Elections today in Los Angeles!

There are elections today in Los Angeles. More democracy! Find your polling place here. I'm voting for Antonio Villaraigosa for Mayor, because he's done a decent job. Some newspapers have complained that he hasn't risen to his potential, and that he is focused more on his next campaign than on his current job.

I think Antonio has done a good job just keeping LA going during this crisis. His school reforms haven't gone as far as we would all like, but that's also a huge job. He's gotten the Subway To The Sea off the ground, which is a major accomplishment. Unfortunately, we won't see the results of that for a long time. His best quality is just his sheer enthusiasm. There is something to be said for a politician who puts his heart and soul into improving the quality of life for his constituents. Say what you will about his policies, you can't question his dedication or his professionalism. As for his campaigning for the higher office; he will probably be running for either senator or governor very soon. But an essential part of his campaign is how well he runs the city today. If you don't like the fact that he's spending more time running for senator or governor than being mayor, send a message and vote against him in that next election. I do agree with his critics who think that he should have participated in mayoral debates. None of his competitors were serious candidates, but he did have nine of them. You would think that the Mayor of Los Angeles would understand that he has a certain responsibility to provide his constituents with some entertainment value. Particularly during a campaign.

As for the rest of the offices, I just use the LA Times endorsements. The one contentious ballot measure is Measure B, which would encourage the use of solar power in LA. That sounds like a great thing, but I've read too many criticisms of it as a power grab by the electrician's union (installations of solar power facilities would have to be by the union). Laura Chick has reached the end of her term limits, which is too bad; she's been a great Controller. Yet another great reason to oppose term limits, the stupidest idea currently inflicted on American democracy. On the other hand, I am NOT going to miss Rocky Delgadillo as City Attorney. He's had something of a bizarre tenure, which I don't even want to think about.

Schlock and science

When I was in college, I was in the science fiction club (the Swarthmore Warders of Imaginative Literature - work out the acronym), and even president of it at one point. We started a great tradition called the "Schlock Film Festival." We showed the worst B-movies from the '50's and '60's that we could find. It was great. It was also incredibly cheap. Our budget was $200, and for that we could get several movies, because they were so cheap. We would get actual films - real movies, on celluloid, not just VHS. The kind you put through a projector. You could rent one for $50. We were professionals about having bad taste.

Now the LA Natural History Museum has come with a variation on our festival. It's called "B Movies and Bad Science." The idea is to show movies based on atrociously bad science, and use real science to explain why it's wrong.

I think that's a wonderful idea. Perfect for a museum in LA - movies and science! I'm going to try to catch at least one.

A good cop in LA

The Los Angeles Downtown News, an independent newspaper in LA, has a nice article about a good, progressive cop in downtown LA named Andy Smith. Apparently he's done a great job cleaning up the area, and now he is being reassigned, so he can work his magic elsewhere in the city. I have been consistently impressed with William Bratton, our chief of police. And you don't see too many news stories about good cops who have made a difference.