BY MY DAILY FIND STAFF
Five of the ten candidates vying to fill the open L.A. 2nd Council District seat joined VICA members for a candidate forum on August 21 at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City. The community leaders, business people and elected officials hoping to replace Wendy Greuel tackled issues ranging from runaway film production to city budget issues and pension costs.
From left: Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, VICA Chair Greg Lippe, Mary Benson, Chris Essel, Frank Sheftel, LAUSD Board Member Tamar Galatzan at VICA’s Newsmaker Connection, held at The Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City.
“The forum gave our members and other business leaders the opportunity to really hear the candidates’ positions on the issues that matter to business,” said VICA President Stuart Waldman.
The panel also discussed ways to improve education in the city, and how to best manage new development and land use issues.
Assemblymember and candidate Paul Krekorian explained to VICA how his experience with the state’s budget problems could help him when tackling the city’s budget issues. Chris Essel shared how her experience as a film executive will help her take the necessary steps to keep the entertainment industry in L.A.
LAUSD School Board Member Tamar Galatzan told attendees that she is tired of politics as usual in the city and shared her LADWP bill with the audience, noting that her family reduced its use of water and electricity and still saw their bill increase.
Frank Sheftel said that his experience as a business owner has shown him that the city has a lot to do in order to improve the climate for business. Mary Benson noted the city’s need to work better with other local governments and community organizations to improve the quality of life for residents.
“I think our members were able to get a good idea of what the candidates stand for and how they will work with the business community if elected,” Waldman said.
Out of respect for our members’ time, VICA researched and vetted the candidates and selected only those determined to be best for the business community. VICA does not take a position on candidates, only legislation.
Candidates who participated in the forum included: Mary Benson, Chris Essel, LAUSD School Board Member Tamar Galatzan, Assemblymember Paul Krekorian and Frank Sheftel.
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UPCOMING CANDIDATE FORUMS
Wednesday, August 26: Neighborhood Council Valley Village 7 p.m. at Colfax Charter Elementary 11724 Addison St North Hollywood www.myvalleyvillage.com
Monday, September 14: Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council at Sherman Oaks Elementary School, Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Info: jbbarad@roadrunner.com www.shermanoaksnc.org
Wednesday, September 16: Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Debate between the candidates starting at 7:15pm. Notre Dame High School 13645 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks www.soha.info
For further profiles about all ten City Council District 2 candidates, click here for My Daily Find’s report.
About Karen Young
