Aaron Green
@aaronguhreen.bsky.social
Reposted by Aaron Green
16 hours in, my guess this was all intended basically as a coup to put VP Delcy Rodriguez in power (likely without her knowledge but 🤷).
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
January 3, 2026 at 11:14 PM
16 hours in, my guess this was all intended basically as a coup to put VP Delcy Rodriguez in power (likely without her knowledge but 🤷).
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
The reason California high speed rail costs so much is not because of the train but because the state allowed localities to extort the rail authority for their own stupid projects.
For example - Madera forced HSR to replace a cul-de-sac with a 43 ft wide, 617 ft bridge!
hsr.ca.gov/2025/10/30/n...
For example - Madera forced HSR to replace a cul-de-sac with a 43 ft wide, 617 ft bridge!
hsr.ca.gov/2025/10/30/n...
December 31, 2025 at 4:04 AM
The reason California high speed rail costs so much is not because of the train but because the state allowed localities to extort the rail authority for their own stupid projects.
For example - Madera forced HSR to replace a cul-de-sac with a 43 ft wide, 617 ft bridge!
hsr.ca.gov/2025/10/30/n...
For example - Madera forced HSR to replace a cul-de-sac with a 43 ft wide, 617 ft bridge!
hsr.ca.gov/2025/10/30/n...
Reposted by Aaron Green
This is a hit job. The "conflict of interest" is that Jesse's day job aligns with the values that got him elected.
In Santa Monica, the FPPC has disqualified pro-housing Councilmember Jesse Zwick from all future housing votes. They said that because he works for a housing non-profit, he’s “conflicted” and must recuse.
Pretty absurd. The NIMBY deep state strikes again.
www.smdp.com/state-regula...
Pretty absurd. The NIMBY deep state strikes again.
www.smdp.com/state-regula...
State regulators say Councilman Zwick is conflicted on housing votes
The California Fair Political Practices Commission has ruled that Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick must recuse himself from housing production decisions
www.smdp.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:29 PM
This is a hit job. The "conflict of interest" is that Jesse's day job aligns with the values that got him elected.
In Santa Monica, the FPPC has disqualified pro-housing Councilmember Jesse Zwick from all future housing votes. They said that because he works for a housing non-profit, he’s “conflicted” and must recuse.
Pretty absurd. The NIMBY deep state strikes again.
www.smdp.com/state-regula...
Pretty absurd. The NIMBY deep state strikes again.
www.smdp.com/state-regula...
State regulators say Councilman Zwick is conflicted on housing votes
The California Fair Political Practices Commission has ruled that Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick must recuse himself from housing production decisions
www.smdp.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:58 PM
In Santa Monica, the FPPC has disqualified pro-housing Councilmember Jesse Zwick from all future housing votes. They said that because he works for a housing non-profit, he’s “conflicted” and must recuse.
Pretty absurd. The NIMBY deep state strikes again.
www.smdp.com/state-regula...
Pretty absurd. The NIMBY deep state strikes again.
www.smdp.com/state-regula...
Reposted by Aaron Green
Do you wonder whether a city's consultants just say whatever the city wants? Last week Los Altos Hills told the State of California and HCD that vacant land there costs $1M/acre. This week Los Altos told a state court of law that vacant land there costs $12M/acre. Hmm. 🧵 1/3
December 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Do you wonder whether a city's consultants just say whatever the city wants? Last week Los Altos Hills told the State of California and HCD that vacant land there costs $1M/acre. This week Los Altos told a state court of law that vacant land there costs $12M/acre. Hmm. 🧵 1/3
Reposted by Aaron Green
Atrocities like the 2002 Passover Massacre, which killed 30 civilians and wounded 160, defined the intifada. I hope it’s clear now why calls to “globalize the intifada”—and Orwellian efforts to sanitize that call to holy war—can’t be excused as benign activism. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passove...
Passover massacre - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 14, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Atrocities like the 2002 Passover Massacre, which killed 30 civilians and wounded 160, defined the intifada. I hope it’s clear now why calls to “globalize the intifada”—and Orwellian efforts to sanitize that call to holy war—can’t be excused as benign activism. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passove...
How do you make a decision like this and not live the rest of your life with tremendous shame?
LA quietly stopped repaving all streets last July to avoid fulfilling its ADA obligations. The federal govt says when you repave a street, you have to update all the curb ramps. LA has tons of out of date curb ramps, so the rule makes repaving much more expensive. The city's solution: stop repaving!
LA has stopped repaving our streets
The reason why is probably illegal
futureis.la
December 9, 2025 at 7:00 PM
How do you make a decision like this and not live the rest of your life with tremendous shame?
I would love to get @stephenjacobsmith.com's opinion on arc-fault circuit breakers. Necessary, or a way for Siemens etc. to force builders to buy more expensive product?
