League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA March 5, 2013 Election
	Roberto Haraldson Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 13

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 City's very solvency is the most important issue facing Los Angeles. I would propose an amendment to our city charter. That amendment would require the City to adhere to a financial plan that insures revenues exceed expenses at all times.

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?

I recommend the City develop and adhere to a five-year financial plan for the General Fund, Special Revenue Funds, and the Budget. I would suggest incorporating the financial requirements for an infrastructure plan, a pension funding plan and all other aspects of the City's operations. It would be the role of the entire city council and mayor to define the exact annual reduction of our deficit necessary in order to maintain a balanced budget.

3. Do you support the ballot measure to increase the sales tax in the city?

I think this sales tax hike is bad for Los Angeles. It is a regressive tax that will have a negative impact on working and middle class residents and will encourage consumers to shop in nearby lower taxed cities.

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.

Our city's budget priorities must reconcile the climate and economic imperative. As a member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council I successfully worked with the city to urge the DWP to commit to a renewable energy standard, but those alternatives alone cannot avert climate disaster unless they would replace fossil fuels entirely. As a councilperson, I would launch a program to create local jobs in green energy, public transportation and environmental innovations. I would create legislation that would promote education and provide incentives for residents to participate in an environmentally healthy lifestyle.

5. How would you prioritize your local constituency versus the City as a whole when acting as a Council Member?

As a community candidate nothing is more important to me than our elected officials ability to communicate and interact with residents. I would seek out in my local communities the means to best accelerate city services. In order to stimulate economic growth and ensure that our infrastructure is in good or excellent condition, I would work with neighborhood councils and community groups to provide direct feedback from their particular neighborhoods. I would create a sister community plan between different neighborhoods in our City where each had a chance to participate in a project outside their own community to try to tie together resources on a City wide level.

---

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

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

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: January 4, 2013 16:23
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.