OPINION
NITHYA RAMAN’S AGENDA: PROGRESSIVE IDEALS, REAL-WORLD CONSEQUENCES – WHEN DO YOUR CONSTITUENTS GET A SEAT AT YOUR TABLE?
Matt Epstein, SOHA President
June 2025 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
Los Angeles is in crisis: a billion-dollar budget deficit, stretched-thin public safety services, and a growing homelessness crisis. Yet, amid this fiscal and social breakdown, LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman remains more committed to her ideological alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) than to the people who live in her district. As the elected representative of Council District 4, CM Raman owes her constituents – not a national political movement – her focus, her engagement, and her accountability. But as SOHA President, representing thousands of CD4 residents, I can attest to the widening disconnect between her office and the communities she was elected to serve. We’ve asked her for a seat at the table. We’ve received silence. Who Is She Really Representing? – CM Raman campaigned on a platform of bold change, inspired by progressive DSA ideals: defunding police, reimagining public safety, and redirecting funding to social services. These concepts sound compassionate and transformative in theory – but in practice, they’ve led to dysfunction and frustration. Her support for the city’s recent budget – one that cuts funding to both the police and fire departments while the city faces a $1 billion deficit – perfectly captures the problem. These cuts aren’t just abstract numbers; they affect emergency response times, neighborhood safety, and basic resident services. Meanwhile, promised improvements in homelessness services and outreach remain elusive, unmeasured, and unaccountable. At a recent budget-approval meeting, CM Traci Park voiced her very strong opinion about LA’s budget process – it’s worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=sRA2d-hcuRk. Sherman Oaks residents across CD4 are living the consequences. Encampments expand. Crime rises. Parks, sidewalks, and public spaces feel less safe. And through it all, CM Raman shows more concern for defending ideology than addressing the lived reality of her constituents. Firsthand Encounter with a Troubling Response – Just two weeks ago, during our Sherman Oaks Clean-Up Day event, I witnessed a conversation that perfectly illustrated this disconnect. A concerned resident spoke directly to CM Raman about how much homelessness money is being misused – specifically ending up in the hands of individuals buying and selling drugs. Rather than disputing the claim or offering a plan to address it, she agreed that this was, in fact, happening. Yet, CM Raman continues to push for increased funding toward these same programs – without implementing new oversight or demanding results. She can’t provide a clear answer to a simple question: how many people has she actually taken off the streets and placed into permanent housing? This isn’t just a failure of policy – it’s a failure of leadership. When an elected official admits publicly that public funds are being misused, then doubles down on pouring more money into the same broken system while cutting police and fire budgets, something is deeply wrong. Closed-Door Council Office – For the last three months, I have written critical articles about CD4 and to date have received zero calls from CM Raman or her staff. I have reached out. I have asked for meetings. I have offered to collaborate. Our concerns are not radical – we want safety, services, and an opportunity to be heard before decisions are made. And today we are notified that her District Director Emma Taylor is leaving … Why? But CM Raman’s office has treated our efforts with indifference. No meaningful engagement. No proactive outreach. Not even the basic courtesy of consistent communication. She has my cell number and email. She knows how to reach me. Tom Glick, one of our board members, recently made a California Public Records Act request for the CM’s calendar – to see exactly who she is meeting with – we know it’s not us. This is not how democracy is supposed to work. Councilmembers are elected to serve the public, not shield themselves behind movements or talking points. It should not be controversial to ask for inclusion in decisions that shape our neighborhoods. And yet, that basic principle has been ignored again and again. No Sacrifice, No Accountability – If CM Raman truly believes the city must tighten its belt and rethink how resources are used, why hasn’t she volunteered to take a pay cut – like Mayor Karen Bass who reduced her salary by 30% amid the budget crisis? CM Raman is actively voting for a budget that forces layoffs and department cuts, yet she remains untouched by the consequences. If she believes in shared sacrifice, where’s hers? Leadership is not just about pushing policy – it’s about modeling values. The values of responsibility, service, and humility seem to be missing in action from her office. Idealism Isn’t Governance – Let’s be clear: LA does need reform – better solutions to homelessness, more effective public safety, and stronger oversight of how taxpayer money is spent. But we also need our elected officials to be practical, responsive, and grounded in reality. CM Raman’s policies have thus far failed to produce measurable results. Her rhetoric about “reimagining systems” hasn’t led to safer streets, fewer encampments, or more trust in government. Instead, her ideological rigidity has created a vacuum of accountability, where progressive slogans substitute for real governance. Meanwhile, residents in CD4 must fend for themselves. Where Do We Go From Here? – This is not about partisanship. It’s about effectiveness. It’s about whether CM Raman is doing the job she was elected to do – representing her constituents, engaging with communities, and being accountable for her decisions. As SOHA President, I don’t expect to agree with every CD4 policy. But I do expect dialogue, transparency, and respect. So far, we’ve received none of that. All we’ve asked for is a seat at the table. That’s not political – it’s democratic. If CM Raman continues to put ideology above constituents, symbolism above substance, and politics above neighborhood realities, then CD4 voters may have no choice but to reconsider whether she deserves to remain in office. Because at the end of the day, elected officials work for the people – not the platform. I continue to receive a lot of calls and emails from frustrated residents and business owners. I ask you to send your thoughts directly to CM Raman at ContactCD4@LACity.org and ask for a seat at her table.
