Councilman Kevin de León should have resigned after audio of a now infamous racist conversation he joined was leaked. He betrayed the public's trust, lost the respect of his peers, and helped turn the Los Angeles City Council into a national embarrassment.
The secret recording of three councilors and a union leader was a sickening display of casual racism and brazen talk about dividing the city for their own benefit. After the scandal broke in October 2022, many people, including the editorial board, urged them to resign.
But De León stood his ground and refused to leave office, even when his behavior made him a pariah and hampered his ability to do the job. As a result, his constituents have suffered.
So it's up to voters to show him the door. Even before the scandal, he was not a particularly attentive or effective representative. Less than a year after taking his seat on the City Council, he announced that he would run for mayor, focusing his energy on a campaign that distracted him from his obligations to his district only to end up in a distant third place. Someone else can do it better.
District 14, which encompasses downtown, Boyle Heights, El Sereno and Eagle Rock, among other neighborhoods, has a decades-long history of being neglected, abused or abandoned by one selfish politician after another. The previous councilman, José Huizar, was recently sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in a widespread bribery and corruption scheme. His predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa, left office two years later to become mayor. That cycle has left serious and compounding problems, including challenges with homeless encampments, an ongoing humanitarian disaster on Skid Row, a housing affordability crisis, gentrification and displacement, and an anemic downtown where businesses have had problems since the COVID-19 pandemic.
These communities desperately need stable representation and someone who can handle big-picture issues, like housing and economic development, while ensuring residents get the basic urban services they need, like clean, safe streets and sidewalks.
Of the seven candidates seeking to unseat De León, state Assemblyman Miguel Santiago stands out as the best person for the job.
In nearly a decade representing the area in the state Legislature, Santiago, 50, has earned a reputation as a responsive and diligent legislator, though sometimes more cautious than bold. He has demonstrated leadership and persistence in addressing some of the issues that matter most to his constituents, including housing, homelessness, and environmental justice.
Built support among reform-resistant lawmakers to pass major laws requiring communities to address segregation and housing inequality and empower state officials to finally hold cities and counties accountable when they fail to plan for their fair share of housing. . He showed courage in addressing homelessness by pushing legislation to expedite the approval of emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing, and affordable housing in Los Angeles by exempting such projects from certain environmental reviews.
Santiago has also spent years working to hold the state accountable for cleaning up health-threatening lead contamination from the Exide battery recycling plant, which officials allowed to contaminate neighborhoods in southeastern Los County. Angeles, and for securing the funds necessary to do the job well.
Supports key reforms to begin fixing City Hall, including independent redistricting and increasing the number of council members. He wants greater oversight of the board and its decisions, like a watchdog, and an independently appointed and funded ethics commission to insulate it from political pressure.
Santiago has garnered strong support from unions, business groups and other powerful interests and has balanced views on issues such as tenant protection and public safety. He agrees with the council's decision last fall to cap rent increases for rent-controlled units at 4% after the COVID-era freeze expires instead of the originally planned 7%, an example of a reasonable compromise between the needs of the owners. and tenants. He supports Mayor Karen Bass' initiative to restore LAPD staffing to about 9,500 officers while increasing unarmed response and violence prevention programs. He wants to treat homelessness and climate change like the emergencies they are.
Grassroots candidate Ysabel Jurado, a tenants' rights lawyer running on the left of Santiago, is also a strong candidate. She speaks with refreshing clarity and authenticity about the need for radical changes at City Hall to make it work for everyday people. She wants to reduce the size of the LAPD to reallocate money toward an unarmed response to the crisis and other community priorities. She would repeal the city's law banning homeless people from camping and support stronger protections for renters and against gentrification and displacement.
We also believe that Santiago is a better option than another state legislator from the area, Wendy Carrillo. She showed a terrible disregard for the safety of others when she was arrested for driving under the influence last November after crashing into two parked cars with a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit. Since then, she has pleaded no contest to the charge of driving under the influence. Carrillo has been in trouble for her behavior before her. In 2020, the Assembly speaker reprimanded her for inappropriate workplace behavior, including unwanted hugs and kisses. (Carrillo said the Legislature's process for investigating complaints of workplace misconduct was unfair.)
Community leaders have made it clear that what they need above all else is someone they can trust to serve the district with honor and humility. Santiago is your best opportunity to achieve the focused, empathetic and principled leadership you so desperately need.
