PV Democrats March Meeting

Join us for our March meeting. Our speaker, Zev Yaroslavsky, will be joining us in-person to discuss Zev’s Los Angeles and Where We Are Today

In a  Los Angeles political career spanning four decades (L.A. City Council 1975-1994, L.A. County Board of Supervisors 1994-2014), Zev Yaroslavsky played a central role in shaping America’s largest metropolis. Health care, transportation, fiscal policy, civil liberties, arts and culture, and the environment were his domain. He received an MA in History and a BA in Economics and History, both from UCLA, where he currently teaches Public Policy and History.”

Summary of the book:

Zev’s Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power has earned praise from Mayor Karen Bass, who called it a “compelling history of our city’s last half century, as conveyed through the life of one of our most impactful leaders. …” And from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla who called it “an uplifting and inspiring journey of personal faith, public service, and the shaping of Los Angeles.”

The book is the story of Zev Yaroslavsky, the son of Ukrainian Jews who immigrated to the United States 100 years ago. Fiercely independent, he combined an activist’s passion with a seasoned politician’s skill to challenge the region’s power brokers. He fought the L.A.P.D.’s excessive force and political intelligence gathering policies; led the effort to ban local taxes from funding the 1984 Olympics; teamed with President Clinton to avert a catastrophic county bankruptcy; helped develop L.A.’s modern transit system; won a bruising battle with real estate interests to save the Santa Monica Mountains from rapacious development; and was pivotal in the development of Walt Disney Concert Hall and the modernization of the iconic Hollywood Bowl.