June 14, 2023 • 42 mins
Jeremy Bowditch is many things: Neighborhood Council Member in Los Angeles, Lakers fan, wine snob. He's not afraid to admit that what he does to make money — being a creative director in advertising — doesn't light his fire. Lately, he's focused on redistributing the wealth he discovered by marrying his wife, and on being transparent about how they actually afforded a house.
Follow Jeremy Bowditch at:
Instagram: @jbowditch
Twitter: @jbowditch
Follow Maya Lau at:
Twitter: @mayalau
Instagram: @itsmayamoney
TikTok: @itsmayamoney
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, listeners of Other People's Pockets really quick before we
start the show. We're trying something new. If you think
you might be a good guest for this show, could
you have a friend record of voice memo and interview
you about your personal finances for about five minutes or fewer,
and then send us the recording at Other People's Pockets
at gmail dot com. We are so excited to hear
(00:25):
your voice notes. And also, if you like the show,
tell a friend about it. Word of mouth really gives
us a boost.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Stumbling upon this box of money, I told her straight up, Yo,
I know I'm fucking up the party here.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I understand that, like I've stepped on some shoes just
being in this room.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I'm aware that, like the record has skipped, so I'm
gonna keep on skipping it. We are using this money
for black people.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
We're going to use these wealths for black people.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Are going to touch this money. Their lives are going
to be improved by this money. I'm saying it out
loud now so no one here gets upset or confused later,
like that's what we're doing here, because I am here.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
A few weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles and
got to record a rare in person interview for this show,
and it was so fun. I talked to Jeremy Bowditch,
who is an Echo Park neighborhood council member in Los Angeles,
a politically active socialist, and also a creative director in
the advertising world. Although, as with all people, any quick
(01:30):
descriptor of what he quote does for a living is
not necessarily indicative of what really matters to him, because
what really matters to Jeremy are the Lakers, breakfast, burritos,
good wine, his friends and family. Of course, Jeremy is
big on being transparent with people about how he and
his wife actually afforded a house in La County and
(01:51):
what he did when he discovered his wife had a
lot of family money. And just to be crystal clear,
he doesn't actually say it in the interview, but his
wife is white, and that's gonna be relevant if you
listen to the interview, why don't you grab a glass
of wine if you partake and have a drink along
with us, I might allow and this is other People's
Pockets the show where I ask people how much they
(02:14):
make and how their finances work. So the questions we
all have about money can be a little bit less
of a mystery. Thank you so much for joining me today.
(02:34):
Of course I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Oh excellent feelings mutual.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
So really quick before we start. I noticed that you're
a wine lover, yes, and.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
So it's true.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
I asked you if there's a wine that I could bring,
and you helpfully gave me a list, which I feel
like most people would be like whatever, but you're like,
I have these very specific wines, very specific parts of
the world, and so I took them to the this
wine store I was on and I was like, can
you please use this as inspiration? So the guy said,
(03:09):
you said, a Nerello mascaleese from Sicily, and so he
thought that this grillo. I don't know. I don't know
if you know what this is, but he said that
that would suffice.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah, this is great.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Okay, it's a wild because like the branding, everything about
wine is like branding, Like the French started branding champagne,
which isn't a year ago.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
I want. I feel like I need to see how
it is opened by someone who knows. I kind of
like butcher the whole packaging.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
But because I am playing the role of fancy winesno,
which is who I am in real life. I'm going
to try and open this capsule the way you would
get it if.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
A psalm or somebodyah blah blah were to do it.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You gotta be careful, though, because I could derail this
whole episode and just be talking about wine, wine service, wines.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I like to drink.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
And then I thought this was a show about money
and exact not. Yeah. I think this is the first
in person interview I've done for this show. Oh wow, yeah,
I do it all remotely.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
We're celebrating, cheers.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Could you please identify yourself? Who are you? What are you?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
And yeah, my name is Jeremy Boutitch. I am an Angelino.
I'm into wine, sailing all things Mexico, the Los Angeles Lakers,
and honestly tearing down this capitalist hellscape brick by brick
where I can.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
And that's yeah, that's me in a nutshell.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
And it's interesting that in that intro you didn't say
what you do for a living.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I like to push back against that because I feel
like it's a recent, a very American thing. Yes, you know,
we think, oh well, the way the natural world, the
way it is is right, like what you do decides
your value, and you know, so king's the most valuable,
(05:13):
shit shovelers the least. Where are you on this spectrum?
So I know how to relate to you when I
feel like, what we want to do, what we like
to do, who we want to be, how we spend
our time, I think says a lot more about us
than what we do, because I know personally, like in
my career, I have been at times doing what fulfills
me and other times like, let me sort these jobs
(05:35):
by compensation. Take the highest paying one completely regardless of
how I feel, and just do that because that's what
This is a transaction, right, my labor for money, that
money for food and shelter, and like, so for me,
like I find it a little bit disingenuous to engage
in a like oh.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, I love creating value my passion and customer right,
like let's keep LinkedIn on LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, this is real life, and so like for work
to pay my bills, et cetera. I've been a video editor,
I've been advertising copywriter, associate, crave director, crave director, basically
anything that involves they getting that commercial on TV. I've
done everything except direct it, be in it everything else,
(06:23):
from the guy getting a coffee, it's the one writing
the ad, to the guy editing, to the guy.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Who sits in the couch behind the guy who edits.
That's what I do now.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I've jumped around all those little positions, and I can
straight up say that like none of them have been
like emotionally fulfilling. That will be in the front page
of my memoir, like as a headline.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Like here lies Jeremy Boutich and here's what he stood for.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Like yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
What is your story? Like how did you get here?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
My story is, uh, Dad's in the military, no college.
My mother is a teacher. They moved to West Germany,
Wall Falls, the wait a couple more years, maybe two,
maybe one, move back to the States. My brothers are
born overseas, so we grow up half in Europe, half
in the DC burbs where my dad is stationed. Mother
(07:18):
starts teaching. Dad is in the military. No, no high school,
and like this is at a point where like you
could just get a job, work hard, and buy a
house and feed children in.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The school and so like that. I did not see
the train coming. No one in my family.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
All I thought, like, oh cool, I will also like
clock at eight am for thirty years and also own
a home and have food and.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
At the age of twenty eight, yeah, exactly, So like
I thought, things but they were.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But I guess what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Is things were great up until like I guess for
all millennials, right two thousand and eight, the bull gets
pulled out way from your eyes.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Oh no, I'm thirty nine, and so.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, I kind of had this idea growing up that like,
if you work hard in the United States, you better
hold onto your hat because that jet stream is gonna
whisk you away to a life of.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Success and wealth and luxury.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And like it was just a couple of like early
mornings in the office and that's all it takes. Right,
You just give a lunch break. Look out, you're in
the fast train to like, you know, paid town. And
that is not my experience as an adult, right, like, oh, hey, man,
I think everyone's out here sweating. Actually yeah, and I
look around. So my parents did not raise me with
(08:31):
a lot of like class consciousness.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
They were both born in the late.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Fifties and so I mean their entire lives, right, like
World War two power this upwards until Reagan gets in.
It's like they're seeing, Oh, if you work hard, you'll
get paid more tomorrow. Repeat, repeat, repeat, acquire, acquire, acchoir,
you know, retire in luxury. Like so, yeah, I was
raised as if everything was fine, because at the time, it.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Was how did you get into advertising and all the
other things you're into? Like did something interest you there?
What's that story?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I was and still am interested in storytelling. Was kind
of like touring colleges to become an animator, and then
at one.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Of these schools, art schools, like we.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Had to walk through the film department to get the
animation department, and I saw like nineteen year olds loading
cars full of cameras and I was like, wait, they're
making their own movies.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
How is that allowed?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
And that kind of like opened my eyes just more
visual storytelling. So I majored in film, moved to Los
Angeles at twenty two, still here, and yeah, just kind.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Of like being involved in a little bit of that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Behind the scenes storytelling. Decision making has always fascinated me, always,
like when I was a teenager, you know, like yeah,
I'm getting the DVD watching the movie, but really I'm
skipping to this documentary that's eight minutes long, where they're
going to tell me why the decision was made to
shoot this here and what it means and this and
that and so that kind of has been the locusts,
(10:03):
I guess for what I've done to pay my bills
ever since.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Right, it's some sort.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Of TV, a little bit of movies, mostly commercials, a
lot of reality TV, dancing around, you know, telling that story.
At first it was editing, then it kind of got
into writing back and editing. I've definitely been on the
corporate sponsored, brought to you by side of media. Early on,
(10:30):
just realized like, okay, you can be a starving artist.
