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VIDEO: Jan Perry Calls L.A. 'Fragile'

See Los Angeles City Council member and mayoral candidate Jan Perry in conversation before a live audience at Cal-State Northridge.

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Los Angeles cruised through a list of issues at Cal State Northridge Tuesday in the second of the "Talking About Los Angeles" series of interviews with mayoral candidates.

Moderator Christine Essel, the CEO for the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, started off the event by saying that she had known Perry for 20 years.

Questioned by Essel, Perry touched on redevelopment, jobs, housing, transit, education, pensions and the city's budget deficit.

Patch is a co-sponsor of the series, which was organized by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, a Latino voter participation organization; and Cerrell Associates, a Los Angeles political consulting firm. This interview was hosted by Associated Students of California State University, Northridge.

Calling the state of the city "fragile," Perry said conditions have gotten worse, not better, as the state has released prisoners into the neighborhoods, and social services are under continued strain.

"We are at a crossroads," she said, pointing to a lack of new jobs, failing infrastructure, an expanding transit system, a budget crisis and a need for housing stabilization.

Redevelopment can bring "economic rebirth to areas where there was no development," and communities can be rebuilt using a public-private partnership, she said.

"I think transit-oriented development works in certain areas," but single-family neighborhoods need to be protected, she said.

Calling for paying more attention to the needs of 20-and-30-year-olds will help the city "replenish and keep growing," especially downtown, she said.

Perry said jobs can be expanded with apprenticeships and cooperation with community colleges, and the city's expanding hotel industry needs culinary arts students. "We have a very eager workforce ready to go to work," she said.

Turning to education, Perry said she wants to serve as an ex-officio member of the Los Angeles Unified School District board and become involved in the district's strategic planning. She pointed to successes she said she has had placing park land next to schools, and said she believes in "pushing money down to where the principals are."

On the city's deficit, Perry said, "Don't base opinions on speculative or imaginary revenue." She called the plan to sell the city's parking garages a "bad idea, a one-time solution."

"Be honest with the public," she said.

"We need to create additional pension tiers for people who have yet to be hired," Perry said. "It's important to the long-term survival of our city."

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For more information on the "Talking About Los Angeles" series, visit its website at www.talkingaboutla.com.

Other candidates who have committed to appear in the series are City Controller Wendy Greuel and radio talk-show host Kevin James. Dates and locations for their conversations have not yet been announced. Councilman Eric Garcetti was the .

Susan R May 16, 2012 at 10:15 am
First of all why would the moderator be allowed to be someone from CRA that is best friends with Councilmember Jan Perry. Really? I am sure she was treated with kid gloves.
Why did Councilmember Jan Perry say, " We are at a crossroads," she said, pointing to a lack of new jobs, failing infrastructure, an expanding transit system, a budget crisis and a need for housing stabilization?" She was the person that put the city in this position and now she wants a to be mayor? Councilmember Jan Perry stopped any new fast food restaurants to come into her district and that stops more jobs from coming into a very poor area. And, there are plenty of liquor stores in her area and no supermarkets. In 12 years on the city council Jan Perry has done nothing to fix the problem. Jan Perry does not deserve to be mayor. Just look at her record. Just look at her district.
ChickenBoyFan May 16, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Yeah, and I don't like how the Central Los Angeles Farm thing went down. She was clearly involved with it's demise,while leading those people to believe she was working for them.
Susan R May 16, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Her only goal is to keep those liquor stores in her district open!
ChickenBoyFan May 16, 2012 at 12:43 pm
She is wasting her time and ours. She is not mayor material. I don't know about you but, I real tired of the popularity contest called an election. There are too many people on the taxpayer dime, that have NO problem solving skills. A lot of them get elected, and hire their family members, and friends with no skills to work on their staffs. Big paydays,family staffers, free cars and gas, courtesy of the taxpayer.
We are soooo screwed unless we get mad enough to follow the trail of money. Noguez is only the tip of the iceberg.
Louis Rich May 16, 2012 at 02:03 pm
You are absolutely right, ChickenBoyFan. Nepotism, instead of hiring truly skilled people, is killing this city. Giving outrageous salaries to non-skilled friends who can't think their way out of a paper bag is just ridiculous. Not to mention duplicate positions, pensions, etc, etc. This woman is a clown, and she will never get my vote. The only problem, however, is the rest of the apathetic population of Los Angeles. They're uneducated/undereducated and keep these people in office.
Shawn Richardson May 16, 2012 at 04:51 pm
So who paid for that hour long campaign video? That was pathetic and I'm ashamed to have my name associated with such an uncritical fluff piece. I'm pretty sure, she didn't actually answer any of my questions. The only time she faced even remotely adversarial questioning, her response was to whip out her Spanish language propaganda video.
Shawn Richardson May 16, 2012 at 04:52 pm
FYI, campaign material starts about 22 minutes in.
Susan R May 18, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Thanks. Now I don't have to waste 22 minutes of my time. Watching any of it is a total waste of time though.
Susan R May 18, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Looks like a bunch of empty seats. I don't think anyone even attended.
James Dromo June 26, 2012 at 05:01 am
The only way for the people of Los Angeles to take over their city is Elect YJ Draiman for Mayor
We should demonstrate in the streets, to wake up the masses, to expose the truth, to prove that the current administration has destroyed our city's economic vitality. Draiman is the only candidate at this time that could unite the city of Los Angeles, who could appeal to all the political parties, with a program that could look to the future and focus Los Angeles on its purposes. Draiman has the right chemistry to bridge the gap and unify our city for the common good. We should give Draiman a chance - try it you will like it. The people of Los Angeles will be the better under the leadership of YJ Draiman. A corruptive and corrosive power could exist and be nurtured by the peoples apathy. Therefore to change, the people must overcome the apathy and vote their conscience. This is the only way a change for the better will occur in Los Angeles. James D

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Jock June 10, 2013 at 09:29 am
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drew June 6, 2013 at 08:13 am
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