What's Next, Los Angeles? with Mike Bonin
Los Angeles is at a turning point. We are living in a defining moment. What happens next is up to us. Over the past few years, problems and challenges have shaken this city -- and tremendous opportunities for change have presented themselves. How do we rise to this moment and emerge a better place to live? What will it take to create a more just and a more equitable community? Working together, how are we going to create a stronger, forward-thinking Los Angeles? Mike Bonin, writer, teacher, progressive activist and former City Councilmember, looks at the issues and problems facing Los Angeles, examines ideas, and talks with the people who will lead us to a brighter future.
Produced in partnership with LA Forward.
What's Next, Los Angeles? with Mike Bonin
SARAH RASCON: Candidate for State Senate District 26
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Sarah Rascon is community advocate and candidate for State Senate in one of Los Angeles’ most diverse and fast-changing districts. She is running on a message focused on affordability and access to opportunity. She joins me to talk about her campaign. That’s on this episode of WNLA.
Today we turn to the race for the State Senate seat in District 26, currently held by Maria Elena Durazo, who is termed out of office.
District 26 is a dense, urban district centered in Los Angeles, including Downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. It’s home to largely Latino and immigrant communities, with a mix of working-class families and renters, and it sits at the center of many of the city’s biggest challenges — from housing affordability and homelessness to economic inequality and access to public services.
Today’s guest is Sarah Rascón, a candidate for State Senate.
Rascón has been active in community and policy work in Los Angeles, and is running in a crowded field to succeed Durazo. Her campaign has focused on issues like the cost of living, housing, and access to economic opportunity — themes that are central to the district.
I sat down with Sarah Rascón recently to talk about her campaign and how she sees the role of the State Senate in addressing those challenges. Here is that conversation.
What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.
A community advocate and a candidate for state senate in one of Los Angeles' most diverse and fast-changing districts is running on a message focused on affordability and access to opportunity. Sarah Rascone joins me to talk about her campaign on this episode of What's Next Los Angeles. Hi everyone and welcome. It's Mike Bonn and thank you so much for joining me. In our continuing series of interviews with candidates running for office seeking your vote on the June ballot, we turn to the race for State Senate District 26, which is currently held by Maria Elena Dorasso, who's termed out of office and running for Los Angeles County Supervisor. District 26 is a dense urban district centered in Los Angeles. It includes downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. It's home to a largely Latino and immigrant community with a mix of working class families and renters, and it sits at the center of many of the city's biggest challenges, from housing affordability and homelessness to economic inequality and access to public services. Today's guest is Sarah Rascone. She's a candidate for that seat. Rascone has been active in community and policy work in Los Angeles and is running in a crowded field to succeed the Rasso. Her campaign has focused on issues like the cost of living, housing, and access to economic opportunity, themes that are central to the district. Here is that conversation. All right, thanks for joining me on What's Next Los Angeles?
SPEAKER_02Hi, happy to be here.
SPEAKER_00Glad to have you. Let me start as I always do with people running for office. Give me your pitch. Who are you and why should voters vote for you?
SPEAKER_02Thank you for the question. I am Sarah Rascon and I am a daughter of Los Angeles, born and raised in this very district, just a few minutes from where we're sitting. And, you know, government is deeply personal to me. Part of my upbringing, I felt shame surrounded by it because it was not a traditional upbringing. You know, I grew up in El Sereno, and not far from here, you have the Edelman Children's Court. And that is partially why government is personal. You know, my parents had a tumultuous divorce in the 90s and it caused grandma to step in and be our legal guardian. So we went to children's court. I am a product of the DCFS system, my brothers and I. And if it wasn't for my grandmother retiring early and being our primary caretaker, I don't know where we'd be today.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_02So yes, I learned at an early age, you know, ripe age of eight years old, as the middle girl, that whether you vote or not, whether you're civically engaged, government affects our lives. And being raised by an immigrant woman who was formerly a seamstress, I would hear my grandmother say things such as, on the public right-of-way. And that translates to, how do you get the streets fixed? How do you get the tree trimmed? And from a young age, you know, I knew, well, that's not on my grandmother's property. So that's government. Right. And especially, you know, going to children's court and seeing government involved in our lives. I always felt very interested and intrigued by this invisible system that affects all of us.
SPEAKER_00How old were you when you were going through Edelman?