WHEN REPRESENTATION FAILS A COUNCILMEMBER’S SILENCE ON THE COMMUNITY SHE WAS ELECTED TO SERVE
Matt Epstein, SOHA President
May 2025 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
In my last SOHA newsletter article, I posed a simple and fair request to our City Councilmember Nithya Raman: give our committed, engaged, and informed community a seat at your table. That invitation was declined. Instead of the councilmember picking up the phone to address the issues I brought up, her Chief of Staff called and lectured me on the terrible article. I received 287 emails, 62 text messages, and 47 calls from CD4 residents applauding me on last month’s article. We are all sick and tired of this continued pattern of disregard – one that continues to erode the trust of residents and business owners in CD4 who simply want a say in how their neighborhoods evolve. It seems almost absurd that, in 2025, we are still fighting for the right to live in and preserve single-family neighborhoods. Under state law, up to four units are now allowed per single-family lot – yet some think that’s not enough. Instead of maximizing development on our wide commercial corridors – lined with empty parking lots and abandoned one-story buildings – the pressure continues to fall on stable, residential streets. Why are our homes the target – while obvious redevelopment opportunities sit ignored? When the City Planning Department first began working on the Housing Element – a legally required rezoning plan – they set their sights on our neighborhoods. Their instinct was to up-zone single-family areas, proposing 6-story apartments in communities designed for families, yards, and walkable blocks. But SOHA didn’t complain. Instead, we developed a solution. Sherman Oaks leaders, alongside community members across CD4, created detailed maps and proposed housing strategies. We identified ample land that could accommodate the state’s housing mandates without bulldozing single-family neighborhoods. SOHA’s Vice President, Maria Kalban, and her husband Jeff brought this solution to Councilmember Raman. After three months of requests to meet, she finally met with all of us in her Valley office. Alongside leaders from Studio City, Encino, and Los Feliz, we asked her to back the facts. But she refused to stand with us, citing concerns that supporting our plan might conflict with state law – though that was never true. So, we went forward without her. Maria and her citywide coalition worked directly with the Planning Department and the Mayor’s Office. In the end, the final Housing Element met the statewide mandate – without sacrificing our neighborhoods. On a side note, at a SOHA Board meeting with Nithya we offered/asked to meet with her once a quarter as a community to go over our concerns and to work together on solutions. She refused, saying “if you have an issue, call my office”. Just when we thought we had succeeded, our own councilmember blindsided us. On the day of the City Council’s final vote on the Housing Element, she stood up – not to support the plan we fought for – but to introduce a last-minute amendment opening the door to apartment buildings in single-family neighborhoods – without notifying a single community leader. Without warning. Her justification? That more housing was needed everywhere – including next door to your single-family home – to end homelessness. Her desire to not want to listen or work with homeowners in her district puts your greatest investment – your home value – at risk without public discussion. Her amendment failed. But the damage was done. We felt betrayed – not just because of what she proposed, but because she did it in silence, without even the courtesy of a conversation. That’s not leadership! And it didn’t stop there. When the Mayor’s Executive Directive 1 (ED1) mistakenly allowed a 100% affordable seven-story project in a single-family zone – the Ethel Project – our councilmember didn’t step in to protect the community. She didn’t seek revisions. She didn’t fight for compromise. Instead, she cheered it on. Once again, her ideology took precedence over dialogue. It was up to residents and local leaders to step in, engage with the developer, and effectuate changes that reduced the building’s height and softened its impact. Our councilmember should have been leading that charge – not hiding from it. No one here is anti-housing. In fact, Maria and Jeff presented a serious plan to create affordable single-family homes – starter homes that help renters become owners and keep families in LA. The Planning Department has shown interest. But our Councilmember? Silence. She won’t offer her support because she refuses to challenge her belief that the only solution is density – no matter where – no matter the cost. Even her planning staff doesn’t engage with the Sherman Oaks Vision Committee as it works through these challenges to find SOLUTIONS that work for everyone. And now, we face yet another assault: SB79, a state bill that would permit 6- to 7-story apartments in single-family neighborhoods statewide. Residents asked Councilmember Raman to oppose it. But once again, her office responds with a canned message: “This is a state matter”. Other councilmembers are stepping up. They’ve introduced a council resolution to oppose SB79 – unless cities like ours, with certified Housing Elements, are exempted. Where is our councilmember on this critical issue? She represents us. That means more than casting votes. It means listening, speaking up, and working with – not around – the people she represents. But what we’ve seen is a councilmember who refuses to stand with her constituents, won’t defend her district’s character, and chooses silence over solidarity time and time again. Councilmember Raman, you have been in City Hall for five years. Your plans are not working. We have asked