Budget processes often go unnoticed by the general public. But months or even years later community members feel the effects of fiscal decisions often made for them without their input.…
Continue ReadingPushing Back Against Wage Theft
For many low-income workers, securing a decent hourly wage is the holy grail. Unfortunately, collecting on that promised wage all too often becomes a battle they are forced to fight…
Continue ReadingSCOPE’s Members: The Foundation of Our Change
At SCOPE, a big part of our message is, and has always been, simply this: as residents of South LA, we are the ones who will make the change we…
Continue ReadingBreaking Down Political Jargon
Breaking Down Political Jargon Earlier this month, SCOPE spent a week with students enrolled in Antioch University’s urban sustainability program to explore the history of taxes, the L.A.…
Continue Reading"Renters Make LA Work. It's Time to Make LA Work for Renters."
“Renters Make LA Work. It’s Time to Make LA Work for Renters.” Within a day after Mayor Eric Garcetti presented his plans for revitalizing Los Angeles during his first term,…
Continue ReadingWhat's Missing From the Mayor's Agenda?
What’s Missing From the Mayor’s Agenda? On April 10, Mayor Eric Garcetti delivered his first State of the City address at the California Science Center, which focused on defining his…
Continue ReadingRestoring Equity to the City Budget
Restoring Equity to the City Budget With two weeks to go before Mayor Eric Garcetti releases his proposed city budget for the next fiscal year, community members and representatives of…
Continue ReadingThe Corrections Budget: Where’s the Empathy for Those Who Need it Most?
The Corrections Budget: Where’s the Empathy? At the recent California Budget Project’s Raising the Bar Conference, an annual meeting of progressive leaders held in Sacramento, attendees worked to shape a…
Continue ReadingAn Experiment 20 Years in the Making
An Experiment 20 Years in the Making “When we started AGENDA back in 1993, we characterized it as an experiment. Because we kind of knew where we wanted to go,…
Continue ReadingCalifornia's Prisons: Are They Fighting Crime, or Causing It?
California’s Prisons: Fighting Crime, or Causing It? In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that California’s prisons were so overcrowded that the state was actually violating the 8th Amendment, which…
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