SPEAKER_02I was about eight, nine. It's also the time when most kids learn to ride a bike. So I blame my parents that I did not learn how to ride a bike until I was in my late 20s out of necessity on a trip where friends said they were going to leave me. So, you know, part of my upbringing has certainly motivated my interest in government and my grandmother hosting countless family members, you know, anyone who needed a place for shelter. I recently learned she said she'd had 19 people, not at once, but that had passed through her home, where she provided, you know, a roof over their heads and food. So looking back at my grandmother, she helped everyone that she could. And I found myself, you know, upon returning from college for the summer, my first internship was with the Hispanic College Fund. And I had the privilege of taking Northeast LA high school students to the campus of UCLA for the summer. And I myself am a product of the UC system and partially chose it because of the financial aid, the Cal grants that I was offered. I was the first in my family to go away to college. And my aunts actually attended Cal State LA. So we've all very much benefited from our public university system. And that's thanks to California. So, you know, upon graduating and returning home, I continued to be interested in government, although I did do the UCDC program. So had another internship on the Hill, which very much solidified I want to be part of this system and figure it out for everyday people like my family, like my grandmother, and help everyday people navigate it because it's complex.
SPEAKER_00So that's the why you got involved in public service, why you want to be a state senator. What experiences have you had, professional or otherwise, that prepare you to be a state senator?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, looking back my experience as both a nonprofit doing voter engagement and outreach, which was my very first job out of college, officially paid. And I then went on to work in the state legislature myself. I worked for then state assembly member Jimmy Gomez before he had ever been elected. And for me, it was important to have a relationship to the district that I grew up in. And it didn't feel like work because I got to serve the communities that I had known and help people with constituent services and also be in the field. I was his field representative in at least three quarters of then assembly district, uh, not at once, but throughout the entirety, every community from East LA, El Sereno, Chinatown, Lincoln Heights, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley. And those are just a few that come to top of mind. So I've done this work on the ground as a staff person, and I think that gives me a really unique experience. And, you know, from my experiences in the federal government working on the hill for a former Congress member, I then went on to work for an environmental agency that does open space, environmental, and tribal equity work, urban greening all throughout not only the Northeast, but the region in LA, Ventura, and now Orange County. So I really had a regional perspective and got to hone in on my environmental skills and work on one issue. And I then said, I want to be a generalist once again. And throughout my duration for the environmental agency, I was also on the East Area Planning Commission. So I had always worked with the city in some capacity. My very first internship, actually, to take it back, was with a former president of public works in the VA Rigos administration. I got to answer phones, landlines for graffiti removal. If you can imagine that Office of Beautiful Beautification, it was Cynthia Brees.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay, sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And working in an office with a man named Paul, I think he's still there as well. So, you know, kudos to our public servants.
SPEAKER_00Paul Rux. Yeah. Yes, I know Paul Well.
SPEAKER_02A lot of people do.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_02That system has advanced since then, as one would hope. And I then went on to work most recently in the LA mayor's office as her director of county and regional affairs. And, you know, ultimately I have officially and professionally worked in all capacities of government, federal, state, city, in different capacities. And I feel very privileged that my career has been a reflection of my values. And I can, you know, go to sleep at night and say, you know, the work I'm doing really affects people's lives. And the reason I'm doing it is to truly help others.
SPEAKER_00Which congressperson and which environmental organization?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Okay. Former Congressman Dennis Cardoza from the Central Valley.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02And that relationship was that I had gone to UC Merced. Oh, right. So that was, you know, the nexus to having chosen his office and was even on student government then, as early as eighth grade, having been on student government at a local school in El Sorino. And the agency is called the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority, which is a joint powers authority of one of the state conservancies under the California Natural Resources Agency. So gained a lot of pertinent skills to the state legislature. And, you know, last year it just so happened to align. We had two folks announce our current state senator, Maria Lena Durazo, said that she was not going to pursue her third term to fulfill the whole 12. She had done two eight-year terms, two four-year terms, totaling eight. And we had two folks that announce their candidacy. And I wanted to see a community candidate, someone that I know and can believe in that's going to serve our most vulnerable populations. And it's not in Sacramento to rub elbows with lobbyists. I've been there. I've also been a lobbyist. I've written legislation. I've advocated. I know what it's like. I know a lot of the special interests, although it's gotten more robust given AI and all of the special interests that are evolving with tech.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And the giant coffers that they have to influence elections. I recently heard that Uber has $26 million to spend on campaigns.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_02They certainly would not invest in my campaign. I don't think so. And, you know, I feel good about that because I am indebted to the community more than anyone. And that's what's most important to me and always has been.
SPEAKER_00We live in very divisive political times and people like to attach labels to people. So I'm going to ask how you would describe where you are on the political spectrum, but feel free to elaborate as much as you want on that.
