Questions with Eric Busch

By Eric Busch

A Question and Answer session with Eric Busch

I was born in San Diego. I graduated from La Jolla High School and received my Bachelors of Science in Biology from UCLA. After school, I went to work for Northrop Grumman as an Environmental Engineer. I moved to El Segundo because we wanted to live in a community where neighbors still helped each other, where we could be safe and where my children could attend good schools. My boys, Colt(10) and Brendan(7) and I have benefited enormously from living in El Segundo. It truly is the perfect place to raise a family. Currently, I manage Environmental/Safety affairs for a motion picture company. I also enjoy coaching little league, surfing, basketball, camping and chess.

2. El Segundo Info
--How long have you lived here? List and summarize local civic experience, including length of involvement and title (Council, commissions, service organizations, charities, etc.)

I've lived in El Segundo almost 11 years. I started coaching Little League 6 years ago and have coached ever since. My environmental background lead me to serve on the LAX Master Plan Advisory Committee and I volunteered for Measure E in support of our schools. I have been on the Planning Commission for 2 ½ years and am currently the Vice-Chairman. I am also President of Reach Out Against Drugs, ROAD, which is a group committed to provide alternatives to drugs for our kids. Last but not least, I am a member of the El Segundo Kiwanis club and have been active in their community-based projects from Santa's Sleigh to cleaning up our beaches.

--Why do you want to be on the City Council and why do you feel you're qualified to serve on it?

I love El Segundo and want the best for our hometown. I offer new leadership for today so the lifestyle we cherish is here for tomorrow. I am energetic and involved in the community, and work through many organizations for a brighter future for El Segundo. This is the town I want my boys to live in and raise their families. The planning for that day starts now. We must continue our progress today so the El Segundo we know and love is here for our children.

--What style of campaign are you running? Who is managing it? Who are your chief supporters?

I am managing my own campaign with the help of friends and family. It is a positive campaign that focuses on El Segundo's future. I love walking our neighborhoods to meet new people and listen to their hopes and concerns for our city. I also have had many coffees in my neighbors' homes and more are in the works. My chief supporters are those that I have worked and volunteered with in various El Segundo organizations. These are wonderful people and I am proud and honored to have their support.

--What are the most important issues facing El Segundo today and over the next few years and why?

We must continue the fight against LAX expansion, while promoting a regional plan. Preventing LAX from expanding beyond the capacity that exists at the airport today, while distributing air traffic throughout the region is the only alternative that makes sense. It is our job to make sure LAX and all of Southern California continues to be committed to this position.

We must continue to support our schools. Our schools reflect the character of our community and hold the promise for our future. Our children must have the best schools possible.

We're now living in a dangerous world that requires us to prepare for challenges that in the past were never a consideration. That is why I feel so strong that we must support our Police and Fire Departments. They must have all of the necessary tools to keep our streets safe from crime and terrorism.

We must maintain a balanced budget, on time and without raising taxes.

Finally, it is the high quality of life that we enjoy in El Segundo that makes our city unique. Projects like; the Girl Scout Camp, the dog park, the roller hockey rink, the two new parks along Washington Street and the new proposed community center are what our city has needed to provide the benefits our residents so richly deserve. I will continue to strive to find projects of this caliber to offer to our community.

--Do you agree or disagree with the policies and direction of the current Council? Which decisions has the Council made that you would have changed? Which decisions do you feel were good for El Segundo?

I strongly agree with the direction our city is moving. They have stopped LAX from expanding; they have invested in our schools more than virtually any other city. They've preserved our economic base and invested heavily in our police and fire departments. They have made wise decisions in the investment of the city's infrastructure and have balanced budgets and expanded our city's reserves. This kind of progress must be continued. It is our duty to our children to work hard today, move our town forward and make solid decisions. The choices we make today will have a lasting impact.

--How would you have voted and why on the following issues: Air Force Base modernization and land swap, the downtown revitalization and parking structure deal, the Community Center, the El Segundo Corporate Campus.

As the Vice-Chairman of the Planning Commission, I voted for the Air Force Base modernization plan. It is crucial to ensuring the vitality and future of our entire community. That base supports thousands of El Segundo families. We must provide every opportunity for it to survive the BRAC process. The base is also the economic engine for the entire South Bay. Remember, this fight is not over and we need to be vigilant to protect the base.

