Jim Newton, editor of UCLA’s Blueprint magazine, spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the the scandal over leaked audio of hateful and racist remarks by city leaders. “It breeds a certain kind of arrogance. What I heard on that tape, just unbridled arrogance,” Newton said. The controversy has led to renewed discussion of reforms to the city’s current political structure, in which each of 15 City Council districts effectively represents more than 250,000 residents — a larger ratio than exists for many state legislatures. Previous measures aimed at reforming the system have been defeated, but Newton commented, “There are moments when the public is willing to listen, to be engaged in the process. This could be one of those moments.”
Lecturer of Public Policy
Jim Newton is a veteran journalist, author and teacher. In 25 years at the Los Angeles Times, Newton worked as...
