KNBC 4 NEWS: Mayoral Candidate David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg

Los Angeles Mayor's Race, David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg
Feb 27, 2009

Watch the one-on-one interview with candidate for Los Angeles Mayor, David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg.



ZumaTUBE.com
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Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate: David 'Zuma Dogg' Saltsburg Interview in Los Angeles Time

VOTE THIS TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2009 in the Los Angeles City elections.

LOS ANGELES ELECTION

David 'Zuma Dogg' Saltsburg: L.A. mayoral candidate

Public safety and education Q & A

February 25, 2009

1) Since Mayor Villaraigosa called for expanding the police department by at least 1,000 officers, 694 have joined the force. Considering that crime continues to be down in Los Angeles, should the hiring go forward even in the face of dramatic budget shortfalls? Or should hiring stop or be slowed until more revenue is available?

I don't think that the people of Los Angeles want to hear that Mayor Villaraigosa created a trash collection fee, then tripled it, for the sole purpose of hiring 1,000 new officers, only to be told that not all 1,000 officers were hired and the money was used for other purposes. And the main thing people have to understand is that as mayor, you have to be thinking one or two steps ahead of where we are today. Villaraigosa, with his high-density housing projects that he has been jamming into every nook and cranny across the city means the city is going to be much more populated and overcrowded. So the city has to keep up with the hiring of police officers to keep up with the population boom that is coming. And in these trying economic times, expect more first-time crime and an increase in crime in general. When you talk of hiring new police, people immediately think it must be to arrest more people, but police are especially going to be needed, more and more, for things like helping Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on rescue missions to help secure the scene before they can go in to offer assistance. So this is no time for the mayor to be talking about weaseling out of his promise to voters after he created a trash collection fee over the issue, then tripled the fee.

2) The LAPD labors under a federal consent decree that arose from years of officer misconduct and scandal. Police disciplinary hearings had historically been open for public review until courts recently ruled that they could be closed under state law. Sen. Gloria Romero has attempted to pass legislation that would reopen misconduct hearings. But police unions strongly oppose it. Do you believe the public has a right to know the names of officers who commit misconduct and the details of their misdeeds? If elected, would you push for re-opening police misconduct hearings?

Let's remember that police officers have the toughest and most dangerous job out there and they are doing it because as a society we have decided we do not want to live in an "eye for an eye" (street justice) civilization. And the reason I mention this, is because we don't want to drive away the already scarce pool of upcoming police officers because of Gloria Romero's agenda of wanting to expose the names of police officers. Their job is unsafe enough. By releasing their names, it seems like you would be putting them at risk in their personal life, as well. I'll have to study up on the benefit of releasing the names. However, I believe the public has a right to know the details of any misdeeds, and should know any misdeeds, so the department can take measures to make sure misdeeds are not repeated.

3) Who deserves credit for the steady drop in Los Angeles crime -- the mayor, the police chief or someone else?

First of all, I'll just play along and assume that the claim of a steady drop in L.A. crime is a valid one. So let's just say there has been a steady drop in crime. What kind of question is that to ask, "Who deserves credit." Who cares? The goal of the mayor, police chief and everyone else who is responsible as an elected official is to simply wake up every day and do as much as possible in a collaborative and cooperative effort to reduce crime. There is no way of knowing who is responsible for what and I don't think your average voter makes that distinction. ("Oh yeah, crime is down . . . it must be because of the mayor.") I think if people hear that crime is down they thank the police, but if crime is up they blame the mayor. I think that's how it goes, right?

4) To what extent is it appropriate for a mayor to control the local school district? How well managed was the attempt by the current mayor to make this happen?

It would be very appropriate if it were part of the mayor's job description. But unfortunately, the school system is not under the mayor's office, so it is completely inappropriate. Being mayor of Los Angeles is not a part-time job, as it is in many other cities in the country. It's not like working at McDonald's and having a paper route on the side. And the attempt wasn't managed well, at all. He spent the first two and a half years of his term as mayor fighting for AB 1381 (mayoral control) only to lose all the way up the judicial ladder until there were no more court losses to be had. So that was a lot of time, money and staff wasted on a shameless battle that everyone knew was wrong and illegal in the first place, and was proven to be so through multiple court losses.

