When Ron Galperin won the race for City Controller in 2013, it was a breath of fresh air. An unelected reformer had run an insurgent campaign against a sitting city councilmember that attracted the grassroots and Angelenos starved for more accountability from City Hall. Galperin has acted dutifully, albeit settled into the mainstream, and we hope you will support his bid for California State Controller on your June 7 ballot.

But now, the challenge is to replace Galperin. In doing so, should we revert back to traditional, long-term elected leaders like Paul Koretz who may just be looking for a soft landing toward retirement in the city controller’s office? Do we go with the stalwart but little-known insider Rob Wilcox, whose policy platform says all the right things (https://robforcontroller.com/platform/) about being independent and free of allegiances, but who we know has served as a city hall insider? Or, do we take the Galperin experience four steps further down the road for someone who might have the mettle to create an earthquake of change and accountability? It’s a close call between Wilcox and certified public accountant and organizer Kenneth Mejia. But with a brazen willingness to take a chance on the brazen choice, Westside Voice opts for the latter. We endorse Kenneth Mejia for Los Angeles City Controller.

Wilcox is a fine establishment insider for normal times that, despite low name recognition, would mean some laudable audits of LAPD waste and abuse and an assurance that housing funds are being monitored keenly. The fact is, his service to Controller Laura Chick and City Attorney Mike Feuer is laudable. He would likely be the choice of mainstream Democrats and independents that are ready to see the low-key Koretz finally retire and take a victory lap for a life of public service well done. Wilcox seems a decent “good government” candidate, to be sure.

But we find it interesting that there are establishment city hall and Democratic forces Hell-bent on stopping Mejia. One political consultant with whom we often agree has tried to scare people off of Mejia over his misguided past support of Presidential Candidate Jill Stein. We certainly don’t like it either, and we hope Mejia has matured from that wonton misjudgment. Stein is an absolute kook and a Russian stooge if there ever was one. He’s also Tweeted a few other things well outside of mainstream thought, including some questionable things about President Biden. Well, as much as we support the Biden Agenda, he wasn’t our first choice either.

Westside Voice is far more interested in the Tweets of Mejia’s that are sending shudders through City Hall, the LAPD, and the zipped-up status quo. We like that he scares the crap out of some establishment Democrats. We like his sense of humor, and his impressive grassroots campaign. He’s young, and when he’s not practicing the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), he can be found DJ-ing a progressive block party. A qualification? No – but how many do you know find their way to city hall in part because they can boast some mad beats? (Is that how you say it? Hey, we don’t pretend to be cool)

Let’s be clear: Mejia needs to hire good people to be by his side and focus on waste and inefficiency throughout the entire city, and not just obsess over the LAPD. But we’re convinced that whoever becomes mayor will have to compete for headlines with the investigations, reports, and hard truths Mejia puts forward – and not because he’s a showboat – but because he’s a workhorse who loves this city enough to tell it when it’s long-held bad habits need changing. We approve of your vote for Rob Wilcox. But we’re excited for your vote for Kenneth Mejia for L.A. City Controller (https://mejiaforcontroller.com/)