League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA March 5, 2013 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 15

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Most Important Issue, Budget Shortfall, Sales Tax, Climate Change, Constituency vs. City Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What do you think is the single most important issue facing the City of Los Angeles today? As Council Member, what would you do to deal with it? Answer from Joe Buscaino: The City's structural deficit threatens our ability to ensure public safety and deliver core city services. I plan to address this in a balanced way: seeking additional revenues, enacting pro-growth economic development policies while cutting expenses through pension reform and improving collections of outstanding debt. Answer from Gina Harden: The City of Los Angeles is facing a fiscal crisis due to our structural deficit. I will support pension reform and a Charter Amendment requiring the city to live within its means. 2. The City Administrative Officer has estimated a $200M budget shortfall for 2013-2014 increasing to $300M in 2015-2016. What steps do you propose to deal with this problem, and how much do you estimate each step would reduce the shortfall? Answer from Gina Harden: Our labor/pension expenses are growing faster than revenue. We need to agree on a reasonable pension plan that we can fully fund and honor our labor agreements. We can't tax our way out of this problem. We need creative ideas for economic development include a more business friendly climate with lower taxes and less regulation. The new rail line at the Port of LA will bring increased revenue. We also need to stop the outsourcing of our entertainment industry jobs. 3. Do you support the ballot measure to increase the sales tax in the city? Answer from Gina Harden: I do not support increasing the sales tax. A 9.5% tax rate will kill jobs. As our economy goes down, crime goes up. This is a no win proposition. 4. What role do you feel the City of Los Angeles has to play in addressing climate change? Please explain in terms of what you as a city councilmember would have the power to do. Answer from Gina Harden: We have a responsibility to care for our property including the planet. 5. How would you prioritize your local constituency versus the City as a whole when acting as a Council Member? Answer from Gina Harden: I will equally represent all parts of my district and will represent their interests on the Council. We are one family in the city and what happens in one part of the city affects all of us. I want to see every part of the city prosper. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.