Garcetti glides

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Wednesday Dec 15,2021 02:15 pm

Dec 15, 2021

By Jeremy B. White, Isabella Bloom and Graph Massara

Presented by Our Health California

THE BUZZ — LA TO DELHI? Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s moment in the Senate spotlight proved less dramatic than his home city’s tumultuous politics.

The mayor on Tuesday faced his first public Senate vetting since President Joe Biden tapped Garcetti to be ambassador to India. Angelenos and California politics-watchers were watching closely to see if Garcetti would be grilled over the issues that have engulfed the city during his tenure — a worsening homelessness crisis, spiraling violent crime, a separate corruption probe that has claimed multiple city officials (although Garcetti himself has not been implicated) — or, leading the list, the sexual misconduct allegations that felled former top Garcetti aide Rick Jacobs.

Questions about what Garcetti knew and when have hovered over his mayoralty as the Jacobs fallout expanded. Garcetti has consistently denied witnessing or being aware of the accusations hanging over Jacobs — including while testifying under oath — although some accusers maintain otherwise.

But the matter barely came up during a hearing focused — imagine this — on foreign policy. Garcetti faced a single question about Jacobs when Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) raised the issue, noting it was important to set an example given India’s difficulty combating sexual assault. Garcetti’s response was unambiguous: he has “zero tolerance” for workplace harassment, he “never witnessed” Jacob’s alleged behavior, “nor was it brought to my attention,” and he would have spoken up if he had been aware. His response seemed to satisfy Shaheen.

In the heady days after President Joe Biden’s victory, Garcetti was rumored to be in the running for a Cabinet job — perhaps transportation secretary — given his role as a prominent Biden surrogate, even when Biden was lagging in polls and the rest of California’s political universe coalesced behind Kamala Harris. Garcetti was passed over for that job, which some political observers interpreted as a sign of wariness by the White House. But six months into the Biden administration, Garcetti had a nomination.

The fact that Garcetti sailed through Tuesday’s hearing is a testament to two dynamics: the White House’s confidence in Garcetti and its tendency to have its allies’ backs, POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago reports: it “underscored just how much Democrats are willing to stand by [Biden] on his nominations, even amid the harsh political winds around allegations of workplace misconduct. They also illustrate the degree to which loyalty continues to be one of the most valuable currencies for Biden, too.”

BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Tuesday was a busy day for California elected officials working to show progress on crime: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf asked the state for more help on shootings and homicides, Attorney General Rob Bonta convened retailers and law enforcement to talk about organized retail theft, state Sen. Jacqui Irwin announced legislation to tackle the same — and then there was San Francisco Mayor London Breed (see below).

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit jwhite@politico.com or follow me on Twitter @jeremybwhite.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It is time that the reign of criminals who are destroying our city — it is time for it to come to an end, and it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement, more aggressive with the changes in our policies and less tolerant of all the bullshit that has destroyed our city.” A fiery San Francisco Mayor London Breed vows to crack down on crime by deploying more cops to the Tenderloin.

TWEET OF THE DAY: First Partner @JenSiebelNewsom with an early-morning subtweet: “Looking forward to the day when there are no bots or trolls and GOP members aren’t paying their followers to hate, spread mistruths, and project their own reality - or Trump’s reality- onto innocent people who are just trying to do good in the world.”

VIDEO OF THE DAY: The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry makes history.

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: California Playbook won’t publish from Monday, Dec. 20-Friday, Dec. 31. We’ll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Jan. 3.

A message from Our Health California:

Every person deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care when they need it.

Our Health California, a grassroots advocacy community with more than 1 million supporters, is dedicated to advancing access to health care in every corner of our state. We speak out to build healthier communities and ensure equitable care for all.

Our Health California is sponsored by hospitals, health systems, and the California Hospital Association. Learn more.

TOP TALKERS

— “California education official resigns amid criticism over East Coast residency, hiring process,” by POLITICO’s Kevin Yamamura and Susannah Luthi: The departure comes after POLITICO reported Daniel Lee was named California's first superintendent of equity last year despite living on the East Coast and running his own business there. California's human resources department told POLITICO that state workers can live elsewhere only under rare circumstances where out-of-state residency is required for the job, such as staff lobbying Congress in Washington, D.C.

