Candidate Adeena N. Bleich: 5th District, L.A. City Council

With the March 3 primary election drawing near, The Times asked all candidates for the 5th District Los Angeles City Council seat to respond to questions about key issues facing the nation’s second-largest city. Here are the responses from candidate Adeena N. Bleich:

1) What distinguishes you from the other candidates in the race?

I understand more than any candidate that the City Council is, fundamentally, in the service business. Voters need a representative who will focus on being a public servant, not a politician. When you’ve got a problem, City Hall’s response should be, “How can I help?” I stand out from the other candidates because, if elected, that is exactly how I will respond to the people’s and the city’s problems. I will bring access, action, and accountability to the 5th District and the city. I will focus on problem solving, not press conferences.

I am the only candidate who worked for the City Council, in the belly of the beast so to speak, and I saw what we do well and the things we need to improve. I believe that we can reach our goals and make the district and Los Angeles a more livable place. We can do this if we make City Hall function more efficiently and use our dwindling funds wisely. I will make sure that voters get what they’ve paid for and that all of the 5th District gets its fair share. I will not only applaud the controller’s audits on our city departments, but I will make sure that the City Council, whether through legislating or working with other departments, takes action to correct the problems highlighted in those reports.

2) Los Angeles likely will face a deficit of $400 million to $500 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, as well as steep shortfalls in the years that follow. If elected, how would you balance the city budget? Specifically, what programs or services would you cut, what taxes or fees would you increase, and what other measures would you take?

Given the lack of vital services Angelenos already have, I would not want to cut them further. I would, however, scour the budget for wasteful spending. And this is not the time to be raising taxes given the hardship many Angelenos are experiencing. The key to balancing the budget is managing our government efficiently. When considering how to provide much-needed services to the constituents of Los Angeles, we must consider all disparate interests together, through one lens.

There are opportunities for us to generate revenue and increase our tax base without raising taxes. We can cut harmful fiscal waste while delivering services, educating and training a 21st century workforce, and creating jobs. We can plan development in a way that improves, rather than harms, the character of our neighborhoods while also getting traffic moving again. And considering these elements together will not only give us a better city, it will also allow us to spend our dwindling funds wisely and reduce our deficit.

3) To cut costs, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is considering layoffs or offering early retirement to city employees. Do you support either or both of those alternatives? Given the increased need for government assistance in these bad economic times, is now the right time to reduce the number of city employees or cut hours at libraries and city parks?

There is no perfect solution, but I believe that laying off workers is a very drastic measure when we have a jobless rate in L.A. of almost 10%. Offering early retirement and possibly reduced hours are better alternatives. In this crucial time, when so many are out of work, I will work hard to make sure that we do not reduce the accessibility of important community centers such as libraries and city parks. In fact, we must take measures that will not cost a lot but will actually create jobs, such as creating a network of mentoring and apprenticeship programs that will bring together businesses, schools, nonprofits, and city government.

4) In June, the city’s contracts with police and firefighters unions will expire. Should police officers and firefighters be given raises or increased benefits? If so, how would you pay for those, given the city’s current financial condition?

Our city’s police officers and firefighters are our city’s heroes. Whether it is protecting us from street crime or protecting the whole nation from greater homeland security threats, our police and firefighters are always there for us.

The City Council must do everything in its power to preserve current wages and benefits for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency personnel. At the same time, it would be irresponsible to implement any additional spending now. In the midst of such staggering deficits for the city and state, and with so many people losing income, we must all consider what part we can play to reverse this fiscal downturn.

5) Assess outgoing District 5 Councilman Jack Weiss’ effectiveness on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best score. What parts of Weiss’ leadership will you emulate? Are there areas where Weiss could have performed better?

I am running as my own candidate. I believe that looking forward will be the most productive for the district. With comprehensive planning and a vision for what we want District 5 and Los Angeles to look like, we can bring disparate groups together, form coalitions, and get the job done. Working in the council office, I saw great achievements, such as a focus on law enforcement and a successful fight to put more police officers on our streets, and I saw areas that could use improvement. I will run my council office in my own way, focusing on customer service and responsiveness. I will be resourceful in finding answers and solutions to the questions and concerns posed by voters, always making sure to ask, “How can I help?”