5) Mayor Villaraigosa set out to take over all Los Angeles public schools and now oversees a small percentage of them. Do you believe his efforts have been worthwhile? Do you believe it has made a difference in the way children are being educated?

After his stunning series of court defeats and loss of the total enchilada, he went for a cluster of 10 schools. Because a smaller piece of the $20-billion school construction pie is better than no piece at all. Because you must remember, all of this hoopla about caring about the school system, is really about the $20 billion in construction and repair money up for grabs and ready to be handed out the preferred contractors of choice. So, Antonio Villaraigosa promised parents and teachers total input, more involvement, more control as a way of getting his foot in the door, and now I have been contacted by parents in the district who say it is a disaster and he has shut the door on all parental input and they are very sorry they fell for it. I'm sure he will boast of some statistics that proved all the dropouts are now on their way to Harvard. I do know, however, that the mayor would actually like to try and succeed in a real and meaningful way at those schools. Not because he cares about kids, but so he has an achievement to point to when he runs for governor. Because that is the first thing he will be doing as soon as he is reelected.

David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg on the ballot -- A blogger weighs in

This ain't a bad email to start the day. Thanks so much for all the supportive comments and emails from everyone. They all help to keep me truckin' along! ZD

Dear Mayor Saltsburg,

I've been a fan since I only knew you with glasses and a beanie.

I'm so glad to see you on the ballot and you have my vote. When I opened up my sample ballot and saw your name there I felt a glimmer of hope in bleak bleak world. :)

I'm a teacher at (an Art college) and I plan to tell all my students to vote for you for mayor and to spread the word.

I'm wondering if you have a ticket for this election of other candidates that you would support and would work well with. I'd love to have something like that in my hands on election day and spread to the word about those folks as well.

Sincerely,
A Teacher and a Voter

ZumaTimes.com

Behind The Scenes With Zuma Dogg @ Good Day Live (Part 2)

Zuma's Pick! A fun behind the scenes clip right on the set as we went to air.

FOX 11 News's GOOD DAY L.A.:
Behind The Scenes with Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate "Zuma Dogg" (Part 2)



ZumaDoggForMayor.com
ZumaTube.com (Zuma's Video Page)

Los Angeles Times Election Coverage: David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg

LOS ANGELES ELECTIONS

From Los Angeles Times

David 'Zuma Dogg' Saltsburg: L.A. mayoral candidate

Transportation and development Q & A

February 16, 2009

With the March 3 primary election drawing near, The Times asked candidates for Los Angeles mayor to respond to questions about key issues facing the nation's second-largest city. Here are the responses from candidate David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg:



1) What concrete proposals would you pursue to reduce traffic congestion in Los Angeles?

First of all, it must be noted that traffic is caused by density, and I feel Villaraigosa's City Hall has irreparably changed the character of the city with irresponsible density projects that are a massive contribution to the traffic problem. So by proposing a slowdown on the high-density projects around the low-density infrastructure (the roads don't get any wider with all the added high-density housing projects), that will help prevent further congestion. And I would beg Jane Usher to return as director of the planning department.

Secondly, I have mentioned my 14-point plan to improve efficiency in all departments, citywide, and this management philosophy is the only method in which to achieve the actual goal of "traffic congestion reduction." For example, Villaraigosa had left-turn "auto sensors" installed underneath the streets to help "reduce traffic congestion" at busy intersections. However, the auto sensor system is not working, in reality, because there's usually one, two or even three cars that will proceed against the red light in the other direction, forcing the first car with the green left arrow to wait until those final cars (traveling against the red light) make it through the intersection. By the time that happens, the auto sensor says, "No cars are moving across the sensor . . . no cars are here," and the green left arrow turns red, before the first car even has a chance to make it through. Defenders of this broken system say the problem is not with the sensors or the system. The problem is with the drivers who proceed against the red light, and that needs to be enforced.

