Brentwood News Interview with Torie Osborn, Candidate for State Assembly District 50

In the coming months, Brentwood News will interview all candidates for State Assembly District 50 (Mike Feuer’s current seat). We’ll start with Torie Osborn, who lives in Santa Monica (“Brentwood adjacent!†).
Q: For those in Brentwood who don’t know you, tell us a little about yourself.
A: I am a nonprofit government reformer and a 27-year resident of this district. My life has been about tackling tough problems, bringing people together, and developing creative solutions. I want to go to Sacramento to make major reforms and changes to state government, and that starts with creating a fair tax code that fully funds education. I moved to California in my late 20s, like so many others for the California Dream! I ran a women’s music company, got my MBA from UCLA, and began a career as a nonprofit executive, finding ways to make social change in the midst of crisis. I have worked on health care, poverty, and LGBT civil rights. Our state is in deep crisis and needs the kind of leaders who can help us not only weather this crisis but forge opportunity from it. That’s been my life’s work.
Q: What is it you hope to accomplish if you are elected our assembly member?
A: My goal is to help change the conversation in Sacramento and focus on solutions– on education, on the budget, on economic recovery, on a greener, healthier future. I believe California is in decline but we have what it takes to turn it around — 9th largest economy, more venture capital than anywhere else, natural resources for transforming our economy, extraordinary creative people. My greatest concern is the decimation of our public education system.
Q: Seems like Santa Monica did a lot in recent years to draw in new businesses. That might be good for Santa Monica, but many on the Westside think it added significantly to traffic as commuters drive to and from Santa Monica. Anything you’d like to say about this? Anything that can be done?
A: It’s a mess; trying to go downtown these days during the week to Disney Hall is a long-gone dream. Changing our traffic gridlock will take time and concerted regional planning, and everyone has to do their part — from alternative transportation (getting more bike routes for commuting and recreation); to promoting mass Transit (expediting the Subway to the Sea and the Expo Line– phase 2 going from Culver City to SaMo); to making sure that AD 50 gets its fair share of statewide bonds for transportation and public works improvements.
Q: Sacramento strikes many as particularly dysfunctional. What can you do to help change this?
A: The culture up there puts the needs of lobbyists and special interests ahead of what is best for the people. I am not a politician; I’m a reformer, and I have a different mindset. I am a grassroots candidate with the backing of 1700 donors. I’ll go to Sacramento independent and unbought. That gives me the ability to do what I do best: fix things.
Q: Any ties to Brentwood?
A: I’ve had a gazillion meals in your restaurants, shopped in your stores, jogged your streets. After all, I live Brentwood-adjacent!