This information is provided by the candidate
A proven record of LEADERSHIP FOR OUR CITY
- Public Safety
- The Environment
- Senior Citizens
- Working people and families
- Budget, Finance and Economic Development
- Political Ethics & Government Reform
- Youth, Families & Education
- Neighborhood Improvements & Empowerment
For Public Safety
- Co-authored Proposition "F" to fund upgrades and
expansion of city fire stations and animal shelters
- Initiated the Community Court Pilot Project in Van Nuys
and Downtown to combat quality of life crime
- Secured the funds to expand domestic violence emergency
intervention and prevention teams
- Obtained the funds to improve the 9-1-1 system and
initiated the effort to create a 3-1-1 non-emergency
system
- Led efforts to increase the budget for police overtime, fire safety and brush clearance
- Established the citywide volunteer school crossing guard program with LAPD and the L.A. Unified School District
- Wrote the nation's first municipal law to combat illegal weapons trafficking by restricting the sale of handguns to one a month
- Wrote the city's comprehensive firearms control bill that bans high-capacity magazines, requires sale of trigger locks, mandates background check for gun store employees and toughens ammunition registration requirements
- Convened the first Gun Law Enforcement Summit to improve enforcement of gun laws
On Budget, Finance & Economic Development
- Chairs the City Council Budget Committee
- Chairs the City Council ad hoc Committee on Business Tax Reform
- Created tax incentives for start-up businesses and small businesses
- Led the effort to craft the city's first debt policy
- Increased staffing to improve the city's tax collection efforts
- Initiated the overhaul of the City capital projects administration and instituted new oversight requirements
- Developed new methods for financing construction of public parking facilities citywide
For Senior Citizens
- Obtained funds for 75,000 additional home delivered meals for seniors
- Preserved the emergency transit voucher program for the elderly
- Developed the Safety NET senior preparedness program that has been replicated citywide
- Won approval for new senior housing in Sherman Oaks
- Created and funded a new position of Elder Abuse
- Coordinator in the Department of Aging
- Called for installation of audible pedestrian signals at intersections frequented by seniors
On Political Ethics & Government Reform
- Initiated the charter reform process in the City Council and developed major charter reform proposals
- Wrote the successful charter amendment that increased the independence of the City Ethics Commission
- Won passage of an ordinance that prevents serious ethics violators from obtaining city contracts
- Successfully fought for a City Council Code of Conduct in the new City Charter
- Initiated the pending measure to ban political contributions and fundraising by lobbyists
- Called for the U.S. Department of Justice to create a joint federal, state and local panel to investigate and prosecute criminal activity associated with the Rampart scandal
- Led the effort to provide the Police Commission and Inspector General with the resources to independently evaluate the Rampart Board of Inquiry report
- Initiated the overhaul of the city capital projects administration and oversight
- Led the effort to create a city Human Relations Department and expand it resources
For The Environment
- Wrote the ordinance to ban diesel trash trucks at city landfills
- Led the City Council effort to eliminate MTA diesel buses
- Secured funds to preserve Deervale as public park land, adding 80 acres of open space in the Santa Monica Mountains that were previously slated for development
- Facilitated the greening of public schools
- Introduced legislation to require recycling at commercial and multi-family buildings
- Called for investigation into potential health risks from petroleum coke at the Port of Los Angeles
- Secured funding for greenbelt and recreation use along the L.A. River in Studio City
- Led the successful fight to prevent diversion of storm water fees used to limit pollution in Santa Monica Bay
- Initiated the comprehensive inventory and abatement of lead paint in Recreation and Parks facilities
- Organized and implemented numerous tree planting projects in the Fifth Council District
For Youth, Families & Education
- Created READ LA, a partnership of the school district, community colleges, state colleges, three unions and the library system to help students learn to read
- Developed a joint use agreement with the school district to open school sites for public recreation
- Initiated the city's first child care program for evening hours using elementary school sites
- Led the effort to create the first citywide standards for quality after school child care
- Established artist-in-residence programs at elementary schools
- Wrote the ordinance to ban billboard and on-site advertising for tobacco and alcohol near schools, parks, churches and residential areas
- Led the effort to expand library hours at 15 community branch libraries
- Wrote legislation to fund park and recreation facilities in under-served neighborhoods
- Created the "Shoulder-to-Shoulder" program to promote improved race relations among middle school youth
For Neighborhood Improvements & Empowerment
- Established two pilot Neighborhood Councils to address local issues
- Secured federal funding to compensate homeowners for earthquake damage repairs
- Created an earthquake recovery team to help property owners rebuild after the earthquake
- Led the effort to insure that parking revenues for construction of new parking facilities remain in the districts in which they are generated
- Established a Task Force to seek solutions to the citywide housing crisis
- Won approval of redevelopment of the Sherman Oaks Galleria
- Helped create Business Improvement Districts in Studio City and Sherman Oaks
- Saved 260 affordable housing units by preserving Chase
- Knolls Apartments as an Historic Monument
- Secured a Neighborhood Initiative designation and funding for Fairfax Avenue cleanup
- Secured the SMART radar system for the Westside Traffic Division to slow traffic and improve safety
- Increased police patrols in the Beverly-Fairfax area
- Developed traffic mitigation programs for four neighborhoods around Fox Studios
- Revitalizing Westwood Village with a new parking structure, police substation and streetscaping improvements
- Led the effort to decommission Santa Monica Airport LDA - eliminating airport flight path over residential neighborhoods in Beverlywood, Cheviot Hills and Century City
- Initiated an innovative Neighborhood Improvement plan for the newly-created Valley Glen area
- Secured funding and developed design for the Studio City Library minipark
For working people and families
- Supported City Council living wage ordinance
- Supported City Council prevailing wage requirements
- Supported project labor agreement before the City Council
- Spoke out against Proposition 226 on the ballot in 1998
- Spoke out in favor of Proposition 26 on the 2000 Primary Election ballot
- Opposed the voucher initiative on the 2000 General Election ballot
- Opposed Proposition 35 on the November 2000 General
- Election ballot
- Opposed anti-labor Valley transit legislation
- Attended Justice For Janitors rallies and facilitated labor contracts for janitors
- Strongly supported the Sherman Oaks Galleria renovation
- Strongly supported Staples Center
- Strongly supported Trizec-Hahn's Hollywood Project
- Supports the Farmers Market project
- Created the "Shoulder-to-Shoulder" program to promote improved race relations among middle school youth
- Co-authored Proposition "F" to fund upgrades and expansion of city fire stations and animal shelters
- Initiated the city's first child care program during evening hours using elementary school sites
- Led the effort to create the first citywide standards for quality after school child care
- Secured federal funding to compensate homeowners for earthquake damage repairs
- Created an earthquake recovery team to help property owners rebuild after the earthquake
- Wrote legislation to fund park and recreation facilities in under-served neighborhoods
- Won approval for new senior housing in Sherman Oaks
- Created and funded a new position of Elder Abuse
- Coordinator in the Department of Aging
- Obtained funds for 75,000 additional home delivered meals for seniors
- Developed new methods for financing construction of public parking facilities citywide
- Brought together leaders of labor organizations representing teachers and college professors to help create READ LA, a partnership of the school district, community colleges, state colleges, three unions and the library system to help students learn to read
- As Executive Director of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, provided the leadership to create El Portal, a program to protect the rights of Spanish speaking Alzheimer's patients
- As Executive Director of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, created a Home Equity Fraud Prevention Task Force to protect Seniors against losing their homes
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