The Major Candidates’ Views on Key Issues

Schools

Xavier Becerra

Stop busing children out of their neighborhoods; call an education summit to promote city-school collaboration; expedite the permit process to build schools faster.

Kathleen Connell

Streamline the permit process to build schools faster; create 60 charter schools over 4 years; start a preschool program for 4-year-olds and expand after-school programs.

James K. Hahn

Create a city/school construction authority to build schools; lobby Washington and Sacramento for money to expand after-school programs.

Steve Soboroff

Break up the school district and create a master plan to divide the district into 20 to 40 neighborhood districts to improve efficiency, accountability and parent participation.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Challenge parents to get involved with their children’s education; provide more training for teachers; expand preschool and after-school programs.

Joel Wachs

Break up the district; expand arts curriculum; develop neighborhood councils to allow communities to hold school officials accountable.

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Economic development

Xavier Becerra

Create a small business team in the mayor’s office to provide services for small businesses; reform the city’s tax code; work harder to attract and retain companies in health care, high-tech, tourism, entertainment and trade.

Kathleen Connell

Create small city halls throughout the city to offer services and aid to small businesses; restructure the business tax code; create a tax appeals process for small firms.

James K. Hahn

Expand efforts to retain and recruit business; provide new resources to help medium-sized and small businesses; streamline city permits and other requirements for small firms; allow start-up companies a tax amnesty for two years.

Steve Soboroff

Double the size of Mayor Richard Riordan’s business team; make it easier for small business to get permits and other things from City Hall; ease the tax structure; encourage companies to train employees.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Target underdeveloped areas of the city with jobs and businesses; pursue higher-paying jobs in growing industries; establish small business development centers aimed at cutting government red tape.

Joel Wachs

Provide economic benefits for businesses that provide quality jobs; focus on whole communities rather than individual projects or businesses; provide better sources of capital and more job training for employees.

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MTA / Traffic

Xavier Becerra

Expand Rapid Bus services and the DASH shuttle program to more neighborhoods; offer tax incentives to businesses providing flexible scheduling, van pools and telecommuting programs; drop the MTA’s appeal of a federal lawsuit in which the agency was ordered to buy 350 buses to relieve overcrowding.

Kathleen Connell

Expand the bus fleet from roughly 2,000 to 3,000; use so-called smart buses, which would travel the east-west corridors and link up with fixed-rail lines flowing along the city’s north-south spine.

James K. Hahn

Increase the MTA bus fleet; drop the MTA’s appeal of a federal lawsuit in which the agency was ordered to buy 350 buses to relieve overcrowding.

Steve Soboroff

Convert major streets like Sepulveda Boulevard into one-way thoroughfares to speed traffic; place traffic officers at major intersections; ban construction on roadways during rush hour; use bond debt to pay for light-rail lines along the San Diego, Santa Monica and Ventura freeways.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Buy 850 buses for the MTA; cut the top bus fare to 50 cents; put 20 high-speed lines on main thoroughfares; drop the MTA’s appeal of a federal lawsuit in which the agency was ordered to buy 350 buses to relieve overcrowding.

Joel Wachs

Reduce excessive development in high-density areas; improve bus system and reduce fare to 50 cents; resume 1984 Olympics-style programs such as banning street construction during rush hours; expand light rail.

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LAPD Reform

Xavier Becerra

Make one or two police commissioners full-time employees to strengthen civilian oversight; he favors federal consent decree and is inclined to replace Chief Bernard C. Parks.

Kathleen Connell

Increase mayoral oversight of the Police Commission to strengthen civilian control; she favors the federal consent decree, and would give Chief Parks 30 days to improve the department.

James K. Hahn

Give a full-time commission president a salary equal to the police chief’s; he supports the federal consent decree, and is inclined to appoint Parks to a second term.

Steve Soboroff

Opposes full-time police commissioners, saying the money would be better spent on an independent inspector general; he opposes role of federal government in monitoring police misconduct, and is inclined to replace Parks.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Supports full-time police commissioners; backs the federal consent decree; would create civilian panel to review complaints against officers, and is inclined to replace Parks.

Joel Wachs

Opposes full-time police commissioners, saying the money would be better spent on an independent inspector general; supports the federal consent decree, and would move immediately to replace Parks.

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Public safety

Xavier Becerra

Increase the police force; improve officer recruitment and retention by offering scholarships to high school students who agree to join the LAPD and by giving officers breaks on their utility bills.

Kathleen Connell

Increase the number of police officers; have 600 parking enforcement officers spend one-third of their time searching for broken sidewalks, potholes and crime hot spots; give police a four-day workweek and improved pensions.

James K. Hahn

Streamline the LAPD’s hiring process; give 100 students a $10,000 interest-free loan if they agree to serve in the LAPD after graduation; give police a four-day workweek; offer competitive pension benefits and increase longevity pay.

Steve Soboroff

Work with community groups, businesses, schools and churches to identify and help young people before they join gangs; encourage police to make sure youths are enrolled in school; work to provide free tattoo removal for gang members.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Fully reinstate the Senior Lead Officer program; strengthen community-based policing; create community centers at libraries, parks and schools to give children a place to go.

Joel Wachs

Give police officers a four-day workweek; restore the LAPD’s Senior Lead Officer program.

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Other

All six oppose efforts to create a new city in the San Fernando Valley and the current plan to expand Los Angeles International Airport.

Sources: From Los Angeles Times and candidates’ Web sites. Researched by MALOY MOORE.