Denise Munro Robb For City Council
responsible growth-responsive government
COPE QUESTIONNAIRE
Miguel Contreras, Executive Secretary-Treasurer
and Jan Borunda
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
(213) 383-1745
Name: Denise Munro Robb
Home Address:
325 S. Cloverdale Ave. #105
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 213-745-7622
Fax: same
Occupation: Paralegal - Immigrant's Rights
Employer: National Immigration Law Center
3435 Wilshire Blvd. #2850
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213-639-3900 ext. 117
work email: robb@nilc.org
Campaign Address:
5850 Third St. #356
LA, CA 90036 (for mail)
and
The Peace Center
8124 W. Third St. #103
Los Angeles, CA 90048
phone: 213-745-ROBB
email: denise@panix.com
Website: DeniseMunroRobb.com
Political Consultant: Greg Jan
Campaign ID# 1235306
Name of Campaign Committee: Denise Munro Robb for City Council
Political Party: Green
Which Public Offices Have You Held:
I am currently an elected official on the Los Angeles Green Party County Council
Have you previously been endorsed by COPE?
I have never been interviewed or met with COPE before.
In which national, state, legislative general elections or statewide ballot proposition elections have you not voted in the past five years? Why not?
I have always voted.
Currently I work at the National Immigration Law Center, a low-income immigrant's rights organization that serves as a support center for the entire country. We have many class action impact litigation lawsuits against the INS and we've been successful at most of them. Some of the issues we work on is securing health care and pre-natal care for undocumented workers, suing the INS over anti-immigrant legislation such as IIRIRA and IRCA, and we recently had a victory in the Gorbach de-naturalization case in which we prevented the INS from denaturalization thousands of citizens. We were also co-plaintiffs in the No on Prop 187 case, among others. I assist the Director of Litigation with these cases, conducting research, etc.
My job immediately before this job was the Executive Director for Southern California Americans for Democratic Action from 1994-1997. I worked very closely with SEIU Local 660, and was arrested during the protest against the closing of County USC Medical Center. I also marched with H.E.R.E. Local 14. We participated in numerous pro-union activities. Before that I served on the board of ADA for three years.
I attended UCLA when I was 18. I returned to college at age 33 to finish my bachelors in Political Science. I attended Santa Monica City College and Cal State University, Los Angeles, consistently maintaining a 3.9 GPA and earning 6 scholarships.
Yes.
I currently belong to AFTRA. In the past I belonged to AFSCME.
My participation has been with SEIU, H.E.R.E., the Justice for Janitors movement, the strawberry boycott and more recently in anti-sweat shop activities.
I am a member of the Bus Riders Union, the Sierra Club, the LA Greens, and I am the current President of the Miracle Mile Action Committee.
The National Women's Political Caucus, Planned Parenthood, NOW, Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters.
We have raised over $7,000 and we have some large fundraisers coming up in the next two weeks. We have spent more than $4,000 so far.
$25,000.
$5,000
Briefly describe your key priorities if elected.
- Instituting a living wage similar to that just passed in Santa Monica
- Trying to empower neighborhoods so the need to secede isn't as dire
- Building a workable transportation system, implementing the consent decree for the Bus Riders Union, and creation of light rail throughout the city
- Compliance by the LAPD of the consent decree - implementing more community based policing and incentives to keep police on the job and in the city
- Affordable housing - in the true sense of the word
- More parks
- Improvement of infrastructure
I am not a career politician. I am running for this office because I really care about people and want to make Los Angeles a better place to live. I have 27 years of community activism and am committed to social justice and worker's rights. My entire life has been dedicated to this and running for office is just a natural extension of the desire to make this a more livable and equitable city.
Briefly state why you are seeking Labor's endorsement.
Labor has always been on the front lines of social activism. I have always fought for issues that involve working people and believe that we must stand together if we are to succeed against such forces as monopoly, NAFTA, GATT and the new FTAA agreement. I would be proud to be endorsed by labor. I want your endorsement and I want you to walk precincts with me.
Yes.
Briefly state your position on the following issues:
Yes. I support Santa Monica's living wage, which not only encompasses the city employees but private beachfront employees as well. We need this in Los Angeles for private employers.
We need to protect laws that allow a worker to sue when his health is at risk. Corporations and lobbyists are rewriting laws to make it easier for workers to be exploited. They must be protected to the full extent of the law and the laws must be changed to enact greater protection.
Project Labor Agreements have been successful not only for public works projects such as dam building and other large construction projects, but also for private projects as well. Boston has more than $20 million in project labor agreements right now. We need to fight the Bush administration's ban on them because they are a great way to ensure plenty of union labor is hired and they also ensure there won't be any work stoppages so it seems to be a win-win situation for everyone.
44% of the city wants to secede. If we give neighborhood councils real decision making power, hold meetings at night, provide child care and hold meetings in the districts in which the issues are decided upon, it's possible that the parts of the city that feel disempowered might change their mind. However, if secession is inevitable then collecting bargaining must be protected and continued and the entire County must be allowed to bargain as a group.
I spent two years of my life trying to pass the single payer health care initiative (Prop 186). Unfortunately it failed but I continue to support full health coverage for all people.
I support the neutral card check and believe workers must be allowed to unionize. The federal government must step in and force employers to accept the decision made by workers.
Elected officials should stand up for the rights of oppressed workers and do whatever is necessary to help resolve the dispute.
The study just released shows the mini-districts have created more bureaucracy and lower test scores. Clearly, there is a problem. There is much too much money spent at the top and not enough on teacher's salaries. If, like secession, we do break the district into truly different districts then we must not create a greater level of bureaucracy. We must also ensure collective bargaining as a county to protect the rights of teachers. Also much more money needs to be spent on schools and new schools must be acquired.
SIGNATURE
I attest that these answers represent my actions and beliefs, are not part of my public record, and may be used by AFL-CIO unions to keep union members informed about important issues
______________________ ______________
Denise Robb Date