What [W. Edwards] Deming's 14-point management philosophy has taught me is that it doesn't matter why the system is broken and not working . . . just fix the system. As mayor, the second I found out these left-turn auto sensors were not working in the real world because of the opposing traffic "real world" scenario, the answer isn't, "It's the other people's fault, we installed the auto sensors, don't crash the red light" when we already know two to three cars will always crash the red light and only one car will make it through before the light turns red again.

So Zuma Dogg as mayor would make sure the timing system accounts for the real-world conditions that once the left arrow turns green, you may have a five- to 12-second delay before you detect motion.

This happened because departments do not work together in a collaborate effort under Villaraigosa's city hall. So the problem was not foreseen. And now, all this time and money was spent to help reduce traffic congestion, but the city has just made the problem even worse and even more unsafe (especially since a pedestrian does not have nearly enough time to make it to the other side in time). And it will cost all that money to fix the problem as traffic gets worse, not better.

Another way to reduce traffic is to make the city livable and affordable for people who work in the city. Villaraigosa has gone "luxury upscale" with his housing plan. There was a massive condo conversion where renters were kicked out and the units were replaced with half-a-million and million-dollar-plus condos. Meanwhile, there isn't any affordable, moderate-priced housing for the people who work in the city, so they are pushed out into the outskirts and have to commute back in. This is a huge factor.

Something I would propose is getting the big trucks off the roads in the metro area during the peak rush hours of 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Truckers can realign their hours, or they can pay a big tax if they want to operate during those hours and the money can be used for infrastructure projects.

The bus system is not good enough, either, if the city expects more people to hop out of their cars and into buses. More buses and better buses need to be added, and I would be talking about lowering bus fares, not raising them, to entice more riders.



2) Do you favor building a Subway to the Sea? What would be your preferred route?

Here's another one of those ideas that sounds great conceptually, and who would say no to a magic "Subway to the Sea?" As someone who spends time traveling between Venice and downtown, I would love it. However, let's be realistic. There isn't money for get this project done. And it doesn't do any good to have it partially completed. Secondly, there is no plan to move ahead with this besides a bunch of talk and optimism. So at this point, I don't think even the supporters of "Subway to the Sea" say we are talking 25 years before we see this thing. And it always takes longer, so let's just say 25-30 years for a project that has not even gotten started and there is no real and tangible way to fund it. So that's a lot of money, time and hope tied up for something that may or may not even happen for 30 years.

But yes, as mayor, I would continue to move ahead with the project, as it is able to move ahead, because people want the project to happen and if it's ever completed, all those people not even born yet will love it.

But as mayor, I will be pushing for all the other more practical and realistic traffic congestion solutions.

And here is something that top traffic consulting experts told me at a Southern California regional government meeting: The No. 1 way to prevent traffic gridlock on the freeway is to . . . (drumroll please) . . . stay in your lane. Yes, the No. 1 cause of traffic slowdown on the freeways is people switching lanes when their lane slows down.

These are traffic geeks who explained it all to me, and it makes sense. But again, you are never going to get people to go against their human nature on this issue of switching out of your lane as it slows down. But as mayor, I will try and educate people to everything they can do as individuals to help, as well.



3) Do you favor making more Los Angeles streets flow one way? Do you favor putting toll lanes in place of freeway lanes?

I like the idea of more one-way streets from a "traffic reduction" perspective because with traffic so congested (and getting worse), if someone going to work could hop on a bus in Marina Del Rey and take an express bus route all the way downtown, it would help get people out of their car and onto the bus to a certain percent. I call it "Poor Man's 'Subway to the Sea.' " And in general, one-ways would help. However, and it's a big "however": The business owners along these potential one-way corridors are very much against the idea because it will hurt their local business economy because they fear the one-way traffic makes it a harder for people who are trying to drive to their specific location.

I know it will be tough to add more one-ways in this city, anyway, because it was already challenged and defeated by business when the mayor tried it, last year. But as traffic gets worse and worse, there may be more and more of a demand from the people for more one-way corridors.



4) What approach would you use to evaluate real estate development projects in the city? Is there any project that should not have been approved over the past decade?

Is there any project that should not have been approved over the past decade? Are you kidding me? The question is, "how many" projects should not have been approved over the past decade! Oh my goodness, if I have learned anything over the past few years studying the agenda and attending City Council meetings, it's that the city will try to get away with any project against the community plan and spirit, in violation of zoning ordinances and vacancy rates and try to weasel out of EIR (environmental impact reports) that condemn projects.