How about I be Yeah, like let me also like
you know, go see like one car Wy movies on
the weekend. But like I live inside, you know, like
that's what I want for my life.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
And so I kind of, like in my.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Really early twenties, kind of gave up this idea that
success means only my name in lights and every movie's
been in town, and I realized, oh shit, you know,
it would be cool living inside, having closed, not being
hung like damn, and so my kind of not my goals.
But like what makes me feel successful has changed, I'd
(11:09):
say a lot in my twenties, a little bit my thirties.
But so yeah, just as long as I can have
some fun while I'm also paying the bills, I'm having
a great time. So that's kind of what keeps me
in the media space.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Would you call it advertising.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Or okay, I call it advertising?
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Well, what's the money? Like in advertising? How much money
do you make?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
My last job, I was making one thirty four, although
I feel I was underpaid. I have been extremely unemployed
and underemployed. So I've made twelve thousand dollars in a year.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I've made.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Working intermittently as an editor and a grip and a PA.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Here in La, here in La. This is all in
Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Like when I was twenty two, my first job out
of school was like a PA running around. I'm making
like thirty six thousand dollars a year. Then a couple
years after that, I get a job editing a TV show,
But like, who's going to let a twenty three ye
old editor TV show that kind of shit? And like
it was very cheap, and so I'm that year I
made like seventy five thousand and I thought, oh my god,
I'm so wealthy.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Yeah, that did not last. Two years later, I'm no
longer doing that show.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I'm back to paying and doing other kind of stuff.
I'm back making like forty something some years I made
twenty two years.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Are full time employed.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Now we're talking like one fifteen one, twenty one, thirty.
But that's the other thing. Like my I just did
a freelance gig and filling in for a creative director
who's on a pttnity leave. And for that job, I
was like, yo, I my day rate is ten ninety five.
I went eleven hundred a day and they were like,
we'll give you eight hundred, and I was like, okay,
I'll take it, but like, just so you know, this
(12:38):
is a discount.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I don't like this. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So, like in the grand scheme of things, if you're
talking about like workers who are still basically living paycheck
to paycheck, I think anything like one sixty and below
you can put in that same category. I think people
making between like one sixty three fifty four hundred are
probably living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. Right,
(13:02):
it's not in LA it's not one to one, but
it's like they get fired tomorrow. How many mortgage payments
can they make off the strength of their savings? And
the answer I think is terrifying. Yeah, I think if
we actually were to like discuss that openly, society might crumble. Yes,
so yeah, I'd.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Say on production side.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Of things, it's probably fifteen hundred a week to sixteen
hundred a week. Once you get out of production and
get into like the agency side where you're hiring the
production people to make this thing. Now it's a little higher.
Now you're getting closer to like eighteen hundred to like
two thousand a week. And my last gig paid me
(13:45):
eight hundred day times five is four thousand, so four
thousand a week pre tax, I was suspected and I
knew for real.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
But then I got married.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Our finances combined, and like I went from a like
working person looking paycheck to paycheck to someone who has
family money, right, and like because of your wife, yes,
and that just seeing different doors open. I'm going to
say this shit because it's gonna set my wife a
little bit. She's gonna get where I talked about it
song in Wikipedia. Her family started the Kenner Toy Company.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Okay, and so I don't know what that is.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
The Star Wars action figures, pound Puppies, Spirograph, easy bake oven,
things like that. And so in the seventies they sold
it to General Mills for cash and stock, and so
her grandfather basically gave everybody and their kids a little box.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Of General millstock.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
And then they sold some of that and diversified a
little bit. But basically that has been sitting there untouched.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
And how much is your mortgage?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
My mortgage on my house is not accessible to a
regular working person. It's it's forty one hundred a month,
but it's like a FHA Sally May mortgage is like
three point five percent.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
That's an FHA sally Ba mortgage for people don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
The government lets you put down a very small amount
of down payment. But the problem that happens in a
lot of big market, especially in Los Angeles, is what
they're qualified.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
For is a very narrow range, and it goes up
every year.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
It's like good luck actually finding a house bingo that
costs that, because it might be a lot that has
no how or whatever, like it's not even something where
you'd want to live.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
And then everyone in their mother is qualified for that
same narrow band.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
That's why a house.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Then then they bid it up and then you can't
afford it.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yes, which is why, like this was last year's numbers,
but they just the FHA thing. Now in Nels Angeles's
I had a million. You can actually buy a million
dollar house for thirty five thousand dollars down.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
That's you can get much for.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
People in LA. That will get you a condo or
it will get you.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Either a condo where you want to live or a
three bedroom house and a place that you never thought
you would live, you know. And but what I realized
was we have this mortgage. It's called a private mortgage.
It's not a FAHA first time federally guaranteed mortgage. It's
not a standard mortgage. It's not a jumbo mortgage. Those
are all the retail mortgages available. If you walk into
a bank, this is if you have a shit ton
of money, they will offer you a better rate, less
(16:31):
money down, and lend you more money than is available
in these standard products. We didn't really overextend ourselves, but
like I told my wife, I was like, we are
going to use the tools of having all this money
to give us the mortgage and financial situation my parents
had as regular work in people. Right, Like it sucks
(16:52):
that takes what it takes, but like that's what's going on.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
So, okay, how much did your house cost.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Nine hundred and ninety nine thousand dollars and when did
you buy it? Not this last January but the one before.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
That January twenty twenty two two? Okay? Yeah, okay, and
in Echo Park in Pasadena. Oh nice, it's that's what
everyone says. I'm Pasadena is many different things.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
It extremely disappointed.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I wanted to buy a house on the street where
I live now that same million dollars gets you a
one bedroom, one bath, nine hundred square foot, one person house.
That same amount of money gets you a ten thousand
square foot lot and three bedrooms in Pasadena.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Did you have.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
A down payment and if so, how much was it? Yeah?
And how did you get that downpay?
Speaker 3 (17:37):
The down payment?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
So, a regular mortgage is twenty percent down, Your federally
guaranteed mortgage is three point five percent down, and there's
no one between unless you have this like secret evil
banker shit called a private mortgage where they give you
ten percent down. So ten percent down million dollar house
one hundred thousand dollars down payment, and we sold some
(18:02):
stock to get that cash together through the same people
that are allowing us. Basically, the people who manage the
stocks and assets that create this family wealth are like, hey,
since you keep all this wealth parked here, do you
want access to our loan products?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
And are these stocks that you and your wife have
like picked out and did well or like it's like
just in her family somewhere.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
This is somebody I have money.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
So what is the conversation like between you and your wife?
I personally don't have that experience of marrying someone with money,
Like is it awkward? Is it like dude fucking sweet
that you go whatever?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Like what is the yes and yes?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Yeah? Like yeah what?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Everyone is different?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
And my wife is a wonderful person, but she's also
extremely anxious and so she basically her whole life has
been not even really opening the mail that comes about
this from this like accounting firm. She's not like every
week looking at it.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
She's not doing anything that She's kind of like, it's there,
but I don't want touch, I don't want to think
about it.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Ah. And she told me about the first time and
I was like, well, how much is in there?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
And she's like, well, I don't know. I think this much.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I'm like you think, and you're dating. This is definitely dating, okay,
but like you know, we've been dating for a few years.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
But like just that, what did she say? She said, like,
I literally don't know. She's like, I.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Couldn't think it could be It started.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Out four hundred thousand dollars, but I've never looked at
it and or touched it. I've never peeked into it,
never did anything in her name that's in her name. Yeah. Yeah,
And I just remember thinking, like I'm such a broke
boy like mentality, Like the idea that I could possess
any asset. It could be a donut, it could be
a car, a condo, Oh I just got a ten
(19:43):
thousand dollars check from the job whatever. Yeah, the idea
that I wouldn't know the exact number, where it is,
how I can access it, how long I need before
I can get that cash in my hand. Like that
to me already was like oh, I'm we are different. Yeah,
this is a yeah, And like I realize a lot
of stuff, like oh my god, this thing was set
up not for her to live her life with this
(20:06):
is like on top, just for you to have a
little top piece, the rest of everything else taken care of.
We actually talked to a wealth manager about it and
like had him me walk like not only my lifetime,
but that friendm dead, Like okay, da da da da,
Like what is your We talk about what our goals were,
and that's kind of where that conversation began, because my
thing was, oh, I am black. This country has conspired
(20:29):
for hundreds of years to not only deprive me of
any wealth that I might have taken away from me,
it is putting up all kinds of barriers to me
acquiring any new wealth, up to and including my actual
physical body.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Not safe, like keep your head on a swivel, like
look out.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah. And so I told her straight up, like, oh,
so here's what we're going to we are going to
do with our family. It took a lot of time
to get there, by the way, but what we are
going to do with our family's money put into a box,
let it grow, bury that box, throw the map away,
tell the kids you're not rich, and neither am I.