SPEAKER_02You know, despite having worked in government nearly my entire career and having been a dedicated public servant, I am not an institutional candidate. You know, we have other opponents who have a lot of other interest from the institution. No one received the Democratic Party endorsement, not yet, at least. And the LA County Federation of Labor did not chime in. They did not have a consensus. So I truly see myself as the community grassroots environmental candidate in this race that has served this community throughout my entire career, which no one else can say that they have been a public servant already, serving the people of this district from behind the scenes. At least not throughout their entire career. So I have, you know, been in this interesting role where I am a grassroots community candidate and am more progressive than my opponents because of all the special interest and the support that they've garnered. So I personally see myself as a pragmatic progressive that's here to make change and champion our most vulnerable communities. Let's talk about power.
SPEAKER_00You're running to represent a district that has really, particularly under the current senator, been associated with labor power and immigrant communities. I'm curious what is your theory of change and how can a state senator actually improve people's daily lives in the district?
SPEAKER_02And, you know, on that note, I just want to say that Senator Durazzo has been a fierce champion for working people, for good jobs, for union jobs. And she leaves very big shoes to fill. And I don't want to see us go in reverse and be a bought and sold seat for special interest. And, you know, part of my reason for running was also that more often than not, people don't pay attention to state races. They seem far removed, but they have a very big impact in people's everyday lives. I believe because it's in Sacramento half the time, halftime in the district, folks haven't paid attention, but it is a different time. And, you know, to fully answer your question here, I believe that we need to ensure that our working class communities, our existing communities, are first and foremost number one. And that's done through a variety of, you know, different tasks that the state can take up.
SPEAKER_00And but what can a state senator do to actually impact the quality of people's lives?
SPEAKER_02Everything from and part of what my priorities are, obviously housing, um, you know, housing that is affordable and within reach for people. I myself, you know, feel very privileged to have gone through a first-time homebuyer program. But because of that, I also know the challenges and obstacles that others would face. When I worked in the state legislature, one of the events that was our most well attended pre-COVID for audience purposes was a first-time homebuyer seminar in East LA. Unincorporated East LA has one of the highest percentage concentration of our renters. And we had over 200 people attend this seminar. And it was to share information, to, you know, motivate others and show them that it is in fact within reach. But given the current parameters of the programs, often our wages don't allow us to qualify for the cost of the homes in LA. So we need a lot of reform that the state can take on, you know, not only building new condos, townhomes, the type of housing that our wages can keep up with, but changing the parameters and investing more in our first-time homebuyer programs. You know, I'm sure that the recent open application that the state launched what is going to, you know, get filled very quickly. And there's only so much that the state can help with. So obviously, you know, housing, affordability, access, ability to own if one would so choose.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02And the ability to have housing near transit and where people can easily access work, you know, do their activities within their community, not have to drive, which helps relieve the burden of car, insurance costs, and so forth. So I absolutely believe that we need more responsible housing. That doesn't mean, you know, housing with no regard for the community and the environment, but that it be done responsibly. I've always been a fan of transit-oriented developments. They make sense and can also help with environmental health impacts, getting cars off the road.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02So definitely housing to fully answer your question and also pursuing health care. You know, I find it pretty egregious that our health insurance is on the stock market. It shows how privatized and how much of a business we see it as. As someone who studied abroad in Germany, I was able to go to a doctor's office without an appointment and they opened up their drawer and gave me medicine. I will never forget that experience. And as the fourth largest economy in the world, I just can't fathom why we have not passed it.
SPEAKER_00You mentioned Senator Dorasso. She was a huge figure in the labor movement. She was the head of the County Federation of Labor, and before that, she was the head of the Hotel Workers' Union. She's done a lot of work for low-wage immigrant workers in particular, people who work in the hotel, the food service, logistics fields. What are your top policy priorities around workers' issues, things like wage theft, workplace safety, unionization?
SPEAKER_02Goes without question that we need more worker protections. She has always said, and I couldn't agree more, that one job should be enough for you to be able to live in LA, to be able to thrive, have health care, have a pension. And unfortunately, you know, especially our low wage earners are often working two jobs. You know, I remember my grandmother was a seamstress before the union existed for her. And she worked very long, egregious hours. And it's because she didn't have the protections that have since been introduced. Senator Durazzo did introduce a bill that is specific to garment workers.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02So, you know, I think what if my grandmother had benefited from that? You know, she'd have a decent retirement at this day and age. And it's a shame that, you know, she has to retire the way she, you know, and barely making ends meet. I don't think it's just so I come from a working class family. I understand the issues and this population, especially of this district, because it's what I grew up in and where I come from. And I don't believe that experience can be taught or bought or learned. You just you can't. You know, to live it is one thing. And I believe lived experience is extremely beneficial to our elected officials.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Wages are low, costs are high. So there's always efforts to be raising the minimum wage. There have been some pushes to do statewide minimum wage increase. Then there are other campaigns that are city by city or sector by sector. What's your preferred approach?
