Candidate for
Council Member; City of Torrance

I want to be the kind of Councilmember who would earn my vote.

As a voter, I, Gavin Wasserman, want five things out of my councilmember:

• an open door
• an analytical mind
• an independent voice
• a passion for our Torrance community
• a sense of ownership of our community's challenges.

I want a councilmember who can analyze and understand the complex issues, and will use common sense. My community needs someone who knows when and what questions need to be asked and when the answers given are not good enough.

But a strong intellect needs to be matched with an independent voice. When I disagree with someone, I try to be polite and professional, but I will not vote simply to go with flow or make my decision based on anything other than what I truly think is right. And that's what I want to see in a councilmember.

My councilmember should have a passion for Torrance like I have. I love Torrance fiercely and it's the only place I ever want to be (ask my wife, Linda). Every decision by the Council permanently changes our community, for better or worse.

Lastly, I want my councilmember to take ownership of the challenges to our community. No problem should be too big or too small. If I, as a voter, have a concern, I don't want to hear the answer "it's a federal issue" or "a county issue"; I know that we can't win every fight, but I want genuine communication and a willingness to try.

On the other end of the spectrum, I want a councilmember who responds when I say something is unsafe in my neighborhood, whether broken pavement or speeders tearing past a school. I want my councilmember to stay on top of the issue and not just pass it off.

That's what I want when I vote, and that's how I plan to be.

-Gavin Hachiya Wasserman