Paul Koretz more pragmatic choice for city council

Incumbent Paul Koretz has our vote for representing the 5th District – partly because of his know-how, partly because of his feasible ideas, but mostly because he is a far better candidate than his opponent.

Mark Herd, who is running against Koretz, is certainly familiar with the Westwood area. But during his interview with the Daily Bruin’s Editorial Board, Herd showed he had little understanding of what it would mean to be an effective, sensible representative at the city level.

Koretz, on the other hand, displayed a firm grasp of the issues that have played a part in Westwood’s declining vitality over the past few decades. Acknowledging that a problem exists, however, is not enough. Though Koretz offered some solutions, his lack of an expansive vision disappoints us.

During his interview with the editorial board, Koretz said adequate parking in Westwood was “key” to the neighborhood’s revival. He suggested converting parallel parking spots into angled parking spots, which might create 20 to 50 new spaces, he said.

Additionally, he said he wanted to look into instances where parking spots are being used inefficiently – for instance, businesses that mainly use their parking spaces during the day could rent those spaces out at night. Both ideas are smart, but Koretz himself said that, short of a major redevelopment effort, Westwood’s parking situation will not improve substantially.

And when asked about attracting businesses to Westwood, the only strategy Koretz pointed to was the Business Improvement District, which he said works to recruit new businesses by improving the “aesthetics and safety” of the neighborhood.

We do appreciate Koretz’s pragmatic approach on the issue of taxing businesses’ gross receipts. Frontrunners in the mayoral race have called for the elimination of this tax, saying that it will give businesses a boost and benefit the city’s economy as a whole. But Koretz is right in pointing out that such a tax cut would cost the city – already burdened with a large deficit – needed revenue. Koretz said he supports eliminating the tax only for certain businesses, as well as other piecemeal reforms, such as a sales tax holiday and a gradual reduction of the tax.

During his term, Koretz also proved a valuable ally for students when he firmly fought the city’s enforcement of a ban on apron parking, which limited the number of spots available in Westwood. Los Angeles suspended the ban after the city council passed a motion that Koretz and three other councilmembers presented.

We hope that Herd’s presence in this race challenges Koretz to more carefully consider ways he could effect change in Westwood and the rest of the 5th District. As it stands, our endorsement of Koretz stems mainly from the fact that he is better than the alternative.