The approach I would use to evaluate real estate development projects would be to first ask, is this of real benefit to the community, or just a reason to let a developer make some money on the backs of the community?

But I am not against development. There are plenty of the areas in the city that need redevelopment. But the areas that need it most are ignored, and the redevelopment money that is supposed to be used for these community redevelopment projects ends up going to billionaire projects instead like Grand Avenue project, while many communities across the city are falling into further disrepair.

If there is one distinction between myself and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa when it comes to our approach on development, he favors the high-end, expensive, luxury projects that are the complete wrong thing for the city in this economy. I want to focus on the mom-and-pop, local community businesses and make sure CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) money that is earmarked to redevelop "blight in the community" is used for blight and not some billionaire's pet fantasy project that no one really needs.



5) Would you favor tougher restrictions against billboard advertising like those in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills?

Absolutely. I can tell you, as someone who was out gathering signatures for my mayoral petitions recently, the issue of these digital Clear Channel billboards is a very big issue for residents.

First of all, there are concerns of traffic safety issues because these giant flashing UFO billboards hypnotize and distract drivers. Secondly, there may be a time, place and manner for these billboards, but clearly they have been allowed to pop up in places where they were never intended. You are not supposed to have a backyard view of these billboards from your home. You are not supposed to have to wear sunglasses in your bedroom at night.

And here's how I will address the situation as mayor. The city and now even state is passing a freeze on more of these billboards. But the problem is, we already had rules and regulations on these billboards. However, the mayor and city attorney's office turned a blind eye and allowed them to go up all over town in violation of the law.

Now the city has lost count and doesn't even know where or how many of these billboards there are around town.

If I am elected mayor, I will personally tear down all the illegally constructed billboards throughout the city along with whoever wants to join me on my first day in office!

BACKSTAGE: Zuma Dogg on Good Day L.A. (Green Room and On-set ZumaCam)

Thanks to Jillian Barberi (I refuse to recognize her married name) for mentioning Zuma Dogg on today's (Monday) Good Day L.A. broadcast, as she mentioned to Steve Edwards that he missed Zuma Dogg on Friday, and it was a very nice shout out that REALLY, REALLY made my day good. Maybe that's why they call it "Good Day L.A." Between Dorothy Lucey who really appeared to be in love with the "Carrie Underwood" of L.A. mayoral candidates and now Jillian jumping on the ZD bandwagon, I really have to say that I am glad I put my name on the ballot.

And I now realize, the past three years of activism hasn't been about helping people...but trying to get Dorothy and Jillian to finally embrace the Big ZD on morning TV!!! (If I lose the election, and Steve Edwards can't take those two anymore and decided to ever retire...HOLLA AT YA BOY, Fox 11!!!)

ZUMA DOGG OFFICIALLY UNMASKED FOR LOS ANGELES TELEVISION VIEWERS ON FOX 11's "GOOD DAY L.A."
(A seminal pop culture moment as Zuma Dogg removes hat and glasses on camera for first time in eight years as a local public access pop culture icon. YES, LA Weekly called me a public access "icon" -- so I'm rollin' with it!)



AND, make sure to see the Los Angeles Daily News coverage of the mayoral forum yesterday. (Yes, they ran the picture of ZD speaking with the rest of the crybaby-loser candidates seated.)

More videos at ZumaTube.com

David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg, Candidate for Mayor Featured in Today's Los Angeles Times on Measure B (Mayor's solar boondoggle)

Thanks again to Los Angeles Times for covering this election in a real and meaningful way, but allowing all the candidates a forum to answer questions, as opposed to some radio talk show hosts who base democracy on dollars raised, and whether they are being spent on their radio show.

Daily News will also be featuring mayoral candidates and are holding a mayoral candidate forum on Sunday. Here are my answers to the L.A. Times question about Measure B (solar) on the March 3, 2009 ballot.

