| Paul Krekorian | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 2nd district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Wendy Greuel |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 43rd district |
|
| In office December 4, 2006 – January 5, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Dario Frommer |
| Succeeded by | Mike Gatto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 24, 1960 San Fernando Valley, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Tamar Krekorian |
| Residence | Valley Glen, California |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California UC Berkeley School of Law |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Website | Campaign Site Official City Council Site |
Paul Krekorian (born March 24, 1960, San Fernando Valley, California) is an American politician and member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the second district. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly, and the Assistant Majority Floor Leader representing California's 43rd Assembly District. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Contents |
Paul Krekorian is a third-generation San Fernando Valley Resident of Armenian descent. Born and raised in Reseda, his father was a Marine Corps WWII veteran and his mother a North Hollywood native. His father ran a small business on Saticoy in Van Nuys. Krekorian completed his primary education entirely within the Los Angeles Unified School District, graduating from Cleveland High School in the Valley, before attending college in California.[1]
As the first member of his family to attend college, Krekorian enrolled in the University of Southern California, where he first became active in political causes. He worked with then-Assemblyman Tom Bane [1] and, as a student at USC, founded the school’s first Democratic group. He later became the campus organizer for Jerry Brown's 1978 gubernatorial campaign. After graduating with a B.A. in Political Science from USC, Krekorian went on to earn a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. A 1984 graduate of UC Berkeley, Krekorian became an organizer for Bill Clinton's 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns, the latter of which saw Krekorian co-chair the Saxophone Club, the Democratic National Committee's nationwide young professionals group.[1]
Krekorian practiced law as a partner in the firm of Fisher & Krekorian, focusing on business, entertainment and intellectual property litigation. He served on the Board of Trustees of the L.A. County Bar Association, the Board of Trustees of the LA County Law Library, and the California State Legislature’s Task Force on Court Facilities. In the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots that ripped through the city, Krekorian served as counsel to the Webster Commission on the Los Angeles Police Commission and served on the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.
Krekorian has been praised for his efforts in preserving women’s rights for his pro bono work in the fight against domestic violence,[2] and a program he developed for at-risk youth, called GenerationNext. Krekorian currently lives in Valley Glen with his wife, Tamar and their three children: Hrag, Andrew and Lori.
Krekorian was elected to the Burbank School Board serving as President of that city’s educational group in 2003. Under Krekorian’s leadership, the district was able to resolve its most pressing budget problems, saving many educational programs and vital jobs, while still paring down administrative costs. During his tenure, the district significantly improved student attendance and performance, increased teacher pay, launched the Burbank Priority in Education Foundation, and encouraged student nutrition and exercise. Concurrently, Krekorian served as President of the Five Star Education Coalition, a consortium of five suburban school districts that worked to shape state and federal education policy.
Krekorian was elected to the 43rd district of the California State Assembly in 2007, aided by an endorsement from the Los Angeles Times.[3] During his first term in office, Krekorian owned one of the best records in the Assembly with the highest number of bills signed into law by any freshman legislator.[4] In 2008, he was tapped by Speaker Karen Bass to be the Assistant Majority Floor Leader to "play a key role in all major policy initiatives." [5]
Krekorian served as co-chair of the Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee with the intent to increase transparency, enforce campaign finance reform and reduce lobby influence.[6] He also had a wide range of other assignments, including membership on the Accountability and Administrative Review committee, which helps identify the best saving mechanisms for the state; the Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media committee, whose jurisdictions are programs and policies affecting a range of art, athletic and electronic programs; the Judiciary committee, the committee on Local Government, which looks after some of the state’s administrative issues and the Utilities and Commerce committee, whose primary jurisdictions are public utilities.[7]
During his first term and after re-election in 2008, Krekorian pursued legislation to improve the state’s environment, reduce crime and increase government responsiveness.
On December 8, Krekorian won a seat on the L.A. City Council and currently represents the city's second council district. Among his committee assignments, Krekorian chairs the Education and Neighborhoods committee and is vice-chair of the Jobs and Business Development committee.