SPEAKER_02You know, it's a good question. And I personally would like more data and information to make a well-informed decision. But I would say off the top of my head, a combination thereof. As far as cities go, because you know, obviously we differ between, you know, the Central Valley and Southern California. But it's well known that we have some of the highest rental and housing market prices. So that's a given in terms of, you know, being able to create a minimum wage that's city by city or region, county by county, even. There are 58 counties in the entire state, and they're all very different. Yet we have our similarities. And also by industry, I, you know, some industries are more dangerous than others.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02My paternal grandfather, I learned in running for office, he was a laborer for local 300 and retired after 26 years. Very dangerous job, but he also had protections that allowed him to buy a home and city terrace for his family.
SPEAKER_00This district has large immigrant communities. They've lived through workplace raids and deportations. There's been anti-immigrant rhetoric in the national and statewide political discourse on and off for decades. What are your top policy priorities on immigrant rights at the state level?
SPEAKER_02I have always said that I believe we have to trump-proof California. And again, going back to being, you know, one of the largest economies and being a donor state to the federal government, we have to put up better protections for our immigrant population. You know, whether that means not having major events because we have to go, mother may I, to the federal government for security. I any day would choose our immigrant population because that is what makes up LA and California. And that's who's here to stay well beyond, you know, a temporary activation that really is, you know, somewhat for us, but also for tourists. I will defer to the ticket prices and all the comments I've seen online that say, you know, the tickets are not within reach for us. Who are they really for? And, you know, on that note, it's also well known that our undocumented immigrant population specifically pay federal taxes. That information is very well being weaponized against them. So why can't we in California create a local ITIN, create a California special ITIN where we can, in fact, protect our undocumented community and that money can go back into healthcare. So, you know, I strongly believe where there's a will, there's a way.
SPEAKER_00You support expanding state benefits or protections like legal defense funds, healthcare to undocumented residents?
SPEAKER_02Without question, you know, especially being in a position running for office, we are in this together.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, and I am here to champion for the greater good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Want to talk about housing a little bit. You mentioned housing a bit. Central, East, and Northeast LA are all facing intense displacement pressures, rising rents. What specific state level tools would you use to prevent displacement while still building the additional housing we need?
SPEAKER_02You know, I think SB 79 is a decent start. Um, you know, I feel like it really has to single out and target the local cities that have not developed their fair share. And we have organizations like SCAG who develop a regional housing needs assessment, right? And I believe that we have to put our money where our mouth is. And if folks are not producing the housing that they are responsible to, if they're not meeting the regional housing needs assessment, then they need to be taxed. But other tools that I would like to see deployed by the state, which we haven't done, but we've had a democratic majority for decades, why not look at a vacancy tax? That'll really, you know, fire people up to get their units rented. Again, you know, creating an incentive or the opposite of incentive and putting our money, putting their money where their mouth is. If you are in fact a housing developer and just sitting on a unit, you have to play ball. You can't have an Empty unit when we have a homelessness crisis.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But not only, you know, this tax, if you will, but also ensuring that we have sufficient affordable low and low mod housing as far as the percentage of housing, because what we're seeing is a lot of luxury development.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02And the question is, who is that really for? And when I've seen the percentage breakdown, it's always extremely limited, between 8 to 10% typically. And you can even, well, the developer, not you, can pay a fee to get out of it, right? To waive that requirement. And what I'd like to see is a rent that matches the existing wages and the median income, which, you know, does in fact create that carve out. But what we're seeing is that list, that percentage of units, gets filled up extremely quickly, which speaks to the need.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02So really imposing the type of percentage, how much for the appropriate wages. And also, you know, like I said, a vacancy tax. Why have we not done it?
SPEAKER_00I proposed one for the city of LA back in 2019. Still hasn't happened.
SPEAKER_02You were ahead of your time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Hopefully the times will catch up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00In the past few years, particularly starting with COVID, the state started engaging on the question of tenant protections and has done more than it has in the past. Still hasn't gone as far as like the city of LA has in some cases. There are things that the city has done, like rent caps, just cause eviction rules, limits on what they call renovictions when they evict people under the pretext of doing renovations. Is there any tenant protections you're seeing at the local level, whether city of LA or any other city that you would like to become state law?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, something I would like to see emulated is in fact a cap on the percentage that you can, you know, hike up someone's rent. Um I don't know why we haven't done rent caps statewide. We should ask our legislature. But, you know, that being said, it's a model that's going to help others and needs to be looked into and be deployed statewide, because I truly believe that will also help with anti-displacement efforts.