And then maybe like twenty years after we die, surprise
(21:06):
like that was my thought process. It was like, the
idea would be create like an endowment or whatever that
generations of my family and descendants could if they needed
a car loan, if they needed if they had a resource,
essentially like a private bank just for them with very
generous terms. It's not just like writing you checks for rent,
but if you need to do a little something, yes,
(21:28):
this is available to you.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
That was my vision.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
But yeah, it definitely took a lot of conversation, a
lot of intentional where are we and where do we
want to be and how do we get there?
Speaker 3 (21:38):
What's the ethical way to do it? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
One of those is like divesting. I was like, okay,
so you feel bad, here's a way to not feel
so bad. Any like bomb makers.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Right, private prisons right.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Like not that Palestinian kids getting their heads stomped on money.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Whatever it is like is like there's.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
So many companies where it's more gray. Yeah, and you
don't know what they're doing exactly. I mean, obviously I'm
not going to invest in private prisons, but like something
that you and me, okay, that's.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Not obvious that we're on the phone with the money guy,
he's like, this.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Is a great investment. Yeah, you're like, well, but you
can't work with that money.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Guy.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
They're like, have you seen the numbers?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Hold on before you say that, and they slide you
a little thing like look, I mean, come on, look
where it's going. And then the laws I mean, ah,
big money coming. And you're like, I get that, but
we are not doing that.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
What's your net worth?
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Probably between one and one five million? Stumbling upon this
box of money. I told her straight up, my wife.
I told her mother straight up. I told her brother,
like all of them. I told these fucking like accountants
guys at this thing, like, yo, I know I'm fucking
up the party here.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I understand that. Like I've stepped on some shoes just
being in this room.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I'm aware that, like the record has skipped, so I'm
gonna keep on skipping it. We are using this money
for black people. We're going to use these wealths for
black people. Black people are going to touch this money.
Their lives are going to be improved by this money.
I'm saying it out loud now so no one here
gets upset or confused later, like that's what we're doing here,
because I am here, and it's.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
What they say.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
What do you mean way they did?
Speaker 1 (23:22):
They protest?
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Oh, I cause I the next thing on my mouth
protest no.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
No.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
But the next thing I my mouth was out of
my mouth was cut a check. My brother had just
had some kids, and I was like, I want both
of them to have an.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Account with money in their name.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
And so I took five thousand dollars for each of
these children out of this thing. And like there was
some protests and BE like, no, that's what we're doing
and put it into a sort of like Vanguard account
that you can own at three years old that no
one else can touch except for you, and so like,
and that's it.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Grow and it'll be there and it'll be like.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Twenty twenty five when they're eighteen and they're the ones
I can touch it. I gave the information to their parents,
my brother and his wife, and I was like, if
you want to add on top, here you go. Legally,
no one except for them can get in here and
pull anything out.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
I can do it.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
It's not even for me, So here you go. And
that's something that I like out loud said from the
get go. I was like, first conversation we have with
these people, I am bringing this up it's like, Oh, it.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Won't be a problem. They're not gonna have a problem
with that.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
And I was like, okay, but just in case they do,
I want you to know this is like a big
deal for me. And there was a little pushback, but
like I let them know, like, hey man, I'm gonna
be here for a long time and we're going to
be having this conversation about what's the best way to
use this money, what does it mean? What's its purpose
(24:43):
me talking to you about that? This is an ongoing
is the first episode in a long running series. So
I want everyone to be comfortable because this is how
it's going to go down. Yeah, And since then, I've
had no problems with those guys.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
It's been right.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
And I mean that all speaks to another you know,
traditional institution, which is marriage. You know. Yeah, Like would
any of this be happening if you weren't married? No,
you know, And that's like so not an a weird right,
It's like you have to like do the traditional thing
(25:19):
to like move forward in this amazing way.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Yes. I told my brother this. He was like, man,
this is bullshit. The systems bullshit. I don't like it.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
It's like you're correct, it is, it's wrong. We should
not be organizing our society in this way. I completely
agree with you, But in Los Angeles in twenty twenty three,
this is how we have collectively agreed to do things.
So if you don't want to participate, I genuinely am
counseling you to consider moving somewhere else, living.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Anticipate in the rat race capitalism, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Like you, if you want to be able to get
medical attention, yeah, without having income, right, which I agree
with that should be allowed.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
That doesn't happen here, You should consider living center marriage
Frond Like, I'm just, I'm just it's just interesting to
me because I've thought a lot about how like marriage is,
like honestly an amazing way to consolidate.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Well, that's what it is. That's what it is. It's
been a business transaction from day one.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Right, So it's like dowries all that shit, and it's
reflected in our systems, right, Like, you are going to
have a less difficult time financially if you are married
versus being.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Seen, I mean unless your partner is sure.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
But even letting all your money tax code.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Et cetera, Like, it's more beneficial benefits me married people, right,
and so like there is these like systems and like
norms are not just like tradition, it's also codified into law.
It's the way we've organized our nation. And so like,
no matter how you feel about it, like I've I've
straight up told people like consider maybe marrying a friend
(26:52):
like awesome, like on some green card shit, just like
for the tax benefits and like real estate purposes, and
like get a lawyer, make the contract up because like
it's kind of stupid, like there's no way to access
those benefits unless you participate in the institution of marriage
and the.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Fact that it's caught off an into law and it's
a very real thing.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Like I can definitely say after doing my taxes before
married and after, yes, it's much.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Better to be married. And it's shitty that like, yeah
that is the thing's the case, but it is. Yes, Yeah,
you're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
You're a democratic socialist and you're an Echo Park neighborhood
council person.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Right, yes, do.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
You get paid for that? Oh not at all? Why
I thought you did it for the money? What are
you talking about, volunteer? So yeah, what, okay, can you
explain is this the most local unit of government, Like
what is this that you Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
In nineteen ninety nine, the San Frando Valley threatened to
secede from the City of Los Angelus over just basic
racist shit, and so the city council is like.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Don't leave, don't level, like, don't leave it light whoo.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
They created the neighborhood council system to give these people
a voice and keep them from leaving. And so the
idea was, they're ninety nine neighborhood councils. Every neighborhood gets
a body, and that body basically gets like elevated privileges
at city Hall, which basically means public comment for a
normy is like a minute. If you're on the neighborid
council and you filed a like community impact statement, you
(28:28):
get five minutes.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Okay, that's what the rules say.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
In reality, you go.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
To city council meeting, you're like, I'm want to speak
up against their like we don't value democracy, mute his
microphone and like they do what they want.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Okay, So do you have any power?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I have city stationery, I have a GMAIL that I
made myself. Again, I can talk for three more minutes.
Than you at a city council meeting if I filed
the correct paperwork, that is it?
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Do you have? Do you hold meetings of the community
and people? Yeah, okay, so you're in like a com hub.
You're you're hearing people's complaints, You're taking them to the
city council.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Like when an ideal world, that's how it was conceived.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
In a real world, it is a place for homeowners
to gather and complain, consolidate power, in organize against renters
and the unhouse keep the character of the neighborhood bingo.
Not keeping the character of the neighborhood, you know, which.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Is annoying, like pouring more and so part of you
really need to keep drinking, I really will.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
We wanted to go in there and like disrupt a
lot of that, you know, and try and like who's we.
I ran with a slate of other DSA Socialists people.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Democratic Socialists of America.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Yeah yeah, And I also should say like I have
let my dues lapse.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
I am not actively with them currently in this moment.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Why just because it's a little too much committee meetings,
a little too many good meeting White people who just
can't for some reason find anyone who's brown to speak
in a meeting. I just don't know what's so crazy, Like, oh,
maybe they don't exist, Like I've noticed a lot of
that going around. Anytime one of those people does speak up,
it's like, oh, no, that's not the right way to
do it.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Hush, we're in charge.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
And so at least that's my experience as a member,
and so I'm a little less leading with I took
the rose out of my Twitter profile. Yeah, still commy socialist.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I feel like that is a central problem of being
any kind of social activist, is that you have to
go to the meetings, and then there's the people that
are at the meetings, and the people at the meetings
they want to talk and I don't want to hang
out with them. I'm all about the cause, but I
don't want to be in a meeting with you people.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
You're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So are you going to continue to try to be
a neighborhood council person in Pasadena? Or is pasaging a
political future? Like what is yes for you?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Pasaden?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
This was my first kind of like let me see
if I can lean in and do some local politics,
if I can make some change.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
And I do feel like, we had a big victory.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
The council District thirteen in Los Angeles used to be
represented by a guy named Mitchell Ferrell, and one of
his decisions was, during the pandemic, there were about one
hundred and eighty people sleeping outside in Eco Park. He
got three hundred LAPD cops, pelicopters, et cetera, swept the
park in a violin raid, pushed us around a little bit,
broke a couple of people's arms, arrested some journals, didn't arrest.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Detained some journalists, and.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
As a community, we didn't really like that, and we
were like, hey, obviously you've been planning this in secret
with homeowner groups for months, maybe longer. That kind of
is offensive. Where are these public forums happening?
