League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA March 5, 2013 Election
	Terry Hara Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 9

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?

Public Safety is a main concern for everyone. With three decades of protecting this City and working the streets of LA, I understand the dynamics of crime and how it negatively affects residents and businesses. My experience also includes policing and managing large to small scale events from the Academy Awards, anti-war demonstrations, natural disasters and community-based events to name a few. Being a former traffic enforcement officer with LAPD, I understand how important traffic flow is and the necessity for continued improvement on transportation issues. Residents and business owners want a safe environment to live and work. When businesses feel safe, they invest. When investments occur, jobs are created. Consumers spend money in businesses and the City benefits with generated revenue to provide basic city services.

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?

Given that the majority of the City's General Fund is tied to salary and debt obligations, workforce and salary reductions must take place to balance the budget, particularly if other cost savings measures have yielded minimal results. Renegotiations of City MOUs must also be accomplished. Expenditures by City Departments must also be audited to ensure that there is no waste of taxpayers' dollars. Special projects of council districts must be delayed until revenue sources improve dramatically. On a long-term basis, the restructuring of pension benefits must also be addressed.

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

Until we can ensure that the funds are properly and efficiently allocated, I will not support an increase in the sales tax in the city of Los Angeles.

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.

The City of Los Angeles ought to play a role in addressing climate change through education. I would educate residents on their current energy consumption and recycling levels. Studies show when people are aware of the negative impact of their energy use, they are more likely to conserve to better the environment.

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

As a member of City Council, you have an obligation to the entire City not just your district. However, you must ensure you're representing the interest of your district. Sometimes, the interest of your district is also good for the entire City, such as providing more affordable housing for families or shelter for the homeless. Any project that is district specific will be vetted against the impact of the entire City. Working and collaborating with each councilmember is critical of ensuring support for your own district needs and needs of the entire City. Creating a master project tracking system for the 15 council districts would help manage critical resources and guard against decision-making made in isolation that may not be in the best interest for the City.

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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: January 5, 2013 17:10
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