The LA Daily News published an article last week trumpeting the appointment of Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman to the powerful South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) governing board. The piece pits Raman against her predecessor, exiting SCAQMD board member and LA City Councilmember Joe Buscaino, and attempts to cast the indisputable successes of his tenure on the board in a negative light.
We don’t just hold politicians accountable – we do the same with journalists
Words can be strung together in misleading ways. We decided to set the record straight with numbers. We turned to our in-house emissions reduction policy nerd and reviewed key metrics from Buscaino’s nine-year tenure on the SCAQMD board. Data doesn’t lie. Air quality has improved in the South Coast Basin, according to a wide range of metrics, since 2013. We felt it was our duty to share these facts to better educate Daily News readers – and you.
It’s nothing personal – we side with the facts
We want to be clear. We didn’t take swift action because of who is scapegoated in this article. We shored up our research, flexed our media muscle, and submitted a letter to the editor because the piece appears to promote alarmist commentary and erroneous claims. Southern Californians deserve unbiased reporting about issues that impact their daily lives.
We invite you to circulate this email among your friends, followers, and members.
Please feel free to share the published letter below on your social platforms.
The truth is the most powerful weapon we can give our grassroots army.
Keeping you informed – and keeping news outlets honest,
Tracy Hernandez
BizFed Founding CEO
