J.T. the L.A. Storyteller

In the first official update from yours truly since our special Election Journey to El Salvador, let’s get into some final details for L.A. County’s March 5th Primary Elections and how to vote–including at the last minute–between now and then. Plus, we rebroadcast the Launch Party for Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia’s campaign out of New York City with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which was initially broadcast on January 28th, 2024. You can vote for the pair in California–including at the last minute–through the Peace and Freedom Party ticket and keep up with De La Cruz and Garcia’s campaign on IG. Check back soon for the official show-notes!

(0:33) Hey, what’s going on Los Angeles? It’s J.T.
(1:00) I’m back from El Salvador
election Journey out to my father’s homeland of El Salvador this past January late January through early
(1:25) Thanks again to each and every single supporter whether you donated online or whether you came out to our spectacular movie night out with Midnight Books in Boyle Heights
(1:55) Now, Election Day is just 7 days away, and generally speaking, they’re low turnout affairs
(4:04) Nonetheless, let’s go over some key notes for voters to keep in mind about the process
(4:32) Firstly, you do not have to vote in every race for your ballot to be counted
(5:35) You also do not need to wait until Tuesday, March 5th to vote! You can do so now, right away! I myself voted this past Sunday
(8:13) Next up, a brief note about Write In Candidates and say, the Democratic Party process for this versus that of the Republic Party
(9:47) Now, consider Claudia De La Cruz’s campaign with the Peace and Freedom Party in California
(11:49) Last minute voting, also known as Conditional Voter Registration
(13:57) With this said, let’s consider tracking your vote
(14:04) Re: the lesser of two evils argument when it comes to the Presidential Race
(15:16) Voting with pride and enthusiasm instead of with shame and embarrassment
(18:30) In that vein, this episode features a rebroadcast of none other than Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia, who are Democratic Socialists running for President out of NYC. Enjoy!
(20:02) P.S. Did you hear about my first-ever Vote By Mail party? In East Hollywood; Wednesday February 28th
(21:06) With that said, from Los Angeles to New York, it’s J.T.
(21:21) Carla Reyes: Good morning to the West Coast…
(28:03) Lucy Ceballos Felix out of Texas for Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia
(31:40) Miya Tada, out of the People’s Forum in New York and New Jersey
(33:40) Stephanie Weatherbee, International People’s Assembly
(41:49) Juana López out of Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, pre-gentrification; Latina Institute
(45:21) Amari Butler, pro Palestine student organizer with the Harvard African and African-American resistance organization
(51:26) Nathali Hrizi, Public School Educator, San Francisco 
(59:15) Dr. Jared Ball, Black Power Media; author of The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power
(1:04:45) Nisreen Muntasser, Mamas for Palestine
(1:11:20) Vijay Prashad; author of Red Star Over the Third World
(1:14:18) Eugene Peryear, PSL Central Committee Member
(1:23:16) Karina Garcia, Vice Presidential candidate for the Vote Socialist 2024 Campaign
(1:36:07) Claudia De La Cruz, Presidential Candidate for the Vote Socialist 2024 Campaign

Last but certainly not least, to make a one-time donation to my team and I’s Vote By Mail Party in East Hollywood this Wednesday, February 28th, please do so here. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, check out my PATREON.

J.T.

On this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we speak with Konstantine Anthony, the former mayor of Burbank and a current representative at the Burbank City Council who is now running to replace Kathryn Barger for Los Angeles County District 5. Keep up with Council Member Anthony’s campaign through his IG, and find your Voting Center or Drop Box for Election Day here.

