Star Spangled Banter

Los Angeles is a city of dreams… but what happens when those dreams become unaffordable?

In this episode, we sit 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