Responses from Richard Alarcón - Candidate for Mayor

1.What would you do, if anything, to change the neighborhood council system?

As Mayor, I will:

Increase the Neighborhood Council’s budget to $250,000.
Cut the Red Tape to give Neighborhood Councils decision-making power over their expenditures.
Establish the same election procedures for all Neighborhood Council.
Give Neighborhood Councils planning authority.

2. Do you support community control of development? If so, would you make any exceptions?

Yes. Developers and contractors have a stranglehold on the city’s planning process and that’s why I filed a ballot measure to eliminate their contributions to campaigns. I will provide Neighborhood Councils with planning authority. The authoritative handling of the Lincoln Center Project in Venice is a perfect example of why Neighborhood Councils need to be empowered with planning authority.

3. Section 8 housing is being cut back and tenants share of the rent is being raised from 30 to 40 percent. What would you do, if elected, to address this problem?

I am a longstanding advocate for affordable housing whether as a City Council Member, Senator, or Chairman of the Housing Committee. I chair the Joint Legislative Committee to Develop a Master Plan to End Poverty in California. As mayor, I will institute a Master Plan to End Poverty in LA with a specific purpose to increase the supply of affordable housing in Los Angeles.

4. How would you promote low-income housing throughout the city, including Venice?

I propose:

Full funding of the Housing Trust Fund
Implementing a consensus inclusionary zoning ordinance
Increasing housing supplies around transit corridors
Providing down-payment assistance to first time homebuyers
Offering incentives to developers to create mixed-use housing.
Working with financial institutions to change credit policies so that those who may not have an established line of credit, but consistently pay their rent on time will not be punished by home-loan lenders.

5. Many Housing and Urban Development (HUD) buildings are being
privatized and residents evicted. What would you do about this?

I would make every effort to ensure the privatization of these buildings provides opportunities for residents to avoid evictions and guarantee them affordable housing. I will work with developers to ensure that as HUD buildings are privatized that their units are made affordable to tenants. I will explore the use of incentives to ensure that the in the privatized buildings, existing tenants are guaranteed the first right of refusal.

6. Venice's largest low-income housing complex, Lincoln Place, is being depopulated and may be demolished. Would you support the tenants' efforts to save it? How?

I would like to make the Lincoln Place a model for utilizing the Housing Trust Fund to guarantee that any new development at the site will include a substantial amount of affordable units. I will also ensure that existing and former tenants will be guaranteed the first opportunity.

7. What is your position on the future of LAX and Santa Monica Airport?

Congestion is clogging the freeways and toxic emissions are increasing. We must build additional capacity elsewhere to alleviate the environmental problems that come with LAX and Santa Monica. I opposed the LAX Master Plan and I have introduced legislation to create a regional airport authority, whose purpose will be to build additional airport capacity.

8. Do you support rail transit on the westside, such as, extension of the Green Line and building of the Exposition Line? How would you support bringing cheap, safe, efficient mass rapid transit to more riders in Venice and other westside locations?

Yes.
I will work with the other 87 cities in Los Angeles County and build consensus within the region on transportation solutions to:

Obtain additional federal transportation money
Fight to expand the Red line to Santa Monica and the Green Line to LAX.

I will not sit back and wait as the federal government pulls back promised resources, as it did in 2001 when $156 million was withdrawn for the expansion of the Exposition (Red) Line

9. If residents of Venice submit a petition for reestablishing cityhood, what would be your position?

No. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to convince you that staying a part of Los Angeles is in the best interest of Venice residents. As mayor, I will empower communities by granting greater authority to Neighborhood Councils and by eliminating campaign contributions from contractors and developers. I will bring the power of decision making to the people.

10. How would you solve homelessness without punitive action against the homeless?

As mayor, I will create the first Master Plan to End Poverty in Los Angeles. Which will focus on:

coordinating with cites counties throughout California to achieve action plans
providing additional transitional shelters
providing affordable housing
creating jobs with a living wage
providing health care to all
creating a stable safety net for those who fall on hard times

11. Do you support or oppose rent control? Do you support or oppose
vacancy decontrol?

I support rent control.

12. Do you support or oppose further expansion of Playa Vista?

I oppose the further expansion into the environmentally sensitive area, without fully mitigating environmental concerns.