In 2006, Krekorian created the “Government at Your Doorstep” program in which staff members knocked on 3,000 doors in his Assembly District. In response to complaints about speeding, graffiti and noise pollution, Krekorian and staff members in his office acted to alleviate concerns throughout his district.[8]
As the state battled to pass a balanced budget in early 2009, Krekorian authored a historic bill to ensure media production in California stays local. His bill, which for the first time in state history offered tax incentives for film and television production to stem the tide of runaway production, drew immediate praise from economists, media outlets and others. Jack Kyser, the Chief Economist for the LA County Economic Development Corporation said of the legislation, “Businesses will begin to see a boost at the end of the year and into the beginning of 2010 as program participants begin to spend locally.” He predicted the incentive plan would help spur a rebound in local economies.[9] The legislation uses tax incentives to encourage filming locally.[10] Launched July 1, 2009, the five-year program offers $100 million annually in tax credits that approved producers can begin claiming on their 2011 income tax returns. Local business leaders see those numbers translating into jobs for an area hit hard by runaway film production, labor strife and the recession in general.[11]
As of late August, the California Film Commission allocated nearly $67.5 million in tax credits for 25 film and television productions of the total $100 million pot for the year. The effect is estimated to infuse as much as $347 million into state coffers. As part of the three-part measure, the legislation also includes an economic stimulus measure that encourages small business to add jobs to their payrolls.
Krekorian’s legislative priorities also included a series of environmental legislation that introduced strict restrictions on plastic pollution in ocean run-off, expanding renewable energy generation for California public utilities and reduced carbon emissions. During the 2008 Legislative Session, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass selected Krekorian to lead a three-member working group that will find ways to accelerate California’s adoption of renewable power. The Renewable Portfolio Standard working group, has been working with environmentalists, labor groups, utilities, electricity generators and others to ensure that California generates innovative policy and establishes world-leadership in development of renewable resources. The working group’s legislative arm is the potentially landmark AB64 which requires utility companies to get 1/3 of their energies from renewable sources by the year 2020. Krekorian also wrote AB2153, ‘The Water Efficiency and Security Act,’ aimed at improving the critical water situation that California continues to face. It requires that new developments must be water efficient and decreases per capita water usage.[12] AB2153 has been endorsed by the Planning and Conservation League and the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water.[13]
Public safety has also been a high priority for Krekorian, who has worked closely with local police departments to reduce gang violence, speeding and crime in his district and the state. In his first term, Krekorian’s Weapons and Ammunition Nuisance Abatement Act of 2007 gave apartment owners greater latitude to evict tenants who harbor guns and ammo. That year, Krekorian also introduced and passed a bill to encourage participation with federal authorities to siphon off the state’s stock of weapons. The bill passed unanimously and gave way to this term’s ‘Disarming Convicted Criminals’ bill, which establishes a clear timeline for timely firearm relinquishment.
On July 10, 2009, Krekorian officially announced his candidacy to fill the vacant seat for Los Angeles City Council’s Second District. The primary election was held on September 22, where Krekorian placed first with 34% of the vote. A run-off was scheduled for December 8. Krekorian was endorsed by a number of public safety, environmental and Democratic groups, including Los Angeles Daily News,[14] the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City[15] the Los Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club[16] and the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, who unanimously backed Krekorian. Agi Kessler, chair of the Democratic group, said they have never voted 57-0 to endorse anyone in their history. "Paul's long record of action and representation led all of us to believe that he will be ready to face the challenges on Day One to improve the Valley," Kessler said. "We ... are willing to do all we can to ensure Paul is our city councilman."[17] Krekorian has also garnered support from the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Latino Young Democrats of the San Fernando Valley the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City.
Less than a month after his primary win, Krekorian garnered the endorsement of the Los Angeles Daily News, a leading daily newspaper primarily serving the San Fernando Valley. In their endorsement, the editorial board said that Krekorian is "the best choice for Los Angeles City Council District 2" citing his extensive record in fighting for education, public safety and the environment. "We believe Krekorian is best equipped of the two candidates to work for the citizens and negotiate the politics of downtown," they concluded.[18]
Days later, Krekorian announced that teacher and former LAUSD school board candidate Louis Pugliese endorsed the council candidate. In his endorsement, Pugliese said, "It is clear to me that Paul has what it takes to shake the Downtown power structure and get the job done for our children and families throughout this district.” [19]
On October 30, Tamar Galatzan endorsed Krekorian, her former rival.[20] In a statement, Galatzan said: “Paul is a proven advocate for Valley homeowners and jobs, and he has the skills and familiarity with CD2 to be an effective council member for us." Days later, Krekorian announced that Sunland-Tujunga resident and community leader Mary Benson also endorsed Krekorian.