(0:30) Introductions, welcome Council Member Anthony to the podcast!
(1:20) Konstantine Anthony is the former mayor of Burbank who is now running for L.A. County Board of Supervisors Seat 5
(1:48) Among other things, the Supervisors run the County Department of Public Health and the L.A. County Jails, and also act as the governing body for unincorporated parts of Los Angeles
(3:56) L.A. County District 5 is also home to at least 83 unincorporated communities. What’s Burbank’s relation to this structure, for example?
(5:14) Burbank did a lot of work without too much support from the County, actually
(8:06) Let’s hear some more about Council Member Anthony’s time as a mayor for the city of Burbank, especially as the city’s first-ever Democratic Socialist Mayor
(10:53) Governance as a matter of pushing back in both directions
(12:29) Council Member Anthony’s rescinding of his endorsement of Adam Schiff as California’s next Senator 
(13:48) The popularity contest
(15:06) Council Member Anthony’s persistent presence on the picket lines
(17:22) To be sure, re: the issue of homelessness and rent insecurity in Burbank…
(20:42) L.A. City Council’s governing power on homelessness
(22:36) How did decriminalizing homelessness in Burbank sit with the Burbank Police Department?
(24:34) The importance of fiscal responsibility on the job, actually
(26:32) Taking on the L.A. County Sheriffs at the Board of Supervisors
(29:02) On L.A. District Attorney George Gascon.
(33:49) On the question of rent burden in Burbank, as well as the housing plan over the next ten years
(37:03) Stronger rental protections in Burbank, as well as the right to counsel for tenants
(38:32) What affordable housing needs to look like going forward, especially for immigrant families
(40:38) On housing versus jobs in County District 5
(44:10) Mixed-use housing with commercial space for jobs
(46:42) Speaking with residents in L.A.’s more expensive and unincorporated cities and getting their buy-in on more housing in their neighborhoods
(48:36) The importance of water conservation for County District 5, or the high desert region(53:07) To be sure, for the voters out there who just learned that there is such a thing as County District 5
(56:20) Thanks a ton again for your time, Council Member Anthony

To make a one-time donation to JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, check out my PATREON.

J.T.

On this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we speak with Jillian Burgos, the treasurer of the North Hollywood Neighborhood Council, which is known to issue more Community Impact Reports than any other Neighborhood Council! Burgos has called Los Angeles home since 2009 and is now running a people-powered campaign to replace Paul Krekorian for L.A. City Council District 2 this March. Learn more about the campaign through her website, and check back soon to find the time-stamps for our convo.

(0:30) Welcome Jillian Burgos! Would you tell us about yourself, and when you first declared your campaign?
(6:27) Let’s talk about Council District 2, and which neighborhoods it includes
(9:16) Let’s also talk about the Neighborhood Council system
(15:38) The NC’s can actually make statements about living conditions, including Renter’s Issues
(17:25) A lot of renters in CD-2 are also actors and writers who were on strike recently 17:32
(23:11) What would Jillian Burgos do regarding illegal Airbnbs in the district?
(26:01) Among other things, coalition-building at L.A. City Hall
(29:30) What would Transit Justice in CD-2 actually look like in 5 – 10 years?
(32:04) With all this said, what really sets Jillian’s campaign apart from the rest of the pack?
(37:42) How folks can volunteer for or otherwise support Jillian’s campaign
(38:43) Volunteering and the importance of matching funds
(40:18) Is Jillian’s campaign the real grassroots campaign in CD-2 to support?
(42:16) Yes, indeed. Now on to canvassing!

You can also catch the latest from yours truly on L.A. County Districts 2, 4, 5 and the District Attorney’s office via Making a Neighborhood; and yes, Los Cuentos has wrapped up with Elections in El Salvador and I’ll have a report back soon! For now, to make a one-time donation to JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, check out my PATREON.

J.T.

In the first full episode for J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast this 2024, which is also doubling as an episode for K-Town Is OK, we sit down with filmmaker and journalist Vladimir Santos—who also forms one half of Ey Foo You a Rocker?—as well as Indigenous Arts and Healing Practitioner, the one and only Monica Garcia.

Plus, the latest from via Making a Neighborhood on LAUSD elections this March. Then, yours truly returns to El Salvador for just the second time in almost six years. More on Los Cuentos en El Salvador soon.