	RESPONSE OF RICHARD ALARCON TO VENICE BEACHHEAD QUESTIONNAIRE (February 2005) 1.What would you do, if anything, to change the neighborhood council system? As Mayor, I will: Increase the Neighborhood Council’s budget to $250,000. Cut the Red Tape to give Neighborhood Councils decision-making power over their expenditures. Establish the same election procedures for all Neighborhood Council. Give Neighborhood Councils planning authority. 2. Do you support community control of development? If so, would you make any exceptions? Yes. Developers and contractors have a stranglehold on the city’s planning process and that’s why I filed a ballot measure to eliminate their contributions to campaigns. I will provide Neighborhood Councils with planning authority. The authoritative handling of the Lincoln Center Project in Venice is a perfect example of why Neighborhood Councils need to be empowered with planning authority. 3. Section 8 housing is being cut back and tenants share of the rent is being raised from 30 to 40 percent. What would you do, if elected, to address this problem? I am a longstanding advocate for affordable housing whether as a City Council Member, Senator, or Chairman of the Housing Committee. I chair the Joint Legislative Committee to Develop a Master Plan to End Poverty in California. As mayor, I will institute a Master Plan to End Poverty in LA with a specific purpose to increase the supply of affordable housing in Los Angeles. 4. How would you promote low-income housing throughout the city, including Venice? I propose: Full funding of the Housing Trust Fund Implementing a consensus inclusionary zoning ordinance Increasing housing supplies around transit corridors Providing down-payment assistance to first time homebuyers Offering incentives to developers to create mixed-use housing. Working with financial institutions to change credit policies so that those who may not have an established line of credit, but consistently pay their rent on time will not be punished by home-loan lenders. 5. Many Housing and Urban Development (HUD) buildings are being privatized and residents evicted. What would you do about this? I would make every effort to ensure the privatization of these buildings provides opportunities for residents to avoid evictions and guarantee them affordable housing. I will work with developers to ensure that as HUD buildings are privatized that their units are made affordable to tenants. I will explore the use of incentives to ensure that the in the privatized buildings, existing tenants are guaranteed the first right of refusal. 6. Venice's largest low-income housing complex, Lincoln Place, is being depopulated and may be demolished. Would you support the tenants' efforts to save it? How? I would like to make the Lincoln Place a model for utilizing the Housing Trust Fund to guarantee that any new development at the site will include a substantial amount of affordable units. I will also ensure that existing and former tenants will be guaranteed the first opportunity. 7. What is your position on the future of LAX and Santa Monica Airport? Congestion is clogging the freeways and toxic emissions are increasing. We must build additional capacity elsewhere to alleviate the environmental problems that come with LAX and Santa Monica. I opposed the LAX Master Plan and I have introduced legislation to create a regional airport authority, whose purpose will be to build additional airport capacity. 8. Do you support rail transit on the westside, such as, extension of the Green Line and building of the Exposition Line? How would you support bringing cheap, safe, efficient mass rapid transit to more riders in Venice and other westside locations? Yes. I will work with the other 87 cities in Los Angeles County and build consensus within the region on transportation solutions to: Obtain additional federal transportation money Fight to expand the Red line to Santa Monica and the Green Line to LAX. I will not sit back and wait as the federal government pulls back promised resources, as it did in 2001 when $156 million was withdrawn for the expansion of the Exposition (Red) Line 9. If residents of Venice submit a petition for reestablishing cityhood, what would be your position? No. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to convince you that staying a part of Los Angeles is in the best interest of Venice residents. As mayor, I will empower communities by granting greater authority to Neighborhood Councils and by eliminating campaign contributions from contractors and developers. I will bring the power of decision making to the people. 10. How would you solve homelessness without punitive action against the homeless? As mayor, I will create the first Master Plan to End Poverty in Los Angeles. Which will focus on: coordinating with cites counties throughout California to achieve action plans providing additional transitional shelters providing affordable housing creating jobs with a living wage providing health care to all creating a stable safety net for those who fall on hard times 11. Do you support or oppose rent control? Do you support or oppose vacancy decontrol? I support rent control. 12. Do you support or oppose further expansion of Playa Vista? I oppose the further expansion into the environmentally sensitive area, without fully mitigating environmental concerns.