(Image courtesy of Joe Grantz under Creative Commons License)
On Tuesday, the L.A. City Attorneys Association held a candidate forum. The group was very gracious to invite me to participate, and I really enjoyed discussing my views regarding the the Office of the City Attorney. Prior to the candidates form, participants were asked to provide answers to 5 questions in advance. My answers are posted below.
The link to the video can be found here.
1. What are the major initiatives that you want to implement once elected to our office?
I want to redefine the office. The model which has most impressed me is that of the Oakland City Attorney. My core beliefs are (a) in the power of ideas, (b) in the power of the people, and (c) that the goal should at all times be to get the right result, for the right reason, in the right way. I believe in bottom-up governance, not top-down; and I believe in taking steps to ensure that the people have a seat at the table along side the special interests. I don’t believe the City Attorney’s office should ever run political interference for any council member. The City Attorney is independently elected Citywide and has a legitimate political consensus of his or her own which is just as legitimate as that of any Council member. The City Attorney’s office should be the focus for new and exciting ideas and approaches so that the system can better work for the people. I believe we are entering into a new political era – one of ‘practical, progressive politics’. Accordingly, my overriding governance philosophy will be to filter any new program, idea, or approach through the following criteria:
Programs and policies must be (1) Practical, (2) Pro-active, (3) Positive, (4) Progressive, and (5) Principled.
Noel Weiss For Los Angeles City Attorney 