SPEAKER_00Environmental justice, big issue in this district. Many neighborhoods in the Senate district live with some of the worst air pollution in the region. You know, the major freeways, industrial sites. What specific EJ policies would you be fighting for in Sacramento?
SPEAKER_02Well, as we may know, our biggest contributor of pollution are vehicles. While LA is a car city, you know, I grew up in LA. I know much too well, you know, this issue of being dependent on a vehicle and having one vehicle per person. I do believe that building TOD transit-oriented development housing can help alleviate. Um, but we also need our transit entities to do their part in terms of creating accessible transportation, be it, you know, ZEV buses, more metro lines, which I know are extremely costly, but it's an investment for the future and also for reducing our pollution and PM2. And, you know, that being said, I myself, my partner and I share a vehicle. We are a one-car household. And I feel fortunate that I can walk to a major transit stop off San Fernando Road only nine minutes. And even then, sometimes it's an inconvenience, but you know, you do it. And I will say a tool that has been deployed by Metro that I find to be beneficial has been a service called Metro Micro, which helps with first and last mile. I would like to encourage everyone to try it. It's not in every community, however, which is a gap that we need to fill, specifically in our more congested dense areas that do, in fact, have, you know, a higher percentage of air quality issues. And I have always liked to do my work based on data and information. And we have a great tool in the state called the Calumviro Screen. I don't know that anyone else in this race is talking about it or has used it as much as I have. Right. But you can see what all the social and environmental impacts are in each community and make well-informed decisions based on that. So thinking about transit, this can help with, you know, alleviate costs for people. It can help with air quality. Specifically, where we do have this more denser development, we should require the developer to pay for that service because it's going to directly benefit them. And they are making a profit off of their buildings. So also urban greening is one of my greatest passions. You know, I believe that our environment is multi-purpose, multi-benefit, creating more public access to our hillsides, as we see a beautiful hill here, instituting new trails, stormwater capture, you know, you name it, bioswells. I truly believe that our nature helps with our mental health, physical health, and well-being. And, you know, once you pave green open space, it's very unlikely you're going to get it back. But in terms of thinking of the greater good and the long-term impact on environment, I truly believe that we can't build at the expense of the environment and community either. So there needs to be a fine line in terms of balance. And there's also a way to quantify. You know, adding X amount of trees and vegetation can help reduce our particulate matter, greenhouse gas capture. So I have always been a big proponent of nature and open space, which is multi-benefit to all of us and the earth.
SPEAKER_00So in the the broader battle to get off fossil fuels, there in recent years has been a sort of shift in the debate. And the residents of this district are really caught on both sides of it in many ways. One side of the debate says these are the communities that are being most impacted by climate change, and they we need to get off fossil fuels in order to protect people. The other argument says, wait a minute, the people who live here are the people who are working in the fossil fuel industry. These are key jobs. You can't kill their jobs. So don't be moving off of fossil fuels. Where do you fall?
SPEAKER_02I believe that we need a just transition and that the future is renewable energy, be it wind, solar, you name it, but we need to build the infrastructure first and get people accustomed to EVs, right? Make a an introduction for them. And I certainly hope that the gas prices have motivated people to consider and think about EVs. You know, that was one of my qualms with the rebate for electric vehicles. You know, it was very restrictive in terms of, you know, a new vehicle. There are new terms that are slightly more flexible and offer a cheaper rebate to for used EVs. But I did not see those efforts deployed in working class communities as heavily. So that's why you see the inequity of, you know, more EVs in other communities than others. And I think it's a cultural issue, you know, and people aren't going to be inclined to use EVs if we don't have that infrastructure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, I always look out when I see the city of LA chargers and how often they're being used. I will say I've seen an increase as of late. So that means there are more EVs on the road, but I don't believe that we're developing the infrastructure quick enough and incentivizing people. You know, hey, if you have a solar panel, you can create your own energy, get off the grid, it's going to reduce your bills. I truly believe that people work based off of incentives. And the incentive there is you don't have to pay for gas and you can use solar, you can put a panel, you can, you know, put back into the grid. And a lot of these incentives have been taken away from us. But nonetheless, you know, to fully answer your question, I believe in a just transition and getting, you know, our folks who do work at refineries prepared for you know transitioning that energy to being cleaner and developing, you know, the jobs that are needed for the green economy.
