League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA March 5, 2013 Election
	Elizabeth Badger Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 3

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?

I believe the single most important issue facing our city is the budget crisis. We must get our budget under control, and not at the expense of cutting core services. As councilwoman, I will make it my mission to stop the tax loopholes, reduce wasteful spending, and go after money owed to our city.

2. The City Administrative Officer has estimated a $200M budget shortfall for 2013-2014 increasing to $300M in 2015-2016. What steps do you propose to deal with this problem, and how much do you estimate each step would reduce the shortfall?

This is a complicated problem that cannot be genuinely answered in a few lines or short steps. It took us decades to get into the budget crisis we are in today. We can't realistically plan to fix it overnight. We need an overhaul of our budget oversight, including accurate and transparent reporting of where the money is going, where the waste is occurring, and the rate at which our city is growing. While we must face the reality of cuts, we can't continue to cut core services when our population is growing. In addition to improving transparency, we need to bring revenue back into the city by making Los Angeles a place to come and do business. We need to make it easier for small business to operate so they can grown and hire new employees, who can in turn go back into the community and spend money and support our local economy.

3. Do you support the ballot measure to increase the sales tax in the city?

In these uncertain times, I don't think we should be pulling options off the table. However, increasing the sales tax must be carefully planned to actually assist in solving the problem. If we are to raise sales tax, we should only do it if we have a real plan for where that money is going to go. I would support an increase, for example, if it is understood that the money would go back into our police, fire, or repairing our infrastructure.

4. What role do you feel the City of Los Angeles has to play in addressing climate change? Please explain in terms of what you as a city councilmember would have the power to do.

Our City leaders must set an example for the residents of our communities. We are in the position to promote programs and practices within our city that can reduce our carbon footprint and educate residents on how they can do their part to protect the environment. As councilwoman, I will advocate for expanding green initiatives that cut back dramatically on waste and increase our use of reusable resources.

5. How would you prioritize your local constituency versus the City as a whole when acting as a Council Member?

Council members are elected to serve a specific constituency, but the truth is that these boundaries are arbitrary. We all share many of the same concerns: safety, jobs, economic stability, and so forth. I do, however, believe that each district has its own unique needs and issues, and it is the responsibility of the councilperson in office to make sure those needs are given a voice. I will always fight to represent the residents of my district, but I will also maintain a balance between the needs of my district and the needs of the city as a whole.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League. 

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: January 4, 2013 20:27
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