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Oh they're not public.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Oh these are secret, private, not publicly noticed meetings. We
are conducting the city's business.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
We love that.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Still ignored us, wouldn't say anything, and so we basically
just got like a bunch of socialists to run against him.
He lost a Unisie Hernandez beat up Gill so bad
he lost in the primary. Whose Gil Gil sidea It
was one of those three who had caught on tape
along with Kevin de Leon and I believe Monticoverriguez Marry Martinez,
(32:07):
Yeah formers making racist comments. She stepped down in disgrace.
Gil lost his race in the primary. We were kind
of like organizing before that happened, and the idea was,
we are going to find a humane solution to this
problem that doesn't involve incarcerating people who can't afford to
(32:29):
pay rent, because that's not a crime.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
What can we do?
Speaker 2 (32:32):
And then while that's happening, rumors about the lake being
swept start happening, are organizing its more intense. He swept
the lake, basically told us to go fuck ourselves, called
us like rabble rousers, and no, it was just a
few loud people. And then we fucked him up in
the election, trounced him. And now the Los Angeles City
Council is the only city in the United States with
two with nine even two because we only have fifteen.
(32:54):
We have we such underrepresented on city council. More than
ten percent of this city council is a socialist out,
police abolitionist out, and that is new and different in
this country.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
And we did that. We did that here in LA
and we are not going to stop.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
We're going to keep doing that, and things like you know,
Doc Melly Mel and Black Lives Matter Movement talking about
like these guys are fucking us up, not keeping us safe.
Here are the numbers People's Budget LA. Here's how we're
spending this money, our unrestricted funds, Like almost two billion
of it go to the police. That's like the same
military budget as Vietnam. Why right, there was a time
(33:31):
when it was shut the fuck up. You can't ask
those questions now. Karen Bass just went like two weeks
ago to the People's Budget LA presentation for the first time.
The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, are former mayor,
invited many times, Mitchell Ferrell, our former council member, invited
many times.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Ignore, ignored, ignor ignore.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
And now I don't even think that, like Karen Bass,
our mayor is going to substantively engage with these ideas.
But to ignore it she recognizes is that her peril.
And now we're kind of looking around. I think the
entire Southland like, oh, excuse me, we maybe want to
have a conversation about is capitalism as it currently is
(34:09):
organized here?
Speaker 3 (34:10):
The only way to solve our problems.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
We have fifty eight thousand people living outside in La
one excuse me, five die every day on the street
because they can't live inside. Because the way we decided
to organize our society means that shelter where you sleep
at night is a commodity and if it can't enrich someone,
it cannot exist. That's where we're and so I hope
(34:36):
that we can force the conversation to be expanded to
look at other solutions. Something I like to sell people
just to kind of like tickle them a little bit
and get them like, oh, social housing ninety nine year lease,
five hundred dollars a month. They're doing it in Austria today,
they're doing it in Barcelona today. Why can't we do
it here in Los Angeles? And just like keep saying
(34:58):
that enough and hopefully what I mean Pasadena where I'm
in Los Angeles Cycle Park, Hopefully someone whether that's just
members of the community coming together or someone in power, says,
that's a very good question.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Why LA's controller, Kenneth Mahia, is a democratic socialist. What
does that mean for the people of LA.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Kenneth is someone who was an organizer who said I
think I can actually get in here and then did it.
And what he campaigned on, which is, this is how
we're spending the city's money. One point seven billion dollars
going to cops, homelessness, education, parks, green whatever you want
to think about. Else, they put a billboards all over
the city that show like the disparity and how we're
(35:45):
spending That's what he campaigned on. And then once he
was elected, he was like, oh, well, now I'm going
to use the power of the Controller's office to audit
different city functions and let's just see if it's efficient.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Let's see it was.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Going on, for instance, the mitch sweeping the park airships,
that's they call the helicopters, four or five buses for
detaining people, three hundred police, probably half them charging over time,
if not all of them. What did that costs? And
we were all speculating and Kenneth ran the numbers. He's like, oh,
that was millions of dollars, millions of dollars on one
(36:19):
day to violently get these people out of the park.
And what he's saying, as the controller is Angelino's would
that money have been better spent literally in the other way,
maybe on rent for the people living in the park.
Oh but like oh right, and that's what he's doing.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Right. It's kind of like, here's the system.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
So much clarity in the money.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Yes, people were said back too. People respect numbers, right,
Like numbers have an authority. You know, it's like calculator,
like people who say, fuck your feelings, let's go brand
and blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
If you're looking at a spreadsheet, there's a chart.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Yeah, very difficult to like get emotional when you're looking
at raw numbers. And I hope, I hope, And that's
what he's been doing. Hope he continues to just kind
of like shine a light on some of these city
processes and you know, look at the raw numbers and
just ask the question, is this how we want to
spend hours?
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Where is the money coming from? I don't know if
you're this kind of person, but what's the last spreadsheet
you made?
Speaker 2 (37:18):
The last spreadsheet I made was regarding the house, and
it was buying materials and all the finishes and all
that stuff, and I made. You know, So on the left,
you've got systems, you know, bathroom, kitchen, appliances, outlets, you know,
internet stuff, doorknobs, hardware, ball all the stuff that finishes
(37:40):
the house. And then on the right, I've got three columns,
like someone else is paying for it, most expensive version,
the highest money I can spend on this and be
able to sleep at night, middle of the road, like
what a like nice builder grade version would be. And
then on the end was like, okay, lowest shelf at
home depot. You are a flipper with extreme regard for
(38:00):
human life, Like what is like the shittiest light switch?
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Like, And so we had three versions of all the things.
And then as we were buying all this stuff putting
in the house, we could decide, Okay, you wanted the
nice this, you wanted the mid that that means this
thing this is the shittiest option, right, and like we
can change that, but that means this or this has
to change. And so that was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
What's the thing that you indulged in in your renovation?
Did you get?
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Okay, tile?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Like my kind of tile we are fireplace is a
for This is for all you tileheads.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Shout out to you guys.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Is original tile talk talk Original Batch Elder tiles, which
is a guy Ernest Batchelder who one hundred years ago
in La was making.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Tiles sounds expensive and they were just a.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Very common regular tiles and all kinds of something homes,
craftsman style homes. Okay, but when we bought the house,
the listing agent did a very poor job at like
making the house something that was spend a lot of
money on, and so didn't list that as a feature.
The homeowners had painted over it in green latex paint,
and so we got with silver like restoration and actually
had them restored by a Todd restorer, and like that
(39:12):
is the number one feature of the house. Like anyone
who's like in a artistic renovation space.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Is like, oh my god, oh these original ugh, and.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
So spending the money to have those like uncovered and
restored and painted and fixed was unnecessary, but something that
brings me a lot of joy. And that was a
lot of money, not a lot of how much it
was twenty thousand dollars for a fireplace get restoration.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Jeremy, I could talk to you all day, but thank
you so much. This has been awesome. Thank you so
much for coming on.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Of course, yeah, thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Thanks for listening to other people's pockets. And hey, if
you like this show, Please tell a friend word of
mouth is awesome for us and leave a review on
Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Other People's Pockets is
written and hosted by me may Allow. It's produced by
me along with Joy Sandford and Dan Galucci. Production health
(40:22):
from Angela vang Our. Executive producers are me along with
Jane Marie and Dan Galucci. A special thanks to Batch
Elder Tiles. Other People's Pockets is a co production of
Pushkin Industries and Little Everywhere. To find more Pushkin podcasts,
listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
(40:43):
get your podcasts. If you love this show, consider subscribing
to Pushkin Plus, offering bonus content and ad free listening
across our network for four dollars and ninety nine cents
a month. Look for the Pushkin Plus channel on Apple
Podcasts or at dot fm. You can sign up for
Pushkin newsletters at pushkin dot Fm. Find me on Twitter
(41:08):
at Maya Lao, or on Instagram and TikTok at It's
Maaya money and Hey, opp listeners, are you someone making
fifty thousand dollars a year or less? We would love
to hear from you. And more about your money story.
Leave us a voicemail at three two three five four
zero four two five five. That's three two three five
(41:29):
four zero four two five five, or record a voice
memo and send it to other people's pockets at gmail
dot com. Which menu item do you most miss at Chango?
(41:53):
Which is a Echo Park coffee shop that is no
longer open? Which menu item do most miss at Chango?
And why?
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (42:02):
The breakfast burrito?