Benson was one of the top candidates in the first part of the Council race, coming in a very strong fourth place with 1,198 votes (8.29% of the electorate) on September 22. She continually garnered rave reviews at candidate forums when she displayed an impressive mastery of issues, especially with regard to development, open space and the environment. "Paul Krekorian has the courage of conviction, the experience and the independence to make an immediate impact for us in City Hall," Benson said.[21]
Another former candidate, Pete Sanchez, was the latest to endorse Krekorian when he announced his backing for the candidate on November 16. Sanchez, who finished sixth in the primary, is a founding member of the Neighborhood Council Valley Village and said Krekorian "has a proven track record and has the resolve to tackle our difficult budget challenges, fight against inappropriate development, protect public safety and generate new and sustainable jobs." [22]
Momentum for Krekorian continued on November 24, when former Los Angeles Daily News editor and current blogger Ron Kaye endorsed Krekorian. "Paul Krekorian offers the best hope for his district and the city to have someone who will disrupt City Hall's lock-step march to destruction," Kaye said.[23]
On November 9, 2009, a political committee that supported City Council candidate Christine Essel sued the city of Los Angeles to overturn a 24-year-old city ethics law. The existing regulation barred so-called independent expenditure groups from collecting more than $500 from individual donors. The group, Working Californians, said the law was preventing it from contributing en masse to Christine Essel in her bid to for the council.[24]
About two weeks after the suit was filed, a federal court judge denied Working Californians' request for a temporary restraining order. In response, Krekorian said: "By filing this lawsuit, the downtown power brokers proved that they aren't satisfied just trying to steal this election for Essel - they want to hide their tracks too. I was very proud to defend the ethics laws that the voters of Los Angeles enacted and have relied upon for nearly a quarter century."[25] Independent groups spent more than half a million dollars in a failed attempt to send Essel to the council, according to the L.A City Ethics Commission.
On Sept. 22, 2009, Krekorian placed first in the primary election but failed to garner the absolute majority required to prevent a runoff. The final vote count showed Krekorian with an even stronger victory than was announced when the polls closed on September 22. With all 109 precincts reporting and the counting completed, Krekorian picked up an additional 686 votes out of the 2,054 votes that were counted after Election Day. Krekorian’s margin of victory grew to 1,038 votes and more than 6% over second place finisher Chris Essel, who is an appointee of Mayor Villaraigosa and the former head of the Central City Association.[26]
More than four months after he declared his candidacy, Krekorian defeated Christine Essel to become a member of the Los Angeles City Council. Krekorian won a resounding victory with more than 56% of the vote despite being outspent more than 2-1 in overall campaign dollars and more than 13-1 in third-party political committee donations.
The final days of the campaign were marked by a surge in so-called independent expenditure spending on behalf of Essel. "Labor unions have spent in the neighborhood of three-quarters of a million dollars against Krekorian – and in support of his opponent," reported KPCC's Frank Stolze on December 7.[27]
After campaigning on a message of reform, with a coalition of more than 100 neighborhood leaders, Krekorian netted more than 10,800 votes to Essel's 8,300, according to preliminary results from the L.A. City Clerk's office. After the election, the Los Angeles Daily News took note of Krekorian's coalition while also putting future candidates on notice: "[T]he outcome of the election will serve as a cautionary tale to future politicians in this city that voters are starting to wake up and smell the special interests - and they are not happy about it."[28]
As a member of the Los Angeles City Council, Paul Krekorian has worked to improve government transparency, preserve open space, and get the city back on track during one of its most challenging economic periods. During his first six months in office, Krekorian has garnered praise for his “thoughtful” approach and “decisive” action to help his district and the city of Los Angeles.[29]
Councilmember Krekorian has long stated his support for development projects in his district that are consistent with the community’s needs. Conversely, he has taken a stance against planning issues that infringe on a neighborhood’s character.
