Why I’m running for City Council

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I was born and reared on a farm in the west of Ireland. I became a citizen of the United States as soon as I moved here in the early 90s. Before moving to Los Angeles, my wife Justine and I restored old brownstones in Hoboken New Jersey. We worked hard, we saved our money, and we did well. We laid down our roots in Los Feliz in 1999. We have four children.

America has been good to me and my family. America has worked for me. I came to the United States with $80 in my pocket. My story though is frankly no longer possible for most people, and is particularly impossible in this city.  Whether its trying to open a small business, get basic library service, or public education, things arent what they used to be. LA is the homeless capital of the country. This city has failed all but a few of us.   
Thats not right. Thats why Im running for council. Not because I want to become a politician but because I want to expand what Ive already been doing, serving the public.  

And yet we have heard all this before. Politicians saying they are going to do this, that, and the other and then nothing. I’m going to do something different. I have a track record in getting things done in this city, with city people and in our schools. I have been described as sincere to a fault and incorruptible. 
 
I am no nonsense, I am direct, and because I am farmers son, hard, honest work and resourcefulness are in my DNA.  See what I have accomplished as a volunteer simply by being committed and working together with people in our schools and in our neighborhoods. I have gotten things done, I tell the truth, I keep my word.
And though I am not a Republican, I know how to balance a checkbook. I am a progressive Democrat who hates bad government. So much so that the Southern California Americans for Democratic Action, founded by Eleanor Roosevelt, have endorsed me, as did the interview committee of the Stonewall Democratic Club. I simply insist, as do I think most people, that the taxes we pay are delivered efficiently and fairly to the services for which we intend.
This city is in decay. Our books are in a mess. By some estimates, next year we may even have 50 kids per classroom in our middle and high schools and will be sending $1.2 Billion into pension funds.  
With our massive deficit and crumbling infrastructure, LA can’t let business as usual set the standard anymore. Its not good enough. Not for me, not for my children, not for you, not for the future. We must, and I know we can, do better. I have a proven record of bringing people together to get things done. I ask for your support, and together well lift up Los Angeles, the city we love. Thank you.

THE PLATFORM
In two minutes, look at my platform

This Fiscal Problem

I think it’s incredible that our council persons make over $170,000 dollars per year, plus benefits, plus a load of perks, plus a staff of 20. Their salary alone is more than that of a United States Senator. The median income in CD-4 is less than $34,000 dollars. And we wonder why they don’t get it. They recently took a 10% pay cut. That’s an insult. That salary needs to be halved. If elected, I will halve that salary immediately. $85,000 is plenty for a public servant.

Servant: a person in the service of another!

I am having a hard time using the word servant to describe a politician who makes as a much as a judge.   read more about my views and solutions to the fiscal problem …..

Schools

Less talk and more action. Anyone can promise anything. I have delivered on my promises and I have done so on a shoestring.

38. That is how many students Annemarie Ralph, a science teacher at TS King Middle School in Los Feliz, had in her class at one time last year. I volunteer teach a sustainability class there and I can’t even manage 20 students, let alone 38. That is simply not good enough. And yet there are simple solutions.

My wife Justine and I have three children at Franklin Elementary in Los Feliz.

Despite constant cuts, the Franklin family of teachers, parents, and administrators have managed to bring the school from a 756 API a few years ago to one of 889 last year. How did we do it? We worked together. No photo ops, just plain old boring work. An example?  Class sizes were too big. We did fundraising to pay for teaching assistants. Council people could easily cut into their largesse and pay for a bunch more teaching assistants to offset large class sizes. It’s an inexpensive way to help our overwhelmed public school teachers get the job done. And it can be done today. If you are seeing possibilities and are hopeful thus far with my rhetoric?  then do not read this article about the size and waste of your council person’s office, their salary, their cars, and city hall. It will depress you.

I am the founder of the new Friends of Thomas Starr King Middle School. Public schools can and should be great for everyone. A good public school creates great young citizens, who create a great community. If our council people actually sent their children to our public schools, then maybe they would get it. I get a report every evening at the dinner table about the state of our public schools. My daughter Eireann is at King. I get it.

WALK THE WALK

I’m careful with money. I came from Ireland with a few dollars in my pocket and I worked hard to achieve the American dream. America has been very good to me and my family, and that’s why we choose to give back. I actually take the whole “public servant” thing literally. We don’t run our household on a deficit. We know how to save for a rainy day. We live sustainably so as to protect the planet for the next generation. And we know what value for our public dollars is all about. A street tree planted? That’s useful shade that will save energy and encourage walking and cycling.  An annual calendar from our council person? Useless. No doubt, it’s a nice tradition. However, there are many nice public traditions in this city that have fallen by the wayside that frankly are more important to me. Clean parks, clean and cheerful public schools, open and transparent government, 7-day a week libraries (remember them?), smooth, step-by-step permitting and on and on.

Transparent and effective government

You would be amazed how much the neighborhood councils have accomplished with our tiny $50,000 per year budget. We need to transfer more power to the neighborhood councils. We need to help them become more streamlined and thus more effective.  Frankly they seem to be more thoughtful and honest in their decision making than the City Council.

We need to get money out of elections. This election ought to be not about who can raise the most money but who is the most down to earth. Who gets it?

You see, I’m not a politician and never will be. I’m not even a community organizer.

I do things! Others tweet and tell others how to live.  I lead by example.  I have credibility.  I walk the walk.

I have had success getting thing’s done because people find it hard to say no to someone who has his heart in the right place.

I am determined that all of us live in neighborhoods that are safe, healthy, honest, well educated, and sustainable……and I have a track record in delivery.

Status quo and why I am not simply another “change for the sake of it candidate”

It’ s not that the incumbent is a bad guy or that his work on saving the Hollywood Sign or knowing every street in Los Angeles, or his sister cities thing is not to be admired.
We are heading into a storm, whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not.   The City and L.A.U.S.D combined will be in the red next year at a little over a billion dollars. This incumbent and his cronies have run our city into the ground. He has thrown money around as if it were water.
I get it, it’s popular to blame China, India, Illegal aliens, the republicans, the mayor, the Governor, the President, the school district, and the teachers of course. It’s always someone else.

No. This Los Angeles problem has been caused by Los Angeles. We can fix it together. We need less personality and more substance. Less talk and more action

My name is Tomas O’ Grady. I keep my word.

Read what others have to say about my integrity, my bluntness and how this has helped! also about my attitude, and above all my ability to deliver.

WHAT

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT TOMAS O’ GRADY

WHAT TOMAS O’GRADY HAS DONE

WHAT TOMAS O’ GRADY WILL DO AS COUNCIL PERSON

HELP TOMAS O'GRADY HELP
“Does a councilman really need a 20 person entourage? Director of Sister Cities, Deputy district director? District director? Deputy of arts and culture? Arts and culture deputy?
We need more teachers in our classrooms, more police on the streets, more front line resources! We need our potholes filled. We need our commercial area sidewalks steam cleaned. We need less council office.”

Tomas O’ Grady
     
LESS TALK MORE ACTION