you many times: HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU PLACED IN PERMANENT HOUSING? You have never given us a number. You and your office keep stating that you need more housing. For whom? You know that most people on the street will not go into the housing you are building because they don’t follow rules. In an email thread I was on last week about another encampment, your office response was “our wealthy district has very high land costs, so options here are a lot more expensive than other districts and many of your neighbors do not support those types of interventions in Sherman Oaks”. That is not true. You or your office has never asked us or the neighborhood council what we would support. Towards the end of Councilmember David Ryu’s term, he and his office worked with us and the community to identify several locations that would be workable options. When you took office, nothing happened with those sites. What is your plan? We have ideas and want to be part of the solution. WHEN CAN WE HAVE A SEAT AT YOUR TABLE?
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMAN – WHEN CAN SOHA GET A SEAT AT YOUR TABLE?
Matt Epstein, SOHA President
April 2025 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
For the past four years, Councilmember Nithya Raman has represented our district – Council District 4. As a long-standing leader within the community, having served for more than 30 years as Vice President and now President of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, I have witnessed firsthand the importance of consistent engagement between our representatives and their constituents. In previous administrations, our council office representative made it a priority to attend our monthly meetings whenever they were around or at least once a year and they would meet with our board regularly. However, the only time our current representative, Councilmember Raman, appears at our meetings is around election season. In her absence, she sends an aide to highlight select “accomplishments” – yet many residents feel a significant disconnect between her actions and the pressing needs of our community. Issues raised by constituents in Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Studio City – especially those affecting Valley residents – continue to go largely unaddressed. Last year, I was part of a committee that brought together homeowner groups as well as representatives of the Neighborhood Councils from five communities. After months of effort, we finally secured a meeting with Councilmember Raman. Our goal was to collaborate on solutions for the city’s housing challenges in her district. At the conclusion of the meeting, we proposed holding quarterly meetings to ensure ongoing communication and progress. Councilmember Raman flatly refused, stating that regular meetings were unnecessary. Instead of focusing on the core concerns of our community, Councilmember Raman’s priorities seem to align with a broader progressive agenda, often at the expense of local needs. Her handling of homeless encampments near schools and support for controversial high-density housing projects have caused considerable anxiety and frustration among our residents. These decisions, among others, raise serious doubts about her commitment to the well-being of her core constituents. Her stance on defunding the police has also been deeply concerning. We have an outstanding group of officers at LAPD who risk their lives daily to serve our community. These officers are on the front lines, dealing with homelessness and public safety issues every day. Meanwhile, Councilmember Raman claims to take a humane approach to addressing homelessness from her office, not on the streets like LAPD. Billions of dollars have been allocated toward this crisis with little to show for it. Another major concern is California Senate Bill SB79, which would allow apartment buildings up to six stories within one-half mile of bus stops. When our Vice President, Maria Kalban, asked Councilmember Raman for her support to oppose SB79, our CM claimed it was a state issue beyond her control. The impact of SB79 will be a major in Sherman Oaks. This is very much within her control. However, it is worth noting that her own home with “breathtaking views of Silver Lake Reservoir” is just outside the half-mile radius affected by this legislation. This raises questions about whether she truly understands or prioritizes the concerns of residents. Furthermore, her position on single-family neighborhoods has been inconsistent. While she has publicly voiced support for preserving these communities, her last-minute attempt to remove neighborhood protections from the city’s Housing Element suggests otherwise. This last-minute maneuver, which attempted to override a carefully crafted balance between development and neighborhood preservation, calls into question her reliability and transparency and her honesty. Another significant example of disconnect involves Measure ULA, the property transfer tax she championed. While marketed it as a tax targeting only luxury residential properties to fund affordable housing, homeless services, and mental health initiatives, the measure’s broader implications were downplayed. In reality, the measure applies to commercial properties as well, a detail Councilmember Raman failed to disclose during her public campaign. As a result, developers are choosing to build in neighboring cities rather than LA, exacerbating our housing shortage. Additionally, Councilmember Raman has supported state tax breaks for Hollywood productions, arguing that they benefit all industry workers. However, history shows that these incentives primarily benefit wealthy studios and executives rather than rank-and-file employees. Given her husband’s connections to the Hollywood elite, this decision raises