(0:31) Can you hear yourself? I can
(2:53) Meet Vladimir De Jesus Santos, Straight Outta K-Town
(6:35) Meet Monica Garcia, Marriage and Family Therapist, and a Mayan
(11:06) Speaking of culture, did anyone make tamales this holiday season?
(13:42) Making tamales isn’t all that easy, actually
(15:23) Vlad makes our discussion on tamales more controversial
(18:13) Jimmy maintains the peace
(20:03) Get us more food trucks, less gentrification please
(24:10) Give K-Town back to the people, like Maqueos music!
(26:26) Real families have been displaced by gentrification in K-Town, including Vlad
(31:20) How racial violence against communities of color continues being unaccounted for due to gentrification
(35:42) In a world of individuals, what happens to the community?
(39:14) This is America, a place that works extremely well, if you’re rich
(42:23) This dialogue matters too, though
(43:57) Shout out to my noona as well, Helen H. Kim!
(44:40) How to keep up with Vlad and Monica in the days ahead
(45:05) Monica is doing healing practices and workshops
(48:19) Vlad is working on those , obviously
(50:27) His work is also at the Academy Museum though!
(53:30) Yours truly has a flight to catch soon, to San Salvador!

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for Los Cuentos in El Salvador, please do so through my GoFundMe. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, check out my PATREON.

J.T.

In the first update for J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast this 2024, our Cheat Sheet on L.A. City Council Races in March via Making a Neighborhood. Then, yours truly returns to El Salvador this January, this time as an Election Observer for presidential elections in my papa’s homeland.

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the delegation to El Salvador, please do so through my GoFundMe. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, check out my PATREON.

J.T.

In the final episode of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast for 2023, yours truly breaks down the upcoming L.A. City Council and LAUSD Elections. Mail in ballots across California should reach voters as soon as February 5th, 2024, or just thirty-eight days away from the publication date of this recording! To learn more about the candidates, see jmbtms.com.

(1:07) Shout out to the Social Primate Podcast! Where yours truly chatted with Eddie as the final guest of the year
(2:37) The $50,000,000,000,000 gift. From workers in the U.S. to the top 1%, “free of charge”
(7:09) Speaking of numbers, the amount of homelessness in the U.S. broke records this year
(10:04) 7 of the Victorville 8, better known as the Justice 8, are still being held without bail in San Bernardino County!!
(13:10) Call the Victorville D.A.’s office to demand their IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (760) 243-8600
(14:37) Now, let’s talk about the Public Policy Institute of California and some findings recently
(16:12) In California, if all were even-Steven, 6 out of 10 ballots cast in elections would be from communities of color
(18:10) In terms of age within CA, turnout from voters 18 – 54 years old should be 65%. Instead, it’s at 40%.
(22:13) L.A. City Council District 2: Adrian Nazarian vs Sam Kbushyan vs Manuel Gonez
(26:20) L.A. City Council District 4: Nithya Raman vs Ethan Weaver
(30:13) L.A. City Council District 6: Imelda Padilla
(33:11) L.A. City Council District 8: Marqueece Harris-Dawson
(36:14) L.A. City Council District 10: Gracee Yoo vs Heather Hutt vs Reginald Jones-Sawyer
(41:27) L.A. City Council District 12: John Lee
(43:52) L.A. City Council District 14: Miguel Santiago vs Wendy Carrillo vs Kevin De Leon vs Ysabel Jurado
(51:07) LAUSD Board District 1: Dewayne Davis vs Didi Watts
(52:23) LAUSD Board District 3: Dan Chang vs Janie Dam vs Scott Schemerelson
(53:43) LAUSD Board District 5: Fidencio Joel Gallardo vs Graciela Ortiz
(55:57) LAUSD Board District 7: Tanya Ortiz Franklin
(57:14) Stay tuned for numbers on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors Race as well as the District Attorney’s Office!

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

Thanks to matching funds! Los Angeles, meet Ysabel Jurado for Council District 14.