Speaker 3 (42:03):
Yeah, you got it.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
I mean, just the idea that you could walk in
there get a coffee and not get someone's interpretation of
something where you have to kind of like have the
context of a burrito this other thing they're trying to involve, right,
And it's just good and it was consistent and it
worked and yeah,
Hey, listeners of Other People's Pockets really quick before we
start the show. We're trying something new. If you think
you might be a good guest for this show, could
you have a friend record of voice memo and interview
you about your personal finances for about five minutes or fewer,
and then send us the recording at Other People's Pockets
at gmail dot com. We are so excited to hear
(00:25):
your voice notes. And also, if you like the show,
tell a friend about it. Word of mouth really gives
us a boost.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Stumbling upon this box of money, I told her straight up, Yo,
I know I'm fucking up the party here.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I understand that, like I've stepped on some shoes just
being in this room.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I'm aware that, like the record has skipped, so I'm
gonna keep on skipping it. We are using this money
for black people.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
We're going to use these wealths for black people.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Are going to touch this money. Their lives are going
to be improved by this money. I'm saying it out
loud now so no one here gets upset or confused later,
like that's what we're doing here, because I am here.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
A few weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles and
got to record a rare in person interview for this show,
and it was so fun. I talked to Jeremy Bowditch,
who is an Echo Park neighborhood council member in Los Angeles,
a politically active socialist, and also a creative director in
the advertising world. Although, as with all people, any quick
(01:30):
descriptor of what he quote does for a living is
not necessarily indicative of what really matters to him, because
what really matters to Jeremy are the Lakers, breakfast, burritos,
good wine, his friends and family. Of course, Jeremy is
big on being transparent with people about how he and
his wife actually afforded a house in La County and
(01:51):
what he did when he discovered his wife had a
lot of family money. And just to be crystal clear,
he doesn't actually say it in the interview, but his
wife is white, and that's gonna be relevant if you
listen to the interview, why don't you grab a glass
of wine if you partake and have a drink along
with us, I might allow and this is other People's
Pockets the show where I ask people how much they
(02:14):
make and how their finances work. So the questions we
all have about money can be a little bit less
of a mystery. Thank you so much for joining me today.
(02:34):
Of course I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Oh excellent feelings mutual.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
So really quick before we start. I noticed that you're
a wine lover, yes, and.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
So it's true.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
I asked you if there's a wine that I could bring,
and you helpfully gave me a list, which I feel
like most people would be like whatever, but you're like,
I have these very specific wines, very specific parts of
the world, and so I took them to the this
wine store I was on and I was like, can
you please use this as inspiration? So the guy said,
(03:09):
you said, a Nerello mascaleese from Sicily, and so he
thought that this grillo. I don't know. I don't know
if you know what this is, but he said that
that would suffice.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah, this is great.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Okay, it's a wild because like the branding, everything about
wine is like branding, Like the French started branding champagne,
which isn't a year ago.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
I want. I feel like I need to see how
it is opened by someone who knows. I kind of
like butcher the whole packaging.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
But because I am playing the role of fancy winesno,
which is who I am in real life. I'm going
to try and open this capsule the way you would
get it if.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
A psalm or somebodyah blah blah were to do it.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You gotta be careful, though, because I could derail this
whole episode and just be talking about wine, wine service, wines.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I like to drink.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
And then I thought this was a show about money
and exact not. Yeah. I think this is the first
in person interview I've done for this show. Oh wow, yeah,
I do it all remotely.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
We're celebrating, cheers.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Could you please identify yourself? Who are you? What are you?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
And yeah, my name is Jeremy Boutitch. I am an Angelino.
I'm into wine, sailing all things Mexico, the Los Angeles Lakers,
and honestly tearing down this capitalist hellscape brick by brick
where I can.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
And that's yeah, that's me in a nutshell.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
And it's interesting that in that intro you didn't say
what you do for a living.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I like to push back against that because I feel
like it's a recent, a very American thing. Yes, you know,
we think, oh well, the way the natural world, the
way it is is right, like what you do decides
your value, and you know, so king's the most valuable,
(05:13):
shit shovelers the least. Where are you on this spectrum?
So I know how to relate to you when I
feel like, what we want to do, what we like
to do, who we want to be, how we spend
our time, I think says a lot more about us
than what we do, because I know personally, like in
my career, I have been at times doing what fulfills
me and other times like, let me sort these jobs
(05:35):
by compensation. Take the highest paying one completely regardless of
how I feel, and just do that because that's what
This is a transaction, right, my labor for money, that
money for food and shelter, and like, so for me,
like I find it a little bit disingenuous to engage
in a like oh.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, I love creating value my passion and customer right,
like let's keep LinkedIn on LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, this is real life, and so like for work
to pay my bills, et cetera. I've been a video editor,
I've been advertising copywriter, associate, crave director, crave director, basically
anything that involves they getting that commercial on TV. I've
done everything except direct it, be in it everything else,
(06:23):
from the guy getting a coffee, it's the one writing
the ad, to the guy editing, to the guy.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Who sits in the couch behind the guy who edits.
That's what I do now.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I've jumped around all those little positions, and I can
straight up say that like none of them have been
like emotionally fulfilling. That will be in the front page
of my memoir, like as a headline.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Like here lies Jeremy Boutich and here's what he stood for.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Like yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
What is your story? Like how did you get here?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
My story is, uh, Dad's in the military, no college.
My mother is a teacher. They moved to West Germany,
Wall Falls, the wait a couple more years, maybe two,
maybe one, move back to the States. My brothers are
born overseas, so we grow up half in Europe, half
in the DC burbs where my dad is stationed. Mother
(07:18):
starts teaching. Dad is in the military. No, no high school,
and like this is at a point where like you
could just get a job, work hard, and buy a
house and feed children in.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The school and so like that. I did not see
the train coming. No one in my family.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
All I thought, like, oh cool, I will also like
clock at eight am for thirty years and also own
a home and have food and.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
At the age of twenty eight, yeah, exactly, So like
I thought, things but they were.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But I guess what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Is things were great up until like I guess for
all millennials, right two thousand and eight, the bull gets
pulled out way from your eyes.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Oh no, I'm thirty nine, and so.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, I kind of had this idea growing up that like,
if you work hard in the United States, you better
hold onto your hat because that jet stream is gonna
whisk you away to a life of.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Success and wealth and luxury.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And like it was just a couple of like early
mornings in the office and that's all it takes. Right,
You just give a lunch break. Look out, you're in
the fast train to like, you know, paid town. And
that is not my experience as an adult, right, like, oh, hey, man,
I think everyone's out here sweating. Actually yeah, and I
look around. So my parents did not raise me with
(08:31):
a lot of like class consciousness.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
They were both born in the late.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Fifties and so I mean their entire lives, right, like
World War two power this upwards until Reagan gets in.
It's like they're seeing, Oh, if you work hard, you'll
get paid more tomorrow. Repeat, repeat, repeat, acquire, acquire, acchoir,
you know, retire in luxury. Like so, yeah, I was
raised as if everything was fine, because at the time, it.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Was how did you get into advertising and all the
other things you're into? Like did something interest you there?
What's that story?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I was and still am interested in storytelling. Was kind
of like touring colleges to become an animator, and then
at one.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Of these schools, art schools, like we.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Had to walk through the film department to get the
animation department, and I saw like nineteen year olds loading
cars full of cameras and I was like, wait, they're
making their own movies.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
How is that allowed?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
And that kind of like opened my eyes just more
visual storytelling. So I majored in film, moved to Los
Angeles at twenty two, still here, and yeah, just kind.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Of like being involved in a little bit of that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Behind the scenes storytelling. Decision making has always fascinated me, always,
like when I was a teenager, you know, like yeah,
I'm getting the DVD watching the movie, but really I'm
skipping to this documentary that's eight minutes long, where they're
going to tell me why the decision was made to
shoot this here and what it means and this and
that and so that kind of has been the locusts,
(10:03):
I guess for what I've done to pay my bills
ever since.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Right, it's some sort.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Of TV, a little bit of movies, mostly commercials, a
lot of reality TV, dancing around, you know, telling that story.
At first it was editing, then it kind of got
into writing back and editing. I've definitely been on the
corporate sponsored, brought to you by side of media. Early on,
(10:30):
just realized like, okay, you can be a starving artist.
How about I be Yeah, like let me also like
you know, go see like one car Wy movies on
the weekend. But like I live inside, you know, like
that's what I want for my life.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
And so I kind of, like in my.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Really early twenties, kind of gave up this idea that
success means only my name in lights and every movie's
been in town, and I realized, oh shit, you know,
it would be cool living inside, having closed, not being
hung like damn, and so my kind of not my goals.
