Column: Upton Sinclair dreamed of a socialist California. He’s smiling upon the L.A. City Council
Good morning. I’m Gustavo Arellano, a Metro columnist for The Times, which means I’m allowed to express opinions.
Like: Upton Sinclair is cool.
But before I get into that, here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Upton Sinclair’s political descendants are alive in L.A.
- Karen Bass hopes to find common ground with Trump on homelessness.
- 12 essential recipes for a classic Thanksgiving feast.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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Upton Sinclair’s socialist California dream
I first learned about Upton Sinclair at Anaheim High School through his 1906 book “The Jungle.” The exposé of Chicago’s meatpacking industry made for a gripping read, although I committed the same mistake that the American public did when it first published: Instead of focusing on the depictions of immigrant worker exploitation the way Sinclair hoped we would, I couldn’t get over his meticulous descriptions of rancid slaughterhouse conditions.
“The Jungle” led to legislation that eventually created the Food and Drug Administration, and to Sinclair’s bitter quip about his book’s legacy: “I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.”
His socialist ideals would get another national airing 90 years ago this month, when Sinclair unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for California governor. The campaign made history for all the wrong reasons — yet somewhere in socialist heaven, Sinclair is having the last laugh right now gracias to L.A. politics.
Sinclair’s EPIC plan promised to End Poverty in California
In 1933, Sinclair published “I, Governor of California, and How I ended Poverty: A True Story of the Future.” The 63-page booklet was classic Sinclair: heartfelt, pedantic and too ahead of its time for its own good.
Written as a fictionalized reminiscence from 1938, the author laid out his End Poverty in California (EPIC, for short) plan for Depression-era readers: monthly pensions for elderly and disabled people. Higher income and property taxes for the rich. Government seizure of abandoned factories and unused farmland to create worker cooperatives. The mix of common-sense reforms and pie-in-the-sky proposal drew quick ridicule — but also fans, who started hundreds of EPIC clubs across the state.
The backlash against Sinclair’s run for governor forged today’s modern-day political circus
A longtime member of the Socialist Party, Sinclair re-registered as a Democrat, took advantage of a bickering party (the more things change …) and won its nomination. His victory so shook California’s political establishment that it forged today’s modern-day political circus of fake news, attack ads, skulduggery and demonization to sink Sinclair.
This paper — never a fan of Sinclair to begin with — ran front-page attacks against him throughout his campaign, deeming the nominee an “apostle of hatred” and his supporters as “maggots” (and you thought Fox News was extreme!). Hollywood studios used their creative might to paint Sinclair as a threat to the California Dream. MGM producer Irving G. Thalberg, who has an Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences award named after him, produced newsreels that warned “bums” and communists would flood California if Sinclair won.
The negative onslaught was successful — Sinclair lost by over 250,000 votes to Republican incumbent Frank Merriam. (For the definitive account of the 1934 California gubernatorial race, read Greg Mitchell’s excellent “The Campaign of the Century: Upton Sinclair’s Race for Governor of California,” or check out his 2022 Times op-ed piece on the matter). Sinclair told the story of his failed campaign the following year in “I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked.”
The electoral catastrophe must’ve tickled Sinclair’s funny bone. His account is an unsparing jaunt. He’s even self-deprecating enough to include some of the dozens of negative political cartoons that newspapers across the country commissioned throughout his campaign.
Sinclair’s political descendants are avenging him in L.A. City Hall as you read this
As I wrote earlier this month, tenants right attorney Ysabel Jurado completed one of the most stunning upsets in L.A. political history when she knocked off Kevin de León from his Eastside City Council seat. Jurado won despite De León — a former political giant whose reputation went under like the Titanic after his role in the 2022 City Hall audio leak scandal — and his acolytes running a red-baiting campaign against his opponent straight outta 1934.
When Jurado, 34, is sworn in next month, she’ll be the fourth sitting L.A. councilmember backed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s Los Angeles chapter, following in the wake of Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernández and Hugo Soto-Martínez. They now hold a quarter of L.A.’s City Council seats — a once-unimaginable bloc in Los Angeles that’s now a force opponents need to deal with.
I’m not sure if the Fabian Four are familiar with Sinclair, but they should read up on him quick. And they should take pride in fulfilling the final chapter of “I, Candidate for Governor,” in which Sinclair predicts that socialism in the Golden State had yet to see its best days.
“Keep your eyes on California,” he concluded, “and follow along behind us.”
Today’s top stories
Mayor Karen Bass hopes to find common ground with Trump on homelessness
- Trump has promised to place homeless people in tent cities. Bass said she does not believe aggressive tactics will be needed, but she looks forward to working with Trump on the issue.
- Bass is currently trying to solve one of the nation’s largest homelessness crises, which the city estimates would cost $21.7 billion to end in a decade.
- Meanwhile, nearly half of Los Angeles’ record $1.3-billion homelessness budget went unspent, an analysis by the city controller found.