Solar energy: Q & A with L.A. mayoral candidates
Contestants in the March 3 primary describe their stances on Measure B, a solar energy measure that proposes putting photovoltaic cells on roofs and parking lots across Los Angeles.
By William Nottingham February 13, 2009

Should the city of Los Angeles become a national leader in the generation of renewable solar energy, as a March 3 ballot measure proposes? Or would it be too costly to put 400 megawatts' worth of photovoltaic cells on roofs and parking lots across town?

Times editors recently asked the 10 mayoral candidates about the solar energy charter amendment, Measure B. Here are excerpts of their responses.Do you support Measure B, the city's proposed solar power initiative? Why? How do you believe it will affect Department of Water and Power rates?

David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg: "Not only do I not support Measure B, if I have one message to get across to voters this election season, it is please vote "No" on Measure B. The measure was rushed onto the ballot without much discussion or input. It will drive up the cost of DWP rates. I think just about everyone in the city would agree that solar energy is good. But this is an extremely risky plan that reports say may cost at least double the initial proposed cost. It's a blank check for an aggressive plan that DWP is not ready to take on. But the worst part is that it is not really about creating a strategic solar plan for the city. There was no competitive bid for the program. . . . So what I think this is about isn't about solar, but helping the mayor secure his reelection by putting this deal together that is too expensive, too risky, noncompetitive, will drive up DWP rates, takes the solar industry out of private hands and requires blank-check spending."

Antonio Villaraigosa:"Measure B is the first installment of a solar plan that will provide the city of Los Angeles with 400 megawatts of in-basin solar power by 2014. Ultimately this comprehensive plan will provide 1,200 megawatts of solar energy by 2020 -- making Los Angeles the solar capital of the world. Measure B will create thousands of good, middle-class jobs in solar installation and maintenance. It establishes a job-training and outreach academy focusing on job creation in underserved neighborhoods throughout L.A. . . . Measure B also contains strong accountability provisions including annual audits by the city controller and a citizens oversight committee to ensure that this program is developed and implemented in an efficient and transparent manner."

Full Los Angeles Times article with all candidate replies

UPDATE: I would also like to add that I was contacted by a veteran DWP worker who reminded me the DWP infratstructure is absolutely shot, the transformers are shot...one good heatwave, and it will look like the $4 million dollar scene in "Tropic Thunder." (ka-BOOM!) But citywide blackouts are what we are really talking about here. And this is no time to have all these DWP workers moving away from the real task of the dangerous transformer and infrastructure situation, THAT IS GETTING WORSE BY THE DAY, WITH ALL OF VILLARAIGOSA'S MASSIVE HIGH-DENISITY PROJECTS!!! THE CITY IS IN BIG TROUBLE. THE DWP INFRASTRUCTURE CANNOT ACCOMODATE IT ALL...MASSIVE BROWN OUTS THIS SUMMER!!!

And these DWP workers that Villaraiogsa is having be the only workers allowed to install these panels are not experienced in solar panel installation, and I am told it's not the kind of thing you learn to do on a job like this.

ZumaDoggForMayor.com

VIDEO: David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg on FOX 11 - GOOD DAY L.A. (Including Extra Internet-Only Video)

[If embedded videos do not appear, you can click the story link to original FOX 11 webpage.]

Is David Saltsburg The Next Mayor?
David Dain

Election Day for our next mayor is March 3rd. One of the candidates is David Saltsburg, better known throughout the city as "Zuma Dogg," host of his own public access cable TV show. Saltsburg is a regular at city council meetings, speaking out as a member of the public, most often on issues involving the waste of taxpayer's money



Web Extra! David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg
David Dain

Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) - David Saltsburg is known as "Zuma Dogg" and he's running for Mayor. He often attends and voices his concerns in city council meetings about what he thinks is wasteful spending of taxpayer's money. He talks about his platform in this exclusive web interview.

In this video, Zuma Dogg speaks on candidate Walter Moore being a long-time Clear Channel digital billboard attorney, fighting for all of these flashing billboards to go up, and now the community, city and state has put a freeze on these billboards as we have learned they have popped up illegally, all across the city; and people want those to be taken down. Plus, Zuma Dogg discusses his candidacy and the problems with Villaraiogsa's City Hall in this "extra" segment for the internet only that did not air on the broadcast
.


