League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA March 5, 2013 Election
	Emile Mack 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 most important issue facing Los Angeles is creating job opportunities for our residents. I have a 3-part plan to encourage job growth.

The first part of the plan is expanding workforce development. Recent reports show that after years of shipping jobs overseas, companies are ready to bring jobs back to the U.S. But there needs to be a skilled workforce that can do the 21st Century jobs these companies have to offer. We must prepare our young people and workers in Council District 13 by expanding workforce development programs in the local high schools, community colleges, and with local non-profit organizations.

The second part of the plan is boosting the creative economy. Council District 13 is home to thousands of workers in the arts and entertainment industries. We also have enormous potential to grow the LA technology sector here in our community. With the already-existing creative hub and a skilled workforce, we can turn our Council District 13 into the Silicon Valley of Los Angeles. We must continue to support the local arts and entertainment industries while cultivating the burgeoning high-tech and green-tech sectors.

The final component of the plan is creating an entrepreneurial environment in Los Angeles. In the LAFD, I challenged the status quo, fought for the underdog, and created new ways for the LAFD to do business. I will work with the same determination in City Hall for people who want to work, or start or grow their business, because they shouldn't have to be underdogs. I will help local small businesses navigate the red tape in City Hall and work to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy while continuing to protect workers, consumers, and residents.

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?

The most important thing we can do to address the shortfall is to create jobs and economic growth so we can increase the number of sales that take place in the city and generate additional revenue. That is part of the reason why my 3-part jobs plan is so important.

We should also eliminate counter-productive revenue sources that actually discourage economic activity and, therefore, hinder revenues. The Gross Receipts Tax is an excellent example, and I support the plan to gradually reduce and eventually eliminate the tax in a way that guarantees it will not increase the deficit.

Finally, we must talk about spending reductions. We must identify and eliminate wasteful spending in City Hall. We must also pursue pension reform, though with better input from the City's workers.

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

Generally speaking, I support reducing + not increasing + regressive taxes such as the sales tax. It disproportionately affects low-and-middle-income people. Working families should not be forced to shoulder the burden of fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement at City Hall.

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.

As a father with a young daughter, I want to make sure we leave this world in better condition than we were left with. In the LAFD I wrote the department's 20-year Master Plan, which included provisions to make our facilities LEED-certified and all of our operations as green as possible. I also had the opportunity to lead the City's underground storage tank program that protects the groundwater we drink, a model program in the state. I will take that vision to City Hall to identify ways for the City's government to go green.

Additionally, I will work with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, business leaders, and others to improve public transit and bicycling options. This will not only reduce our city's infamous traffic congestion, it will also reduce our city's carbon footprint.

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

My district lies in the heart of Los Angeles, covering such diverse areas including Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Atwater Village. I strongly believe that the priorities of my constituency are the priorities of greater LA. When the priorities of my district do not line up with the goals of other districts, I will always serve as a voice for my constituents in Council District 13.

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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 10, 2013 07:29
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