450 million to get these services working well. So they'd be short of what they need, but it is by far the biggest proposal anyone’s put forward in memory.
If HHH fails, does that mean this sales tax proposal will die with it, too?
Plummer: HHH and the potential measure we’ve been talking about are different funding streams.
But it’s really too early to tell whether a county sales tax measure will even make it on the ballot. That depends a lot on the makeup of the new Board of Supervisors.
Right now, the candidates appear to be split on their support for putting a sales tax measure before voters.
Voting has begun in California. KPCC is here for you and will help you develop your Voter Game Plan. Use our election guide to find your personalized ballot.
How trans politics changed who 'Hedwig's' audience is
The rock musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is now at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre, and Darren Criss dons a blond wig to star as Hedwig, a genderqueer East German rock star.
"It's us meeting her and listening to all the heartbreak she's gone through," says Criss.
Hedwig began her life as Hansel in East Berlin, but sings about losing pieces of herself throughout the years – her mother, her man, her manhood ("My sex change operation got botched / My guardian angel fell asleep on the watch/ Now all I've got is a Barbie doll crotch / I've got an angry inch!").
"Could this show have had a Broadway run 15, 20 years ago?" wonders Criss. "It was inherently subversive, and I think the reason it's gained such a wide cult following and why I liked it as a teenager is it was talking about things you weren't seeing in mainstream culture."
The show first debuted off-Broadway in 1998 at a small hotel ballroom in New York that sat just a few hundred people.
It was punk and edgy, and Hedwig was described as a "transsexual," "tranny," and "shemale" – innocuous terms at the time but ones that are considered offensive today.
The show became a huge hit that spawned a 2001 film, countless local productions around the nation and a Broadway revival in 2014.
Now in 2016, Hedwig is able to take the stage in front of an America that has a new understanding and sensitivity about gender, sexuality and identity.
"It's cool that it took this long for a mainstream audience to catch up with it," says Criss, "and I think it's been a blessing in the past few years how much there is a dialogue about some of the things in the show and an awareness that we've never had before."
"One of the lasting things about it isn't necessarily the gender topics," he adds. "It's only one of the elements of the show. The show deals with a lot of dualities: man and woman, East and West, top and bottom."
It's still not without controversy.
Transgender activists have questioned the show for a number of reasons: is it transphobic? Should Hedwig only be played by trans or genderqueer actors?
Criss would be excited if more trans actors found work in Hollywood and on stage.
"I'm rooting for you, and I hope that happens," he says. "For me, the play's the thing and one must be willing to play the part regardless of who you are and where you're from."
Darren Criss stars as Hedwig in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at the Pantages Theatre now through November 27.
Meet the Judges: Efrain Matthew Aceves, candidate for LA Superior Court
This year, eight candidates are running for four spots on L.A. Superior Court. The Court serves nearly 10 million people spread out across the county and judges oversee both criminal and civil matters – everything from contract disputes to homicide trials.
Take Two spoke to all eight of the candidates running for the bench. Here are highlights from our conversation with Efrain Matthew Aceves, candidate for Office No. 42:
What work do you currently do and why do you do it?
I am currently a Deputy District Attorney. I've been at the office for about 19 years. I've been assigned to the Family Violence Division. That's one of our elite units. I've tried over 100 jury trial cases. Currently, I primarily focus on domestic violence cases of a very serious nature and also child molestation cases.
What first drew you to a career in law?
I was born in Mexico and my mother came to the United States when I was 5 years old....When she was living in Mexico, my father had filed for divorce. He was already living in the United States. One of my uncles was an attorney in Mexico, and he basically told my mother that his perception was that she would get a fair shake if she came to the United States. Even though the L.A. County courts didn't have any jurisdiction over her, she decided to come. That's how I ended up coming, and so that was my first experience. It's a full circle to be able to be here. To come to this country for that reason...I want to be a part of that. I want to be part of a system that finds it important that people feel that they have their day in court, that are respectful of people, and frankly, I think that's what the public wants. We've seen a lot of concerns that are brought up lately regarding our criminal justice system and I think someone with my experience, my background, and my personal story really has a lot to bring to the table. When it comes to being highly qualified, but also having that personal experience, that's going to set me apart. I'm hoping to be at the table with the other judges to help them come together, and ultimately, make sure that communities that we serve, are served well.
Why in your view is it important for the public to choose who sits on the L.A. Superior Court?
Judges have a direct impact on our lives. Obviously, the president is very important. We have a senatorial race that's very important. But you're likely not going to be running into [those] individuals and they may never have a very direct impact on your life, whereas a judge may be able to do that should you, or anyone that you know, appear before this person. So, it's very important that we have good judges that are people that understand the law, people who have experience, and who have compassion, and are there for the right reasons.