David Saltsburg Answers Viewer Questions
We brought back David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg in the 9am show to answer questions you emailed him. Listen to his answers here.



ZumaDoggForMayor.com
P.O. Box 50616, L.A., CA, 90056
213-785-7272
zumadogg@gmail.com

More videos at zumatube.com.

Los Angeles Times Covers Zuma Dogg and Mayoral Candiates in Tuesday's Newspaper!

It's the moment Zuma Dogg has been waiting for. His message creeping into the Los Angeles Times to combat Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's fraud, waste and abuse. You can say what you want about why Zuma Dogg is running and his chances of winning...but when he gets his Anti-Antonio message into the L.A. Times...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

This is part of a series that will be in The Times up until the election. This is part one of the first six questions that I answered last week. And they have already sent over six more questions. So again, here is only one of the first six questions. Look for more all week.

DAVID "ZUMA DOGG" SALTSBURG

1) What distinguishes you from the other candidates in the race?

First of all, I consider my extensive training of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's 14-point management philosophy the single most important qualification that distinguishes me from the other candidates.

I am a firm believer that until the city of Los Angeles embraces these 14 points (methods for management of quality and productivity) under the leadership of the mayor's office, the city will continue to trip all over itself and waste immeasurable amounts of money; just when we need to do more with less.

My interpretation of Deming's 14 points was praised by Deming himself and published internationally in Quality Digest. So the fact that I have an actual 14-point plan (method) in which to operate the mayor's office distinguishes me as a candidate. As opposed to just pointing out problems with no method to achieve the goal of improvement.

Secondly, I am the only candidate who actually attends almost all of the City Council meetings (including a six-month-plus stretch without missing a single meeting), reviews each agenda, item by item; then speaks out "on the record" before council on the shadiest items.

So I don't think there is any other candidate on the ballot, including the incumbent, who is as on top of what is going on in the city on a day-to-day operational basis than myself.

And while attending all of these council meetings and other community meetings, I have met thousands of people (who see me on TV) who grab my ear and tell me about what is most important to them in their community. What issue is the city plaguing them with. These are truly heartbreaking stories from the most diverse socioeconomic and demographic crowd on the planet. The truest melting pot in the world is L.A. City Council chambers on any given day.

So I have sure been "schooled" by nearly all factions of the community in nearly all pockets of the city, from Marina del Rey to El Sereno. I am just as recognized in Highland Park and Woodland Hills. I am certain there is no other candidate who has spent more time in the streets and meeting rooms throughout the city, being educated on the most important issues in the city.

But the most important and unintended quality that I have taken on while connecting with so many people across the city is the actual importance of "compassion" in making decisions as mayor. It's easy to take an idealist, "perfect world" stance on citywide issues as a candidate. But then you have to deal with a real situation, with real people, in real time. And I wouldn't be prepared to be mayor of this city without seeing and hearing things from other people's perspective.

Everything I have ever spoken on or written about has been brought to me by a member of the community either by e-mail, phone or in person. And it has only been through this process of meeting thousands of people over the past three years as I attend these meetings that I am now ready to represent the voice and spirit of the community.

And they don't teach you how to run the mayor's office in an Ivy League textbook. So luckily, I have studied Deming's management philosophy extensively and have attended hundreds of council meetings and spoken with thousands of people, so I probably know what is actually going on and what to do about it more than any other candidate.

COMPLETE ARTICLE WITH ALL THE CANDIATES ANSWERS

http://www.zumadoggformayor.com/

這次競選洛杉磯市長共有9名候選人，其中7名參加了7日候選人論壇。這些候選人中一位是社會主義者David"Zuma Dogg"Saltsburg，他指責洛杉磯市充滿欺詐、浪費和濫用職權。

[They're even talking about me in Chinese! Hope it's good!]

Daily News & Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Council To Co-Host Mayoral Forum THIS SUNDAY

Dear Zuma Dogg,

The Daily News and the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils are co-hosting a mayoral forum on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 4 p.m. and would like you to participate. All 10 of the candidates are being invited to address the public gathering.