SPEAKER_00The state is it's got uncertain revenues. And, you know, one year you may have a huge surplus, next year you may have, you know, a billion-dollar deficit. And when that happens, there's always a fight over what to cut. And the thing that always gets cut when the budget tightens or safety net programs and local governments, they feel the squeeze first. What would be your priority, your budget priorities in a downturn? What would you be most fighting to protect?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely our social safety net. I mean, our most vulnerable populations are in fact relying on these programs. And I don't think it's fair to just, you know, disregard the people who are relying on our social programs. And my solution proposal would be through progressive taxes. That means not only taxing billionaires, you know, we'll try it, we'll see what happens with this upcoming measure, but also focusing on the corporations. You know, what is the total that people are operating and not paying their fair share into? You know, I don't believe that all of our corporations will leave. It's California at the end of the day. I mean, it's the trade-off that, you know, you pitch in your fair share. And we've never seen such a wealth in equity. And I believe it's partially due to AI and tech.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02As we've seen congregated wealth. And I, you know, would say we need to champion more progressive taxes so that we can, in fact, backfill those social programs. Because as I always say, we are in this together and we need to think about the greater good as opposed to making profit off of people.
SPEAKER_00Right. You mentioned at the start of the program your experience with the Edelman Court, the DCFS system, child welfare, foster care, those are issues that don't get talked a lot about during campaigns. Assemblyman Isaac Bryan has had experience in the foster care system and has done a lot of work in that space. What sort of work would you want to be doing in the in that space given your lived experience?
SPEAKER_02You know, while working for the mayor's office, I was very fortunate to meet the National Foster Youth Institute. And they are a wonderful organization who help empower foster youth or former foster youth. And what was really inspiring was that they themselves were coming up with policies and have a policy agenda at the federal level and now at the county of LA level. I got to host the inaugural foster youth shadow day in the county and the city of LA. And they got to learn about DCFS further and understand what areas they can impact based on their proposed policies. And, you know, more than half or about half of foster youth end up falling into homelessness. And the parameters to get housing are super challenging.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And they don't make sense given the life that a foster youth lives. And, you know, just because they turn 18 doesn't mean that we forget about them.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02They are still, you know, part of our community. And if anything, I believe that they need more resources.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And that being said, the youth from NFYI did propose policy changes at the county. Yeah. And I would say Supervisor Barger very graciously took in those changes and presented a motion within a week, I want to say, that changed the restrictive policies around housing.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02And the parameters were like you have to be in school full time, but then how does one work and provide for themselves or if they have a child?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So that has been, it's being if it hasn't been implemented. I believe that the people closest to the issue know what solutions that they need. Foster youth certainly they know what their biggest issues are and how county, city, or state government can help them.
SPEAKER_00Let me ask a couple questions about education. Let me start with TK through 12. California is spending at historically high levels on TK through 12, but school districts are still facing budget cuts and enrollment declines. Should the state change its school funding formula so that money is based on enrollment as opposed to attendance, which is the current standard?
SPEAKER_02Yes. The short answer is yes. And something else that I would like to see change that I believe will help our schools is Prop 13. You know, having grown up in El Sorino and seen inequity between our community, South Pasadena, San Marino, you really feel it. And as a child, you know, I questioned why does our community look different? Why do our schools look different? And it's in part to property taxes. So without question, no one, you know, our Democratic majority hasn't fully taken on Prop 13. But I, you know, without question believe we need reform, some residential and also definitely commercial. I was just having this conversation yesterday, you know, how folks are paying property taxes on commercial buildings.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_021970s rates. Yeah. You know, it's pretty ridiculous and has not kept up with the times, yeah, which is doing our cities a disservice as well, particularly LA.
SPEAKER_00Let's move on to the UCs and on education, if I may.
SPEAKER_02One more thing on education. You know, and having spoken with SCIU 99 in particular, who are our classified employees in schools, and you know, having earned the support from the California School Employees Association, something that I was surprised to learn and would like to see changed and would propose is embedding a cost of living adjustment. I think it's unreasonable that we don't have a cost of living adjustment. So ensuring that the state is funding our schools enough to account for a cola.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And yes, absolutely. Um, getting away from, you know, attendance to enrollment. And on that note, I am a product of public schools. I went to El Sorino Elementary, El Sorino middle school, you know, had to go to a different high school because Allie in the 90s, yeah, it was rough if you were here. And, you know, I was just trying to defy stereotypes at that point. Yeah. And thankfully I did. And then went on to public university once again. But, you know, in order to show our appreciation, I think the least we can do is embed a cola and also have more regulation around our charter schools because that is greatly impacting our enrollment, attendance. You know, folks just aren't as invested in traditional schools when I believe education is the biggest civil rights issue of our day.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02And can in fact be the greatest equalizer that offers an opportunity. My grandmother believed in education and, you know, certainly pounded it into us.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_02And I attribute my education for allowing me to be where I am today.
