RENT IS DUE. WHERE IS MY MONEY??

In the final episode of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast for 2023, yours truly breaks down the upcoming L.A. City Council and LAUSD Elections. Mail in ballots across California should reach voters as soon as February 5th, 2024, or just thirty-eight days away from the publication date of this recording! To learn more about the candidates, see jmbtms.com.

(1:07) Shout out to the Social Primate Podcast! Where yours truly chatted with Eddie as the final guest of the year
(2:37) The $50,000,000,000,000 gift. From workers in the U.S. to the top 1%, “free of charge”
(7:09) Speaking of numbers, the amount of homelessness in the U.S. broke records this year
(10:04) 7 of the Victorville 8, better known as the Justice 8, are still being held without bail in San Bernardino County!!
(13:10) Call the Victorville D.A.’s office to demand their IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (760) 243-8600
(14:37) Now, let’s talk about the Public Policy Institute of California and some findings recently
(16:12) In California, if all were even-Steven, 6 out of 10 ballots cast in elections would be from communities of color
(18:10) In terms of age within CA, turnout from voters 18 – 54 years old should be 65%. Instead, it’s at 40%.
(22:13) L.A. City Council District 2: Adrian Nazarian vs Sam Kbushyan vs Manuel Gonez
(26:20) L.A. City Council District 4: Nithya Raman vs Ethan Weaver
(30:13) L.A. City Council District 6: Imelda Padilla
(33:11) L.A. City Council District 8: Marqueece Harris-Dawson
(36:14) L.A. City Council District 10: Gracee Yoo vs Heather Hutt vs Reginald Jones-Sawyer
(41:27) L.A. City Council District 12: John Lee
(43:52) L.A. City Council District 14: Miguel Santiago vs Wendy Carrillo vs Kevin De Leon vs Ysabel Jurado
(51:07) LAUSD Board District 1: Dewayne Davis vs Didi Watts
(52:23) LAUSD Board District 3: Dan Chang vs Janie Dam vs Scott Schemerelson
(53:43) LAUSD Board District 5: Fidencio Joel Gallardo vs Graciela Ortiz
(55:57) LAUSD Board District 7: Tanya Ortiz Franklin
(57:14) Stay tuned for numbers on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors Race as well as the District Attorney’s Office!

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

RAISING OVER $150,000 WITHOUT PAC MONEY IN L.A.


Thanks to matching funds! Los Angeles, meet Ysabel Jurado for Council District 14.

(02:15) What is Council-District 14? Which neighborhoods does it include?
(03:42) Ysabel is another Highland Park native and graduate of Immaculate Heart High School
(05:38) Sharing the Highland Park area with Council-District 1, which takes the side south of York Blvd
(06:49) The reason Ysabel decided to run for this seat was to fight for her community (back in August 2022)
(09:33) What Ysabel’s hearing from community members about city politics
(11:39) Ysabel’s experience as a Tenants’ Rights Attorney fighting evictions during lock-down due to COVID-19
(13:06) On Social Housing in Los Angeles as a part of fighting the housing crisis
(14:52) Support the Eastside Cafe, which is fundraising to purchase more land back for El Sereno community
(17:20) Council-District 14 has the highest number of eviction filings out of all the districts; we need to enhance renter protections
(22:41) According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, since the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in California is $2,197, the median or minimum wage should be $42 an hour
(25:21) Ysabel has raised more than $150,000 for her campaign without PAC or corporate money
(26:18) What would Ysabel do with millions of surplus money in CD-14? Also, my humble Patreon plug!
(29:12) Protecting small, legacy businesses, including in Boyle Heights
(30:01) Dealing with resentment and frustration from community members re: resources for unsheltered folks
(34:58) L.A.’s Planning and Land Use Management committee accepted an appeal in Boyle Heights over Tiao Development’s proposed destruction of legacy businesses on Cesar Chavez Ave. to build market-rate housing
(39:14) Dealing with jadedness on housing and the idea that working-class communities cannot win against developers
(41:16) How Ysabel would serve on L.A.’s Planning and Land Use Committee
(43:04) Ysabel’s roots as a Filipina-American and how they inform her sense of land and stewardship rather than ownership
(45:27) Explaining how Tiny Homes are actually NOT housing
(50:40) How Ysabel will not allow for her identity as an Asian-American to be used as a “racial wedge” between her and Latinx communities
(52:28) At just over 50 days before mail-in ballots reach voters, what’s Ysabel up to?
(54:22) Follow Ysabel Jurado’s Campaign for Council District 14 on Instagram at @ysabeljuradola.

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

SOUTHEAST L.A. IN THE BUILDING

On this edition of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, yours truly sits down for an extensive conversation with the Social Primate Podcast’s Eddie Aguirre. Eddie is a graphic designer by trade and has hosted the Social Primate Podcast since 2017. We discuss Eddie’s roots on the Southeast side of Los Angeles, better known as SELA, the city of Cudahy and its recent call for a ceasefire in Gaza, God of War 3, L.A. Metro’s vote to name their new rail-line for SELA (which ends on December 17th), Eddie’s evolving relationship with his son, and more.