The forum will be held in on the grounds of the CBS studios in Studio City and will last for approximately 90 minutes. It will be moderated by the executive editor of the Los Angeles Daily News, Carolina Garcia. Each candidate will have a total of at least 8 minutes (depending on the amount of participants) to speak directly to the crowd and answer questions. Please note that this is not a debate, but a forum to answer questions on policy, plans, qualifications, etc.

Los Angeles Daily News

So, common out to the forum and hear Zuma Dogg answer the questions with specific solutions based on my 14 point plan and hear Walter Moore show up to keep reading off the same list of problems with Villaraigosa and more fear-based rhetoric.

I think the people know about the mayor, with less than a month left to go, I would still like to know what Walter PLANS on doing as mayor, besides complain and whine about Villaraigosa. ONCE YOU ACTUALLY BECOME MAYOR, YOU HAVE TO BE A DECISIVE ACTION TAKER...YOU CANNOT RUN THE CITY BY SIMPLY LISTING THE PROBLEMS/COMPLAINING.

I challenge all people to start paying attention to the questions being asked during these forums, and then pay attention to the actual words being spoken by the candiates. DID they answer the question being asked, or did they provide a stock answer that had nothing to do with the actual question. Are you hearing a solution, or just a listing of the problems with Villaraigosa. I was SO un-impressed by the answers I heard from Walter Moore at the Holman canidate forum on Saturday. I mean, COMPLETELY 100% unimpressed.

I haven't said anything much about Walter, cause I haven't seen him as a mayoral candidate in action...but for all his Ivy League education, I didn't hear much in the way of actual knowledge. If you like what you heard from Walter, and do not see him as nothing but a niched, fear-based, rhetoric spitting, stand up comedian...VOTE FOR HIM, PLEASE! I need some of the other candidates to to get votes, too, to force a run-off.

Los Angeles Times Asks LA City Mayoral Candidate Zuma Dogg First Round of Questions For Their Newspaper Election Coverage

ALRIGHT, ZUMA DOGG HAS TO GET ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS ALL TYPED UP AND SENT OVER TO THE LOS ANGELES TIMES. THEY WILL BE PRINTING RESPONSES FROM ALL OF THE CANDIDATES (WHO REPLY) NEXT WEEK. If you would like to weigh in with feedback for Zuma Dogg to read , PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOW OPEN. Just leave a comment and it will be automatically emailed directly to ZD. It will not appear here, until after the submission deadline, so that the other loser candidates can't copy your answers for THEIR reply. Thanks, ZD!

Dear Candidate:

To help voters decide who to support in the March 3 primary election, The Times will be posing three sets of question to all candidates in the race for mayor of Los Angeles.

This note contains the first set, focusing on city finances. Our plan is to publish them during the week of February 9. The other sets, on traffic and development and public safety and schools, will be sent to you next week and the following week.

Please respond to these questions with direct and concise statements. In our print editions, your answers may be edited to fit the available space. However, we will try to run them in full on our website.

Here are this week’s questions:

1) What distinguishes you from the other candidates in the race?

2) Los Angeles likely will face a deficit of $400 million to $500 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, as well as steep shortfalls in the years that follow. If elected, how would you balance the city budget? Specifically, what programs or services would you cut, what taxes or fees would you increase and what other measures would you take?

3) To cut costs, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is considering layoffs or offering early retirement to city employees. Do you support either or both of those alternatives? Given the increased need for government assistance in these bad economic times, is now the right time to reduce the number of city employees or cut hours at libraries and city parks?

4) Do you support Measure B, the city’s proposed solar power initiative? Why? How do you believe it will impact Department of Water and Power rates?

5) Should the City Controller have authority to perform both financial audits and performance audits on programs run by the Mayor or City Attorney?

6) In June, the city’s contracts with police and firefighter unions will expire. Should police officers and firefighters be given raises or increased benefits? If so, how would you pay for those, given the city’s current financial condition?

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Please send your responses to me at bill.nottingham@latimes.com by noon Friday. If we do not receive your response in a timely manner, we will be unable to include you in this presentation.

Sincerely,
William Nottingham

Editor, City-County Bureau
Los Angeles Times

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