SPEAKER_00You season the CSUs. The state has recently cut the base funding for both, but still expects them to meet the same goals on enrollment, on equity, workforce preparation. So, in response, they're turning to tuition hikes and cutting programming. So curious what your plan is for stabilizing public university funding while still protecting affordability for low and middle income students.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, our CSUs and our UCs are the most affordable option typically over private universities. I don't believe that we put the burden on our students.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, something that I was very fond of that the LA Chamber did was partner with Unite LA. And Unite LA brought together private interest corporations, businesses, and had them invest in students, a cradle to career. Because if you think about it, that is their future workforce.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So getting the private entities to invest, whether it be by progressive taxes, you know, or working together to develop workforce to development pipelines after college, I believe where there's a will, there's a way.
SPEAKER_00Public safety. Voters hear competing narratives about public safety. People try to frame the issue differently. On one hand, you have tough on crime. On the other hand, you have care, not cages. How do you define public safety for this district and what state policies flow from that perspective?
SPEAKER_02I love this question. Especially having grown up on the east side and you know, seeing what injunctions, gang injunctions have done. They've also caused a lot of displacement and harm. You know, I do see change as the only constant in our lives and our world.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02But also believe that we have to invest in community preservation and invest in social programs that help people. And in particular, why I love this question, Mike, is the state legislature, when I was previously working at my agency, authored a bill that became law known as AB 1558. And the purpose was to develop a river ranger program up and down the Los Angeles River. For those that don't know, yes, LA has a river. I did not learn that until I was in my early 20s. And that being said, it's become a regional amenity and an asset, but it also has a very complex jurisdiction.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And essentially, I led the development of this program and brought together at least 17 different cities and different stakeholders and organizations. And the favorite thing that I got to do, and why I love this question, is we developed a survey and equitably disseminated it for those cities or regions that had a lower response. We made an extra concerted effort to get their input and feedback. And one of the questions was what do you define as safety? And more often than not, the general response was trash and debris and lights, basic services and presence. It was not always, you know, someone with a gun in a suit, you know, it was not always traditional law enforcement. And our agency has rangers, which are sworn peace officers, a peace officer ranger, which is a multifaceted role, you know, they are to be interpreters and naturalists, talk about the ecology and the environment, and, you know, can also enforce laws. So my point is there are many different interpretations of public safety. And I heard from the community directly that it was these simple solutions of having a presence. So on that note, I really love Metro having ambassadors as a transit goer myself. You know, seeing folks in a bright green shirt indicates, hey, this is a staff person that's here to be helpful. And quite honestly, you know, I find that to be more welcoming than uh a, you know, traditional suit. I myself, you know, feel like I get more tense, you know, not that I'm doing anything wrong. But I think LA has had a very complicated relationship with traditional law enforcement, right? From the riots, which I only know of secondhand, but have family in South LA who witnessed it.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_02And, you know, now in the wake of ICE and our protest, I, you know, feel like we made some progress in terms of ensuring that our public officers were, you know, community-oriented. And unfortunately, the way protests have been dealt with feels aggressive and like we've regressed.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So the point is having a presence in areas, having clean communities, well-lit communities is also an interpretation of public safety.
SPEAKER_00Do you support any changes to sentencing, probation, parole that would meaningfully reduce incarceration? And if you do, how do you explain those to constituents who are worried about crime?
SPEAKER_02You know, I believe that people often have fear because of the lack of knowledge and information. And yes, we have also made progress in our incarceral system, but we still have a ways to go. I don't believe that incarceration necessarily helps rehab folks. I'm very familiar with the anti-recidivism coalition, for instance, ARC, and believe in, you know, a smart justice progressive solution, which is care over incarceration.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02And being able to expose, you know, people who were formerly incarcerated to employment and not put up barriers, being able to see people who were formerly incarcerated out hiking and doing quote unquote normal things really helps change not only their perspective, but people's perspective of them. I'm really glad, you know, during the last fires that a light was shed on those who are incarcerated and outfighting our fires and how little they were making and how it's now been increased. And, you know, part of the I think the barrier here with our communities is to inform them, you know, hey, we have a formerly incarcerated population, but this is what they're doing now.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02They are in fact changing their lives. You know, they're trying to integrate back into society, and it's a team effort. You know, we all need to support with programs, with opportunities, with services. And, you know, it's they're part of the community too.
