Hayes Davenport

Since I'm seeing it everywhere: I worked in LA City Hall when the budget passed. Our office voted No. But the idea that LAFD was "defunded" to increase the LAPD budget is not accurate. Both got increases due to salary hikes. LAFD's deal just happened after the budget process -- LAPD's was before.

I went by one of the former Skid Row Housing Trust buildings that was sold to a developer. Two tenants were locked out because their keycards failed, one with a dog in his room. There would be no staff on site for two days. They were all being evicted due to black mold. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Wrote about the guy who went around setting all the fires bigcityheat.substack.com/p/the-arsoni...

Hosting a show about LA and how it works at the Elysian this Saturday. Please don't make me tell you again www.elysiantheater.com/shows/lapowe...

NEW: They Call Him "Brave Hayes": Local Intellectual Watches All Three Hours of Rick Caruso's Appearances on Both Joe Rogan and Sam Harris bigcityheat.substack.com/p/rogancarus...

LA leaders have said the fires could have been prevented if LAFD hadn't been defunded. But also: new reports say LAFD kept dozens of trucks and 1,000 firefighters off duty during the high winds. What really happened? You might never find out. Sorry! bigcityheat.substack.com/p/the-questi...

Wrote about the guy who went around setting all the fires bigcityheat.substack.com/p/the-arsoni...

Since I'm seeing it everywhere: I worked in LA City Hall when the budget passed. Our office voted No. But the idea that LAFD was "defunded" to increase the LAPD budget is not accurate. Both got increases due to salary hikes. LAFD's deal just happened after the budget process -- LAPD's was before.

Took a shot at recapping THE YEAR IN LA. That's me in the picture right after I finished. bigcityheat.substack.com/p/a-nervous-...

Traci Park's entry into LA politics was suing to stop a shelter in her neighborhood. In her campaign she said she would "squash" this 100% affordable development "on day one." Now she claims she "respectfully remained on the sidelines" while city departments decided on their own to kill it.

More optimistic take if you're pro-housing: LA electeds have traditionally defended single-family zoning no matter their political alignment. Yesterday 5 out of 15 councilmembers supported upzoning. A gigantic break from history. And all 5 came from the progressive wing. SFZ is right-adjacent now.

Some of my famous recs from this week bigcityheat.substack.com/p/two-good-a...

I went by one of the former Skid Row Housing Trust buildings that was sold to a developer. Two tenants were locked out because their keycards failed, one with a dog in his room. There would be no staff on site for two days. They were all being evicted due to black mold. substack.com/home/post/p-...