NEWS
“Accountability Check: Street Outreach And Homelessness In Joe Buscaino’s South LA District”
Ethan Ward, LAIST, 12/13/21
“Joe Buscaino's Audacious Homeless Gamble”
Jon Regardie, LA Magazine, 12/1/21
After the LA City Council shot down Buscaino’s proposal, which would allow the city to clear encampments if people refuse housing or services officers, on the June 2022 ballot, his team announced a signature-gathering effort to place his measure on an upcoming ballot regardless. On the rejection from his colleagues, Buscaino said, “‘My City Council colleagues showed today that they are more interested in the right to sleep on the sidewalk than the right to housing. I will not be dissuaded by this Council’s inability to act and will get this measure onto the ballot with a signature gathering campaign.’”
“New Poll Shows Growing Support for Ballot Measure Addressing Homeless Encampments”
BOMA, 11/23/21
Over 64% of voters would vote ‘Yes’ on Buscaino’s ballot measure.
“Buscaino aims for November 2022 for anti-camping ballot measure after council defers action”
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 11/23/21
Before the council voted to refer Buscaino’s ballot proposal to the council’s Homelessness and Poverty committee, Buscaino said the council “‘has failed to treat this homelessness crisis as the emergency that it is. Here’s what I’m hearing, process, process, vetting, let’s send this to committee. Let’s get a report back in 90 days. Let’s create a task force while people are dying in our streets.’”
“Buscaino Says City’s New Anti-Homeless Measures Don’t Go Far Enough”
Hunter Chase, Random Lengths News, 10/28/21
On the Los Angeles City Council’s vote in favor of enforcing a rule that would prohibit homeless people from sitting, sleeping, or storing property on the sidewalk within 500 or 1,000 feet of 54 sites across the city. Buscaino said while the measure is in the right direction, this process is “‘slow, unnecessarily bureaucratic, and monopolizes valuable resources.’” Buscaino seeks to ban homeless people from additional locations while supporting the creation of more transitional housing to end street camping. His ballot measure would ban encampments in public areas, provide emergency housing and drug and mental health services.
“Buscaino Seeks To Ban Bike Chop Shops”
Dolores Quintana, Westside Today, 10/7/21
Councilmember Buscaino has asked the City Attorney to make legislation banning open-air chop shops which disassemble stolen bikes and offer parts for sale. These chop shops, he says, encourage theft of bicycles, especially as many rely on bicycles for transportation.
“LA City Councilman Buscaino calls for city to divest from Facebook”
City News Service, Daily Breeze, 10/5/21
LAHSA’s job is to connect a person on the street to available housing and services, but the city hasn’t seen a value from the authority equivalent to its funding. The agency refuses to cooperate with the city or share data showing who has been offered housing while apartments sit empty for months. LASHA’s powers should be returned to the City and County and its funds should support service providers who have more positive results. “Homelessness is an urgent, humanitarian crisis and we must be willing to take an unflinching stance on why we are failing to adequately reduce the suffering on our streets.”
"Buscaino wants L.A. voters to decide whether to bar homeless encampments in public spaces"
David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9/3/2021
Buscaino said his ballot proposal would help the city respond to homelessness more swiftly than the city’s anti-camping ordinance approved in July. He said, “‘We’ve learned through experience that not everyone goes into shelter if there are no consequences for staying on the street. There need to be rules banning camping citywide.’” A poll found that 93% of respondents viewed homelessness as a very or extremely serious problem. Another poll commissioned by Buscaino’s mayoral campaign committee found that 50% of respondents strongly favored banning camping on sidewalks and an additional 30% somewhat supported the idea.
“LA Councilman Buscaino seeks ballot measure to prohibit homeless encampments”
City News Service, Daily Breeze, 9/3/21
Councilman Buscaino announced he will propose adding a measure that would ban encampments in public areas but provide substance abuse services, mental health services, and emergency housing for everyone on the streets on the June 2022 ballot. “‘Anyone who needs a bed will get one, but a choice to refuse housing and services will result in an order to move on. It is the city’s policy that no one lives outdoors in public spaces,’” Buscaino said.
“Councilman and Longtime LAPD Officer Joe Buscaino to Enter 2022 LA Mayor’s Race”
David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 8/16/2021
Councilman Joe Buscaino urged his fellow councilmembers to prohibit encampments 500 feet from any public school in the city. At the announcement for his proposal, a spokesman for his campaign got in a scuffle with a protestor.
“Joe Buscaino Positions Himself as the ‘Clean Streets’ Candidate for L.A. Mayor”
Jon Regardie, LA Magazine, 6/28/21
Councilmember Buscaino launched his first ad “addressing the homelessness crisis compassionately, without giving up the card of utilizing law enforcement when necessary.” The compassion can be seen at events discussing homelessness where he has almost cried. The ad showed his plan to take the public-safety approach first and spend a lot of money. He also mentioned that he will support the police, mentioning former police officer Eric Adams victory in the NYC mayoral primary.
“LAHSA has Failed to do its Job Effectively. Let’s End it: Joe Buscaino”
Joe Buscaino, Los Angeles Daily News, 4/22/21
LAHSA’s job is to connect a person on the street to available housing and services, but the city hasn’t seen a value from the authority equivalent to its funding. The agency refuses to cooperate with the city or share data showing who has been offered housing while apartments sit empty for months. LASHA’s powers should be returned to the City and County and its funds should support service providers who have more positive results. “Homelessness is an urgent, humanitarian crisis and we must be willing to take an unflinching stance on why we are failing to adequately reduce the suffering on our streets.”
Councilman Joe Buscaino, a longtime LAPD officer, enters race for L.A. mayor in 2022
Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 3/15/2021
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino is entering the 2022 mayor’s race, saying he will use his background as a police officer to tackle the city’s urgent issues of homelessness and rising crime.
Buscaino, a Democrat who represents a district stretching from Watts to San Pedro, plans to launch his campaign Monday. He told The Times in an interview that the city is facing an emergency as thousands of people live on the streets, trash piles up in neighborhoods across the city and violence surges in South L.A.
“L.A. Councilmember Joe Buscaino Announces Run for Mayor”
Isai Rocha, LA Weekly, 3/15/21
The media release announcing Councilmember Buscaino’s candidacy for Mayor shared that his platform would center around reimagining L.A. to not just go back to normal, but be exceptional, saying “This is a city that welcomed my immigrant parents to its shores, a city that has given my family so much, a city that I have committed my life to. I believe in this City. I have much more to give to it, and I know we can do better.” He served in the LAPD for 15 years and changed his party during his 2011 council run
“Councilman and Longtime LAPD Officer Joe Buscaino to Enter 2022 LA Mayor’s Race”
Staff, NBC Los Angeles, 3/15/21
Councilmember Buscaino was a member of LAPD for 15 years before he first won a City Council seat in 2012. Currently, he serves as president pro tempore of the council in addition to the Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee (vice chair), Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee (chair), Public Safety Committee, Transportation Committee, Homelessness & Poverty Committee, and 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games Committee.
“City Councilman Joe Buscaino Announces Run for Los Angeles Mayor in 2022”
Contributing Editor, My News LA, 3/15/21
LA City Councilman Buscaino is a 46-year-old former LAPD Sergeant who serves on multiple committees and acted as the 2020 president of the League of Cities. Councilmember Buscaino says he will focus his campaign for Mayor on quality of life through improving public safety, addressing homlessness, and bringing back jobs lost in the pandemic. “This is a city that welcomed my immigrant parents to its shores, a city that has given my family so much, a city that I have committed my life to. I believe in this city. I have much more to give to it, and I know we can do better.”