Taxpayer's Advocate. I am the Chief Financial Officer for the California Taxpayers Action Network (CalTAN). We are a state-wide, all-volunteer non-profit group that promotes fiscal responsibility and transparency in local government.  Our efforts have resulted in more transparency in public school construction ontracts and the bonds that finance them. We most recently opposed Proposition 51 (along with Governor Brown) as a give-away to well-connected developers at the expense of taxpayers.

I am a recognized taxpayer advocate by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and a strong supporter of Proposition 13. I support the repeal of the recent gas tax and vehicle fee hike.

Tech Guy for Tax Board. My day job is in the information technology department at major Southern California Academic Medical Center. I help maintain the electronic health record software that is the basis for the healthcare provided by the Center. 

Tax Industry Experience. For eight years, I worked for CCH Computax, the largest tax return preparation company at the time serving CPAs, modifying computer programs to calculate tax returns for both Federal and State income tax returns, including California with special emphasis on corporate and partnership tax returns. 

Former Business Owner. For 20 years, I ran my own computer consulting firm specializing in custom desktop database applications and Microsoft Office customization. My small business clients represented diverse industries such as banking, automotive repair, bindery and postal mail preparation, water filtration and distressed real estate.

I am a recognized as a taxpayer advocate and have been endorsed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association for this office before. 

Public Service. I currently serve on the City of Torrance Planning Commission. I have also served on the City of Torrance Water Commission. I understand how boards and commissions work, their limits and how to make them productive. Hint: It's not by missing meetings or coming to meetings unprepared. In my five and half years of service on these two commissions, I have not missed a meeting. I read the briefing material and come prepared to ask questions and make decisions.

Personal. My wife Janice and I are Los Angeles County homeowners. Janice teaches ninth grade with Classical Conversations. We have two college-age daughters — Kirsten and Victoria. Kirsten is of a Porland, Oregon ballet company. Victoria will be a junior at Hillsdale College this fall.

I have raised money for Muscular Dystrophy, delivered presents to children of prisoners at Christmas through Project Angel Tree and mentored young men and women through Junior Achievement. 

History. Four years ago, I ran for this office, first as a write-in candidate and then in the top two runoff in November 2014. I lost to the incumbent by 300,000 votes out of 1.2 million cast. It was because of the excesses of that incumbent who is termed out that the Board of Equalization was gutted and its important taxpayer protection transfered to the executive branch. 

Mission. I love this great country and our great state. I'm running now to restore the taxpayer protections of transparency and fairness to taxpayers that was taken from the Board of Equalization. You can read more about it here in the Orange County Register.

I'm ready to serve for the benefit of my fellow citizens.

My Seven Governing Principles

1.  The Free Enterprise System, not Government, is the most productive supplier of human needs. It is the individual with minimal government burdens who raises the standard of living off all by supplying the needs of others while providing for himself.

2.  All individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, opportunity and the fruits of their labor.

3.  The poor escape poverty by work—not Government spending. Handouts breed dependence.

4.  Individual liberty is preserved when constitutional limitations are respected and observed. Individual responsibility nurtures a healthy culture of family, community and work.

5.  Every dollar Government spends is taken from a hardworking taxpayer.  Taxes paid by business are passed along in higher prices.

6.  Rewarding the powerful and well connected at the expense of the ordinary, or favoring the impoverished or minority over the wealthy or majority is equally wrong.

7.  Our Nation’s moral character depends on faith in, and freedom to serve, our Creator, Almighty God.

Scott J. Svonkin is serving on his sixth year on the Board of Trustees, previously serving as the Board’s President for three years. Svonkin was elected to serve on the LACCD board in 2011 and re-elected in 2015.

Svonkin understands the importance of fiscal management, and has devoted his career ensuring that public funds are spent properly and within strict guidelines. Scott believes adherence to tight budgets provides more and better public services to everybody in the community; more and better schools, more and better public safety, more and better roads. He could increase the list ad infinitum.

That is why Scott is honored to serve as a member of President Obama’s College Promise National Advisory Board, part of the campaign to allow responsible students to attend two years at a community college tuition-free. He is serving a three-year term in this role.

Svonkin comes from a strong business background before entering public service having risen through the ranks at Prudential where he received the company’s Community Champions Rising Star Award for his commitment to helping others and the Hero Award for creating a voter registration and grassroots-lobbying program. As a health care executive, he arranged for his company to donate almost one thousand computers to public schools.

Svonkin also served as the Chief of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang. In that position, he was part of the leadership team that stabilized an office rocked by scandal.

Furthermore, Scott served on the board of the Children’s Hospital L.A. Huckleberry Fund and on the California Respiratory Board where his fellow members elected him President shortly after his appointment. Also, Scott is a member of the Board of Directors of the California Credit Union—a billion-dollar financial institution, and is also Chairman of the Los Angeles County Insurance Commission.

This strong fiscal expertise has served him well. Although a high school dropout, Trustee Svonkin enrolled at Pasadena City College, went on to get a B.A. at California State University, Northridge, and served on the San Gabriel Unified School District Board before being elected to his current position, where he has helped guide the largest community district in the nation to a solid financial footing backed by a prudent reserve.

Moreover, he twice served as President of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association and has served on the Los Angeles Valley College Foundation Board, the California State University, Northridge Legislative Advisory Council, the LA PROSPER Board of the Los Angeles Community College District, and the Center for Southern California Studies Advisory Board.

Sixteen years as an elected official serving four terms as a Trustee for the Los Angeles Community College District. Professor of Anthropology and Communications

Fifty years as an environmental activist; forty years as host and producer of Environmental Directions radio; 36 years has host and producer of ECONEWS television

Have served on Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards to over fifty nonprofit organizations including Educational Communications, The ReUse People of America and others 

Recognized as a Global 500 Laureate by the United Nations Environmental Program

Tax payers dollars should be spent carefully and properly without waste.  I am not beholden to any special interests.  Candidates should not receive contributions from companies and other organizations that will be considered by that individual if elected. Polilcy decisions should be based on what is right for individuals and society and not according to who donates to a campaign. The highest ethical values should be applied in all dealings. 

1. 2-term Mayor of Culver City, and first Irish immigrant elected to its City Council
2. Successfully managed an $85M city budget through the recession, preserving jobs and supporting economic development
3. Regional influence as VP of both the League of CA Cities and Independent Cities Association
4. Advocate for transit solutions as Board Member with Expo Light Rail, & Southern CA Assoc. of Governments Transportation Committee
5. Trusted environmental advocate as Chair of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission
6. Successful, restaurant-industry, small-business owner in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties

Micheál O'Leary led the City of Culver City through the 2008 Recession, developing a reputation for being financially prudent with the City Budget, while managing to protect public sector jobs as well.  A small business owner himself for almost two decades in both LA and Ventura Counties, he has always sought to make government a friend, not an adversary, to the business community.

Over 8 years and two terms in office in Culver City, Micheál became known for his support of environmental measures, even serving as the Board Chair for the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.  Never one to sit idly by and not have a seat at the table, Micheál used his influence as Culver City Councilmember/Mayor to chime in on varous regional discussions, including critical public transit infrastructure conversations.

Always vocal about what would be "the RIGHT thing to do" and never willing to let integrity take a back seat, Micheál has long advocated for transparency in government, civil public discourse, and broader civic engagement.