The downtown parking structure provides flexibility for our business owners to update and expand their businesses. We want to facilitate well-maintained and charming buildings to promote downtown's economic potential. Additional parking allows for an in-lieu parking program, which will allow business to expand and improve, while creating a fund for future parking in the downtown area.

The El Segundo Corporate Campus was a project that provides many benefits to our city and residents. The lawsuit should be over soon, and we can then move forward with a new Fire Station #2 and installation of soccer fields. This project will also provide a nice setting for office space, which will provide millions of dollars in revenue to the city once it is complete and occupied. This is a perfect example of planning for the future.

--What policy would you like to see El Segundo adopt towards LAX and its future modernization plans?

El Segundo must stand firm on not allowing LAX to expand. 78 million annual passengers is more than enough for one airport. We must continue to oppose any construction outside of the Environmental Impact Report process, while promoting efforts by the Southern California Area Governments (SCAG) to link infrastructure funding for LAX to a regional approach to expansion. It makes no sense for an Orange County or San Bernardino resident to drive all the way to LAX to fly to New York. Local airports can handle that point-to-point type of air travel.

--The following is a list of both current and pending issues. Out of these please choose the five you feel are most important and/or need to be addressed. If there is a topic not mentioned below that you feel should be, please note so and why. Hyperion, ES generating station project, homeland security, education, recreation projects, public safety, the skateboard park, Douglass Underpass and other street improvements, dealing with budgetary cutbacks, Honeywell project and other eastside developments, Richmond Street revitalization and future downtown growth, eastside developments, city staff salaries, use of outside consultants, Smokey Hollow redevelopment, sewer and other infrastructure improvements)

Education + Our schools will be facing funding challenges ahead. It is crucial that we continue to support our schools. The city's support allows our schools to better educate and prepare our children for the future. Our schools also directly impact property values and the quality of our community. We must continue to support our children.

Homeland Security + We live next to a potential target for terrorism - LAX. Our Police and Fire must be prepared, trained and equipped to address any contingency should it occur, god forbid. We must ensure our public safety personnel have the tools and training they need. This will not only help us in times of crisis but also in the day to day operation of our Police and Fire Departments.

Budgetary Cutbacks + The city will also be facing budgetary cutbacks. It is critical that we continue to balance the budget, on time and without raising taxes. However, we must also promote the benefits of El Segundo to the business community. If we expand our existing businesses and get new business moving into town, we can increase our revenue. Increased revenue will allow us to support the programs which provide the lifestyle we cherish.

Honeywell and other eastside developments + Bringing new business development to El Segundo is key to our success. The Honeywell site provides an opportunity to expand our retail businesses, which will diversify our revenue stream. We must also ensure responsible development with respect to traffic and air quality. If we do these things, projects like Honeywell will provide more security in times of economic stress and additional income to support our city.

Douglas Underpass and other street improvements + The Douglas underpass will help to relieve traffic along Rosecrans, Sepulveda and Aviation. Imagine going from Rosecrans to the 105 freeway in 5 minutes. Projects like this and ITS are important to reducing traffic impacts and improving the traffic flow throughout our area. This translates into more flexibility in city planning, successful businesses and happier residents.

--How would you run council meetings if differently from now and why? Should the Mayor selection be done differently and if so, how?

I believe strongly that our council meetings should be professional. Everyone must be treated with respect and opposing views are important to the decision process. I also believe that any criticism should be constructive, so as to further the goals of our city. Mean and malicious comments have no place in our city government. Our city has a long history of how it selects its Mayor and I see no reason to change that.

--Do you want to be Mayor? If not, who would you support out of the five remaining candidates and two sitting council members?

If elected, I am confident I can work with everyone to create a brighter future for El Segundo. As a Planning Commissioner, I have seen how important experience is in running a group. My leadership skills will best be used finding new and creative solutions to tackle the issues at hand.

--What areas do you feel you would have the most impact in shaping future policy?

I believe that my background in environmental, safety, planning issues and leadership will provide key components to battle LAX and any long term plans to expand the airport capacity. LAX expansion looms over our town like a storm off our coast. We need energy and competency to represent our town in this fight to clear our skies. If given the chance, I will carry our banner to protect our town. Land use issues are another area where I can contribute. I believe we must put together a community-based task force to determine the best utilization of the Smoky Hollow area. We have an opportunity to find a creative solution to reducing some of the blighted buildings, while redeveloping an important part of our town.