further concerns about her priorities and potential conflicts of interest. These instances, among others, cast serious doubt on Councilmember Raman’s ability to effectively represent our community. Open and honest communication is fundamental to good leadership. We deserve a representative who listens to our concerns and prioritizes the well-being of all CD4 residents, not just a select few. As we approach the next election cycle, we urge community members to reflect on these concerns and carefully reassess Councilmember Raman’s commitment to her constituents. The residents of CD4 deserve a seat at the table more than the statewide advocacy groups that she favors. Ballot harvesting is legal in California right now and that has allowed powerful groups that she is a member of such as DSA-LA to go out and work on her elections. How is that correct? However, when it comes to other powerful special interest groups gathering around to fight for what they want, you fight to make that wrong. Councilmember – When can we get a seat at your table to be part of fixing these issues?
CONTINUING FAILURE OF OUR CITY LEADERSHIP
Tom Glick, SOHA Planning and Land Use Committee Chair
March 2025 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have exposed a critical leadership failure at the city’s highest levels. Mayor Karen Bass’s response, marked by blame-shifting and a lack of accountability, is deeply concerning. The first rule of leadership – “Everything Is Your Fault” – seems harsh, but it in fact highlights a fundamental truth often ignored by most politicians nowadays. Mayor Bass’s actions directly contradict this principle. Her actions are taken directly from the Donald Trump Playbook in the Chapter titled “NEVER ADMIT FAULT”. Her claim that insufficient staff briefings on impending high winds prevented her from adequately preparing for the wildfires is disingenuous. Local and national news outlets had been predicting catastrophic winds for more than a week, making her assertion of ignorance unconvincing. In fact, her own City Department of Emergency Management sent several warning alerts several days prior to the first winds hitting the region. This deflection of responsibility onto her staff, whom she herself hired and presumably trusted, reveals a troubling lack of personal accountability. Furthermore, the mayor’s decision to fire LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, citing unpreparedness for the wildfires, is particularly egregious. This action comes just six months after Mayor Bass proposed a nearly $20 million budget cut to the Fire Department, including significant reductions in overtime funding – a move that directly impacted the availability of the 1,000 firefighters she claims should have been on duty. This paints a picture of a mayor creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure, then using the consequences as justification for dismissing a subordinate. The removal of Chief Crowley appears less a response to inadequate firefighting and more a convenient scapegoat for her own budgetary decisions. And let’s not let our City Council off the hook regarding the reduction in the LAFD’s budget. The mayor isn’t alone in this travesty. The City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee wholeheartedly supported the mayor’s budget, including the LAFD cuts. City Council has been on record supporting the mayor’s response to the wildfires and especially the firing of Chief Crowley. After all, the council would rather circle the wagons around supporting Mayor Bass than take their own responsibility in this major screwup. So, the next elected office any of these people try to seek, their responsibility in this fiasco should never be forgotten. Additionally, Mayor Bass’s handling of the homeless crisis mirrors this pattern of inaction and blame-shifting. While she boasts of increased funding and tax initiatives, tangible improvements remain elusive despite all her campaign promises two years ago that she would tackle the problem the first day in office. The upcoming annual homeless count will likely reveal a worsening situation, demonstrating a profound disconnect between her pronouncements/promises and the reality on the ground. Before she embarks on another campaign, she owes the citizens of Los Angeles a far more substantial accounting of her first term. A simple question needs to be addressed. Does her leadership reflect a genuine commitment to the well-being of Los Angeles – or is it simply a performance of political posturing? The wildfires and the ongoing homeless crisis demand a far more substantial and accountable response than we have seen thus far. And finally, the Covid crisis ended more than two years ago when the State of Emergency was lifted by President Biden, Governor Newsom, and then Mayor Garcetti – but Mayor Bass and the progressive-leaning City Council still go on as if we are under Covid emergency procedures. Most department staff continue working from home more than 50 percent of the time. What is most troubling is that many of those departments saw increases in their budgets last year. But other departments, like LAFD and LAPD, that do not allow their employees the benefit of working at home three days a week, saw budget decreases. Can you imagine a police officer responding to a crime scene via Zoom in their pajamas, cup of coffee in hand, and yelling at their kids in the background to be quiet? Our wonderful fire and police personnel – sanitation, street services, and DWP too – must be on tap 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. For Mayor Bass, time to follow President Trump again and make all city employees come back to the office full time – because new studies show that work from home may benefit the employee but certainly doesn’t benefit the city or its constituents, voters, and taxpayers.
