Candidate for
Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 5

Biography

Paul Koretz
L.A. City Councilmember
5th District

On July 1, 2009, Paul Koretz took the oath of office, becoming the current Los Angeles Councilmember for the city's historic 5th District.

Paul's election was the result of a neighborhood-friendly campaign in which he emphasized the District's great need for an actively involved council office, not just at City Hall but on a consistent basis in the community.

Both as a candidate and an elected official, Koretz has pledged his commitment to governmental efficiency, transparency, accountability, and accessibility + principles that have guided his life of activism, service, and leadership.

Born in the San Fernando Valley, Koretz was raised and went to school in the Westside portion of the 5th District, attending Canfield Elementary School, Palms Middle School, Hamilton High School, and UCLA, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history. During his time at UCLA, Paul helped to found the Bruin Democrats and was active in many other volunteer endeavors aimed at improving society and helping others.

Paul's awareness of humanitarian and political issues should be no surprise: his father Erich escaped Nazi Germany's deadly persecution of Jews, emigrating to the United States and the Los Angeles area. Erich was a dedicated member of the hotel and restaurant employees union, and Paul often joined his father on picket lines and in other efforts aimed at improving people's lot in life.

Paul learned the rigors, lessons, and blessings of city service as an aide to two different Los Angeles City Councilmembers of monumental stature + Zev Yaroslavsky and Marvin Braude + and during those years, would help some of the same residents and neighborhoods he now serves as Councilmember.

From the mid-1980s, Paul lived in the City of West Hollywood, which is adjacent to the 5th District. Paul helped lead the effort to incorporate that new city in 1984, thus establishing greater local accountability and constituent service. He was appointed as an aide to one of West Hollywood's original Councilmembers, Alan Viterbi, whom he was elected to replace when Viterbi retired in 1988.

As Councilmember and Mayor for the City of West Hollywood, Paul initiated and participated in many key efforts that boosted the city's efficiency, promoted jobs and the local economy, protected renters and homeowners, championed human and civil rights, delivered premium city services in a fiscally prudent manner, and made West Hollywood a regional model of excellent city management.

Following in the tradition of Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Braude, Paul showed a staunch willingness to advocate and legislate concerning difficult causes, often in the face of aggressive special interest opposition. He took on the gun lobby with pioneering legislation limiting the sales of handguns and banning assault weapons, thereby setting the standards for many other jurisdictions across the nation. His ordinance prohibiting smoking in restaurants similarly drew the fire of major lobbyists and interest groups, but he prevailed over the tobacco industry and the model established in West Hollywood has inspired others and promoted public health nationwide.

Paul has also gained a reputation as an environmental leader. He was the first Southern California Director of the California League of Conservation Voters, and served as Administrative Director of the Ecology Center of Southern California.

In 2000, Paul was elected to the California State Assembly, representing an area that includes much of the City of L.A.'s 5th District. He was reelected twice to his assembly post, serving the maximum-allowed three terms. In that capacity, he continued with many of his lifelong causes, serving as Chair of the Assembly Labor Committee, championing environmental bills, and leading efforts to reduce gun violence. But he also helped to save California taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by fighting to reform workers' compensation. He saved many lives with legislation such as his bill mandating that cigarettes sold in California be self-extinguishing -- thus reducing the risk of fires set by smoldering cigarettes. His "divestment" bill concerning Darfur made news worldwide about our moral standards and willingness to confront and end genocide.

At the same time, then-Assemblymember Koretz focused ceaseless energy on helping constituents in their daily lives, by promoting local transportation improvements, and neighborhood empowerment.

In his first term as 5th District Councilmember, Paul and his staff have been a steady and constant presence in the neighborhoods of the district, appearing at many neighborhood councils, homeowner groups, and chamber meetings. They are delighted to answer constituent questions, follow through on issues, and hold town hall meetings.

Among Paul's many efforts and accomplishments while serving as Los Angeles Councilmember, some of the most memorable have included:

• working with residents and community groups to fight intrusive billboards and cell towers;
• fighting for honesty and transparency within the LADWP, including the creation of a ratepayer advocate position to protect against unwarranted rate hikes;
• leading the fight to prevent layoffs and cuts to our city's essential fire and emergency services, while working to find savings with efficiencies to ensure that even in harsh economic times, the City of LA is fiscally sound;
• championing successful efforts to save beloved civic, community, and cultural landmarks such as the historic Century Plaza Hotel, Los Encinos Park and the Sepulveda Garden Center;
• providing crucial leadership in the crafting and passage of the Hillside Ordinance, thereby protecting our hillsides from destruction by developers;
• ending various abusive city policies such as those involving apron parking and red light cameras;
• getting many trees trimmed, potholes filled, streets paved, and needed traffic signals installed despite the city's severely limited budget;
• teaming with Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and other community organizations to enhance neighborhoods and promote neighborhood-friendly businesses and job creation;
• closing down neighborhood nuisances such as party houses, drug houses, and the Mermaids strip club in Encino;
• outlawing the deadly designer drugs know as "bath salts," which had been legally distributed in Los Angeles despite horrific acts of psychotic episodes and violence linked to their usage;
• introducing landmark animal welfare initiatives such as the banning of cat declawing and puppy mills;
• promoting key environmental measures such as a ban on plastic bags;
• creating and supporting new parks and recreation facilities and the upgrading of old ones.

Paul's wife, Gail, was a longtime aide to another legendary Councilmember, Joel Wachs; she currently serves as Government and Community Relations Manager for Kaiser Permanente's Los Angeles Medical Center. Their daughter, Rachel, is a senior at UCLA.