(02:15) What is Council-District 14? Which neighborhoods does it include?
(03:42) Ysabel is another Highland Park native and graduate of Immaculate Heart High School
(05:38) Sharing the Highland Park area with Council-District 1, which takes the side south of York Blvd
(06:49) The reason Ysabel decided to run for this seat was to fight for her community (back in August 2022)
(09:33) What Ysabel’s hearing from community members about city politics
(11:39) Ysabel’s experience as a Tenants’ Rights Attorney fighting evictions during lock-down due to COVID-19
(13:06) On Social Housing in Los Angeles as a part of fighting the housing crisis
(14:52) Support the Eastside Cafe, which is fundraising to purchase more land back for El Sereno community
(17:20) Council-District 14 has the highest number of eviction filings out of all the districts; we need to enhance renter protections
(22:41) According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, since the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in California is $2,197, the median or minimum wage should be $42 an hour
(25:21) Ysabel has raised more than $150,000 for her campaign without PAC or corporate money
(26:18) What would Ysabel do with millions of surplus money in CD-14? Also, my humble Patreon plug!
(29:12) Protecting small, legacy businesses, including in Boyle Heights
(30:01) Dealing with resentment and frustration from community members re: resources for unsheltered folks
(34:58) L.A.’s Planning and Land Use Management committee accepted an appeal in Boyle Heights over Tiao Development’s proposed destruction of legacy businesses on Cesar Chavez Ave. to build market-rate housing
(39:14) Dealing with jadedness on housing and the idea that working-class communities cannot win against developers
(41:16) How Ysabel would serve on L.A.’s Planning and Land Use Committee
(43:04) Ysabel’s roots as a Filipina-American and how they inform her sense of land and stewardship rather than ownership
(45:27) Explaining how Tiny Homes are actually NOT housing
(50:40) How Ysabel will not allow for her identity as an Asian-American to be used as a “racial wedge” between her and Latinx communities
(52:28) At just over 50 days before mail-in ballots reach voters, what’s Ysabel up to?
(54:22) Follow Ysabel Jurado’s Campaign for Council District 14 on Instagram at @ysabeljuradola.

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

On this edition of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, yours truly sits down for an extensive conversation with the Social Primate Podcast’s Eddie Aguirre. Eddie is a graphic designer by trade and has hosted the Social Primate Podcast since 2017. We discuss Eddie’s roots on the Southeast side of Los Angeles, better known as SELA, the city of Cudahy and its recent call for a ceasefire in Gaza, God of War 3, L.A. Metro’s vote to name their new rail-line for SELA (which ends on December 17th), Eddie’s evolving relationship with his son, and more.

(1:48) Introducing Eddie Aguirre, of the Social Primate Podcast
(7:51) The way the things we make showcase only a part of us, not the whole thing
(12:56) What is SELA?
(16:58) Cudahy
(24:35) How psychedelics were a major part of the Social Primate Pod’s development
(26:50) GTA 6 Trailer and the role of gaming in our lives
(30:13) Eddie’s crucial beginner games included Pokemon Red
(32:57) God of War 3 is special, though
(36:46) Kratos is the warrior’s warrior, full of toxic masculinity
(39:40) Palestine-Israel since October 7th and its effect on Eddie as a father + more on gaming
(51:16) Eddie crafts a balance with his son when it comes to how much gaming he can do right now
(54:01) Back to SELA and mainstays for Eddie there
(1:01:45) L.A. Metro and a new rail-line through Southeast L.A.
(1:04:33) Choosing a new name for this rail-line; the list
(1:13:00) A side-quest: Once upon a time on L.A. Metro’s Blue Line
(1:24:48) The Southeast Gateway Line, maybe?
(1:29:09) The Tongva…or Kizh Line, maybe?
(1:31:00) Learning about our roots empowers us; Eddie himself has had a special journey with this
(1:36:08) Eddie’s bombshell! (Which yours truly is honored to have him share on the pod)

Here’s that map of California as an island to cartographers in 1650, btw. And keep up with the Social Primate Podcast on Instagram: @socialprimates.

