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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,
City Streets,
Personnel Costs,
Carbon Emissions,
Taxes
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What do you think is the single most important issue facing the City of Los Angeles today? As Mayor, what would you do to deal with it?
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Answer from Eric M. Garcetti:
I will ensure city government is focused on creating jobs and solving problems for L.A. residents. We must get back to basics + cleaning the streets, fixing the streets, keeping our streets safe. As Mayor, I will require every department head to reapply for their job, will reform our job training system and ensure children are prepared for careers or college.
Answer from Wendy J. Greuel:
Los Angeles is facing an economic crisis. As Mayor, I will get our economy back on track by creating jobs and getting our fiscal house in order.
I have a unique perspective on job creation because I've worked in the public and private sectors. I won't hire a job czar for Los Angeles, I will be the job czar.
From co-owning my family's small business in the San Fernando Valley to serving as an executive at DreamWorks Studios, I understand what it's like to weigh the risks of expanding in a tough economy.
Specifically, I will focus on the following priority areas to create jobs and get our economy moving again: rebuilding infrastructure and expanding transportation, rewarding investment and training workers for the jobs of the 21st century. We need to invest in infrastructure at our ports, the economic gateways to LA. We need to reward investments from businesses by providing tax incentives if they relocate to LA and hire locally. And, we need to provide workers with the skills they need to thrive in today's economy.
To create jobs we need to eliminate bureaucracy, create tax incentives, attract industries like clean technology and entertainment and create hubs of economic activity. That is what I will do as Mayor.
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2. When Angelenos hit a pothole, they curse City Hall. What is your plan to fix, upgrade, and maintain the streets of Los Angeles and how will the City pay for it?
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Answer from Eric M. Garcetti:
As Mayor, I will accelerate street paving projects funded under Measure R. I am a practical problem solver who will implement innovative solutions to problems. I am proud to have deployed the city's first constituent services smartphone app, so that people can report problems like potholes and get them fixed anytime, anywhere, from the palms of their hands.
Answer from Wendy J. Greuel:
As a City Councilmember, I delivered infrastructure investments for my constituents by filling 164,345 potholes, repaving 120 miles of street, and repairing over 35 miles of sidewalks. I also helped initiate the 50-50 sidewalk program to expedient sidewalk repairs and advocated for state grant funding for street repaving.
As Mayor, I will continue to focus on rebuilding our infrastructure to create jobs and get our economy moving again. Investing in our streets will save the city and Angelenos money down the road.
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3. 85% of the City's General Fund Budget is for personnel costs. If forced to cut costs to balance the budget, would you favor reducing the number of employees or asking existing employees to accept lower wages and/or reduced benefits?
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Answer from Wendy J. Greuel:
There are tremendous opportunities for efficiencies throughout the City, and those need to be acted upon before we reduce City service levels any further. We need to address our pension system by making common-sense reforms, like banning double dipping pension spiking, and capping the salary used to calculate benefits. I will work with our City employees to make structural changes through the collective bargaining process that will allow us not to cut services any further.
Answer from Eric M. Garcetti:
I have a proven record of making tough and independent decisions to balance the budget. I'm the candidate who has personally negotiated pension reforms to save hundreds of millions of dollars. As Mayor, I will balance the budget by tackling personnel costs and through economic growth. It's economic revenues that put cops on the street and parks in our neighborhoods.
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4. Do you support the DWP taking steps to reduce carbon emissions even if that will result in increased bills for ratepayers?
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Answer from Eric M. Garcetti:
Replacing imported coal power with locally produced renewable power such as solar is not only better for the environment and would create local jobs, it can be cheaper, too. I created the Ratepayer Advocate so that there is an independent watchdog at DWP to protect consumers and make sure rates are honest and transparent.
Answer from Wendy J. Greuel:
I support getting LA off of coal by 2021. As my audits of DWP have shown, departmental improvements can help reduce the burden of this transition on ratepayers. By maximizing energy efficiency and accessing renewable energy, we can get off dirty power and protect ourselves from price shocks that come with dependence on fossil fuels.
The City needs to aggressively continue getting off of coal by+ increasing our renewable energy portfolio and doing so in a smart, safe and effective manner.
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5. You have proposed eliminating the Business Tax, which accounts for 10% of General Fund revenue. What cuts or tax increases would you advocate to make up for the lost revenue?
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Answer from Eric M. Garcetti:
This tax is one that taxes businesses even when they lose money and is the highest in the county. It drives businesses and jobs out of L.A. and that harms the budget. My plan is responsible + it's a 15 year plan that includes annual reviews to protect the budget. The net effect would be more revenues through increased economic activity.
Answer from Wendy J. Greuel:
As mayor, I would phase out the tax responsibly, to make sure new revenues make up for lost tax receipts. Our business tax system is broken and it is driving away business, sending them to surrounding cities and states. Eliminating the City's business tax will help make Los Angeles a great place to do business, and will bring in more tax dollars in the form of sales taxes and other taxes. I'm proud that I was the architect of business tax reform on the City Council that brought more business in to Los Angeles.
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.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
