P.U. Blog of the Week: August 23-29, 2005

Being a Councilperson has its perks...

This week Eric Garcetti's Blog recieves the P.U. spotlight. Mr. Garcetti represents District 13 on the Los Angeles City Council, serving many diverse neighborhoods, including Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Westlake, Koreatown, and East Hollywood.

Sadly, though I am a resident of East Hollywood, Mr. Garcetti is not my Councilperson. As I live just north of Hollywood Boulevard, I am a few hundred feet outside his jurisdiction. However, I'm glad to be within his "sphere of influence," as he supported the restoration of the historic Toberman House, located just down the street from me.

Mr. Garcetti is one of the most dedicated and progressive members of the City Council. He cares about the neighborhoods he serves and is known to drive around his district looking for graffiti, potholes, and couches dumped on sidewalks. He also cares about the welfare of the entire city, as he is a leading advocate for an inclusionary zoning ordinance.

The best thing about Mr. Garcetti's blog is that it demonstrates the power of the Web to facilitate the democratic process. Blogging is a way to get young people more involved in politics...Mr. Garcetti is certainly more "with it" that his predecessor, Jackie Goldberg, who was recently quoted as saying "that's why they're worried about your generation, because you get your news from Comedy Central...and you blog, whatever that means." I give mad props to Mr. Garcetti for knowing what blogging is and harnessing its power to better serve his constituents.