On his first day in office, for example, Councilmember Krekorian “took a decisive first step” in stopping a large multifamily development on Magnolia Boulevard in Valley Village that had been opposed by neighbors for years. He successfully led the City Council to override the Planning Commission's decision to grant the project a bonus density, elating neighbors.
Months later, the councilman argued against building a truck-driving academy on the site of the former Lopez Canyon landfill and cast the lone vote against proceeding with the project. "We designate land for open space because we don't want to see it developed," he said. “Everyone agrees that this truck driving school is a great idea, but this is not the location for it."
Councilmember Krekorian also introduced a motion to ban mobile billboards - long a headache for Valley residents, persuaded T-Mobile not to build a 60-foot antenna tower in front of single-family residences in Sunland-Tujunga and secured funding that led to the reopening of the Oro Vista Avenue crossing that connects Big Tujunga Canyon Road and the community of Riverwood Ranch in North Los Angeles. Oro Vista Avenue, a slim stretch of road that sits above Big Tujunga Wash at the foot of the Angeles National Forest, flooded in the aftermath of last year’s Station Fire.
Since his inauguration in January 2010, Councilmember Krekorian followed a career in the state Assembly of standing up for the environment and instilling a strong sense of transparency during energy debates.
Highlighting his independence, the councilman repeatedly stood with ratepayers and led the fight against proposed rate increases sought by the Department of Water and Power. In an open letter to constituents explaining his opposition, Krekorian lambasted the Department’s lack of transparency and insufficient justification. “I voted against the DWP’s proposal because I wanted to make clear that any rate hikes proposed by the Department must be vetted in the most responsible and transparent fashion,” he wrote.
As a city councilman, Krekorian has been at the forefront of efforts for greater transparency and accountability. At the beginning of his term, Krekorian established a policy blog that included an unprecedented live-blog for untelevised committee meetings, which LAist called a "game changer.".[30] The blog also maintains an interactive comments section, where residents can voice their opinions about issues considered by the City Council.
On June 7, 2010, Councilmember Krekorian’s office released two eGovernment applications for iPhone and Android mobile phones, becoming the first public official to do so in the state of California. The applications allow users the opportunity to submit reports on graffiti, potholes, or describe other issues by taking pictures with an attached description. “My constituents’ needs don’t stop at 5:00, nor should their ability to interact with their council office,” Krekorian said.
On June 24, 2010, Krekorian introduced a motion to require full public disclosure regarding the funding of special interest campaigns to influence city elections. Under current election laws, these so-called independent expenditures can be made to assist or oppose any candidate without his or her direct knowledge or approval. Additionally, this activity is seldom disclosed to proper city authorities, and is therefore hidden from public scrutiny as well. Declaring that “elections should not be bought and paid for by special interests,” Krekorian argued that these independent expenditures commonly lead to a lack of transparency and accountability in elections and allow unfair influence to wealthy interest groups.
As head of the Education and Neighborhoods Committee, Councilmember Krekorian has been a vocal advocate for neighborhood councils. He has repeatedly voiced his belief that neighborhood councils provide a valuable outlet through which concerned and committed citizens may voice their opinions regarding issues considered by the City Council. Accordingly, he has fought attempts to excessively curtail neighborhood council funding.
On February 16, 2010, Krekorian restored more than $1 million in rollover funding to neighborhood councils, arguing that a lack of funding “would not allow neighborhood councils what they need to meet their commitments.”
In June 2010, Krekorian led the fight against the Mayor's plan to combine the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment with the Community Development Department, a plan reviled by many neighborhood council members. In a meeting of the Education and Neighborhoods Committee, Councilmember Krekorian described the proposal’s possible risks, noting: “consolidation would send a signal to the city and neighborhood councils that neighborhood empowerment is less of a priority for the city than it used to be.”
After the Committee recommended denying the proposal, the Council voted 12-0 against consolidation. Councilmember Krekorian vowed to hold a series of community meetings throughout Los Angeles to address this issue.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wendy Greuel |
Los Angeles City Council 2nd District 2010–present |
Succeeded by — |
| California Assembly | ||
| Preceded by Dario Frommer |
California State Assemblyman 43rd district 2006–2010 |
Succeeded by Mike Gatto |
|
||||||||||||||||||