Why trust failed recycled politicians with yet more power.

By Jozef Thomas "Joe" Essavi

Unless the people rise up and sweep away the politics of money and favoritism, our goverment can not be by the people and for the people.

Who is Joe Thomas Essavi? I am currently serving as a Los Angeles County Commissioner, on the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission and am a Two term Neighborhood Council Member, Small Business Owner, and an Education Reformer. I also served as a Former delegate to Los Angeles Congress of Neighborhood Councils and am a Controller for a Non-Profit Organization.

City of Los Angeles is at the mercy of special interests, which have infiltrated and infested the closest government to the people, namely the city government. Now every special interest group is descending on Council District 2, in order to thwart the people's decision one more time.

I am not a career politician looking for a better paid job and as the first act as a councilmember, I will take a $90,000 annual pay cut. I am not going to return that money to city since they will waste it like everything else. Instead I will donate that to CD2's Neighborhood Council Projects.

With the new City Attorney in office, I believe we can expand gang injunctions and prosecution of graffiti artists. Being tough on crime will mean more police officers and expansion of private public partnerships to keep our kids and our homes safe from criminals. I support protecting the tax payers by protecting Prop. 13, repealing DWP and other rate and fee increases. As Vice-Chair for Planning and Land Use Committee, I have opposed high density projects and support each community's specific plans for expansion so that developers will not turn our district into New York. Traffic congestion, lack of timely services, higher costs are just few examples of these ill drawn development plans. I want to be a voice for our residents and that is why I have refused to take special interests money.

Politicians are now job hopping and carpetbagging and will leave the future 3 Million dollars special elections tab once again to the voters. We can hire 90 teachers with that money or keep 85 violent felons from cruising our streets. Please don't fall for the recycled repackaged politicians. We can do better. On September 22 Vote for the Average Joe, since we tried everyting else and we are now bankrupt.

Thanks

Jozef Joe Thomas Essavi