ERIC GARCETTI

Dear Members of the San Fernando Valley NOW Chapter PAC and its partner organizations: I wanted to thank you for your dedication to the full range of issues affecting women and girls of all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds as well as your commitment to progressive issues. I want to follow-up on your questionnaire with some additional information on some of the issues that aren't explicitly addressed in that questionnaire. I believe my experience and record as an activist, academic and public servant distinguishes me in the field of candidates running for Mayor of Los Angeles in numerous ways: 1. I bring to my public service a life-long personal commitment to issues of gender equity that dates back to my activism in college and graduate school, when I chaired a national organization (the National Student Coalition Against Harassment) that fought for gender equity and human rights, and that specifically addressed the epidemic of sexual harassment and assault and racial and homophobic hate crimes on college campuses across the country. In my early twenties, I proudly founded and joined groups that demanded that men play a role in halting sexism and sexual assault in our society (included among them was the Columbia Mens Discussion Group on Sexism and Gender). I also worked on feminist issues on a global basis, as a human rights activist, joining, for instance, the board of an organization working on women's empowerment and health in Africa (called the Kembatta Womens Center, which specifically works to combat the practice of FGE in Ethiopia). I continued with this human rights work on behalf of women and girls through my service on the boards of organizations like the Southern California Committee of Human Rights Watch and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, and through my personal philanthropic commitments to numerous organizations that work to redress human rights abuses against women and girls. These organizations range in nature from small, grassroots organizations in the Los Angeles area like Khmer Girls in Action, Immigration Center for Women and Girls, Girls Today Women Tomorrow, Black Women for Wellness, among others, to large and nationally well-known organizations like Planned Parenthood, that work to maintain the integrity of a womans right to choose. I have personally supported numerous reproductive rights organizations and campaigns dedicated to providing reproductive rights services to women who live in medically underserved areas of our country through organizations like Medical Students for Choice and Womens Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP).

2. I have a long-standing personal commitment to the National Organization for Women. I am a long standing member of NOW, and have been a donor to both its national and state Foundation. In addition, I have participated in several of NOWs advocacy campaigns (working with Lindsay Horvath, for instance, in Hollywood; with Patty Bellasalma and others at the state level; and with Kim Gandy at the national level). 3. I have a record of meaningful accomplishments on behalf of women and girls, the highlights of which I include at the end of this letter, which demonstrate my willingness to lead on issues of import to women and girls. 4. I have an unparalleled track record of leadership on NOWs multi-issue, progressive agenda in comparison to other candidates seeking to lead Los Angeles as its Mayor. I authored the City Council resolution opposing unilateral war in Iraq at a time when 70% of the country was in favor of that war. I wrote the legislation that implemented the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)see LA City Council File 00-0398-S2. More recently, while other candidates remained silent, I immediately voiced my opposition to the privatization of pensions in LA, when former Mayor Riordan sought to place this issue in front of the voters of LA. I have worked to improve womens position in the workforce and to protect low-wage workers from workplace abuses by supporting legal actions against Wal-Mart and other employers who bring anti-worker agendas to the workplace. I authored the nation's toughest anti-sweatshop ordinance and the nation's largest anti-superstore ordinance and the legislation that extended the Equal Benefit Ordinance to cover same-sex partners of employees in companies doing business with the port, airport and Department of Water and Power. I performed LAs first legal same sex marriage (as well more than 18 others after that). My focus on NOWs multi-issue progressive agenda extends to a considerable legislative focus on environmental issues as well, and to the important problem of ensuring the families can afford to live in Los Angeles. I authored the nations largest green building ordinance; I authored the nations largest clean water initiative of its kind; and I authored the nations largest solar initiative of its kind. Where affordable housing and tenants rights are concerned, I authored the nations largest housing trust fund legislation, and I authored the nations first tenant foreclosure moratorium. 5. I bring an unequaled record on immigrant rights issues to this race. My grandfather was a dreamer who came to this country from Mexico and was only able to become a citizen more than 30 years after arriving as a result of his service in WWII. I fight for dreamers and for immigrant rights in general. In my twenties, I worked as a student organizer against Prop 187 (see George Ramos column in the LA Times about my efforts: Prop. 187 Protest Has Sympathizers an Ocean Away). More recently, I was

