Graffiti is a huge problem throughout Los Angeles. It impacts businesses, billboards, schools, public places and our homes. Some vandals even deface beautiful murals and public art pieces. The destruction and defacement of murals and spaces in our neighborhoods leaves a lasting effect on our quality of life.  Continue reading

You may have heard on the radio this week a series of stories about manufacturing jobs in the United States. One segment, called "What Gets Made in LA is Way More Than Movies," highlights that the LA area is the biggest manufacturing hub in the country. With a great climate -- weather and business -- and the two biggest ports in the Americas, the aerospace, technology, apparel, medical equipment, printing, plastics and furniture industries, among others, are still going strong and remain home to hundreds of thousands of good jobs. The importance of LA to aerospace manufacturing is clear when you consider that 80 percent of the nuts, bolts and other fasteners that hold airplanes together are made right here in Southern California. One of the challenges this and other industries face, however, is finding a pool of skilled workers ready to accomplish the technical work. There is a need for government and industry to partner with more local schools to make them useful training grounds for these types of good, middle-class jobs. Continue reading

This week was an extraordinarily busy and productive one at City Hall. The City Council not only considered significant items related to homelessness and moved forward with our citywide El Niño preparations, we also held committee hearings on topics that likely will be extraordinarily important to the present and future well-being of our city. Continue reading

Earlier this week, our nation celebrated Veterans Day and paid tribute to the men and women who have heroically served our country and defended the values we cherish. They sacrificed so much to maintain the freedoms, progress and traditions of this great country. Continue reading

Can you believe it? Metro's Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit is 10 years old. Since its beginnings on Oct. 29, 2005, the Orange Line has become one of the most innovative and successful transit lines of its kind in the nation. It has more than earned its reputation as "the Valley's best shortcut" and exceeded all ridership expectations. Continue reading

Our country is beset by gun violence. Since 1970, there have been more Americans killed by private guns than the total number of all Americans killed since the Revolutionary War. Something has to be done, and I'm proud to say that in Los Angeles we are doing everything we can to stop this epidemic from taking more innocent lives. Continue reading

As a parent, I know how precious the time is we spend with ourchildren. Our schedules are full of other important things, like work, school and commuting, which draw attention away fromour families. But this city was founded by families, and the San Fernando Valley has blossomed because of families living in, working in and playing in our communities. Continue reading

Whether you’re taking a stroll down Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, hopping on the Red or Orange Line in North Hollywood, or driving down Laurel Canyon in Valley Village, you can see right away that Los Angeles is a great place to do business. Not just in the San Fernando Valley, but all across the city. Continue reading

It takes a village to raise a child, and it certainly takes one to protect them. Earlier this week, I was proud to join community leaders to celebrate the activation of a long-awaited traffic signal in Studio City's Tujunga Village.  Continue reading

Earlier this week, I joined Mayor Eric Garcetti and my City Council colleagues to announce the first step of a comprehensive strategy to address the issue of homelessness in Los Angeles. Continue reading

Did you know that Los Angeles has a large urban forest, including an extensive network of mature trees that line our streets? If you've driven through the hills and the San Fernando Valley, including many parts of Council District 2, you surely do. These trees are often decades old and provide shade, aesthetic beauty, improved air quality and myriad additional benefits to our unique and precious urban ecosystem. Continue reading

Earlier this month, the City Council approved a measure I introduced that urges the state to act on tougher background checks and the city to study fingerprint-based background checks on all transportation services that provide rides in Los Angeles. Continue reading

Los Angeles is a world class city with a growing population that is vibrant and increasingly diverse. Meeting the transportation and mobility needs of such a large and expansive city requires a comprehensive package of transportation strategies. Continue reading

  The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved (14-0) a policy that I authored, which will require all handgun owners in Los Angeles to store their handguns in a locked container or disable them with a trigger lock when kept in the home. The only time a handgun need not be stored or locked is when it is carried on the owner's body or within the owner's close proximity and control. Continue reading

In late July, I stood on Ventura Blvd. after a man came to a busy area, waved a gun and fired into the air. Thankfully, no one died. Our law enforcement professionals did their jobs and kept us safe. But, it easily could have ended differently. It could have been much worse. Continue reading