SHAME ON OUR COUNCILMEMBER’S SUPPORT FOR HILTON TAX BREAKS
Tom Glick, SOHA Planning and Land Use Committee Chair
September 2024 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
The Universal City Hilton Hotel has proposed a project on their site for construction of a new, 18-story hotel tower which would add almost 400 guest rooms to their existing 500-room resort complex on the Universal Studios site. That is great news for a city that desperately needs to build more guest rooms throughout the city – especially just four years before the 2028 LA Olympics. Any developer that wants to build necessary infrastructure for the city should be applauded. However, in this case the developer, the Hilton Hotels mega-corporation operating through Hillcrest Real Estate LLC, is asking for massive tax breaks from the city – to the tune of $80 million over a 15 to 20-year period per city records. Universal City and the Hilton Hotel resort are within the boundaries of our Council District 4 (Councilmember Raman) and her support for this request is crucial to its approval. Hilton/Hillcrest has asked the City and Ms. Raman to approve the Development Incentive Agreements tax breaks and to some surprise, Ms. Raman has given her support. Although the city subsidy to Hilton Hotels would be much less than the economic benefits the city would receive from them and their business operations over the 20-year tax-break period, Ms. Raman has indicated her support because it will bring good hotel union jobs to the city. However, since the developer is asking for discretionary approval from the city to build this hotel, that concession should be part of the conditions for those approvals and not something offered up simply to receive $80 million in tax breaks. My friend is currently building a new restaurant in CD4 which will bring more jobs and tax revenue to the city. One wonders if he can get similar tax breaks too. It is just very sad that a mega-profitable hotel which is projected to make massive profits from this venture is asking for tax concessions to build their project. It is even sadder that our councilmember has bought into this travesty hook, line, and sinker. Our community will be denied necessary monies to pay for things our current local leaders tell us they do not have money for. To that point, Ms. Raman always likes to portray herself a fiscal watchdog, especially when it comes to necessary services like police. Every time she speaks to our community, she talks about the lack of funds to do important projects. This support for the Hilton at Universal City seems to fly in the face of everything we are being told about the fiscal state of the city. We deserve better than this from our councilmember. As Jack Humphreville stated in an August 19, 2024 CityWatch article (https://www.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/29414-shame-on-nithya-raman-and-hugo-soto-martinez) “Shame on Nithya Raman …” for supporting these efforts by Hilton/Hillcrest to get massive tax breaks. SOHA shares in his sentiments of “shame”.