As a homeowner - they suck! Constantly tripping and no electrician can figure out why. Their solution is always ripping them out.
As a homeowner - they suck! Constantly tripping and no electrician can figure out why. Their solution is always ripping them out.
December 8, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I would love to get @stephenjacobsmith.com's opinion on arc-fault circuit breakers. Necessary, or a way for Siemens etc. to force builders to buy more expensive product?
As a homeowner - they suck! Constantly tripping and no electrician can figure out why. Their solution is always ripping them out.
As a homeowner - they suck! Constantly tripping and no electrician can figure out why. Their solution is always ripping them out.
Astroturf ass opposition.
I don‘t even like the gondola! But the California Endowment has been pouring so much money into stirring up fake outrage that I’m being negatively polarized into supporting the project.
I don‘t even like the gondola! But the California Endowment has been pouring so much money into stirring up fake outrage that I’m being negatively polarized into supporting the project.
The coalition of LA residents who oppose the Dodger Stadium gondola shut down the Metro board of directors meeting Thursday.
They forced the meeting into recess and demanded that officials at minimum allow public discussion on the project. This is a developing story.
They forced the meeting into recess and demanded that officials at minimum allow public discussion on the project. This is a developing story.
December 6, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Astroturf ass opposition.
I don‘t even like the gondola! But the California Endowment has been pouring so much money into stirring up fake outrage that I’m being negatively polarized into supporting the project.
I don‘t even like the gondola! But the California Endowment has been pouring so much money into stirring up fake outrage that I’m being negatively polarized into supporting the project.
An ambitious state lawmaker should run a bill to ban iPads in schools.
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
LA Parents say school-issued iPads are causing chaos with their kids
A growing contingent of public school parents say school-mandated iPads, particularly in elementary and middle schools, are leading to behavior problems.
www.nbcnews.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:18 PM
An ambitious state lawmaker should run a bill to ban iPads in schools.
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
Now I understand why the bedrooms in my home have wardrobes …
This is a funny thing about sprinklers too. @lanefab.com pointed out to me that if you cut out closets and instead build custom wardrobes after the C of O, even ones that go all the way to the ceiling, no sprinkler head is required. Whereas NFPA 13 requires them in closets if you build them.
December 5, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Now I understand why the bedrooms in my home have wardrobes …
It’s so weird that he lost his re-election campaign.
How long before YIMBY zealots say if you don’t want the military deployed in your city you are a NIMBY?
November 30, 2025 at 12:57 AM
It’s so weird that he lost his re-election campaign.
It’s incredible how innocuous all these ED1 buildings are. Karen Bass really is chasing ghosts by blocking these.
Happy Thanksgiving [the original abundance holiday]! This year, we are thankful for Los Angeles's original, full-fat version of ED1, which enabled the development of 11418 Missouri Ave, a 44-unit, 100% affordable project developed with zero public money - no LIHTC, no subsidy. 1/4
November 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
It’s incredible how innocuous all these ED1 buildings are. Karen Bass really is chasing ghosts by blocking these.
YIMBY Derangement Syndrome needs to appear in the next version of the DSM.
Yesterday on X someone compared me to Adolf Eichmann because I said left NIMBYs don’t believe markets can help poor people and that they prefer high housing prices to neighborhood change.
November 25, 2025 at 5:11 PM
YIMBY Derangement Syndrome needs to appear in the next version of the DSM.
"Three new pro-development appointees at the powerful Coastal Commission are trying to remedy its poor reputation among housing activists and Democratic leaders."
calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org/politics/202...
Is California’s Coastal Commission pro-housing now? New appointments signal changes
New commissioners appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and top Democrats support more building along the coastline. What that means for the future
calmatters.org
November 15, 2025 at 2:32 PM
"Three new pro-development appointees at the powerful Coastal Commission are trying to remedy its poor reputation among housing activists and Democratic leaders."
calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org/politics/202...
Reposted by Aaron Green
The city attorney @hydeefeldsteinsoto.bsky.social is going to singlehandedly bankrupt the city
November 15, 2025 at 12:38 AM
The city attorney @hydeefeldsteinsoto.bsky.social is going to singlehandedly bankrupt the city
A big problem with policing is that there are very few people interested in getting into the weeds. You have one camp that says cops are irredeemable fascist chuds, another that says they’re great and deserve every raise and OT request no questions asked, and nobody else seems to care at all.
November 13, 2025 at 3:57 PM
A big problem with policing is that there are very few people interested in getting into the weeds. You have one camp that says cops are irredeemable fascist chuds, another that says they’re great and deserve every raise and OT request no questions asked, and nobody else seems to care at all.
Check out the depth of this @thecacoast.bsky.social required parking lot for a new apartment building in Santa Monica. This looks like an expensive hole! Great news for renters. And I’m sure the neighbors will love all the additional cars this puts on the road.