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

A second special edition episode with Guadalupe Carrasco Cardona. Guadalupe is the daughter of migrant farm-workers and hails from Oxnard, California, among other communities in the Southwest. She has been an Ethnic Studies, English, Social Studies and Journalism educator for 24 years and has taught in California, Arizona and Texas. She is currently an Ethnic Studies Teacher at Roybal Learning Center just outside of downtown Los Angeles as well as the chair of the Association of Raza Educators (Los Angeles chapter), co-founder of XOCHITL Los Angeles, a member of Ethnic Studies Now Coalition’s Coordinating Committee, and a founding member of the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Coalition.

(1:21) Lupe Carrasco Cardona
(2:42) Lupe’s 24 year career as a teacher and educator
(3:23) Inspiration to become a teacher
(4:59) A serendipitous connection to the late, great mayor of San Fernando, Cindy Montañez
(6:18) Connection to farm-workers, including Cesar Chavez in the Central Valley
(8:40) Coming from Oxnard, California, where farm-workers pick through strawberry fields
(12:11) Lupe’s role in passing California Assembly Bills 2016, 101, and 1460, which together require ethnic studies be taught at California high schools
(14:01) Organizing with students, parents and teachers at the grassroots level for ethnic studies
(14:45) Organizing after Tucson, Arizona’s 2010 ban of Mexican-American studies
(17:28) The lawsuit filed against Lupe and her colleague for teaching ethnic studies
(24:45) Lupe’s reaction to the lawsuit’s filing in 2022
(28:42) The irony of accusing an indigenous teacher of being antisemetic
(31:09) How to support Lupe and Theresa this upcoming Thursday, December 14th
(32:04) Educational rally outside of the Federal courthouse at 1st Street in DTLA
(34:17) Lawfare against communities of color is likely to continue, yet we (have to) persist
(35:40) What Lupe would like to get out of beating this case

You can also learn more or keep up with Lupe’s Cuento on Instagram: @lupe_teaches_ethnic_studies.

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.

In this special edition episode with Council Member Hernandez of L.A. City Council’s 1st District, we discuss upcoming rent raises in 2024 and their impact on housing insecurity in L.A.; we also discuss voting against the police budget earlier this year, new funding sources for the L.A. Ethics Commission, the race for new leadership in Council District 14, and more:

(2:53) Rent hike this February 2024
(5:07) The rent hike’s effect on Council District 1
(7:35) A message to the housing movement about the politics behind this decision by L.A. City Council
(9:50) Voting against the police budget for 2023 – 2024
(13:13) Purchasing the Mayfair hotel in Westlake/MacArthur Park area to house folks from Skid Row
(17:02) Hosting Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program as an alternative response to people experiencing crises in Los Angeles
(19:51) The Crisis and Incident through Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE) program in Los Angeles
(21:59) What if LAPD budget increases went to more human responses to mental health crises?
(24:19) Turning the old Lincoln Heights jail into a new community resource
(26:48) Measure J’s progress in L.A. County since being approved by 2.1 million voters in 2020
(29:37) Independent funding for the L.A. City Council Ethics Commission
(31:39) Expanding L.A. City Council as soon as 2026, potentially
(34:50) Reconnecting MacArthur Park without displacing people in the area
(39:23) Partnership on the project with L.A. Metro
(40:41) Endorsing Ysabel Jurado in Council District 14 and dual-endorsing reverend Eddie Anderson and Council Member Hutt in CD-10
(43:22) CD-14 has the highest number of evictions and has millions in discretionary funds
(45:08) Joining a short list of elected officials in L.A. and California calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

To make a one-time donation to my fundraiser for the 9th anniversary of JIMBO TIMES, please do so through jmbtms.com. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, please check out my PATREON.

J.T.