I believe that our Metro board needs to rethink the idea about L.A. Metro creating its own police. We need to leave that contract with law enforcement and allow Metro to do what they do best. We have to make our Metro safer, because if we make our Metro safer, our communities are safer. Until we address our homelessness, crime, and safety crises, I will not vote to expand the Metro into any residential areas of our county.

We will break ground on a state-of-the-art mental health facility for Los Angeles County. We will do a performance audit on what is currently being spent on the homelessness crisis, adjusting where we need to adjust, and give urgency to what needs more attention.

We need to address homelessness with the same sense of urgency that the Board of Supervisors took during the pandemic with COVID-19. We need that same leadership and accountability. We have to start to spend our tax dollars wisely. Being transparent and accountable to our tax payers will be a priority.

We need to start with our landlords and property owners to keep individuals and families in their units. We have to understand that the property owners have made an incredible investment and we want to help them out as much as we can, but at the same time, we want to keep rents affordable.

I believe that there is a win-win scenario out there if the county will come to the table with them. We have to continue to build affordable housing across our county. We need that same sense of urgency, all hands on deck.

There are many things happening in our encampments that the voters don't know about. Drug dealing, weapons, human trafficking to name a few. I would like to adopt Los Angeles anti-camping ordinance 41.18 as a county if I am elected to the Board of Supervisors.

I understand that our district is composed of diverse communities, each with its own set of pressing challenges. As supervisor, I will actively engage with constituents to understand their specific concerns, gather input, and collaboratively develop solutions tailored to the unique needs of each community.

By prioritizing inclusivity, communication, and cooperation, I aim to create a district that is safer, more secure, and responsive to the needs of all its residents. Together, we will work toward building a brighter and more prosperous future for our district as a whole.

In 2016, I had the honor to build the Justin Turner Foundation with former Dodger Justin Turner and his wife Kourtney. Justin and Kourtney truly have hearts of gold, and what you see on the field is the same Justin you get off the field. We built the JTF to be one of the most giving sports foundations in Los Angeles. I was proud to partner with Justin and Kourtney as we fed Los Angeles residents during the pandemic.

My top transportation priorities are public safety, including keeping Metro clean and free of drug paraphernalia and fentanyl exposure. Many L.A. County residents choose not to use Metro transportation, bus and/or rail, because they fear for their safety. During 2023 there have been too many incidents of stabbings, fights and drug use on Metro transportation services. Some stabbings have resulted in fatalities.

L.A. County has a duty to protect Metro drivers and patrons equally. I’m very committed to working with riders, business owners and law enforcement on ideas that will make Metro a more attractive alternative form of transportation to constituents. This will also help decrease traffic congestion in L.A. County.

I would challenge the Board of Supervisors to amend L.A. County’s Housing First method of solving homelessness. The Housing First approach isn’t working. It should be treatment first. People shouldn't be allowed to sleep on the streets upon rejecting housing options. There must be mandatory, not optional, treatment for homeless individuals suffering from mental health and drug addiction impairments. Helping and protecting Los Angeles County residents is the number one priority.

As of June 1, 2023 and according to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) the low-income median for a one-person household is $70,650 and $100,900 for a four-person household. I would increase the number of mandatory affordable housing units developers must provide to accommodate the working person, or families who fall within the HACLA low-income median. The Board of Supervisors recently voted to work with developers for the adaptive reuse of the historic General Hospital, which will provide 885 residential units with at least 30% of these affordable housing. I believe the affordable housing percentage should start at 40%, guaranteeing 354 units versus 265.5 affordable units.

In addition, I would advocate for more innovative federal and county government programs to help those in the HACLA low-income median become homeowners. Also, many senior citizens are suffering due to predatory lending practices and the loss of generational wealth caused by reverse mortgages. People are living longer, and a reverse mortgage relief program would absolutely help with the affordable housing shortage. A special low-interest refinance rate program for reverse mortgage holders will also preserve generational wealth.

My top public safety issue is to reform Prop. 47 as a solution to prevent organized smash-and-grab robberies and shoplifting. Lowering the property theft threshold amount below the current $950 would be a reform requirement. L.A. County constituents voted for the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act only to see it evolve into the “Prop 47 Smash-and-Grab Act” when the co-author of the proposition, George Gascón, was elected Los Angeles County District Attorney. Residents fear for their safety in their homes, and while shopping, driving, and walking their dogs. The impact of organized smash-and-grabs and daily shoplifting on mom and pop businesses is sometimes unrecoverable.

Prop. 47 has failed large and small businesses by opening the door to more organized crime and youth-led smash-and-grab robberies. There must be mandatory diversion participation versus catch and release for those committing these brazen crimes. Many young people, as young as 11 years old, are making bad decisions by participating in smash-and-grabs and shoplifting. I was honored as a K-12 White House Champion of Change Educator, and I have the knowledge required to lead the effort to reform Prop. 47 using my Building Blue Bridges program as a diversion option. The program has a proven track record of improving relationships between law enforcement, youth and parents.