November 11, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Check out the depth of this @thecacoast.bsky.social required parking lot for a new apartment building in Santa Monica. This looks like an expensive hole! Great news for renters. And I’m sure the neighbors will love all the additional cars this puts on the road.
She's so good at her job.
Today Mayor Bass declared the homelessness emergency over so that we no longer have to permit housing for them
Today, Mayor Bass has lifted the Shelter Crisis Emergency Declaration.
I believe that means that ED 1 is no longer in effect.
The council has moved forward with a permanent ED 1 ordinance, but it will be months (or longer) until it goes into effect
I believe that means that ED 1 is no longer in effect.
The council has moved forward with a permanent ED 1 ordinance, but it will be months (or longer) until it goes into effect
November 5, 2025 at 1:18 PM
She's so good at her job.
They’re not doing this because of a huge public backlash to the gondola (there’s basically none). They’re doing this because the California Endowment, which funds multiple nonprofits that help drive votes to the Councilmembers, is annoyed that the gondola will block their office views.
On the eve of the Dodgers winning the World Series 😉, LA Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez introduced a resolution urging Metro to officially reject the Dodger Stadium gondola project.
It's signed by representatives of CD1, CD14, and CD13, all districts directly impacted by Dodger Stadium traffic
It's signed by representatives of CD1, CD14, and CD13, all districts directly impacted by Dodger Stadium traffic
November 3, 2025 at 3:29 AM
They’re not doing this because of a huge public backlash to the gondola (there’s basically none). They’re doing this because the California Endowment, which funds multiple nonprofits that help drive votes to the Councilmembers, is annoyed that the gondola will block their office views.
The Pacific Surfliner is the 2nd busiest passenger rail line in the country. In recent years, it has suffered frequent closures due to erosion.
In August, @thecacoast.bsky.social delayed repairs because just 1 (!!) person complained. Now that permit isn't being considered again until November.
In August, @thecacoast.bsky.social delayed repairs because just 1 (!!) person complained. Now that permit isn't being considered again until November.
October 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The Pacific Surfliner is the 2nd busiest passenger rail line in the country. In recent years, it has suffered frequent closures due to erosion.
In August, @thecacoast.bsky.social delayed repairs because just 1 (!!) person complained. Now that permit isn't being considered again until November.
In August, @thecacoast.bsky.social delayed repairs because just 1 (!!) person complained. Now that permit isn't being considered again until November.
Reposted by Aaron Green
Can’t say enough how positive of a development this is for LA County - if cities don’t want to help solve the single biggest problem in SoCal (housing) we should not be spending 2% sales tax on every purchase every person in this county makes to give those cities transit.
Gonna buy LA Metro the TBMs to make this busway a subway just to spite the NIMBYs — calmatters.org/housing/2025...
A new law makes it easier to build homes near buses. Guess what housing opponents are doing now
After Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to allow mid-rise apartment buildings near major transit stops, opponents of new housing have a new reason to battle the bus.
calmatters.org
October 29, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Can’t say enough how positive of a development this is for LA County - if cities don’t want to help solve the single biggest problem in SoCal (housing) we should not be spending 2% sales tax on every purchase every person in this county makes to give those cities transit.
This is a well trodden path for many local elected officials in California. Make vaguely pro-housing statements on the campaign trail and then use no political capital to advance pro-housing policies once in office.
I have a bad feeling that the first test of Mamdani on housing – whether he’s willing to stand up to NIMBY council members and unions – has already come with his failure to endorse props 2-5. He said at the last debate that he hasn’t decided “yet” on them, but it’s too late for these votes at least.
Across the city, more than 164,000 New Yorkers flocked to the polls this weekend for the first two days of early voting, according to the Board of Election, a staggering turnout that nearly matches the entire early voting count in 2021.
October 27, 2025 at 1:25 PM
This is a well trodden path for many local elected officials in California. Make vaguely pro-housing statements on the campaign trail and then use no political capital to advance pro-housing policies once in office.
Fees, fees, fees. Recently read about an SB1123 project in Santa Monica that was canned because of nearly $500K in “affordable housing” fees.
Open thread: what needs to be fixed with SB 684/SB 1123?
October 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Fees, fees, fees. Recently read about an SB1123 project in Santa Monica that was canned because of nearly $500K in “affordable housing” fees.
Most of Erewhon’s revenue comes from their prepared foods and smoothie bar. Prices for these are on-par with restaurant takeout. The groceries are there as convenient extras. “Oh, since I’m getting a sandwich might as well pick up milk too”. Very few of their customers visit for groceries alone.
October 14, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Most of Erewhon’s revenue comes from their prepared foods and smoothie bar. Prices for these are on-par with restaurant takeout. The groceries are there as convenient extras. “Oh, since I’m getting a sandwich might as well pick up milk too”. Very few of their customers visit for groceries alone.