Eric Garcetti
Encyclopedia
Eric Michael Garcetti is an American
municipal politician
. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council
. He serves as its President and represents the 13th District. He is the son of the former Los Angeles County District Attorney
Gil Garcetti
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
descent and his mother, Sukey Roth, is Russia
n Jewish descent. Garcetti attended elementary school at the UCLA Lab School (formerly Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School), junior high and high school at Harvard-Westlake School
and received a B.A. from Columbia University
as a John Jay Scholar. At Columbia, he served on the Student Council, was President of the St. Anthony Hall
literary society, founded the Columbia Urban Experience, and co-wrote and performed in three years of the Varsity Show
, a student-written musical, whose past co-writers include Richard Rodgers
, Oscar Hammerstein II
, and Lorenz Hart
. Garcetti also received a Masters of International Affairs
from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University
. He studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and also studied at the London School of Economics
.
, Garcetti was a visiting instructor of International Affairs at the University of Southern California
and assistant professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College
. His academic work focused on ethnic conflict and nationalism and he has lived and studied in Southeast Asia
and Northeast Africa. He has published articles and chapters of books on post-conflict societies, Eritrea
n nationalism, and non-violent
action
. Garcetti has also served on the California Board of Human Rights Watch
.
He succeeded Alex Padilla
as President of the City Council on January 1, 2006 and was re-elected as President at the beginning of the Council's subsequent terms in 2007 and 2009. As the President, Garcetti is the acting mayor when the mayor is out of state, appoints the Assistant President Pro Tempore, makes committee assignments for his colleagues on the Council, and leads all City Council meetings.
As a City Councilmember, he has especially focused on issues of housing and economic development, the environment, public safety, community engagement, neighborhood beautification, and international diplomacy.
and the re-implementation of the Senior Lead Officer Program. Crime has fallen in his district by more than forty percent since 2001.
He also authored legislation requiring increases in funding for youth intervention and crime prevention programs whenever there is additional spending on police hiring. Garcetti founded the At The Park After Dark program which keeps parks open late at night in the summer months. The program was a model for the Summer Night Lights program, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's successful anti-gang program.
During his decade on the City Council the number of parks in his district has doubled.
In 2005, Garcetti helped found the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. He also authored two of the nation's largest municipal green building ordinances, the first requiring all city buildings to be built to the LEED-certified standard
, and the second which mandates all commercial buildings over 50000 sq ft (4,645.2 m²). in Los Angeles be built to a LEED standard. Garcetti also supported changes in the city's landscape ordinance and plumbing codes to promote water conservation.
In July 2009, the City Council passed a water conservation ordinance he authored, which required all new construction and renovation projects in Los Angeles to be equipped with high-efficiency water devices and aims to conserve one billion gallons of water a year. A longtime electric car driver, he appeared as a proponent of electric cars in the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?
"
, Armenia
and Lebanon
to initiate Sister City programs with Los Angeles. He was also part of the delegations on Los Angeles trade missions to trading partners Mexico
, South Korea
, China
, Japan
, and throughout Europe
.
In his district, Garcetti created the Neighborhood Leadership Institute which trains constituents to be active citizens. He has used the idea of engaging citizens to increase neighborhood beautification.
Garcetti's volunteer UNTAG program, Uniting Neighborhoods to Abolish Graffiti, has reduced graffiti in his district over 78 percent in its first four years.
During his first term, as chair and member of the Housing, Community, and Economic Development Committee, he helped create a 100 million dollar housing trust fund, at the time, the nation's largest. He has also worked to revitalize the Hollywood area and reduce and reform the city business tax.
He has drawn respect as President by ensuring that the meetings start on time, adding cushions to the pews in council chambers, making all past meetings available on-line, implementing a Council Ambassadors Program, and controlling the timing of public comment and council presentations at meetings. He has also helped more than 1500 local constituents learn about the governmental process by hosting Government and Planning 101 courses throughout the city.
in early Spring 2007 and was the Southern California Chairman and one of six state co-chairs for the Obama Campaign
. He traveled to Iowa
, Nevada
and six other states, and was a frequent surrogate (in English
and Spanish
) for the campaign. He served as a superdelegate
during the 2008 Democratic National Convention
and was elected to serve as the Chair of Democratic Municipal Officials, an organization affiliated with the Democratic National Committee
that represents all local elected Democrats in the U.S. In this capacity, he serves on the DNC Executive Committee.
