Issues

We need new leadership and new ideas to move Los Angeles forward. As the only candidate born and raised in the district, I understand the opportunities and challenges ahead of us. This community has done so much for me and I want to make sure that the American Dream my family immigrated to this country for remains viable.

My top three issues are:

Creating middle class jobs

We need a City Hall that promotes middle-class jobs, takes advantage of our vast resources, and preserves key industries.

Because of intense competition with neighboring cities and states, we need to review our laws to make sure that we are positioned to attract new businesses. This includes streamlining how many government agencies small business owners interact with.

If elected, I will work to eliminate the gross receipts tax. This tax hurts small business owners by taxing all incoming receipts, regardless of whether a business has made a profit. I will also seek to provide a five-year tax holiday for new businesses, so that entrepreneurs open shop in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles has one of the world’s largest and busiest ports. I will work with businesses to identify new export opportunities and develop relationships in international markets. As an international city, City Hall needs to help our businesses take advantage of the global market.

Though it is the backbone of our economy, the entertainment industry is bleeding jobs and City Hall is not doing enough to support this critical sector. Through my relationships and experience, I will promote the industry and support new areas of growth, such as the incubators of new music and entertainment that are emerging in Silver Lake and Echo Park.

For more information, please read my Jobs Plan here.

Maintaining safe neighborhoods

Growing up in Council District 13, I am well aware of the many ways that our young people can go astray. It is important that the City Council work with LAPD to maintain safe streets for our families. This means getting tough on gang crime, increasing cooperation with communities to stop criminal activity, and making sure law enforcement is sufficiently funded and supported by City Hall.

Providing efficient city services

Los Angeles faces financial difficulties that have resulted in severe budget cuts. We must maintain the quality and integrity of city services. From improving city streets and infrastructure and adding parks and green space, to supporting public safety and making fire response times are quicker, strategic investments are necessary to maintain Los Angeles as a world class city. This will involve exploring new sources of revenue as well as cutting down on wasteful spending. Every dollar spent must be utilized in the most efficient way possible - especially in dense districts like Council District 13, where aging public infrastructure threatens the well-being of businesses and residents.

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Peter Wolf commented 2013-02-16 14:53:16 -0800

There are a few issues that will earn a candidate my vote:

Oppose rezoning of the Barlow Hospital site. This proposed development is much too large, disruptive, and our of the character of the neighborhood.

Street repair: Currently the street department continually chooses the easy streets to re-surface; I see this again and again, where they re-surface a street with no potholes, that was re-surfaced in the last 5 years. Meanwhile, the concrete streets of Echo Park are becoming dangerously deteriorated. It seems obvious that the street department wants bragging rights about how many miles of roadway they repair, while ignoring the difficult, slower to fix, and more expensive roads to repair. This has to stop. What will you do to change the direction of street repair?

How would you stand if the owners of the Dodgers decided to develop the land they own? Would you approve this development?

Parking fines: The cost of parking fines continues to rise each year, laying the burden at the feet of those least able to find parking; those who live in older areas that were developed before off-street parking was required. These fines are a huge burden to someone making minimum wage. I propose that each driver who is a citizen of the city of L.A. be granted 3 ‘parking fine freedom passes’ each year. What do you think of that idea?