David Futch takes a look at Echo Park vis a vis the neighborhood council elections in the most recent issue of the L.A. Weekly.

Futch writes:

...in Echo Park, as in many of the neighborhood councils throughout the city, that sunny-sounding [neighborhood councils] charter has devolved into screaming matches so filled with expletives, so laden with charges and countercharges of vote-rigging and class discrimination that the city clerk has taken over the elections and demanded that those running for council seats refrain from “mudslinging and profanity” in their candidate statements.

Judging by the whole piece -- which is short -- Futch got quite an earful as he interviews a smattering of the folks involved. Lots to sift and sort out.

One complaint: the piece starts out with a landlord's ranting about lazy neighbors and the difficulties of owning property in a dangerous neighborhood. Not pretty. This landlord has been involved in the neighbohood council, but I'm not sure what the connection is between her dislike of her neighbors and discord on the neighborhood council, except to imply that these are the attitudes exhibited by an entire group on the council.