Yaroslavsky Talks Measure J, Decision Not to Run for Mayor

Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Third District Supervisor, spoke to the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association on Wednesday night regarding Measure J and his decision not to run for mayor of Los Angeles.

Yaroslavsky, who has served as on the LA County Board of Supervisors since 1994, having been re-elected on four separate occasions, was considered to be a top level candidate for the mayor's office had he decided to run in the next election. 

However, Yaroslavsky said Wednesday that he is sticking true to his word, that he will retire from public office once his current term expires in December of 2014. 

When asked would he give any reconsideration to his decision, Yaroslavsky answered, "No."

"I appreciate all the encouragement, but my statement last month is the whole story," Yaroslavsky said. "I've been doing this for 37 years and when my term is up in December of 2014, that will be almost 40 years. I have little more to prove to myself or to you about what I can do as an elected official, but I have a lot more to prove to myself about the other things I can do in my life.”

On hand at Wednesday's meeting was city controller and 2013 mayoral candidate, Wendy Greuel. When asked why he would choose not to challenge Greuel, Yaroslavsky said jokingly, "Because I'm smarter than her."

"I'm happy and looking forward to a new chapter in my life," Yaroslavsky said. "I'm done with elected office." 

Yaroslavsky spent a majority of his time in front of the audience on Wednesday speaking of the upcoming vote on Measure J. 

Measure J, which began as Measure R in 2008, will seek to extend a one-half cent transportation sales tax that was put in place with Measure R, which expires in 2039.  

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us," Yaroslavsky said. "Measure J helps fund transporation projects, Metrolink, a whole bunch of things. It was the only way to fuse money into a mass transit system so that we can really build a regional transportation network, on that we don’t quite have yet. We had to start somewhere."

If Measure J passes in November, it will extend the tax until 2069. Yaroslavsky says that although Measure R will not expire for over two decades, it is important to extend the tax to take advantage of decreased construction costs and low interest rates. 

"Today, we have record low construction costs and interest rates," Yaroslavsky said. "By asking the federal government to loan us money now, put people to work and take advantage of these low costs."

"It will get you a transportation infrastructure in your lifetime and not just in your children and grandchildren's lifetimes," Yaroslavsky said to the crowd on hand. "Do we want to roll the dice that intrestest rates will be the same in 2039?"