SPEAKER_00You mentioned earlier about one of the first time homebuyer workshops was for Unincorporated East LA. Do you have any thoughts on whether or not East LA should incorporate?
SPEAKER_02Oh, funny question. Especially because one of my opponents authored a bill. I know. That's why I'm asking. You know, I believe that we need robust information from the community themselves and a robust study that tells us what the fiscal impacts would be. I would like to better understand what's the opposition from the county. I've heard from both sides of the communities that I've spoken to, but that's not a comprehensive, you know, gathering of data. I would like to make a concerted effort to, you know, survey the existing community and ask them and again, you know, see what the impacts would be and give that information to the community. You know, we should be able to decide for ourselves. And I'm a big believer in co-governance as well. There is a community group that has started up called the Mada Via Community C A C Community Advisory Committee. And it's a grassroots organization. And at minimum, you know, they can emulate the Altadena Town Council, who I've been to, I can't remember for what activity. But a town council is at least a start to be able to have that local representation. And I will say, just to do a plug, when I worked in the state assembly, we had developed to model the empowerment congress, an East LA Empowerment Congress and would facilitate at least on a monthly basis. I know because I used to grab the food for them from El Gallo across the street from the civic center and the little courthouse. And there were representatives from various organizations from education, nonprofits, community representatives. And basically, we would help as an office, as a state office, would help troubleshoot their issues, be it with the county or the city. Well, not the city, actually, because they don't have cityhood, but you know, serve as that city liaison and help them resolve their concerns with the respective offices.
SPEAKER_00Final question. We're living in really challenging times. Democracy is in many ways falling apart. Our neighbors are being kidnapped off the streets. The economy is in trouble. A lot of people are feeling dispirited or cynical. They're losing faith. They're turning away from engaging. You're clearly engaging, you're running for office. So I'm curious, where do you draw your strength and your faith?
SPEAKER_02I draw my strength every day from the people that I talk to, the small business owners, the community members, people who have never been engaged in a campaign, people who have never donated to a campaign, that see themselves in me because at the end of the day, I'm a conduit. I'm a conduit to help them. And I think it's really refreshing to see someone that is, as I've been told, and I believe I am, passionate and cares and is doing this for the right reasons to be of service. You know, just like lawyers, there are good lawyers and there are bad ones, and there are good politicians and there are bad ones. And at the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, what kind of Democrat do we want representing us? And are we going to trust? I'm a very transparent person, probably to a flaw, which I think is a good trait you want to see in your elected official and someone that you know you can depend on, that is going to have the interest of everyone, not just, you know, themselves or the lobbyists who have the money and the resources. You know, part of the reason I decided to run was because I saw how challenging bureaucracy was and how limited of access working class families have because of time commitments, having to work two jobs.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02And it's always been my goal to improve our communities for the greater good. And I'm inspired also by our East Coast friends. I see Zoran as a really great model. He's getting things done quickly and efficiently. He is. It's pretty great. And he got a group that hadn't been engaged or was apathetic about politics engaged. And I will tell you, Mike, it doesn't stop here. We are truly the people's candidate. I have over 500 individual donors. I don't have as much money as my institutional opponents, naturally. But I believe in the power of people. Collective activism that does not stop here or at this race, but continues to be engaged. And, you know, I will say it. Groups like DSA have gotten hundreds of people engaged. And I think that's great. We need more engagement and people that can work with our Democratic Party. So I think this is a great opportunity to bring everyone into the fold, to be a consensus builder and a collaborator as I've been throughout my career. And, you know, it was time to stop complaining about it and do something about it. I was happily operating and getting things done from behind the scenes, but it felt like this is the moment to step up and be of service to the people in the district that I grew up in and raised me.
SPEAKER_00Sarah Rascone, thanks for joining me.
SPEAKER_02Thank you.
SPEAKER_00That's it for this episode of What's Next Los Angeles. My thanks to Sarah Rascone for joining me. My thanks to Tonya Bisillas for editing and producing. And my thanks to LA Forward for sponsoring this podcast. And to my staff at the Pat Brown Institute for Research and Other Support. Please also tune into our sister podcast, LA Podcast, where I'm part of a stable of co-hosts discussing and analyzing the latest news about politics, policy, and government in the LA area. And find it wherever you listen to the podcasts. And stay tuned for more episodes of What's Next Los Angeles. Until then, thanks for joining me. Peace and take good care.