League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA May 21, 2013 Election
	Walter Alexander Escobar Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 6

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

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?

The single most important issue facing LA is that no one is willing to fight for what is right. Everyone wants to keep the status quo because they are afraid of the people in control. Special interests can buy candidates for the right price. I will stand and fight against special interests and expose them wherever they may be. I have no one manipulating me or controlling me. A city councilmember serves at the pleasure of his constituency. I do not have to please a politician or a corporation. I will be beholden only to the people of District 6. The system has been destroyed by special interests and LA is getting itself into a deeper hole because no one stands up against them. The City of Los Angeles is near bankruptcy. With all these special interests in control, they will drive the city faster into bankruptcy and it will affect blue collar workers.

2. 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?

We need to cut the budget by cutting from the top down. Not from the bottom up like many politicians do. I intend to follow my words and cut my office budget. I intend to donate 61% of my salary back to District 6 so the money can be used for education programs, fixing the roads, or lighting the streets. We need to negotiate with the unions to come up with a temporary feasible plan; until Los Angeles gets its fiscal house in order. One example is Councilmember Bernard Parks. He currently has a pension and receiving a salary. That is wrong. These are the type of people we need to go after with pension reform, not blue collar workers. At the same time, implement new ideas to start gaining more revenue and pay the obligations that were promised to all employees. We need to cut the waste in all departments. I was talking to a voter who works for the civilian side of the LAPD. He wanted to buy a tool for $100 but was denied. He had to go through the system and spend $350. That's $250 extra for one single tool. This type of waste is eating the budget. Let's go department by department to see where the money is going and cut it. We need to become a small business friendly city. We need to focus on the growth of small local businesses and we must help them by giving them breaks in order for them to expand operations within the city. I have talked to many small businesses and they are worried that next year, they will not be able to have a business because of taxes. Unions need to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Bankruptcy is the elephant in the room. Unions need to understand, if the city goes into bankruptcy, the city will not pay pensions. In this case, blue collar workers are the ones suffering because no one wants to be part of the solution. It is happening across the country. I will work day and night in order to prevent Los Angeles from becoming the biggest city to go bankrupt. If this city goes into bankruptcy, blue collar workers will not be able to get what they deserve and this city will go up in flames.

3. Do you support the DWP taking steps to reduce carbon emissions even if that will result in increased bills for ratepayers?

The idea of going green is good. The idea of going green, which will result in an increase in bills for taxpayers, is not good. There are times to move forward the green agenda but not right now. The city is struggling and the people are suffering. Everything is getting tacked on to the taxpayer and that is wrong. In order for City Hall to move the green agenda, the first goal must be to create a stronger economy. This allows the city to tackle on any issue. We need to work with DWP in order to prevent passing the cost to the taxpayer. The first option must never be to let the taxpayers pay for it.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League. 

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 5, 2013 18:59
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