One of these candidates will win Venice’s first election for L.A. City Council in five years! - Bill Rosendahl


RESPONSE OF BILL ROSENDAHL
TO
VENICE BEACHHEAD QUESTIONNAIRE
(February 2005)


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

The City Council must tighten the definition of “stakeholder.” The current definition is too vague and broad, allowing outside interests to unduly influence bodies that should be local and neighborhood-based.

2. Do you support community control of development? If so, would you 
make any exceptions?
Community input is essential in local land use planning. We must end the political culture where residents and developers are pitted against each other. Processes like “Envision Venice” are a great first step to understanding and inviting neighborhood-friendly development.

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?
The loss of Section 8 housing is unforgivable and once it is lost, it is gone for good. We should using the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to preserve and protect any and all affordable housing in danger of being converted to market-rate housing. And we must build more affordable housing throughout the City of Los Angeles.

4. How would you promote low-income housing throughout the city, including Venice?
Developers in the Coastal Zone must be required to adhere to the affordable housing provisions of the Mello Act – without exception. I am encouraged that Santa Monica, has managed to build affordable housing. Los Angeles should study its system as it struggles to find the right mix of incentives and requirements to encourage developers to build affordable housing.

5. Many Housing and Urban Development (HUD) buildings are being privatized and residents evicted. What would you do about this?
I support efforts by POWER and VCHC to find a way for residents of the former Holiday Venice apartments to purchase and manage the units. I will work with Rep. Jane Harman to encourage HUD to bless such a purchase and will fight any efforts by the current owner to evict current tenants.
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 have and will continue to support the tenants. The destruction of that wonderful (and affordable) community is a travesty. I invite Beachhead readers to visit my website: www.billrosendahl.com where they can see my letter of support for State Historic Designation for the Lincoln Place community. 

7. What is your position on the future of LAX and Santa Monica Airport?
The LAX master plan is a flawed plan that fails to address environmental and community concerns. The Santa Monica Airport is a bad neighbor; noise, pollution and health and safety risks are born by Venice and Mar Vista residents. I have detailed proposals for both LAX and Santa Monica Airport on my website: www.billrosendhal.com.

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?
A centerpiece of my campaign has been my 6-page transportation platform (available on my website.) I call for completion of the Expo Line to the beach and the Green Line to the airport. I also call for a north-south rail line, creating a Westside light rail system. We also need more local shuttles to move Venice residents to the market, movies, doctor, etc.

9. If residents of Venice submit a petition for reestablishing cityhood, what would be your position?
I would oppose Venice breaking away from the City of Los Angeles. As a former Venice resident, I remain angry and frustrated that Venice has never gotten its fair share of services. Millions visit Venice every year, yet our services pale in comparison to Santa Monica. I will fight to change that and to help make the entire city understand Venice is one of its most precious treasures. 

10. How would you solve homelessness without punitive action against the homeless?
I hold a MSW and treated veterans during the Vietnam War. The issues of homelessness is very real and urgent for me, I will work with Bobby Shriver, Lee Baca and others to develop a comprehensive regional strategy to deal with homelessness: reaching out to the mentally ill through funds from Prop 63, steering alcoholics and addicts to treatment, housing homeless veterans at the VA property; building transitional housing for the economically disadvantaged. We must also be prepared to institutionalize those who are too sick to care for themselves.

11. Do you support or oppose rent control? Do you support or oppose vacancy decontrol?
I strongly support rent control and am deeply concerned about skyrocketing rents in the area. We need to build more affordable housing and we need to find a way that renters (who make up a majority of Angelenos and District 11 residents) are better represented on neighborhood councils.

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

I attended the 1200-person Town Hall on Playa Vista at Venice High and opposed approval of Phase Two of Playa Vista. There are too many unanswered questions about traffic, methane and the Indian burial grounds. We need a transportation infrastructure before we can consider approving developments of such size.

Posted: Tue - February 1, 2005 at 05:00 PM          

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