Xavier Becerra
was to be appointed to serve in the Obama administration as the United States Trade Representative. Garcetti, whose district overlaps Becerra's, was mentioned as a possible front-runner for the congressional seat. However, Becerra indicated that he would not accept the position in Obama's cabinet. Garcetti declared his candidacy for Mayor of Los Angeles on September 8, 2011.
, jazz pianist and composer
. He lives in Echo Park with his wife Amy Elaine Wakeland. He also serves in the United States Navy
as a Lieutenant
in the reserve component
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
municipal politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
. He serves as its President and represents the 13th District. He is the son of the former Los Angeles County District Attorney
Los Angeles County District Attorney
The District Attorney of Los Angeles County prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, California....
Gil Garcetti
Gil Garcetti
Gilbert Salvadore Iberri "Gil" Garcetti is an American politician. He served as Los Angeles County's 40th District Attorney for two terms, from 1992 until November 7, 2000.-Background:...
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Early life
Garcetti was born in Los Angeles. His father is Italian and MexicanMexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
descent and his mother, Sukey Roth, is Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Jewish descent. Garcetti attended elementary school at the UCLA Lab School (formerly Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School), junior high and high school at Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades 7 through 12....
and received a B.A. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
as a John Jay Scholar. At Columbia, he served on the Student Council, was President of the St. Anthony Hall
St. Anthony Hall
St. Anthony Hall, also known as Saint Anthony Hall and The Order of St. Anthony, is a national college literary society also known as the Fraternity of Delta Psi at colleges in the United States of America. St...
literary society, founded the Columbia Urban Experience, and co-wrote and performed in three years of the Varsity Show
Varsity Show
The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University and certainly its oldest performing arts presentation. Founded in 1894 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Columbia undergraduate community for a series...
, a student-written musical, whose past co-writers include Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, and Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Hart
Lorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...
. Garcetti also received a Masters of International Affairs
Master of International Affairs
The Master of International Affairs is a Professional Master's degree. Through study of the diverse forces that have shaped modern institutions and the ways in which diverse forces project themselves into the international sphere, the Master of International Affairs degree attempts to equip...
from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and also studied at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Professional career
Prior to his election to the Los Angeles City CouncilLos Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
, Garcetti was a visiting instructor of International Affairs at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and assistant professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
. His academic work focused on ethnic conflict and nationalism and he has lived and studied in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Northeast Africa. He has published articles and chapters of books on post-conflict societies, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
n nationalism, and non-violent
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
. Garcetti has also served on the California Board of Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
.
City Council
Garcetti was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2001 and reelected in 2005 and 2009.He succeeded Alex Padilla
Alex Padilla
Alejandro "Alex" Padilla is a California State Senator. He was elected as the state senator for California's 20th State Senate district in November 2006 and was inaugurated in early December. Prior to serving in the Senate he served 7½ years on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 7th...
as President of the City Council on January 1, 2006 and was re-elected as President at the beginning of the Council's subsequent terms in 2007 and 2009. As the President, Garcetti is the acting mayor when the mayor is out of state, appoints the Assistant President Pro Tempore, makes committee assignments for his colleagues on the Council, and leads all City Council meetings.
As a City Councilmember, he has especially focused on issues of housing and economic development, the environment, public safety, community engagement, neighborhood beautification, and international diplomacy.
Crime
Garcetti supported recent expansions of the Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
and the re-implementation of the Senior Lead Officer Program. Crime has fallen in his district by more than forty percent since 2001.
He also authored legislation requiring increases in funding for youth intervention and crime prevention programs whenever there is additional spending on police hiring. Garcetti founded the At The Park After Dark program which keeps parks open late at night in the summer months. The program was a model for the Summer Night Lights program, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's successful anti-gang program.
