League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA March 5, 2013 Election
	Jozef Thomas "Joe" Essavi Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the Board of Trustees; Los Angeles Community College District; Office 4

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 is the single most important issue facing LACCD today? How, as Trustee, would you deal with it?

72% Failure to graduate and to transfer is the # 1 issue facing our colleges and our students. I will fight hard to lower that number by providing counseling, more classes and more scholarships. We need more focus on students and teachers and we need to keep politics and special interests out.

2. What do you think should be the balance in LACCD between preparing students for transfer to four-year institutions and programs that provide workforce training?

Community colleges need to do both but in recent years vocational workforce training has been overlooked. We also need to expand our vocational focus to green jobs and jobs of the future. Bringing the emphasis back on vocational training will help students who decide not to pursue a 4 years degree to still make a good living.

3. What experience in general management, fiscal management and budgetary oversight would you bring to the job of Trustee?

I am a consensus builder and a problem solver. My background as a County Commissioner, former ASB Union Treasurer, Non Profit Organization Controller, and a businessman will allow me to bring new oversight to the Board of Trustees.

4. AB 2572 (Furutani) seeks to give the LACCD Board of Trustees authority to make changes in the way Trustees are elected (e.g. by district instead of 'at large') and make it possible to eliminate one round of the two-round LACCD election. Where do you stand on this legislation and the issues involved?

I believe this is a non-democratic legislation. I agree with LA Times; this is "an incumbent protection bill". The Incumbents are already insulated enough. I will vote against its implementation and call upon the board of trustees to vote on the side of the voters and democracy. I also refuse to take big bond contractors and special interests donations. This way I will devote my full attention to fixing problems and not become part of the problem.

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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: February 20, 2013 21:06
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