- And a sweeping rezoning plan aimed at alleviating L.A.’s housing crunch will head to the full City Council after winning approval from a key committee.
Graphic details are revealed in the Monterey sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for Defense secretary
- A woman told Monterey police that Hegseth took her phone, blocked her from leaving his hotel room and sexually assaulted her, according to a police report released Wednesday evening.
- Hegseth told police that the pair had consensual intercourse. And Hegseth’s attorney has said that he entered a confidential settlement agreement with his accuser for an undisclosed sum.
The Mountain fire was the third most destructive wildfire in a decade
- These maps show how the Mountain fire began in sparsely populated areas — and why high winds helped the blaze move toward a suburban neighborhood.
- The fire hammered farms and farmworkers who have no economic safety net.
- Among the areas devastated by the fire were avocado orchards in Ventura County, which is now the largest avocado producer in California. Here’s how one farmer hopes to rebuild.
The Biden administration outlined options for addressing chronic water shortages and low reservoir levels on the Colorado River
- The Biden administration announced several options for new long-term rules for managing the Colorado River’s overburdened water supply.
- The river serves as a vital water source for seven Western states, but it has dwindled during more than two decades of drought compounded by climate change.
What else is going on
- Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers could face a relatively small $2-billion budget deficit next year.
- Cedars-Sinai Health System may have ignored laws against discrimination, federal investigators say.
- Nearly 40,000 service and patient care workers at the University of California are on a two-day strike amid contract negotiations.
- Sir Lady Java, a pioneering transgender performer and activist in L.A.’s nightclub scene, died at 82.
- A Southern California couple has spent thousands of dollars searching for their lost French bulldog, turning to bloodhounds and animal psychics.
- You can see the bomb cyclone approaching California from space.
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Commentary and opinions
- Congress could give Trump the ability to kill organizations like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, columnist Robin Abcarian writes.
- California voters rejected an anti-slavery measure to end forced prison labor. But Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers still have options, the Editorial Board writes.
- Our two-party system is not true to the spirit of democracy, argues author Earl Ofari Hutchinson, who explains why he voted for a third-party candidate.
- Here’s how to make college students care more about politics, writes Kurt Bardella, a contributing opinion writer and a NewsNation political contributor.
This morning’s must-reads
Fresno has a homelessness problem. So why are its leaders rejecting state-funded housing? More than 160 people have been arrested under Fresno’s new camping ban as local leaders start blocking efforts to build homeless housing.
“Our homelessness has gotten worse in Fresno. It’s climbing every single day,” homeless advocate Dez Martinez said. “We’re hurting, we’re suffering, and we’re losing all hope.”
Other must reads
- Rivian, the Irvine-based maker of electric vehicles and trucks, has faced numerous challenges as the EV market has cooled. But its CEO is optimistic about Rivian’s future.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 🍪 Here are 10 kid-friendly cooking classes and activities to book this holiday season.
- 🍿 “Wicked” and “Gladiator” set the stage for gravity-defying box office weekend.
- 🧹 Is “Wicked” an undeniable best picture contender? Here’s a look at early assumptions about the 2025 Oscars and whether they’re true, according to columnist Glenn Whipp.
- 🎸 The 2025 Coachella lineup is taking shape, with the top of the bill probably sporting a few millennial favorites and Coachella hip-hop veterans.
- 🎙️ Matt Rife will bring his new Stay Golden comedy tour to the Golden State.
Staying in
- 💪 Are you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the data.
- 💕 Netflix’s “The Later Daters” docuseries follows six people over the age of 55 as they attempt to find love again.
- 🕺 Playing a stripper in a Netflix Christmas movie made Chad Michael Murray fall in love with dance.
- 📚 This novel should come with an X rating, our critic writes.
- 🦃 Here are 12 essential recipes for a classic Thanksgiving feast.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
A question for you: What is your favorite movie that captures the essence of California?
From “Lady Bird” to “Troop Beverly Hills,” the Golden State has starred in a wide range of movies. What’s your favorite?
Robert Behrendt writes: “‘The Donut King,’ a 2020 documentary about immigrant families who changed the L.A. world of donuts and fulfilled the American dream and appetite for donuts.”
Robert Reu writes: “One great film that is 100% California is ‘Stand and Deliver,’ with Edward James Olmos and an amazing cast of young actors. I have found few, if any, films that capture the absolute magic that can happen in the community of first-generation Americans, descended from hard-working Mexican immigrants.”
And Jean writes: “‘The Big Lebowski.’”
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might be included in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... from our archives
The Farm Workers Union ended a more than decade-long boycott of California table grapes on Nov. 21, 2000. The boycott, which concentrated on the use of pesticides, began in 1984 by union organizer Cesar Chavez. During the boycott, Chavez conducted his longest public fast — the 36-day “Fast for Life” — at the age of 61.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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