What makes a good and effective judge?
Throughout the course of my career I've been before hundreds of judges. You quickly learn the judges who are most effective in the courtroom are those that first of all, take the time to read all the filings that are provided for them, who keep up on the law. And most important...who treat people with dignity and respect when they're in the courtroom. You want someone who is actually thinking about every case, who is being respectful of the parties, because at the end of the day, the defendant has a constitutional right to fair trial. You want that to happen because if you have...all your facts lined up and you know what you're presenting as a D.A., then you should expect that you're going to hopefully be able to prevail. If that person was treated fairly, as well, then the system worked. Ultimately, that's what we're here for: for the system to work and for justice to be brought.
What makes you the best candidate for the office you're seeking?
Given the fact that I'm involved with so many different things, I've had the opportunity to work with different people from different backgrounds. Whether they be Democrats, Republicans, Independents, I rise to the challenge. I'm both respected by all of them and they know that I'm someone who can collaborate with them. Ultimately, if I'm a judge, they know that I'm someone who is going to be fair to everyone and anyone who comes in my courtroom.
This series is a part of our voter game plan, in which we make it easier for you to vote. To read more about the L.A. County Superior Court Judge candidates, and for a digital version of your personalized ballot, visit kpcc.org/votergameplan. (Don't see all of the judicial candidates at that link? They'll be on Take Two now through the election, so check back for more!)
Related: Meet the LA County judge candidates
Meet the Judges: Alicia Molina, candidate for LA Superior Court
This year, eight candidates are running for four spots on L.A. Superior Court. The court serves nearly 10 million people spread out across the county and judges oversee both criminal and civil matters – everything from contract disputes to homicide trials.
Take Two spoke to all eight of the candidates running for the bench. Here are highlights from our conversation with Alicia Molina, candidate for Office No. 42:
What work do you currently do and why do you do it?
I'm an immigration/domestic violence/family law attorney. I do the three different areas of law, but some of them intertwine, like domestic violence and immigration. They're very intertwined together because you have a lot of abusers who will try to keep the person in the relationship by threatening to report them. I help them get restraining orders. I help them with divorces. I help them with child custody and child support. That's the type of work I do. Currently in my office, I'm also now doing family law, helping people out with divorces, with custody, etc. I also do some landlord-tenant mediation.
What first drew you to a career in law and why did you become an attorney?
When I entered the 5th grade, I was in the 7th grade reading level and the teacher that I had... decided that I should not be in the 7th grade reading level, and he moved me down to 3rd grade. I was in shock because I had always been a good student. I talked to my 4th grade teacher and he told me, Alicia, there's going to be times when you're going to face people who are not going to like you for some reason or another, or they're going to have prejudice, or discrimination. Well, my parents are immigrants, so my mom didn't speak much English. My dad did, but he had to work three jobs, so he couldn't go to the school to speak. When my younger brothers and sisters were going through the school system, they started facing similar types of discrimination, and my mother would just send me. And I would go and I would fight with the school district and they would put them in the college-bound [classes]. From that point, I learned that the underrepresented and the disadvantaged, a lot of times don't have a voice because they don't know the system, or because of lack of education, or lack of support. I realized that someone had to be that voice. So from the beginning, I felt it was my calling to try and help the underrepresented so that they could be treated fairly and justly.
What makes you the best candidate for the office you're running for?
I think I'm the best candidate because I come from the community. I will be a reflection of the people that are going to be before me. The reason that I say that I'm going to be a reflection is because I have been in the trenches working with the community. For 14 years, I have worked at a nonprofit in Boyle Heights called the International Institute of Los Angeles where I help low-income people. I make sure to really immerse myself in the different cultures, in the different organizations, because I think every culture is unique. They have different things that they bring to the community, and they have different socioeconomic factors that are unique to them.
In your view what makes a good and effective judge?
I think the most important thing is compassion, respect, dignity, being unbiased, being fair, and understanding the different cultures and the different socioeconomic factors. And being smart enough to know that you're not going to know all of it. But to be aware that if you don't know these things, you need to immerse yourself into the different communities so that you can learn how the different communities function, so that you can be very fair and unbiased. And make sure that regardless of your sexual preference, your culture, your race, your nationality, your socioeconomic status, that everybody is treated equally and the same.
This series is a part of our voter game plan, in which we make it easier for you to vote. To read more about the L.A. County Superior Court Judge candidates, and for a digital version of your personalized ballot, visit kpcc.org/votergameplan.
