The questions were prepared by the the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Qualifications, Fiscal Crisis, Unincorporated Areas

Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.

Answer from Delaney "Doc" Smith, Jr.:

Physician/Pharmacist/Educator

Created:

• First Urgent Care Center -Los Angeles; & Thousand Oaks.
• First Healthcare Cooperative Plan "Co-op" in California
• Plan To Prevent County Clinic Closures

Answer from Thomas Neusom:

• Attorney, extensive legal knowledge
• Real Estate Agent
• Community activist with football great Jim Brown's Amer-I-Can program
• County of Los Angeles employee for the past seven years
• Political Science Degree

Answer from Bernard C. Parks:

• Former Chief of Police of the LAPD
• Member of the Los Angeles City Council
• More than 40 years of public service

Answer from Morris Griffin:

• Morris Griffin -Big Money Griff -Problem Solver!
• BA Washington State University 1974
• Pass 16 years Activist(N) Leader
• Policymaker, Innovator to 3of5 L.A. Ballot Charter Amendments

Answer from Martin Luther King Aubrey:

• Community activist for over 15 years serving the greater Los Angeles County
• Assisted the community on regional and social issues
• Advocate for educating our youth

Answer from Antonio Alvarez:

• twenty-two years experience in the housing, commercial and loan market
• twenty-two years as a California License Real Estate Agent.

Answer from Mark Ridley-Thomas:

• State Senator
• Elected and civic leader for over 30 years
• Former Los Angeles City Councilmember
• Voting Rights Leader
• Teacher

Answer from Antonio Alvarez:

As part of the Board of the five governing body of the County of Los Angeles I will direct attention to the measure of the Los Angeles County fiscal crisis. We need to move quickly to build affordable rental units for the elderly and low-income and moderate workers; they the hard workers and the back bone of our county. I fully support our teachers and there contributions of ideas that will help in the education of our children’s. I see the need of granting assistances to the small business, women business owners and contactors; we must help the business owners from Los Angeles 2nd district and help them all united as a team in the growth of Los Angeles

Answer from Morris Griffin:

Tax all Oil companies drilling in California, we should be getting 1 billion plus a year. California legislatives are not taxing them at all yet we pay at the pumps. Stop! or Cut the 17 billion dollars new prison complex.

Re-direction of California State Lottery LAUSD 34˘ funding to Los Angeles; to recreate manufacturing companies along with amending a supplemental income for supermarket chain store workers , Homecare workers and security guard livable wage jobs, for the Military Troops when they come home.

Ethnic Lotto guarantees thousandaires and millionaires twice a week. Someone from every ethnic race has a chance to win simultaneously forever in L.A. County.

Answer from Bernard C. Parks:

As Supervisor I will work to

• Align County fees to the actual cost of County services.
• Maximize grant funding opportunities; assure accountability for the expenditure of grant funds.
• Establish County Financial Policies as a guidebook for prioritizing budget expenditures.
• Address the $3.1 un-funded pension liability and the $13 to $20 billion un-funded retiree health care obligation.
• Secure a performance review and financial audit of all County departments.

Answer from Mark Ridley-Thomas:

I would close loopholes (such as the yacht "sloophole") that allow the wealthiest corporations to avoid paying their fair share while middle class working families pay more than theirs, and require performance audits of each county department. Meanwhile, the federal government is spending billions on an ill-advised war. Combined with an economic downturn, our County and local schools are facing budget crises. Health care, transportation, and education will suffer. I'd invest in universal health care, quality schools and gang intervention efforts to improve safety in our neighborhoods.

Answer from Thomas Neusom:

I would address Los Angeles County's fiscal crises by improving the County education system and work to get the high school graduation rate to seventy percent (70%). Strengthen the community college and trade school system. Work on expanding the underground/subway transportation system to ease traffic congestion. Work with the private sector to bring more jobs to Los Angeles County's 2nd District and the County as a whole. Create local community advisory groups that could notify the County Board about problems and needed improvements. Expand the City of Los Angeles' youth employment program to a countywide program.

Answer from Martin Luther King Aubrey:

To address L.A. County's fiscal crisis, I would first form a committee to evaluate all of Los Angeles County's current projects. I would evaluate each project to see where fiscal spending is in excess and curtail spending and/or postpone non-essential projects. I would prioritize each project based on need. My priorities would be based on the safety and health of the citizens and residents of Los Angeles County.

These priorities include:

• Fire & Police Department
• Hospitals & Public Transportation
• Recovery centers for the mentally ill and homeless
• Economic Development

Public safety comes first. I would utilize all our resources available from grant funding to fiscal accountability through audits.

Answer from Delaney "Doc" Smith, Jr.:

Reduce Wasteful Spending:

• Metropolitan Psychiatric State Hospital now at 25% capacity should be fully funded to care for homeless with psychiatric problems, many of whom fill the prisons; costing taxpayers as much as $100,000.00/yr(each).
• "Three strikes" jail term designations should only be applied to violent offenses; and all past "three strike offenders" should have their sentences reviewed by an independant public review board.
• Uniformity in prison sentencing guidelines... ie. years for crack cocaine possesion; days for cocaine possesion??? Rehabilitation instead of incarceration for drug use would save billions.
• Foster care "Kids For Cash" reform would save billions. * Over 76,000 children in foster care in LA alone (2006)
• It is estimated that 50% could have remained with a reasonable family member.
• Federal monetary incentives to counties for foster placement need revision.

Answer from Thomas Neusom:

The most important criteria for evaluating new development in unincorporated areas of the county is to make sure the development improves the lives of the people of the county. Affordable housing, a good transportation system, an improved educational system and economic development are key areas that must be positively impacted by new development. Vote for Thomas Neusom for 2nd District Supervisor.

Answer from Morris Griffin:

Regional Planning Commission, will check land toxins, underground sewage pipes, environmental zoning reports of findings for new projects will be provided and recommended. Upon winning this election, I, Morris Griffin, will promote L.A. County low and moderate public housing units of all designs, in the unincorporated areas.

Answer from Mark Ridley-Thomas:

The most important criteria are the impact on traffic and regional transportation infrastructure, the environment, the capacity of sheriff, fire department and 911 services to respond, long term sustainability of the project, and the effect on water and power supply. The affordable housing supply should also be considered. These factors should be consistent with the community plan for each of the unincorporated areas.

Answer from Delaney "Doc" Smith, Jr.:

Impact Upon:

• Environment
• Existing Infrastructure
• Traffic
• Economic Impact on adjacent areas
• Potable water
• waste management

Answer from Martin Luther King Aubrey:

In encouraging new development we should adhere to land use policy and zoning ordinances. We should ensure that the community will benefit from the development. We should make use of any redevelopment funds, renewable resources including potable water sources.

Answer from Antonio Alvarez:

New development is our future. As for those new developments that will houses the millionaires and billionaires is very good for Los Angeles . But, at the same pace we must increase jobs by building commercial shopping centers, build low and moderated income apartment housing, and install air pollution units so that we can help reduces the problem of air pollution.

Answer from Bernard C. Parks:

There are 20 distinct unincorporated areas in the 2nd District. Existing development, undertaken under different land use policies and practices over the last 100 years, often resembles a patchwork quilt. Community Plans for these unincorporated areas need to be updated and at minimum should include incentives for locating residential projects near transit corridors and density bonuses for the development of affordable housing. Updated Community Plans will better enable enforcement against nuisance and blight-inducing activities.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.