Skip to main content
Donate

City Council Candidate Joe Buscaino Talks About Campaign

By Christine Detz
October 12, 2011
Support Provided By
Joe Buscaino
Joe Buscaino

Janice Hahn's election to Congress has left an empty seat on the Los Angeles City Council. Eleven candidates are now vying for her vacant council district 15 seat in a special election to be held Nov. 8. Joe Buscaino, an LAPD officer, is one of those candidates.

Buscaino says he is running for city council after being approached by several members of the community. "They're fed up with the political machine, they're fed up with these career politicians bouncing from one seat to the next," Buscaino said, perhaps referring to State Assembly Member Warren Furutani who is also running for the city council seat.

Buscaino answers like a seasoned politician, rather than the first-time candidate he is, when asked about endorsements Furutani has received from the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

"Warren [Furutani] and [Pat] McOsker being endorsed by these big politician names is fine, they're well respected in that arena, but my endorsements are coming from the community. Over 350 community leaders are endorsing this campaign. It's a testimony to a true grassroots effort," Buscaino added.

The 15th district, which Buscaino refers to as the "pearl" of Los Angeles, is home to the Port of Los Angeles. He aims to keep the port economically viable. Job creation and redeveloping the San Pedro waterfront are high on his agenda.

"To get folks out of poverty we need to provide them with jobs and what better way to do that than redeveloping the waterfront and make this a destination for the city." Buscaino added, "we often say we want to bring the sea to the city and the city to the sea."

So far Buscaino's message seems to be resonating with voters. His campaign is running second only to Furutani when it comes to fundraising through Sept. 24. According to Buscaino, more than 75 percent of these funds have come from donors within the district.

Whether those contributions will turn into votes remains to be seen. With so many candidates running, it is likely the special election will lead to a run-off in January. Buscaino is hoping to finish first or second in the Nov. 8 vote. "There is no third place finish here, no moral victory here. We're in this to win it."

annenberg-school-of-journalism

Christine Detz is a graduate student at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, which has partnered with KCET-TV to produce this blog about policy in Los Angeles.

Support Provided By
Read More
Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

California Isn't on Track To Meet Its Climate Change Mandates. It's Not Even Close.

According to the annual California Green Innovation Index released by Next 10 last week, California is off track from meeting its climate goals for the year 2030, as well as reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters
A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A Battle Is Underway Over California’s Lucrative Dairy Biogas Market

California is considering changes to a program that has incentivized dairy biogas, to transform methane emissions into a source of natural gas. Neighbors are pushing for an end to the subsidies because of its impact on air quality and possible water pollution.
By Emma Foehringer Merchant, Inside Climate News
A Black woman with long, black brains wears a black Chicago Bulls windbreaker jacket with red and white stripes as she stands at the top of a short staircase in a housing complex and rests her left hand on the metal railing. She smiles slightly while looking directly at the camera.

Los Angeles County Is Testing AI's Ability To Prevent Homelessness

In order to prevent people from becoming homeless before it happens, Los Angeles County officials are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict who in the county is most likely to lose their housing. They would then step in to help those people with their rent, utility bills, car payments and more so they don't become unhoused.
By Marisa Kendall, CalMatters