But like what makes me feel successful has changed, I'd
(11:09):
say a lot in my twenties, a little bit my thirties.
But so yeah, just as long as I can have
some fun while I'm also paying the bills, I'm having
a great time. So that's kind of what keeps me
in the media space.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Would you call it advertising.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Or okay, I call it advertising?
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Well, what's the money? Like in advertising? How much money
do you make?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
My last job, I was making one thirty four, although
I feel I was underpaid. I have been extremely unemployed
and underemployed. So I've made twelve thousand dollars in a year.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I've made.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Working intermittently as an editor and a grip and a PA.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Here in La, here in La. This is all in
Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Like when I was twenty two, my first job out
of school was like a PA running around. I'm making
like thirty six thousand dollars a year. Then a couple
years after that, I get a job editing a TV show,
But like, who's going to let a twenty three ye
old editor TV show that kind of shit? And like
it was very cheap, and so I'm that year I
made like seventy five thousand and I thought, oh my god,
I'm so wealthy.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Yeah, that did not last. Two years later, I'm no
longer doing that show.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I'm back to paying and doing other kind of stuff.
I'm back making like forty something some years I made
twenty two years.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Are full time employed.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Now we're talking like one fifteen one, twenty one, thirty.
But that's the other thing. Like my I just did
a freelance gig and filling in for a creative director
who's on a pttnity leave. And for that job, I
was like, yo, I my day rate is ten ninety five.
I went eleven hundred a day and they were like,
we'll give you eight hundred, and I was like, okay,
I'll take it, but like, just so you know, this
(12:38):
is a discount.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I don't like this. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So, like in the grand scheme of things, if you're
talking about like workers who are still basically living paycheck
to paycheck, I think anything like one sixty and below
you can put in that same category. I think people
making between like one sixty three fifty four hundred are
probably living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. Right,
(13:02):
it's not in LA it's not one to one, but
it's like they get fired tomorrow. How many mortgage payments
can they make off the strength of their savings? And
the answer I think is terrifying. Yeah, I think if
we actually were to like discuss that openly, society might crumble. Yes,
so yeah, I'd.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Say on production side.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Of things, it's probably fifteen hundred a week to sixteen
hundred a week. Once you get out of production and
get into like the agency side where you're hiring the
production people to make this thing. Now it's a little higher.
Now you're getting closer to like eighteen hundred to like
two thousand a week. And my last gig paid me
(13:45):
eight hundred day times five is four thousand, so four
thousand a week pre tax, I was suspected and I
knew for real.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
But then I got married.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Our finances combined, and like I went from a like
working person looking paycheck to paycheck to someone who has
family money, right, and like because of your wife, yes,
and that just seeing different doors open. I'm going to
say this shit because it's gonna set my wife a
little bit. She's gonna get where I talked about it
song in Wikipedia. Her family started the Kenner Toy Company.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Okay, and so I don't know what that is.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
The Star Wars action figures, pound Puppies, Spirograph, easy bake oven,
things like that. And so in the seventies they sold
it to General Mills for cash and stock, and so
her grandfather basically gave everybody and their kids a little box.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Of General millstock.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
And then they sold some of that and diversified a
little bit. But basically that has been sitting there untouched.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
And how much is your mortgage?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
My mortgage on my house is not accessible to a
regular working person. It's it's forty one hundred a month,
but it's like a FHA Sally May mortgage is like
three point five percent.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
That's an FHA sally Ba mortgage for people don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
The government lets you put down a very small amount
of down payment. But the problem that happens in a
lot of big market, especially in Los Angeles, is what
they're qualified.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
For is a very narrow range, and it goes up
every year.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
It's like good luck actually finding a house bingo that
costs that, because it might be a lot that has
no how or whatever, like it's not even something where
you'd want to live.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
And then everyone in their mother is qualified for that
same narrow band.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
That's why a house.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Then then they bid it up and then you can't
afford it.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yes, which is why, like this was last year's numbers,
but they just the FHA thing. Now in Nels Angeles's
I had a million. You can actually buy a million
dollar house for thirty five thousand dollars down.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
That's you can get much for.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
People in LA. That will get you a condo or
it will get you.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Either a condo where you want to live or a
three bedroom house and a place that you never thought
you would live, you know. And but what I realized
was we have this mortgage. It's called a private mortgage.
It's not a FAHA first time federally guaranteed mortgage. It's
not a standard mortgage. It's not a jumbo mortgage. Those
are all the retail mortgages available. If you walk into
a bank, this is if you have a shit ton
of money, they will offer you a better rate, less
(16:31):
money down, and lend you more money than is available
in these standard products. We didn't really overextend ourselves, but
like I told my wife, I was like, we are
going to use the tools of having all this money
to give us the mortgage and financial situation my parents
had as regular work in people. Right, Like it sucks
(16:52):
that takes what it takes, but like that's what's going on.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
So, okay, how much did your house cost.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Nine hundred and ninety nine thousand dollars and when did
you buy it? Not this last January but the one before.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
That January twenty twenty two two? Okay? Yeah, okay, and
in Echo Park in Pasadena. Oh nice, it's that's what
everyone says. I'm Pasadena is many different things.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
It extremely disappointed.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I wanted to buy a house on the street where
I live now that same million dollars gets you a
one bedroom, one bath, nine hundred square foot, one person house.
That same amount of money gets you a ten thousand
square foot lot and three bedrooms in Pasadena.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Did you have.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
A down payment and if so, how much was it? Yeah?
And how did you get that downpay?
Speaker 3 (17:37):
The down payment?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
So, a regular mortgage is twenty percent down, Your federally
guaranteed mortgage is three point five percent down, and there's
no one between unless you have this like secret evil
banker shit called a private mortgage where they give you
ten percent down. So ten percent down million dollar house
one hundred thousand dollars down payment, and we sold some
(18:02):
stock to get that cash together through the same people
that are allowing us. Basically, the people who manage the
stocks and assets that create this family wealth are like, hey,
since you keep all this wealth parked here, do you
want access to our loan products?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
And are these stocks that you and your wife have
like picked out and did well or like it's like
just in her family somewhere.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
This is somebody I have money.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
So what is the conversation like between you and your wife?
I personally don't have that experience of marrying someone with money,
Like is it awkward? Is it like dude fucking sweet
that you go whatever?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Like what is the yes and yes?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Yeah? Like yeah what?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Everyone is different?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
And my wife is a wonderful person, but she's also
extremely anxious and so she basically her whole life has
been not even really opening the mail that comes about
this from this like accounting firm. She's not like every
week looking at it.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
She's not doing anything that She's kind of like, it's there,
but I don't want touch, I don't want to think
about it.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Ah. And she told me about the first time and
I was like, well, how much is in there?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
And she's like, well, I don't know. I think this much.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I'm like you think, and you're dating. This is definitely dating, okay,
but like you know, we've been dating for a few years.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
But like just that, what did she say? She said, like,
I literally don't know. She's like, I.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Couldn't think it could be It started.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Out four hundred thousand dollars, but I've never looked at
it and or touched it. I've never peeked into it,
never did anything in her name that's in her name. Yeah. Yeah,
And I just remember thinking, like I'm such a broke
boy like mentality, Like the idea that I could possess
any asset. It could be a donut, it could be
a car, a condo, Oh I just got a ten
(19:43):
thousand dollars check from the job whatever. Yeah, the idea
that I wouldn't know the exact number, where it is,
how I can access it, how long I need before
I can get that cash in my hand. Like that
to me already was like oh, I'm we are different. Yeah,
this is a yeah, And like I realize a lot
of stuff, like oh my god, this thing was set
up not for her to live her life with this
(20:06):
is like on top, just for you to have a
little top piece, the rest of everything else taken care of.
We actually talked to a wealth manager about it and
like had him me walk like not only my lifetime,
but that friendm dead, Like okay, da da da da,
Like what is your We talk about what our goals were,
and that's kind of where that conversation began, because my
thing was, oh, I am black. This country has conspired
(20:29):
for hundreds of years to not only deprive me of
any wealth that I might have taken away from me,
it is putting up all kinds of barriers to me
acquiring any new wealth, up to and including my actual
physical body.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Not safe, like keep your head on a swivel, like
look out.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah. And so I told her straight up, like, oh,
so here's what we're going to we are going to
do with our family. It took a lot of time
to get there, by the way, but what we are
going to do with our family's money put into a box,
let it grow, bury that box, throw the map away,
tell the kids you're not rich, and neither am I.
And then maybe like twenty years after we die, surprise
(21:06):
like that was my thought process. It was like, the
idea would be create like an endowment or whatever that
generations of my family and descendants could if they needed
a car loan, if they needed if they had a resource,
essentially like a private bank just for them with very
generous terms. It's not just like writing you checks for rent,
but if you need to do a little something, yes,
(21:28):
this is available to you.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
That was my vision.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
But yeah, it definitely took a lot of conversation, a
lot of intentional where are we and where do we
want to be and how do we get there?
