League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA March 3, 2015 Election
	Grace Yoo Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 10

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What do you think is the single most important issue facing the City of Los Angeles today? As Council Member, what would you do to deal with it?

The single most important issue facing the City of Los Angeles today is also the most basic: the maintenance of our urban environment, such as potholes, street lights, uprooted sidewalks, and unsightly alleyways. These are the resources that affect and are shared by all of us. According to the LA Times, 466 streets in District 10 alone received an F grade for having unsafe cracking and requiring immediate reconstruction. More than a third of LA streets received a score of D or lower, which is equally unacceptable. From the very young to the octogenarians, residents deserve far more. We deserve an environment that is maintained and safe for us to work, play and live.

We, the people, have been repeatedly promised public parks, which have been left as drafts on officials' desks or disconnected from funding sources. This has left us with empty, neglected, weed-ravaged lots throughout the district. These poor conditions are not just eyesores, but a daily reminder of our lack of representation. They chip away at property values that negatively influences the entire district and city. They are constant reminder of how low this community's most basic, daily priorities have been to the individuals meant to represent us.

As Councilmember, my first point of action would be to restore the neglected duties of basic city services, which currently is a low priority. Following the example of Councilman Bernard Parks, I would use my discretionary funds to pay to improve basic infrastructure needs. Angelenos deserve to have their needs met and I would take the necessary steps to make this happen.

2. The City Administrative Officer has estimated a $300 million budget shortfall for 2015-2016. What steps do you propose to deal with this problem and how much do you estimate each step would reduce the shortfall?

I endorse the 2020 Commission's recommendations.(http://www.metalscoalition.com/Time_For_Truth_LosAngeles.pdf) Accordingly, I would decline the $50,000 stipend for a car and I would encourage other Councilmembers to follow my lead to save $750,000. I would also challenge the Council to stop the practice of dividing the proceeds from real estate transactions between the City and the local Council office and direct all of the proceeds to the general fund. I would give up my district's funds only when all Councilmembers participate.

3. What is the single most important issue facing your Council District today, and how would you deal with it?

The single most important issue facing District 10 is the quality of life for the residents. Environmental and health concerns as well as economic growth which brings stability to families are essential to a thriving community.

We need to stop the "enhanced drilling" and "acid fracking" which requires very corrosive acids that literally melts rock. This seriously threatens the environment and public health of our neighbors, our friends, my family and myself.

Our economic growth can come from public works projects that would put people to work and would fix the potholes, uprooted sidewalks and broken street lamps.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' answers are presented as submitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: January 19, 2015 16:15
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