proud to have held workshops (the only candidate to do so) with CHIRLA and other immigrant rights groups to help more than 500 people learn how to participate in President Obamas new deferred action program immediately after it was announced. During my years on the City Council, I wrote the legislation that recognized the matricula consular (consular ID cards) as a legally acceptable form of identification in Los Angeles. In addition, I wrote the resolution calling for full immigration equality for same sex partners, and I helped create the first Office of Immigrant Affairs in the city's history. 6. I have an unparalleled record on hiring and advancing women during my years on the City Council. I am the only city councilmember to my knowledge to employ two women who were the parents of young children on a part-time basis in important management positions during my council service. For numerous years, my management team at City Hall was exclusively women (Chief of Staff Ana Guerrero, Communications Director Julie Wong, Policy Director Sarah Dusseault, Economic Development Director Kelli Bernard, Director of Scheduling and Senior Advisor Heather Repenning, and District Directors Shane Goldsmith, Heather Repenning and Marta Segura were among those who led my office during those years). Currently, my campaign team includes a majority of women in leadership roles; including Campaign Manager Mollie Culver, Deputy Campaign Manager Mary Hodge, Finance Director Stephanie Daily Smith, Political Director Heather Repenning, Field Director Molly Fowler, Senior Policy Advisor Sarah Dusseault and Senior Political Advisor Julie Gutman. My long-standing commitment to women and girls and to the advancement of women in leadership positions has resulted in the endorsement of leading grassroots activists on issues of gender equity including (all in their individual capacities): Robyn Ritter Simon (immediate past President, NWPC LAWestside); Lindsay Horvath (president, Hollywood NOW); Monica Rodriguez (President, HOPE PAC board); Nilza Serrano (HOPE PAC board member), Ana Ponce (HOPE PAC board member), Wendy Bruget (HOPE PAC board member); Jodi Evans (co-founder and co-director, Code Pink), among others. I am also honored to have the support of long-standing NOW member Jackie Goldberg; activists like Salma Hayek (who I first came to know on a policy basis when working with her on Congressional testimony on the issue of domestic violence); and of a long list of prominent women involved in the environmental movement like Laurie David, Dayna Bochco, Heather Thomas, and Amy Smart. The reason Im in this race is to make Los Angeles a great city again, with an agenda based on prosperity and equity and grounded in the values we share. I am more than a reliable supporter on womens and human rights issues. I am a committed to making

sure this city works for women and girls and someone who has led the way, time and again. In closing, here is a list of some of the policy work specifically related to women and girls that I have provided leadership on as an LA City Councilmember and as City Council President: *Funded DNA Rape Kits: By 2008, more than 7,000 DNA rape kits sat untested in LAPD storage. I secured the funding necessary to completely eliminate this backlog and fought to ensure that the LAPD will have the resources necessary to process new kits on an on-going basis. *Led the effort to expand and preserve Domestic Abuse Response Teams (DART): DART is a community policing program: when LAPD receives a domestic violence call, specially-trained domestic violence advocates accompany police officers and link victims to resources including shelter, medical attention, and counseling. I have been working to support DART for over a decade. *Secured funding for the City Attorneys Family Violence Unit Case Management System: Working with the California Womens Law Center, I secured funding for a case management system that aides the City Attorneys Family Violence Unit in investigating and prosecuting domestic violence and child abuse cases. *Aggressively lobbied against state and federal legislation that threatened a womans right to choose: I opposed bills that would have made it a crime for a person to help a teen cross state lines for an abortion; opposed initiatives that would have prevented physicians from performing abortions on un-emancipated minors until at least 48 hours had elapsed after the doctor had notified the minors parents; and opposed an initiative that would have required health care providers to notify the parents of women under the age of 18 before providing abortion services. *Fought Tirelessly to Raise Awareness About Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women: As Council President, I sponsored Council sessions dedicated to educating the public about myths about sexual assault; called upon the federal government to include workplace protections for victims of domestic violence; and made it the official position of the City of Los Angeles to support state legislation to ensure that domestic violence shelters would continue to receive state funding to support victims of human trafficking. *Promoted Women in Government Leadership: I have hired women in Senior positions within my City Council Office and my Mayoral campaign, including my Chief of

Staff Ana Guerrero and my campaign manager Mollie Culver. In addition, over 60% of my commission appointments have gone to women. *Led the fight against Domestic Violence and Rape as the LA City Council leader on Denim Day and liaison to the Los Angeles Domestic Violence Task Force. I am a longtime supporter of Peace Over Violence and was honored to have received their Public Service Award in 2009. *Fought against trafficking and slavery in Los Angeles: I worked hard to save the LA Metropolitan Task Force on trafficking and slavery, and am proud to be one of the earliest and longest-standing supporters of CAST, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking which, among other things, opened the first shelter in the United States for the victims of slavery and trafficking. *Provided support for at-risk girls through programs such as Girls and Gangs, a program that seeks to reduce the drop-out rate among girls who are at risk of being enveloped into gang life. *Advocated for marriage equality: I co-sponsored the City Council action against Proposition 8 that made Los Angeles the first city in California to officially oppose it. After Proposition 8s passage, I co-sponsored the City resolution to repeal this discriminatory measure. In 2005 and 2007, I sponsored resolutions supporting state legislation to permit same-sex marriages in California. *Expanded the Los Angeles' Equal Benefits Ordinance to require more employers who do business with the City to offer domestic partner benefits. *Created the LGBT subcommittee of the Domestic Violence Task Force to shine a light on and address issues related to domestic violence within the LGBT community. *Established an innovative healthcare workforce training program that established the Healthcare Career Ladder. *Supported an innovative affordable housing development for emancipated foster moms. *Fought for the implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act in LAPD lockups and jails. As Mayor, I will continue my commitment to and record of meaningful action on issues that are important to women and girls of all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. I look forward to working with youboth in the short term to earn your endorsement for my campaignand over the longer term when we will continue our

collaboration in making our L.A. the great city of opportunity for all that we all know it can be.

Sincerely,

ERIC GARCETTI