Speaker 3 (21:38):
What's the ethical way to do it? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
One of those is like divesting. I was like, okay,
so you feel bad, here's a way to not feel
so bad. Any like bomb makers.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Right, private prisons right.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Like not that Palestinian kids getting their heads stomped on money.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Whatever it is like is like there's.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
So many companies where it's more gray. Yeah, and you
don't know what they're doing exactly. I mean, obviously I'm
not going to invest in private prisons, but like something
that you and me, okay, that's.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Not obvious that we're on the phone with the money guy,
he's like, this.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Is a great investment. Yeah, you're like, well, but you
can't work with that money.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Guy.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
They're like, have you seen the numbers?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Hold on before you say that, and they slide you
a little thing like look, I mean, come on, look
where it's going. And then the laws I mean, ah,
big money coming. And you're like, I get that, but
we are not doing that.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
What's your net worth?
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Probably between one and one five million? Stumbling upon this
box of money. I told her straight up, my wife.
I told her mother straight up. I told her brother,
like all of them. I told these fucking like accountants
guys at this thing, like, yo, I know I'm fucking
up the party here.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I understand that. Like I've stepped on some shoes just
being in this room.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I'm aware that, like the record has skipped, so I'm
gonna keep on skipping it. We are using this money
for black people. We're going to use these wealths for
black people. Black people are going to touch this money.
Their lives are going to be improved by this money.
I'm saying it out loud now so no one here
gets upset or confused later, like that's what we're doing here,
because I am here, and it's.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
What they say.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
What do you mean way they did?
Speaker 1 (23:22):
They protest?
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Oh, I cause I the next thing on my mouth
protest no.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
No.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
But the next thing I my mouth was out of
my mouth was cut a check. My brother had just
had some kids, and I was like, I want both
of them to have an.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Account with money in their name.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
And so I took five thousand dollars for each of
these children out of this thing. And like there was
some protests and BE like, no, that's what we're doing
and put it into a sort of like Vanguard account
that you can own at three years old that no
one else can touch except for you, and so like,
and that's it.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Grow and it'll be there and it'll be like.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Twenty twenty five when they're eighteen and they're the ones
I can touch it. I gave the information to their parents,
my brother and his wife, and I was like, if
you want to add on top, here you go. Legally,
no one except for them can get in here and
pull anything out.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
I can do it.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
It's not even for me, So here you go. And
that's something that I like out loud said from the
get go. I was like, first conversation we have with
these people, I am bringing this up it's like, Oh, it.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Won't be a problem. They're not gonna have a problem
with that.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
And I was like, okay, but just in case they do,
I want you to know this is like a big
deal for me. And there was a little pushback, but
like I let them know, like, hey man, I'm gonna
be here for a long time and we're going to
be having this conversation about what's the best way to
use this money, what does it mean? What's its purpose
(24:43):
me talking to you about that? This is an ongoing
is the first episode in a long running series. So
I want everyone to be comfortable because this is how
it's going to go down. Yeah, And since then, I've
had no problems with those guys.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
It's been right.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
And I mean that all speaks to another you know,
traditional institution, which is marriage. You know. Yeah, Like would
any of this be happening if you weren't married? No,
you know, And that's like so not an a weird right,
It's like you have to like do the traditional thing
(25:19):
to like move forward in this amazing way.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Yes. I told my brother this. He was like, man,
this is bullshit. The systems bullshit. I don't like it.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
It's like you're correct, it is, it's wrong. We should
not be organizing our society in this way. I completely
agree with you, But in Los Angeles in twenty twenty three,
this is how we have collectively agreed to do things.
So if you don't want to participate, I genuinely am
counseling you to consider moving somewhere else, living.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Anticipate in the rat race capitalism, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Like you, if you want to be able to get
medical attention, yeah, without having income, right, which I agree
with that should be allowed.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
That doesn't happen here, You should consider living center marriage
Frond Like, I'm just, I'm just it's just interesting to
me because I've thought a lot about how like marriage is,
like honestly an amazing way to consolidate.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Well, that's what it is. That's what it is. It's
been a business transaction from day one.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Right, So it's like dowries all that shit, and it's
reflected in our systems, right, Like, you are going to
have a less difficult time financially if you are married
versus being.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Seen, I mean unless your partner is sure.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
But even letting all your money tax code.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Et cetera, Like, it's more beneficial benefits me married people, right,
and so like there is these like systems and like
norms are not just like tradition, it's also codified into law.
It's the way we've organized our nation. And so like,
no matter how you feel about it, like I've I've
straight up told people like consider maybe marrying a friend
(26:52):
like awesome, like on some green card shit, just like
for the tax benefits and like real estate purposes, and
like get a lawyer, make the contract up because like
it's kind of stupid, like there's no way to access
those benefits unless you participate in the institution of marriage
and the.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Fact that it's caught off an into law and it's
a very real thing.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Like I can definitely say after doing my taxes before
married and after, yes, it's much.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Better to be married. And it's shitty that like, yeah
that is the thing's the case, but it is. Yes, Yeah,
you're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
You're a democratic socialist and you're an Echo Park neighborhood
council person.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Right, yes, do.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
You get paid for that? Oh not at all? Why
I thought you did it for the money? What are
you talking about, volunteer? So yeah, what, okay, can you
explain is this the most local unit of government, Like
what is this that you Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
In nineteen ninety nine, the San Frando Valley threatened to
secede from the City of Los Angelus over just basic
racist shit, and so the city council is like.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Don't leave, don't level, like, don't leave it light whoo.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
They created the neighborhood council system to give these people
a voice and keep them from leaving. And so the
idea was, they're ninety nine neighborhood councils. Every neighborhood gets
a body, and that body basically gets like elevated privileges
at city Hall, which basically means public comment for a
normy is like a minute. If you're on the neighborid
council and you filed a like community impact statement, you
(28:28):
get five minutes.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Okay, that's what the rules say.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
In reality, you go.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
To city council meeting, you're like, I'm want to speak
up against their like we don't value democracy, mute his
microphone and like they do what they want.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Okay, So do you have any power?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I have city stationery, I have a GMAIL that I
made myself. Again, I can talk for three more minutes.
Than you at a city council meeting if I filed
the correct paperwork, that is it?
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Do you have? Do you hold meetings of the community
and people? Yeah, okay, so you're in like a com hub.
You're you're hearing people's complaints, You're taking them to the
city council.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Like when an ideal world, that's how it was conceived.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
In a real world, it is a place for homeowners
to gather and complain, consolidate power, in organize against renters
and the unhouse keep the character of the neighborhood bingo.
Not keeping the character of the neighborhood, you know, which.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Is annoying, like pouring more and so part of you
really need to keep drinking, I really will.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
We wanted to go in there and like disrupt a
lot of that, you know, and try and like who's we.
I ran with a slate of other DSA Socialists people.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Democratic Socialists of America.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Yeah yeah, And I also should say like I have
let my dues lapse.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
I am not actively with them currently in this moment.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Why just because it's a little too much committee meetings,
a little too many good meeting White people who just
can't for some reason find anyone who's brown to speak
in a meeting. I just don't know what's so crazy, Like, oh,
maybe they don't exist, Like I've noticed a lot of
that going around. Anytime one of those people does speak up,
it's like, oh, no, that's not the right way to
do it.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Hush, we're in charge.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
And so at least that's my experience as a member,
and so I'm a little less leading with I took
the rose out of my Twitter profile. Yeah, still commy socialist.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I feel like that is a central problem of being
any kind of social activist, is that you have to
go to the meetings, and then there's the people that
are at the meetings, and the people at the meetings
they want to talk and I don't want to hang
out with them. I'm all about the cause, but I
don't want to be in a meeting with you people.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
You're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So are you going to continue to try to be
a neighborhood council person in Pasadena? Or is pasaging a
political future? Like what is yes for you?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Pasaden?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
This was my first kind of like let me see
if I can lean in and do some local politics,
if I can make some change.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
And I do feel like, we had a big victory.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
The council District thirteen in Los Angeles used to be
represented by a guy named Mitchell Ferrell, and one of
his decisions was, during the pandemic, there were about one
hundred and eighty people sleeping outside in Eco Park. He
got three hundred LAPD cops, pelicopters, et cetera, swept the
park in a violin raid, pushed us around a little bit,
broke a couple of people's arms, arrested some journals, didn't arrest.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Detained some journalists, and.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
As a community, we didn't really like that, and we
were like, hey, obviously you've been planning this in secret
with homeowner groups for months, maybe longer. That kind of
is offensive. Where are these public forums happening?