NEW! Nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re beginning to get enough data to evaluate how well states handled the crisis. Each state shaped its own response differently, and you can see the results in POLITICO’s State Pandemic Scorecard. California ranked well above the national average on health outcomes but below average on the economy and education. You can take a look here.

THE GREATEST SHOOTER? — “ Steph Curry just broke Ray Allen’s NBA 3-point record; here’s how he got to 2,974,” by the SF Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau.

LUPINE LEGACY — The New Yorker’s Susan Orlean eulogizes OR-93, the astonishingly wide-ranging grey wolf who was the first of his species to appear in southern California in centuries.

JOIN TODAY FOR A WOMEN RULE 2021 REWIND AND A LOOK AHEAD AT 2022: Congress is sprinting to get through a lengthy and challenging legislative to-do list before the end of the year that has major implications for women’s rights. Join Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph and POLITICO journalists Laura Barrón-López, Eleanor Mueller, Elena Schneider and Elana Schor for a virtual roundtable that will explore the biggest legislative and policy shifts in 2021 affecting women and what lies ahead in 2022. REGISTER HERE.

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

LABOR — "Citing violence fears, SEIU International wades into dispute at California state worker union," by The Sac Bee's Wes Venteicher: "[SEIU International president Mary Kay] Henry told Local 1000 President Richard Louis Brown that some union board members have shared safety concerns with the International, including concerns over Brown 'encouraging members to come to the meeting armed.'"

PUSHED BACK — “L.A. school board delays enforcement of student vaccine mandate to fall 2022,” by the LA Times’ Melissa Gomez: The board “cit[ed] concerns over disrupting learning and the monumental task of transferring tens of thousands of students into independent study.”

POLICING — “As LAPD struggles to restore ranks, councilmembers pay extra for police coverage,” by the LA Times’ Kevin Rector: “Since the start of this fiscal year, when the LAPD was allocated a budget of its own of $1.76 billion, councilmembers have tapped into their own council funds to pay for more than $1.5 million in extra LAPD overtime, according to a tally of such spending provided by the LAPD.”

‘PUBLIC SAFETY BLITZ’ — “Mayor Breed wants to flood Tenderloin with police to confront drug dealers — and those using drugs,” by the SF Chronicle’s Trisha Thadani and Mallory Moench: “On Tuesday, Breed called for increased funding for police overtime to help pay for the move, which includes tackling the resale of stolen goods. She told residents last week that she believes policing is an ‘important tool’ to address some of the neighborhood’s woes, which include widespread drug dealing, a surge in fatal overdoses and a spike in gun violence.”

— "California exempts San Francisco from COVID indoor mask rule," via the AP: "'It’s a recognition of all of the thought and care that San Francisco residents have been putting into staying as safe as possible,' said Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco’s health officer. About 86% of eligible San Francisco residents have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the public health department."

WHERE TO LIVE — "California Population Loss Accelerated During Pandemic," by The Wall Street Journal's Christine Mai-Duc: "The research released Wednesday shows the change is largely being driven by a drop in the number of people moving to California from other parts of the U.S. and is most acute in the high-cost San Francisco Bay Area."

BREATHE EASY — “Mattresses and Mold Removal: Medi-Cal to Offer Unconventional Treatments to Asthma Patients,” by California Healthline’s Angela Hart: “Starting in January, California will embark on an ambitious experiment to control asthma in its most vulnerable patients. Medi-Cal will offer recipients like Ruby [Marentes-Cabrera] unconventional in-home ‘treatments’ not traditionally considered health care: removing mold, installing air purifiers and even replacing carpeting, blinds and mattresses.”

— “San Francisco becomes first city to require sick leave for nannies, cleaners, gardeners ,” by the SF Chronicle’s Carolyn Said: “The measure — the first of its kind in the country — would affect some 10,000 people in San Francisco.”

A message from Our Health California:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

CONFLICTED — Sen. Dianne Feinstein was one of two U.S. senators to get a “danger” rating, signifying the greatest potential conflicts of interest, in an Insider ranking of Congress members’ personal-political entanglements.