MOVING FORWARD IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
SOHA Board Op-Ed
June 2024 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
Council District 4’s election campaign came down to a narrow (two-thirds of one percent) victory by the incumbent Nithya Raman to continue her work in our fourth council district through 2028. Ms Raman won reelection against two opponents with almost 50% of district voters supporting either Ethan Weaver (38.6%) or Levon Baronian (10.7%). No elected representative will ever make all their constituents happy and hopefully Ms Raman will not take this narrow victory as a mandate, but as an opportunity to give her work in the next four years a wider appeal within her district. In fact, the Los Angeles Times accurately described her first term and her hard fought, close victory this way: “Being one of 15 City Council members in Los Angeles is an extraordinarily challenging job. It’s difficult to steward a district of 260,000 people and impossible to please everyone, particularly when there are such divergent opinions in communities over how to make the streets safer, build affordable housing and address the homeless crisis in a thoughtful, humane way. Some of the community members most upset with Raman have said she doesn’t listen to them. She listens. She just doesn’t always do what they want.” SOHA does believe that Councilmember Raman’s first term was a learning experience which she should take into her next term to become a more effective councilmember to a broader range of her constituents. She should retain her passion about issues like homelessness as her past approach to LA’s unhoused crisis had positive results – unhoused numbers increased citywide last year but declined in Council District 4. However, many local businesses in the district have suffered badly throughout the homelessness crisis and now need and deserve the councilmember’s attention and action. Over the next four years, Councilmember Raman must remember that her first responsibility extends to the entirety of her constituents. She must represent them on local issues that involve all city and county agencies. To that end, SOHA has identified our Top Six Priorities for Sherman Oaks that need Councilmember Raman’s immediate support: • Broader Unhoused Improvements – Decreasing Sherman Oaks’ unhoused population through housing, mental services and improved response to unhoused safety issues for Sherman Oaks homeless, residents, and businesses. • Equitable Housing and Affordable Housing – Ensuring the entire Sherman Oaks community gets sufficient fair and equitable housing that meets state demands, provides sufficient affordability, and is fair to neighborhoods. • Improved Safety – Improving the safety of all Sherman Oaks residents and businesses, while reducing crime with major outreach to local businesses. • Fair Rapid Transit – Ensuring that Metro eliminates Sepulveda Pass Transit project Alternative 4 with its unfair elevated noisy trains only in the Valley, and further guaranteeing that Metro’s selected alternative for the project is sufficiently capable, affordable within its budget, and buildable on the most rapid schedule possible. • Reduced Airport Noise and Pollution – Reducing noise and pollution from aircraft at Burbank and Van Nuys airports and ensuring airport expansion is equitable to all communities. • More Public Parking – Meeting the needs of residents with new additional public parking as more housing with no required parking become prevalent. SOHA wants to work closely with Councilmember Raman on these and other important Sherman Oaks issues. Together we can help fulfill the many needs of all the constituents she serves.
LESSONS TO COME FROM CD4 PRIMARY ELECTION
Tom Glick, SOHA Planning and Land Use Committee Chair
March 2024 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
The LA City Council District 4 election should be a referendum to any candidate coming out on top that ignoring the primary needs of the district’s constituents does not lead to good results. Case in point is our current Councilmember Nithya Raman who is in a tough reelection campaign of her own making as a direct result of putting the needs of her constituency second to that of her other interests. Many in CD4 felt that they were never given a seat at her table which was filled up by her own special interest groups, namely the Democratic Socialists of America LA Chapter and Abundant Housing. Decisions from her office seemed to be made unilaterally without any significant community input. In the end, incumbent Raman could have had an easy 2024 reelection campaign if only she supported key fundamental issues important to her constituents such as keeping the homeless away from our children and schools, protecting businesses from the homeless, supporting efforts to protect single-family neighborhoods, and voting for police budgets and pay increases, just to name a few. Recently, Ms. Raman has been on record as critical of independent Political Action Committees or PACs that were created to oppose her reelection, due to their feelings about many of her questionable priorities. Those PACs could have easily been supportive of her reelection if only she was more moderate in her views. But in the end, her opponents like Ethan Weaver can’t be blamed, as Ms. Raman would lead you to believe, for PACs created because they don’t like her or her stance on many issues. While Mr. Weaver is a very worthy candidate and can bring a lot of fresh, new ideas to City Council, in some ways he is just the beneficiary of the dislike Ms. Raman has garnered over her three-plus years in office, especially by the police and fire unions. Ms. Raman in this campaign hopefully has gotten a better idea of what is important to her constituency, 72% of which is in the southern San Fernando Valley where the police need our support and funding, our school children need to be protected from homeless, our single-family neighborhoods needs unwavering support, and our fire fighters do not need to concentrate resources on fires in homeless encampments and in RVs parked on streets. Conversely, if Mr. Weaver is elected to serve CD4, he needs to take his victory as fact that many believe he will reverse current trends, allow his constituency back to the table, and allow those most affected by issues into the dialogue and decision. For example, the 7-story Ethel Ave apartment being built in a Sherman Oaks single-family neighborhood had no local involvement in any decisions. Mr. Weaver states that his constituents will always be his number one priority. He understands that if he ever strays from that fundamental premise, he may have a similar fate in 2028 to that of his two predecessors, who didn’t make it past one term. Mr. Weaver has pledged to be directly available to his constituents by having weekly district “office hours” where constituents can come meet with him. In the end, this election is hopefully a learning experience of everyone involved, especially any politician who thinks that once elected they are anointed to govern as they see fit. This election should come with a warning about governance stated best by Winston Churchill, “… nothing would be more fatal than for the Government of States to get in the hands of experts. Expert knowledge is limited knowledge, and the unlimited ignorance of the plain man who knows where it hurts is a safer guide than any rigorous direction of a specialized character.”
