STRAIGHT OUTTA SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

On this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we speak with Jillian Burgos, the treasurer of the North Hollywood Neighborhood Council, which is known to issue more Community Impact Reports than any other Neighborhood Council! Burgos has called Los Angeles home since 2009 and is now running a people-powered campaign to replace Paul Krekorian for L.A. City Council District 2 this March. Learn more about the campaign through her website, and check back soon to find the time-stamps for our convo.

(0:30) Welcome Jillian Burgos! Would you tell us about yourself, and when you first declared your campaign?
(6:27) Let’s talk about Council District 2, and which neighborhoods it includes
(9:16) Let’s also talk about the Neighborhood Council system
(15:38) The NC’s can actually make statements about living conditions, including Renter’s Issues
(17:25) A lot of renters in CD-2 are also actors and writers who were on strike recently 17:32
(23:11) What would Jillian Burgos do regarding illegal Airbnbs in the district?
(26:01) Among other things, coalition-building at L.A. City Hall
(29:30) What would Transit Justice in CD-2 actually look like in 5 – 10 years?
(32:04) With all this said, what really sets Jillian’s campaign apart from the rest of the pack?
(37:42) How folks can volunteer for or otherwise support Jillian’s campaign
(38:43) Volunteering and the importance of matching funds
(40:18) Is Jillian’s campaign the real grassroots campaign in CD-2 to support?
(42:16) Yes, indeed. Now on to canvassing!

You can also catch the latest from yours truly on L.A. County Districts 2, 4, 5 and the District Attorney’s office via Making a Neighborhood; and yes, Los Cuentos has wrapped up with Elections in El Salvador and I’ll have a report back soon! For now, to make a one-time donation to JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, check out my PATREON.

J.T.

EPISODE 39 – TO JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, OR NOT

In our 39th episode, we chat with Brett Shears, the founder of Vote Allies, an advocacy organization working to grant voting rights to historically disenfranchised communities, and a recent staffer for the successful Prop 17 campaign during this year’s elections. Brett and I have an extensive conversation on L.A.’s Neighborhood Council (NC) system, which is holding its own elections through early 2021. We touch on the origins of the NCs in the pre 2000s era, their strengths and weaknesses given the wealth gap between different communities in Los Angeles, and how a lack of support for NCs from L.A. City Hall continually strains their potential to keep the actual L.A. City Council “in check,” which is what they’re supposed to do! For listeners interested in more insights regarding L.A.’s neighborhood council system, Brett is happy to chat with you. Find him on Twitter at: @brettshears

J.T.