Manville on the Unintended Consequences of Los Angeles’ ‘Mansion Tax’

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In a new opinion essay for The Washington Post, Luskin urban planning professor Mike Manville examines the unintended consequences of Los Angeles’ Measure ULA, commonly known as the “mansion tax.” Intended to generate funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs by taxing high-value property sales, the measure instead demonstrates how policy design can shape outcomes in unexpected ways.

Manville argues that Measure ULA’s high tax rates on a narrow segment of real estate transactions reduced property sales, generated significantly less revenue than projected, and may have discouraged new housing construction. “The devil is in the details,” he writes, emphasizing that while “good intentions matter, [the] boring details matter more.” Rather than dismissing the need for affordable housing programs, Manville contends that they should work alongside efforts to increase housing production. He concludes that expanding the housing supply remains essential to improving affordability, arguing that “rents won’t come down until housing comes up.”

“A safety net is crucial, but programs like Measure ULA need to complement, not compete with or cannibalize, efforts to build.” Read the full op-ed in Washington Post.

LAX People Mover Delays Continue as World Cup Crowds Arrive

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As thousands of FIFA World Cup visitors arrive at Los Angeles International Airport, the long-awaited SkyLink Automated People Mover remains unfinished and has yet to carry its first passengers. Originally slated to open in 2023, the $3.34-billion elevated train has been delayed by technical issues, construction setbacks, and ongoing disputes between Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and its contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS).

Los Angles Times reports that the contractor has blamed airport-related “blockers,” including landscaping work, approval delays, and conflicts with other projects, while LAWA has emphasized extensive safety testing requirements. Officials say the system must complete 30 consecutive days of flawless operation before opening, a milestone it has not yet reached, with current projections pointing to early October. Jacob Wasserman, UCLA transportation researcher, said the project ultimately “offers an alternative,” noting, “You can choose to avoid the traffic.” Experts say the delays highlight broader challenges in delivering large-scale transit infrastructure at LAX, even as officials look to future mega-events like the Olympics.

LA Officials Advance Proposal for Non-Citizen Voting

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City officials have taken the first step toward placing a measure on the November ballot that would allow non-citizens to vote in Los Angeles local elections, based on the principle that those who live in and contribute to the city should have a voice in its governance.

CBS interviewed Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative, who noted that the proposal is likely to be controversial and faces significant uncertainty ahead of the vote.

“I think there are a number of issues that have to be resolved before they can even execute this. First of all, voters are going to have a chance to weigh in. They have to decide to do it. Whether they will approve it or not is up in the air. I suspect it will be controversial. And secondly, if they do approve it, that only gives the city council the authority to do it. The city council would then have to execute that plan, and that could take some time.”

Astor Weighs In on Investigation Following Fatal Graduation Shooting

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Following a fatal shooting after a graduation ceremony at Fairfield High School, KQED reported on the community’s efforts to mourn and heal while authorities continue their investigation. The June 3 shooting occurred after a commencement ceremony for Sem Yeto High School, a continuation school within the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District. Eighteen-year-old Jamario Baker was killed, and three others were injured.

More than a week later, local faith leaders organized a vigil and blessing ceremony at the school to honor the victims. Community members gathered to grieve and reflect on the tragedy, which many said has deeply affected the close-knit Fairfield community.

Ron Avi Astor, distinguished professor of social welfare at UCLA Luskin and an expert on school violence, provided context on the ongoing investigation. Astor noted that it is atypical for so little information to be publicly known about a suspect or motive in a case of this nature. The article also examined broader concerns about school safety and recent incidents of violence on the Fairfield High School campus.

David C. Turner III Discusses Community-Based Alternatives to Policing on Law & Disorder

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On a recent episode of “Law & Disorder” host Cat Brooks explored community-based alternatives to policing and ongoing debates over public safety funding in Oakland. Representatives from the Justice Team Network and the Anti-Police Terror Project explored the vision behind the Care Not Cops Conference, examining how communities can invest in care, healing, and supportive services rather than traditional law enforcement. Guests included Tanisha Cannon, Guadalupe Chavez, Diego Jimenez, and UCLA social welfare professor David C. Turner III, who discussed racial justice, healing-centered approaches, and strategies for building safer communities without reliance on policing.

Referencing recent incidents in which police killed a family’s dog during a New York Knicks celebration and fatally shot a one-year-old child during an alleged shoplifting investigation, Dr. David C. Turner III argued that society too often treats policing as the primary response to conflict.

“Reimagining public safety doesn’t mean conflict won’t exist,” said Dr. David C. Turner III. “It means creating the systems, tools, and strategies to intervene when conflict arises. That’s what creates real safety for people. Police do not create that safety—they often exacerbate the violence.”

The “Law & Disorder” podcast exposes the cracks in our system, agitates for resistance and collectively builds a new world that centers Black experience, movement building and art.