THE COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 ELECTION DILEMMA
Tom Glick, SOHA Planning and Land Use Committee Chair
January 2024 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
If the 2020 election cycle taught us anything, those who are in power will do anything to stay in power and those who want to be in power will do the same to get it. The 2024 election is shaping up to be no different. Both nationally and locally, 2024 will bring us much discussion not about the issues but about one’s ability to lead in these divided times. The 2024 election for the Council District 4 seat is already shaping up to be one of the hottest contests in the city’s history and unfortunately will probably be determined not in the General Election in November 2024 but in the March 5th Primary Election. As such, SOHA is holding its CD 4 Debate on January 17th between the incumbent, Councilmember Nithya Raman, and her challenger, Deputy City Attorney Ethan Weaver. There is one other candidate in the election, but he has insufficient fundraising to participate in the debate. Both Nithya Raman and Ethan Weaver have similar views on most of the issues facing the city. Both are lifelong Democrats although Nithya Raman aligns herself with the progressive Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles (DSA-LA) who were very active in getting her elected in 2020, and they are following a similar role in 2024. Ethan Weaver is an openly gay man who faced rejection from his parents and community when he came out and has used that experience to motivate him to fight for others. Both have pledged support of our single-family neighborhoods. Of course, Councilmember Raman’s track record on supporting single-family neighborhoods over the past three years as our local elected representative has been inconsistent at best. Nithya Raman has gotten several good endorsements including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA-LA), Sierra Club, Westside Young Democrats, Abundant Housing LA, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, Planned Parenthood, and the LA County Democratic Party. But note that in early December 2023, Ethan Weaver had the endorsement of the nominating committee of the LA County Democratic Party until Councilmember Raman used a last-ditch effort by getting Mayor Bass to intercede to support her nomination with the full voting membership and as a result was able to get the endorsement of the full Democratic Party (which really should have been pro forma for any established Democrat to get). She has endorsements from several politicians including Mayor Bass, Congressman Brad Sherman, and fellow councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky. Ethan Weaver has followed a traditional fundraising path and gotten his name out there before the voters. He has attended many community events over the past year, supported many communities against overdevelopment, and is gaining large and growing followings from his social media posts. Weaver has gotten several major endorsements too including the United Fire Fighters of Los Angeles City, Los Angeles Police Protective League, LAAPOA (Airport Police), SEIU (Nurses), LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and many local construction unions including the United Steelworkers 675, Plumbers and Steamfitters 761, and Laborers LiUNA 300. Ethan Weaver additionally has endorsement from several politicians including California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, State Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, and former State Senator Bob Hertzberg. Of course, council elections should be decided not by endorsements but on local issues like homelessness, crime, housing, transportation, and land use. In office for more than three years, Nithya Raman has a demonstrated record by which the voters can really judge her performance on homelessness, housing, land use, crime, consumer fraud, constituent services, and other important issues. She has been a leader in tenant reforms which, especially during Covid, has helped bolster tenant rights and protections. Ethan Weaver has been a Deputy City Attorney with the Neighborhood Prosecutor Hollywood Division of the LA City Attorney’s office for almost seven years. That position within the city gives him a good understanding of the issues and how to work within the city’s system to create some real changes. He has campaigned on the central fact that he will be better positioned as a City Attorney who has been on the front lines to combat the homelessness crisis. He promises to continue to fight for all communities and neighborhoods and will put the needs of District 4 constituents first. In the end, this election will probably be decided in the March 5th Primary Election and as such it is very important to get the vote out. The future of our established neighborhoods depends upon who leads Council District 4 for the next four years.