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Oh they're not public.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Oh these are secret, private, not publicly noticed meetings. We
are conducting the city's business.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
We love that.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Still ignored us, wouldn't say anything, and so we basically
just got like a bunch of socialists to run against him.
He lost a Unisie Hernandez beat up Gill so bad
he lost in the primary. Whose Gil Gil sidea It
was one of those three who had caught on tape
along with Kevin de Leon and I believe Monticoverriguez Marry Martinez,
(32:07):
Yeah formers making racist comments. She stepped down in disgrace.
Gil lost his race in the primary. We were kind
of like organizing before that happened, and the idea was,
we are going to find a humane solution to this
problem that doesn't involve incarcerating people who can't afford to
(32:29):
pay rent, because that's not a crime.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
What can we do?
Speaker 2 (32:32):
And then while that's happening, rumors about the lake being
swept start happening, are organizing its more intense. He swept
the lake, basically told us to go fuck ourselves, called
us like rabble rousers, and no, it was just a
few loud people. And then we fucked him up in
the election, trounced him. And now the Los Angeles City
Council is the only city in the United States with
two with nine even two because we only have fifteen.
(32:54):
We have we such underrepresented on city council. More than
ten percent of this city council is a socialist out,
police abolitionist out, and that is new and different in
this country.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
And we did that. We did that here in LA
and we are not going to stop.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
We're going to keep doing that, and things like you know,
Doc Melly Mel and Black Lives Matter Movement talking about
like these guys are fucking us up, not keeping us safe.
Here are the numbers People's Budget LA. Here's how we're
spending this money, our unrestricted funds, Like almost two billion
of it go to the police. That's like the same
military budget as Vietnam. Why right, there was a time
(33:31):
when it was shut the fuck up. You can't ask
those questions now. Karen Bass just went like two weeks
ago to the People's Budget LA presentation for the first time.
The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, are former mayor,
invited many times, Mitchell Ferrell, our former council member, invited
many times.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Ignore, ignored, ignor ignore.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
And now I don't even think that, like Karen Bass,
our mayor is going to substantively engage with these ideas.
But to ignore it she recognizes is that her peril.
And now we're kind of looking around. I think the
entire Southland like, oh, excuse me, we maybe want to
have a conversation about is capitalism as it currently is
(34:09):
organized here?
Speaker 3 (34:10):
The only way to solve our problems.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
We have fifty eight thousand people living outside in La
one excuse me, five die every day on the street
because they can't live inside. Because the way we decided
to organize our society means that shelter where you sleep
at night is a commodity and if it can't enrich someone,
it cannot exist. That's where we're and so I hope
(34:36):
that we can force the conversation to be expanded to
look at other solutions. Something I like to sell people
just to kind of like tickle them a little bit
and get them like, oh, social housing ninety nine year lease,
five hundred dollars a month. They're doing it in Austria today,
they're doing it in Barcelona today. Why can't we do
it here in Los Angeles? And just like keep saying
(34:58):
that enough and hopefully what I mean Pasadena where I'm
in Los Angeles Cycle Park, Hopefully someone whether that's just
members of the community coming together or someone in power, says,
that's a very good question.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Why LA's controller, Kenneth Mahia, is a democratic socialist. What
does that mean for the people of LA.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Kenneth is someone who was an organizer who said I
think I can actually get in here and then did it.
And what he campaigned on, which is, this is how
we're spending the city's money. One point seven billion dollars
going to cops, homelessness, education, parks, green whatever you want
to think about. Else, they put a billboards all over
the city that show like the disparity and how we're
(35:45):
spending That's what he campaigned on. And then once he
was elected, he was like, oh, well, now I'm going
to use the power of the Controller's office to audit
different city functions and let's just see if it's efficient.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Let's see it was.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Going on, for instance, the mitch sweeping the park airships,
that's they call the helicopters, four or five buses for
detaining people, three hundred police, probably half them charging over time,
if not all of them. What did that costs? And
we were all speculating and Kenneth ran the numbers. He's like, oh,
that was millions of dollars, millions of dollars on one
(36:19):
day to violently get these people out of the park.
And what he's saying, as the controller is Angelino's would
that money have been better spent literally in the other way,
maybe on rent for the people living in the park.
Oh but like oh right, and that's what he's doing.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Right. It's kind of like, here's the system.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
So much clarity in the money.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Yes, people were said back too. People respect numbers, right,
Like numbers have an authority. You know, it's like calculator,
like people who say, fuck your feelings, let's go brand
and blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
If you're looking at a spreadsheet, there's a chart.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Yeah, very difficult to like get emotional when you're looking
at raw numbers. And I hope, I hope, And that's
what he's been doing. Hope he continues to just kind
of like shine a light on some of these city
processes and you know, look at the raw numbers and
just ask the question, is this how we want to
spend hours?
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Where is the money coming from? I don't know if
you're this kind of person, but what's the last spreadsheet
you made?
Speaker 2 (37:18):
The last spreadsheet I made was regarding the house, and
it was buying materials and all the finishes and all
that stuff, and I made. You know, So on the left,
you've got systems, you know, bathroom, kitchen, appliances, outlets, you know,
internet stuff, doorknobs, hardware, ball all the stuff that finishes
(37:40):
the house. And then on the right, I've got three columns,
like someone else is paying for it, most expensive version,
the highest money I can spend on this and be
able to sleep at night, middle of the road, like
what a like nice builder grade version would be. And
then on the end was like, okay, lowest shelf at
home depot. You are a flipper with extreme regard for
(38:00):
human life, Like what is like the shittiest light switch?
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Like, And so we had three versions of all the things.
And then as we were buying all this stuff putting
in the house, we could decide, Okay, you wanted the
nice this, you wanted the mid that that means this
thing this is the shittiest option, right, and like we
can change that, but that means this or this has
to change. And so that was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
What's the thing that you indulged in in your renovation?
Did you get?
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Okay, tile?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Like my kind of tile we are fireplace is a
for This is for all you tileheads.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Shout out to you guys.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Is original tile talk talk Original Batch Elder tiles, which
is a guy Ernest Batchelder who one hundred years ago
in La was making.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Tiles sounds expensive and they were just a.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Very common regular tiles and all kinds of something homes,
craftsman style homes. Okay, but when we bought the house,
the listing agent did a very poor job at like
making the house something that was spend a lot of
money on, and so didn't list that as a feature.
The homeowners had painted over it in green latex paint,
and so we got with silver like restoration and actually
had them restored by a Todd restorer, and like that
(39:12):
is the number one feature of the house. Like anyone
who's like in a artistic renovation space.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Is like, oh my god, oh these original ugh, and.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
So spending the money to have those like uncovered and
restored and painted and fixed was unnecessary, but something that
brings me a lot of joy. And that was a
lot of money, not a lot of how much it
was twenty thousand dollars for a fireplace get restoration.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Jeremy, I could talk to you all day, but thank
you so much. This has been awesome. Thank you so
much for coming on.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Of course, yeah, thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Thanks for listening to other people's pockets. And hey, if
you like this show, Please tell a friend word of
mouth is awesome for us and leave a review on
Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Other People's Pockets is
written and hosted by me may Allow. It's produced by
me along with Joy Sandford and Dan Galucci. Production health
(40:22):
from Angela vang Our. Executive producers are me along with
Jane Marie and Dan Galucci. A special thanks to Batch
Elder Tiles. Other People's Pockets is a co production of
Pushkin Industries and Little Everywhere. To find more Pushkin podcasts,
listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
(40:43):
get your podcasts. If you love this show, consider subscribing
to Pushkin Plus, offering bonus content and ad free listening
across our network for four dollars and ninety nine cents
a month. Look for the Pushkin Plus channel on Apple
Podcasts or at dot fm. You can sign up for
Pushkin newsletters at pushkin dot Fm. Find me on Twitter
(41:08):
at Maya Lao, or on Instagram and TikTok at It's
Maaya money and Hey, opp listeners, are you someone making
fifty thousand dollars a year or less? We would love
to hear from you. And more about your money story.
Leave us a voicemail at three two three five four
zero four two five five. That's three two three five
(41:29):
four zero four two five five, or record a voice
memo and send it to other people's pockets at gmail
dot com. Which menu item do you most miss at Chango?
(41:53):
Which is a Echo Park coffee shop that is no
longer open? Which menu item do most miss at Chango?
And why?
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (42:02):
The breakfast burrito?
Speaker 3 (42:03):
Yeah, you got it.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
I mean, just the idea that you could walk in
there get a coffee and not get someone's interpretation of
something where you have to kind of like have the
context of a burrito this other thing they're trying to involve, right,
And it's just good and it was consistent and it
worked and yeah,
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