(1:48) Introducing Eddie Aguirre, of the Social Primate Podcast
(7:51) The way the things we make showcase only a part of us, not the whole thing
(12:56) What is SELA?
(16:58) Cudahy
(24:35) How psychedelics were a major part of the Social Primate Pod’s development
(26:50) GTA 6 Trailer and the role of gaming in our lives
(30:13) Eddie’s crucial beginner games included Pokemon Red
(32:57) God of War 3 is special, though
(36:46) Kratos is the warrior’s warrior, full of toxic masculinity
(39:40) Palestine-Israel since October 7th and its effect on Eddie as a father + more on gaming
(51:16) Eddie crafts a balance with his son when it comes to how much gaming he can do right now
(54:01) Back to SELA and mainstays for Eddie there
(1:01:45) L.A. Metro and a new rail-line through Southeast L.A.
(1:04:33) Choosing a new name for this rail-line; the list
(1:13:00) A side-quest: Once upon a time on L.A. Metro’s Blue Line
(1:24:48) The Southeast Gateway Line, maybe?
(1:29:09) The Tongva…or Kizh Line, maybe?
(1:31:00) Learning about our roots empowers us; Eddie himself has had a special journey with this
(1:36:08) Eddie’s bombshell! (Which yours truly is honored to have him share on the pod)

Here’s that map of California as an island to cartographers in 1650, btw. And keep up with the Social Primate Podcast on Instagram: @socialprimates.

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

THIS TEACHER IS BEING SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY TEACHING ANTI-SEMITISM

A second special edition episode with Guadalupe Carrasco Cardona. Guadalupe is the daughter of migrant farm-workers and hails from Oxnard, California, among other communities in the Southwest. She has been an Ethnic Studies, English, Social Studies and Journalism educator for 24 years and has taught in California, Arizona and Texas. She is currently an Ethnic Studies Teacher at Roybal Learning Center just outside of downtown Los Angeles as well as the chair of the Association of Raza Educators (Los Angeles chapter), co-founder of XOCHITL Los Angeles, a member of Ethnic Studies Now Coalition’s Coordinating Committee, and a founding member of the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Coalition.

(1:21) Lupe Carrasco Cardona
(2:42) Lupe’s 24 year career as a teacher and educator
(3:23) Inspiration to become a teacher
(4:59) A serendipitous connection to the late, great mayor of San Fernando, Cindy Montañez
(6:18) Connection to farm-workers, including Cesar Chavez in the Central Valley
(8:40) Coming from Oxnard, California, where farm-workers pick through strawberry fields
(12:11) Lupe’s role in passing California Assembly Bills 2016, 101, and 1460, which together require ethnic studies be taught at California high schools
(14:01) Organizing with students, parents and teachers at the grassroots level for ethnic studies
(14:45) Organizing after Tucson, Arizona’s 2010 ban of Mexican-American studies
(17:28) The lawsuit filed against Lupe and her colleague for teaching ethnic studies
(24:45) Lupe’s reaction to the lawsuit’s filing in 2022
(28:42) The irony of accusing an indigenous teacher of being antisemetic
(31:09) How to support Lupe and Theresa this upcoming Thursday, December 14th
(32:04) Educational rally outside of the Federal courthouse at 1st Street in DTLA
(34:17) Lawfare against communities of color is likely to continue, yet we (have to) persist
(35:40) What Lupe would like to get out of beating this case

You can also learn more or keep up with Lupe’s Cuento on Instagram: @lupe_teaches_ethnic_studies.

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

Aerial shot of Los Angeles City Hall

IT’S MONEY OR PEOPLE POWERED: THE CHOICE IS YOURS

In this special edition episode with Council Member Hernandez of L.A. City Council’s 1st District, we discuss upcoming rent raises in 2024 and their impact on housing insecurity in L.A.; we also discuss voting against the police budget earlier this year, new funding sources for the L.A. Ethics Commission, the race for new leadership in Council District 14, and more:

(2:53) Rent hike this February 2024
(5:07) The rent hike’s effect on Council District 1
(7:35) A message to the housing movement about the politics behind this decision by L.A. City Council
(9:50) Voting against the police budget for 2023 – 2024
(13:13) Purchasing the Mayfair hotel in Westlake/MacArthur Park area to house folks from Skid Row
(17:02) Hosting Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program as an alternative response to people experiencing crises in Los Angeles
(19:51) The Crisis and Incident through Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE) program in Los Angeles
(21:59) What if LAPD budget increases went to more human responses to mental health crises?
(24:19) Turning the old Lincoln Heights jail into a new community resource
(26:48) Measure J’s progress in L.A. County since being approved by 2.1 million voters in 2020
(29:37) Independent funding for the L.A. City Council Ethics Commission
(31:39) Expanding L.A. City Council as soon as 2026, potentially
(34:50) Reconnecting MacArthur Park without displacing people in the area
(39:23) Partnership on the project with L.A. Metro
(40:41) Endorsing Ysabel Jurado in Council District 14 and dual-endorsing reverend Eddie Anderson and Council Member Hutt in CD-10
(43:22) CD-14 has the highest number of evictions and has millions in discretionary funds
(45:08) Joining a short list of elected officials in L.A. and California calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.