Submitted By: Sonya Mehta and Kennan Cronen
With the election of Barack Obama, students and youth amassed a nation-wide progressive movement ““ but our work is far from over. It’s our job to sustain the momentum we created and target it toward community causes. Three challenges we currently face as a city are problems with public education, defending civil rights and developing alternative sources of energy. The Bruin Democrats are excited to offer our endorsements for the March 3 election.
First, we support Steve Zimmer for the Los Angeles Unified School District board in the fourth district (which includes UCLA).
Zimmer started out as a Teach For America corps member in Los Angeles and has since been a teacher for 17 years. He is the intervention officer at Marshall High School where he works with gang and drug-afflicted students. At Marshall, Zimmer has also worked with AB 540 students, has been an avid supporter of the California and Federal DREAM Acts and has long been a fighter for educational equality. He’s connected to the low-income students, parents and teachers who will be affected by school board funding and other decisions, which puts him in the best place to fight for them through legislative channels.
Second, we endorse Paul Koretz for fifth district Los Angeles City Council.
A UCLA alumnus, Koretz has served the L.A. community as a member of the state Assembly for the past six years and as a City Councilmember in West Hollywood for 12 years.
During his years of public service, Koretz has fought hard to protect our environment, public safety and health and has worked to end discrimination and intolerance. Koretz led water conservation efforts in West Hollywood, outlawed gasoline-powered leaf blowers and provided free electric-vehicle charging stations. He sponsored a city-wide ban on dangerous semi-automatic rifles in California and created the Public Safety Commission in West Hollywood. Koretz has been an unwavering champion of the LGBT community as well as a union advocate. He also has a personal vested interest in UCLA, his alma mater, and will work to address student concerns (including apron parking, tenants’ rights and amplified sound on campus) and will engage students at the same level as Westwood homeowners. He has been endorsed by the Sierra Club,Los Angeles County Democratic Party and more than 300 public officials.
Third, we support the passage of Measure B, the Solar Power Initiative.
Measure B represents a first, ambitious step in Los Angeles’ long walk toward energy independence and environmental sustainability. Nearly 75 percent of the energy produced in Los Angeles is derived from fossil fuels such as coal. Measure B is a mandate from the citizens requiring that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power invest in clean solar power rather than continuing to construct polluting fossil-fuel plants in order to meet the city’s growing needs.
Solar panels will be installed on the rooftops of commercial, industrial and governmental buildings in Los Angeles by 2014. Measure B has secured broad-based support from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and a host of other organizations. This measure makes sense for our environment, our economy and our future. Opponents of the measure point to its high cost ($1.6 billion) but fail to recognize that the required funds have already been allocated to the LADWP for energy production. This measure would simply redirect existing funding toward energy that will address our city’s oil consumption and air quality issues ““ not to mention create 5 million green jobs for L.A. workers.
It is important that we all make it out to the polls for the March 3 local elections to work for change in our own L.A. community.
Mehta is a third-year political science student and events director for Bruin Democrats. Cronen is a second-year political science student and media relations director for Bruin Democrats.