Los Angeles is a city of dreams… but what happens when those dreams become unaffordable?
In this episode, Heather Gardner sits down with LA City Councilmember & mayoral candidate Nithya Raman to talk about the REAL issues facing the city—from skyrocketing housing costs and homelessness to traffic, bureaucracy, and whether LA is… kinda broke.
We get into:
– Why housing is the root of everything
– The truth about homelessness spending
– The politics behind “waiting your turn”
– Why LA might need a total system reset
– And yes… how we might fix the 405 (we’re skeptical too)
– It’s honest, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s exactly the kind of conversation LA needs right now.
No official sponsor today—but if you’re currently paying LA rent, congrats, you’re already sponsoring like 3 landlords, a property management company, and probably someone’s third Tesla
Timeline:
00:00 – Intro & welcome back
01:50 – Why LA is magical… but unsustainable
04:23 – Can we FIX the 405??
05:22 – What an urban planner actually does (The Sims but real life)
07:12 – Running for mayor after endorsing Karen Bass
09:32 – The “wait your turn” culture in politics
10:25 – Why local elections matter more than you think
17:36 – “Dream differently” for LA’s future
18:00 – Do rich people actually leave when policies change?
19:07 – “Gentle density” explained
20:31 – Reacting to Karen Bass’ housing plan
24:14 – Homeowners vs affordability (the real tension)
25:31 – Housing and homelessness are directly linked
28:52 – Is LA… broke?
31:05 – LAPD budget & political influence
33:28 – Why she decided to run
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