THE COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 ELECTION DILEMMA
Tom Glick, SOHA Planning and Land Use Committee Chair
November 2023 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
While Concerts in Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park or ribbon-cutting ceremonies for street intersections are nice, small-scale gestures for our community’s benefit, Councilmember Nithya Raman needs to do much, much more for our community. She campaigned in 2019-20 on a promise that it was “Our Time To Lead”. Presumably the “Our” meant that she was going to be a maverick and do better than her predecessors in City Hall, especially her direct predecessor, David Ryu. She was going to make a difference for our community. She was going to make everything better – from homelessness to land-use development to community relations to corruption. You name it, she promised it. But like most promises made by politicians, these seem to always fall short of those grand expectations we in the electorate have. Councilmember Raman has made small-scale gestures as noted above but has fallen way short of the expectations she set during her 2020 campaign run – especially on significantly important issues facing our community, such as her commitment to the protection of our historic, stable single-family neighborhoods and the reduction of local homelessness. When Councilmember Raman came to SOHA’s monthly live meeting in Spring 2023, she pledged her support for preserving single-family neighborhoods. Well, that pledge didn’t last. The LA Planning Department in their current Housing Element is proposing to carve up and densify our single-family neighborhoods and those of many communities throughout the city. Councilmember Raman claims she is not to blame – instead blame the state legislature. What’s more distressing, she has been quoted on this issue stating that she’ll allow apartments in single-family areas per state mandates and that we need to accept change whether we like it or not. And regarding homelessness, Councilmember Raman continually states that she is proud of her record on homelessness, in spite of the January 2023 homelessness survey in Sherman Oaks and every LA community showing that homelessness had increased by 10 percent citywide in 2022. No Covid to blame on this count. With billions of dollars in our government accounts to help solve the problem, in the end, it just amounts to plain and simple government inefficiency and ineffectiveness by our local leaders. But Councilmember Raman continues to believe that the homelessness situation in her district and specifically Sherman Oaks is better. In reality, there are many constituents and stakeholders including business owners in the Sherman Oaks Business Improvement District who disagree. Now that Councilmember Raman is coming up for re-election in the March 2024 Primary, we all need to view her record carefully when we decide our vote. We need to separate out those small gestures which benefit our community in the short-term from those significantly more important large gestures which have the possibility to destroy our community forever
OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS’ VOTING RECORDS
Tom Glick, SOHA Planning and Land Use Committee Chair
September 2023 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
Our new monthly article will center on letting our readers know exactly how each of our elected representatives have voted on crucial issues related to the health, welfare, and safety of our community. We will focus on our three primary elected representatives: Councilmember Nithya Raman, our elected city representative for the 4th Council District; Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, our elected county representative for the 3rd Supervisorial District; and Assembymember Laura Friedman, our elected state representative for the 44th Assembly District. It’s important in any democracy to ensure that our leaders are held accountable for their actions. Following their voting recorsd will allow our readers to stay informed. Due to space issues this month, we only provided recent highlights. Councilmember Nithya Raman – Voted “NO” on the new $1.4 billion 2023/24 LAPD budget that City Council approved by a 12-3 vote. Ms Raman’s was one of three “No” votes and her rationale for voting this way was she felt the city should focus on our other avenues for public safety. With a city seemingly becoming more lawless with daily reports of smash and grab robberies, car thefts, home invasions, etc., many in our community are looking for more police resources and not less. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath – Voted “YES” on steps to raise the minimum wage for hotel and theme park workers to $25 per hour. Ms Horvath, who co-authored the motion, stands on her record of pushing for minimum wage increases as she did when she was on the West Hollywood City Council. The motion notes that these are essential service workers for our economy who must be compensated appropriately. Assemblymember Laura Friedman – Introduced Assembly Bill 645 to help prevent vehicle speeding in the state. This bill will create a 5-year speed safety pilot program in California’s most dense cities, including the City of Los Angeles, and enable these cities to install speed cameras that image and ticket cars traveling above the speed limit. According to Ms Friedman, this legislation could make a difference in accident rates.
GUNSHOTS INCREASING IN SHERMAN OAKS
by Bob Anderson, SOHA Vice President
August 2023 | Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Newsletter
Certain neighborhoods suffer more than their share of gun violence. The highest number of gunshots fired in the one-year period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 were 212 shots in downtown Los Angeles. The next highest was 137 shots in Boyle Heights. Communities with the fewest gunshots include Pico-Robertson (5 shots), University Park (4), and Brentwood (1). We’ve always felt very safe in Sherman Oaks – but sadly times are changing. As the chart shows, Sherman Oaks had only 4 gunshots in all of calendar year 2017 – but has already had 13 gunshots in just the first six months of 2023 – heading toward twice the overall number of gunshots as 2022. We all need to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to the proper authorities. Mariana Romo (40229@lapd.online) is our LAPD Senior Lead Officer for Sherman Oaks north of Venture Boulevard; Jose Saldana (30853@lapd.online) is our SLO for Sherman Oaks south of Ventura. Please keep them informed about police challenges in our community.