Talk About Money in Politics

Mayoral candidates Kevin James and Emanuel Pleitez have been excluded from a debate scheduled for this evening, hosted by the Community Coalition (whatever that is) in South Central.

Why? According to a press release from the Pleitez campaign, it is because both he and James
have not yet raised $1 million in campaign contributions.UPDATE: The Community Coalition has given no valid reason at all as to the exclusion of Pleitez and James, according to John Hill of the Pleitez campaign.


On the heels of the LA City Council a day before passing a proclamation bemoaning the Citizens United decision and big money in politics, this "community based organization" puts out the welcome mat for only those candidates who have raised millions in special interest funds.

The Community Coalition's Facebook page states that their mission is to "help transform the social and economic conditions in South LA that foster addiction, crime, violence and poverty by building a community institution that involves thousands in creating, influencing and changing public policy." A rational person might assume that mission should include having as wide reaching a discussion on community issues and how to solve problems touching our neighborhoods.

In considering the exclusion of James and Pleitez - who by the way is a former Obama administration official and a left of center progressive of Latino extraction who can't be easily dumped into the "angry Republican white guy"category they easily throw James into - one need only scratch the surface of The Community Coalition's funding by unions and other special interests and it's cozy relationships with the status-quo elected officials all responsible for LA's "decade of decline." 

Yes, it's silly season, folks!