Related: Meet the LA County judge candidates
Mandating friendliness: can employers require you to be happy?
Trader Joe's is known for its low prices, signature products, and friendly "crew members." But the chipper attitude and smiling faces may not always be genuine. Some employees at East Coast Trader Joe's stores say they are pressured to appear happy even when they are not.
The New York Times reports that an unfair labor practices charge was filed yesterday with a National Labor Relations Board regional office. Employees say that the mandated friendliness actually violates their rights. In a similar case, T-Mobile was forced to remove a comparable policy.
For a closer look at the legal implications of making employees seem cheerful, Take Two's Alex Cohen spoke with Harley Shaken. He is a professor at U.C. Berkeley who specializes in labor law.
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
Reservoirs emit greenhouse gases. So why aren't they accounted for?
When you think of sources of greenhouse gas emissions, what comes to mind? Maybe cars lined up in gridlock on the freeway, or industrial plants belching smoke.
How about water storage reservoirs? It turns out, they're a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions too.
A study published last month in the journal BioScience from researchers at Washington State University-Vancouver found that the world's reservoirs actually emit as much greenhouse gases as the entire nation of Canada.
Bridget Deemer is the study's lead author and now a post-doctoral research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona. She joined Take Two to explain how reservoirs emit greenhouse gases and how those emissions might be reduced in the future.
To hear the full interview, click the blue player above.
Iconic SoCal palm trees in peril as weevils take hold
The South American palm weevil has made its way up to Southern California and that's a big problem.
According to Mark Hoddle, an entomologist at UC Riverside and the director of the Center for Invasive Species Research, they spread efficiently, are difficult to catch and they destroy palm trees from the inside out. All of which means one thing: our palm trees, and our date industry, are in trouble.
Will scientists be able to stop them before they spread further throughout the Golden State?
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
SeaWorld seeks approval for new killer whale attraction
Last year, SeaWorld announced it was ending its captive breeding program for orcas, but the aquatic theme park still wants to have killer whales on display.
Now, SeaWorld is looking for approval to construct a new orca attraction. The California Coastal Commission was set to decide on the issue Friday.
For more, Take Two's A Martinez spoke with Lori Weisberg who covers the tourism and hospitality industry at San Diego Union-Tribune.
To hear the full interview, click the blue arrow above.
Is it time to retire the term 'black film'?
For the past two weekends, two films with black directors and mostly black casts have garnered considerable attention.
"Boo! A Madea Halloween" and "Moonlight," a coming of age tale of a young African American finding his identity as a gay man.
Tyler Perry's latest Madea film cost about $20 million to make and has already brought in more than $56 million.
Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight," shot on a shoestring budget, has been almost universally praised by critics and has earned more than $1.5 million playing in just four theaters over the past two weeks.
These successes have led some to wonder if black film is entering into a new chapter, and if the title "black film" ought to be retired for the term: "film."
For answers, Take Two's A Martinez spoke to Filmweek contributor Tim Cogshell.
Highlights
By calling a film a black film, does that confine it?
You know, it depends. If we say 'French film,' we understand that we're probably talking about a film that is in the French language, but we're probably also talking about a film that references French culture. I could say 'a French film,' and it might be made by an Algerian or a Moroccan, and it will be in the French language but it will very much not be about the French culture.
I think that what we have to do is to allow the notion of black film to evolve just like we have every other genre of film: German film, Japanese film, all those films can carry those monikers, but they're all just films. They're all cinema.
What if the movie has nothing to do with the black experience? Say a black filmmaker is hired to direct a film about unicorns and rainbows?
Then you're going to have yourself a film about unicorns and rainbows that is a black film. It's gonna be a black film about unicorns and rainbows. And by the way, if it were a woman directing that film, then it would be a film about unicorns and rainbows that's very female.
So the identity will always be there. Moonlight director Barry Jenkins was asked whether he saw himself as a black filmmaker or just a filmmaker. His response was that there's no time when black ceases to be a defining characteristic.
This is absolutely true. It's true of us. Me, I'm a film critic, but I'm unequivocally a black film critic. My thoughts about film are filtered through my blackness because I'm black all day, every day.
Are we going to start classifying movies differently going forward or will they always go back to those labels?
You know, I think that they will always sort of go back to those same categories. What we need to expand is our understanding of what those categories mean. 'Black film' don't necessarily mean Tyler Perry and Kevin Hart and "Boys in the Hood." It can also mean Daughters of the Dust, wonderful Julie Dash's movie. "Killer of Sheep," by Charles Burnett. It might even mean a film that stars a white kid doing things in a white neighborhood that some black guy thought of.
Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.
(Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.)