CAMPAIGN MODE

— “Cecil Rhambo, Who Failed to Discipline LASD Gangs When It Was His Job, Claims He’ll Do So as Sheriff,” by Knock LA’s Cerise Castle: “Rhambo neglects to mention that he himself was a subject of lawsuits alleging human rights abuses in LA County jails. He was also the subject of federal investigations into misconduct.”

L.A. LEGACY — Termed-out-in-2022 state Sen. Bob Hertzberg confirmed on Tuesday he is “seriously considering” a Los Angeles board of supervisors run. Hertzberg has backed his son Daniel Hertzberg to fill the opening Senate seat, so there’s a possibility some Angeleno voters could be represented by two Hertzbergs.

— “Soria Considering Assembly Run. Tulare Sheriff Boudreaux for Congress?” by GV Wire’s David Taub: “[Esmeralda] Soria would be the second Fresno councilmember expressing interest in the potentially open Assembly seat. Nelson Esparza is also considering, sources tell GV Wire.”

SILICON VALLEYLAND

SPACEX HARASSMENT — “Five former SpaceX employees speak out about harassment at the company, “ by The Verge’s Loren Grush: “These former employees agree that SpaceX is a bit of a ‘boys’ club,’ as one former employee put it, and say they were part of a very small group of women and nonbinary people working at the company. That made them feel severely outnumbered. The former employees also believe the company is reluctant to hold some men accountable for bad behavior, especially if those men have put in a lot of time at SpaceX or have contributed great things to the company.”

AND TESLA, TOO — “ Six Tesla workers file additional lawsuits alleging sexual harassment,” by The Washington Post’s Faiz Siddiqui: “In six separate suits filed Tuesday, women who worked in factory or service center jobs say their male co-workers frequently referenced their bodies and clothing, and some women allege they were moved from their work stations after reporting the behavior.”

TECH RULE OVERHAUL — “ EU plan for sweeping update of Big Tech rules gains momentum,” by the AP’s Kelvin Chan: “The European Union’s ambitious plan to update its pioneering internet rules gained momentum Tuesday after a key committee passed measures requiring technology companies to better police content and lawmakers prepared to vote on regulations to rein in Big Tech.”

— “ Dogecoin spikes more than 20% after Elon Musk says Tesla will accept it as payment for merch,” by CNBC’s Ryan Browne: “The meme-inspired cryptocurrency skyrocketed as much as 23% on Tuesday.”

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

HOLLYWOODLAND

— “Judge upholds assault charges against Tory Lanez in shooting of Megan Thee Stallion,” by the LA Times’ James Queally: “[Tory] Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, shook his head, seemingly in disgust, several times throughout the 90-minute preliminary hearing, shouting at a detective at one point before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Keith Borjon upheld the assault and weapons possession charges against the 29-year-old.”

MEDIA MATTERS

— Anita Chabria will become a California columnist for the LA Times, shifting over from her current role there as a Northern California reporter.

MIXTAPE

SPEECH AND ANTISEMITISM — “‘Toxic atmosphere of hatred.’ USC faculty outraged over response to student’s tweets,” by the LA Times’ Marisa Gerber.

SHHHH — “ Golden Gate Bridge officials have detailed the plan to stop its humming. And how much it’ll cost,” by the SF Chronicle’s Sam Whiting.

CHLOE KIM — “A Teen Sensation Grows Up,” by the NYT’s John Branch.

— “ Former San Jose mayor sued by nephew after business deal tanks,” by San José Spotlight’s Eli Wolfe.

SERVING ‘ASPIRATIONS’ — “The Bay Area’s best new restaurants of 2021,” by the SF Chronicle’s Soleil Ho.

BIRTHDAYS

Meta’s Devon Kearns … Lauren French of Rep. Adam Schiff’s office and the House Intelligence Committee … Lenny Young of Rep. Julia Brownley’s office … Julie Lazar

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Our Health California, a grassroots advocacy community of more than 1 million people, is dedicated to building a healthier society. We champion equitable access to affordable, high-quality health care because every Californian deserves to get the care they need, when they need it.

Our Health California connects health care supporters and patients to their state and federal lawmakers. Working together, as one powerful voice, we advance care in every community – including health to behavioral health – because patients across the Golden State deserve access to greater control of their health and their future.

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