I’m running for County Supervisor to bring public safety back to our communities. This also includes infrastructure protection of our freeways and pedestrian streets. As the community organizer of the successful Stop the 90 Freeway Tear Down! movement, I will improve how L.A. County conducts feasibility studies in partnership with the community when I become supervisor of District 2. I also believe in the power of constituent voices. I have effectively challenged corrupt politicians, exposing deceit and holding political leaders accountable for their actions. It’s time to bring common sense policies and integrity back to District 2.

I'm a master food preserver who loves to produce fermented beets, garlic, and my always sold-out pickles. When time permits, I grow organic beets and cucumbers in my home garden .

Ensuring a safe and accessible transit experience for all our riders, along with expanding free access to Metro for students and low-income communities that rely heavily on our transit for their daily lives. I have been a strong proponent of the Metro Transit Ambassadors Program and I am proud that it is now permanent, and I will continue to advocate for resources to keep our transit system safe for all residents. This program helps us do that by having trained local residents, in addition to law enforcement, on-site to be a welcoming presence and resource for transit riders. I have led Metro in ensuring meaningful community engagement as it continues to build out its transit system, and I look forward to continuing to do this as we work to build an expansive and reliable public transportation system.

Absolutely more must be done across every level of government to significantly address our homelessness crisis, but it must be done by investing in proven programs that actually keep people permanently housed. I declared poverty alleviation a countywide priority during my initial weeks as supervisor and have been focused on urgently scaling proven tools, like redirecting funding for necessary mental health services, while introducing income programs to help stabilize working families and small businesses. I plan to see the countywide RV encampment pilot that I launched — and that is now a key pillar of the county's Pathway Home initiative — expand so we can reach more unhoused residents to keep them permanently housed.

This requires more partnerships with motels to provide interim housing, towing companies to dismantle and tow RVs, and more appropriate housing options with on-site services for substance abuse, mental health support, job training, and connection to other county services. To help prevent homelessness, I co-authored a motion to allow mom and pop landlords to recoup unpaid rent. This portal recently launched under the county's Department of Business and Consumer Affairs and will help keep many residents housed. Affordable housing preservation and production needs to be a top issue for every policymaker if we are to reduce homelessness, and we need everyone to help us increase the stock of affordable housing in the county.

We need more capital to build and preserve affordable housing. As I lead the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, I am working to set up the policies for current and long-term investments in affordable housing that will be a game changer throughout L.A. County. For example, we are looking at bonds, guarantees, welfare tax exemption, and financing products to compliment existing sources for financing housing. Focusing on the finance piece is critical because that is what's missing.

We are also focused on land use and zoning in unincorporated areas that the county has oversight of. I am engaging with the Department of Regional Planning and Public Works in the review and approval process for permits that make sense for the unique needs of each community in my district.

There are immediate and long-term public safety needs for the residents in my district. For example, an ongoing public safety issue that puts our communities in danger is illegal street takeovers. I often hear from constituents in our unincorporated communities about fatal hit-and-runs. To help address this, I have pushed for $21 million in funding towards Vision Zero in our unincorporated communities, including Florence-Firestone. I have put forward motions with the support of the Board of Supervisors calling for tougher ordinances, a community forum to create solutions from county departments and residents working together, and the development of a County Transportation Commission.

I will continue to champion investments in public safety strategies that yield both short- and long-term results, with a strategic focus on our youth. Our juvenile halls are overcrowded with young people who are in the custody of the county, including many who could have avoided entering our justice system if there were a greater investment in solutions like diversion, youth development, and violence prevention and intervention. I will continue to support steps to invest in our youth so we can depopulate our juvenile halls and have more young people building a life of purpose and dignity, and giving back to their community.

My fundamental commitment is to leave Los Angeles County's Second District better than it was before I came to office. That means doing away with business as usual. I am focused on efficient ways to disrupt the cycle of poverty and strengthen the safety net that the county provides to millions of diverse residents and community organizations while also investing in our small businesses. The county's 40 departments — including Public Health, Homeless Initiative, Immigration, Consumer and Business Affairs, Probation Department, Children and Family Services, to name a few — all deliver critical services that can help catch you in a crisis or propel you forward.

As a County Supervisor, one of my responsibilities is ensuring a consistent quality of care and service for every person engaging with our county departments, commissions, or initiatives. In addition, I am working with those departments to be innovative and creative on the types of programs that will best meet the needs of Angelenos. I am also focused on how we can prevent the need for residents to enter our systems at all, particularly our justice and foster care systems which are the largest in the nation. My entire career in public service has been focused on taking on structural issues. I am proud of what we have achieved within this first term, and our work isn't done. The internal and external work of improving the county is how we make a substantial generational impact.

My office partnered with CicLAvia last year for our Juneteenth Celebration and it rekindled my love for biking. I have built up my confidence as a cyclist riding the streets of Los Angeles County. So far, it's been a fun and eye-opening experience.