Listen to the full podcast episode.

Turner on the L.A. County Department of Public Health’s New Tracker

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Heat waves are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change, and L.A. County’s Department of Public Health has released a tracker that will provide near-real-time (weekly) tracking of heat-related emergency room visits and deaths.

The tracker uses heat illness data collected from physician diagnoses and patient complaints and stratifies daily emergency room (ER) visits and mortalities by categories like race and ethnicity and age.

So far, according to an article by Los Angeles Times, the tracker has found that individuals over the age of 65 are at a higher risk for heat illness and the locations with the most ER visits due to heat are San Fernando, San Gabriel, and Antelope valleys.

Associate professor of urban planning and geography Kelly Turner commented on the link between heat illness and social inequality, stating that “A heat death or heat illness is dependent on who you are and what assets you have… If you have air conditioning or not, if you work outside or you don’t, all of those factors factor in.” 

Public health officials and experts anticipate the tracker’s use in keeping the public updated during extreme heat.

 

Millard-Ball Discusses Robotaxis and World Cup Transportation Challenges

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A recent article in WIRED explored how autonomous vehicles could shape transportation during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to North America. The article examined the role of Waymo’s driverless taxi service, which plans to serve six World Cup host cities, including Los Angeles.

Adam Millard-Ball, professor of urban planning at the UCLA Luskin, noted that autonomous vehicles will face many of the same logistical challenges as traditional ride-hail services when large crowds arrive and depart from stadiums simultaneously.

“There’s never going to be a perfectly orderly process with no congestion,” Millard-Ball told WIRED. “Geometrically, you’re not going to be able to have ‘front door’ pickups for everybody.”

While autonomous vehicles may improve efficiency through fleet coordination and organized pickup systems, Millard-Ball explained that they cannot overcome the physical constraints of limited road space. The article concludes that public transportation, including trains, buses and shuttle services, will continue to play a critical role in moving large numbers of people during major events.

Turner on Addressing Poor Mental Health Outcomes of Black and Latino Boys

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According to the 2026 Children Now report scorecard, 94% of individuals aged 14-25 in California have reported mental health concerns each month, on average, and although the California Health and Human Services Agency provides guides and crisis hotlines on their website, families are unable to easily access these resources due to factors like financial hardship. 

Several individuals and organizations are advocating for changes to improve the accessibility of these resources, such as Children Now, who are currently supporting Senate Bill 363 which aims to improve the accessibility of mental health care services for youth through mandatory reporting by health insurance of the number of denials/modifications of treatment. 

However, assistant professor of social welfare at UCLA David C. Turner III argues that still more needs to be done to address the structural issues impacting the mental health outcomes of Black and Latino boys, such as systemic racism. “The overcriminalization of young people in schools oftentimes forces them to disengage from education. It demonstrates to these young men that they don’t matter, their opinions don’t matter, how they learn doesn’t matter and it creates a very dehumanizing environment for them,” said Turner, according to an article by CalMatters.

Could Ire Over AI Data Centers Tilt the Midterm Elections?

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Opposition to AI data centers is rising in both red and blue states, stirring bipartisan outrage that could influence the outcome of many races in this fall’s midterm election, Rolling Stone reported.

Communities across the country have expressed concerns about electricity prices, water usage, environmental degradation, and tax breaks for developers. For many voters, a candidate’s stance welcoming or resisting the arrival of data centers could be a defining issue.

“Amid so much partisan division, opposition to data centers seems to be the thing that unites Americans right now,” said Megan Mullin, UCLA Luskin professor of public policy and faculty director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.

“It’s tempting to attribute this resistance to a growing wariness about technology and the titans who control it, but in reality it’s rooted in the one thing that has always united Americans: our deep affinity for where we live.”

Samsung’s Bonus Dispute Sparks Calls for Structural Reform

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Samsung Electronics is facing mounting criticism over its newly approved wage and performance bonus system, which grants large payouts to employees across its semiconductor division, including support staff and workers in loss-making units, according to South Korean outlet Chosun.

Critics argue the compensation structure is inequitable, pointing to large bonuses awarded in underperforming semiconductor businesses while employees in consistently profitable divisions, such as smartphones, were excluded. The controversy has intensified concerns over growing divisions between Samsung’s semiconductor and consumer electronics operations.

Industry experts and academics say Samsung’s current model — which ties bonuses largely to business division performance and salary levels — is unsustainable for a diversified electronics company. Proposed reforms include company-wide bonus pools, individual performance-based compensation, and more transparent evaluation metrics. Some experts also advocated structural changes. Sanford Jacoby, a distinguished research professor at UCLA Anderson with appointments in public policy and history recommended the most structural solution, stating, “Samsung must consider spinning off the DS division.” Jacoby proposed that a spun-off DS division pay a fixed sum to headquarters for 10 years, with those funds redistributed across business units to reduce internal conflict.