LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL: THE 1991 RACE : South-Central Must Get a Bigger Share of the Pie : The reality we need to address is trash-filled alleys and streets, poor lighting, potholes, graffiti, abandoned cars.

After 16 years as the deputy of the late Councilman Gilbert Lindsay, I have learned that Los Angeles city government is the form of government that is closest to the people. It deals directly with the basic needs of the men, women and children in our community--their homes and their neighborhoods--in other words, their everyday needs.

It is the ability to positively affect people’s everyday needs through city services that motivated me to run for the City Council.

The residents of the 9th District are concerned about trash-filled alleys and streets, poor lighting, potholes, graffiti, abandoned cars, dirty vacant lots and a host of other basic problems that we all are familiar with. Responding through improved improved direct services will be my first priority.

One way that I will improve on these services is by forming a 9th District Citizens Environmental Task Force. This task force will monitor the fencing of vacant lots, the cleanup of toxic waste and the strict enforcement of dumping laws. The task force will help ensure adequate maintenance of alleys and the removal of debris from vacant lots. The response time of city crews will also be monitored.

Beyond these direct services are a wide range of others that are not as evident or understandable and that are often ignored by politicians. These are the institutional services geared toward specific needs and individual problems.

I intend to bring to the community programs with the more defined purpose of improving individual lives, as well as the ones that deal with broader strokes of graffiti, potholes and the like.

Housing is basic to the quality of life that needs to be improved for many residents of the 9th District. I also believe that housing is the key to providing stability within neighborhoods. I intend to meet my community’s needs through a home-ownership program and increased affordable housing. This low-interest home-loan program will have reduced eligibility requirements that the city would initiate through the participation of financial institutions adhering to community reinvestment requirements.

Affordable housing has been and will continue to be one of my highest priorities; I was instrumental in the building of Stovall Manor and Gilbert Lindsay Manor, representing more than 450 affordable-housing units for families in the 9th District. I am particularly concerned about building affordable housing for families. I also want to see affordable-housing developments that contain job-training programs. I also intend to increase the number of single-room occupancy (SRO) projects. One way I intend to do this is by converting motels that charge on a hourly basis, and attract illicit activity, into SROs. A target of the SRO program will be young people just starting on their own and those who are restructuring or reestablishing their lives.

The 9th District has a high percentage of unemployed, underemployed and unskilled workers. These statistics are impacted by the large number of youths dropping out of high school and the return of previously incarcerated persons. I want to establish a comprehensive employment program for the hard-core unemployed and an expansion of the enterprise zone throughout the 9th District.

Councilman Lindsay’s legacy was downtown. That legacy will continue as I work with developers who understand that the opportunity to build goes with an obligation to give back to the community. Responsiveness to the concerns of downtown residents is very important to me. Fostering a vibrant downtown that is a desirable place to live and a stable community is an agenda I intend to continue pursuing.

However, in contrast to Councilman Lindsay, I believe that my legacy will be South-Central Los Angeles. For too long, it has received a small share of the pie. I intend to work closely with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and other elected officials to obtain a larger piece of the pie. Also, I will create a specific plan for South-Central and Southeast Los Angeles and a nonprofit corporation for the rebuilding of Central Avenue, with mixed-use projects.

Councilman Lindsay was an “emperor.” I will be a servant. I will ensure that residents of the 9th get their fair share of the pie as well as fair representation in the district and in the city. At present, no citizen of the 9th District living south of the Santa Monica Freeway serves on any city commission. This must change. I will demand that it does.

LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9 AT A GLANCE Population 1990: 246,631 Racial / ethnic mix White (non-Latino): 3% Latino: 61% Asian: 2% Black: 36% Annual income Median household: $12,219 Household distribution Less than $15,000: 60.2% $15,000 - $24,999: 20.6% $25,000 - $34,999: 10.2% $35,000 - $49,999: 5.9% $50,000 - $74,999: 2.3% $75,000 - $99,999: 0.3% $100,000 +: 0.3% SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau, City of Los Angeles Community Development Department and Times statistical analysis by Maureen Lyons.