Environmental Issues
In 2004, Garcetti authored Proposition O, a county stormwater bond which sought to clean the city's waterways. Voters approved the bond with just over 76% of the vote making it the largest clean water bond in the country.During his decade on the City Council the number of parks in his district has doubled.
In 2005, Garcetti helped found the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. He also authored two of the nation's largest municipal green building ordinances, the first requiring all city buildings to be built to the LEED-certified standard
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
, and the second which mandates all commercial buildings over 50000 sq ft (4,645.2 m²). in Los Angeles be built to a LEED standard. Garcetti also supported changes in the city's landscape ordinance and plumbing codes to promote water conservation.
In July 2009, the City Council passed a water conservation ordinance he authored, which required all new construction and renovation projects in Los Angeles to be equipped with high-efficiency water devices and aims to conserve one billion gallons of water a year. A longtime electric car driver, he appeared as a proponent of electric cars in the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car? is a 2006 documentary film that explores the creation, limited commercialization, and subsequent destruction of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the mid 1990s...
"
International Issues
Garcetti has traveled to El SalvadorEl Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
to initiate Sister City programs with Los Angeles. He was also part of the delegations on Los Angeles trade missions to trading partners Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Housing and Neighborhood Beautification
At times, Garcetti has come under public scrutiny for letting large scale developments demolish and build over cultural, and historic landmarks. The most recent example are three small buildings at historic Sunset Junction which were demolished to make way for a large condominium development. A developer had previously said there was no talk of demolition. However, the Department of Building and Safety granted the company a permit for demolition nearly a month and a half before it happened.In his district, Garcetti created the Neighborhood Leadership Institute which trains constituents to be active citizens. He has used the idea of engaging citizens to increase neighborhood beautification.
Garcetti's volunteer UNTAG program, Uniting Neighborhoods to Abolish Graffiti, has reduced graffiti in his district over 78 percent in its first four years.
During his first term, as chair and member of the Housing, Community, and Economic Development Committee, he helped create a 100 million dollar housing trust fund, at the time, the nation's largest. He has also worked to revitalize the Hollywood area and reduce and reform the city business tax.
Constituent Outreach
Garcetti was one of the first elected officials in Los Angeles to hold "office hours" each month, where constituents can meet with him face-to-face. He implemented a "Constituent Bill of Rights" that ensures that constituents' phone calls are returned within a single workday, that constituents are included in all land-use decisions in their neighborhood, and that all constituent concerns are tracked on a computer system that details all actions taken on that particular case.He has drawn respect as President by ensuring that the meetings start on time, adding cushions to the pews in council chambers, making all past meetings available on-line, implementing a Council Ambassadors Program, and controlling the timing of public comment and council presentations at meetings. He has also helped more than 1500 local constituents learn about the governmental process by hosting Government and Planning 101 courses throughout the city.
2008 Presidential election
Garcetti endorsed Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in early Spring 2007 and was the Southern California Chairman and one of six state co-chairs for the Obama Campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
. He traveled to Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and six other states, and was a frequent surrogate (in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) for the campaign. He served as a superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
during the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
and was elected to serve as the Chair of Democratic Municipal Officials, an organization affiliated with the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
that represents all local elected Democrats in the U.S. In this capacity, he serves on the DNC Executive Committee.
Future
There had been speculation that CongressmanUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Xavier Becerra
Xavier Becerra
Xavier Becerra is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Los Angeles.-Early life, education and career:...
was to be appointed to serve in the Obama administration as the United States Trade Representative. Garcetti, whose district overlaps Becerra's, was mentioned as a possible front-runner for the congressional seat. However, Becerra indicated that he would not accept the position in Obama's cabinet. Garcetti declared his candidacy for Mayor of Los Angeles on September 8, 2011.
Personal life
Garcetti is an avid photographerPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, jazz pianist and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He lives in Echo Park with his wife Amy Elaine Wakeland. He also serves in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the reserve component
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
.