Paul Chavez, Patch Staff

I was born in San Pedro, Calif., and raised in Gardena and Anaheim. I went to UCLA and graduated with a degree in political science, with an emphasis on international relations. I currently live in Venice.

My favorite writers in no particular order are Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Bishop, Dashiell Hammett, D.H. Lawrence, Raymond Chandler, Voltaire and Joan Didion. My two favorite reference books are "A Dictionary of Symbols" and "The Owner's Manual for The Brain."

I was a wrestler in high school and No. 1 varsity tennis player. I ran a few marathons in my youth. Currently, I enjoy bike riding and going to the beach.

My journalism career dates back to the early 1990s and I've learned a lot from the reporters and editors I've worked with over the years. I'm grateful for their professional generosity and friendship.

<b>My Beliefs</b><br>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.<br><br><b>Politics </b><br><i>How would you describe your political beliefs?</i><br><br>I was a political science major, so I could go on and on and on. I&#39;ll say this, the U.S. Constitution is probably the last great political document written. The challenge for all of us is to build a political system from the White House to the local neighborhood council that lives up to that document&#39;s ideals. To that end, I understand how a conservative approach to politics has it merits when you consider that we&#39;re dealing with monolithic structures that are not prone to dramatic change.  On the other hand, the liberal approach to politics fueled the American Revolution and has helped secure many of our basic individual rights and freedoms.

UPDATE 3/2/2011: In the interest of transparency, I would like to note that I have a family connection in the upcoming race to fill the vacant seat in the 36th Congressional District. My uncle, Daniel Chavez, is the campaign manager for Debra Bowen. As a result, I will not be covering Bowen directly.

<i>Are you registered with a certain party?</i><br><br>Independent.<br><br><b>Religion</b><br><i>How religious would you consider yourself? (casual, observant, devout, non religious)</i>

I was raised Catholic, but I&#39;m currently not a member of any religious organization. <br><br><b>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br><i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?</i><br><br>Balancing development and future land-use planning with the need to maintain or improve the quality of life for residents is probably the one major issue. Coastal access is also a major issue. Generally, I see public health, public safety, poverty and politics as key issues in any community.

<i>Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i>

I don&#39;t particularly have a stance on these issues. I do, however, think they all should be handled openly and with transparency and there should be a high degree of public participation.<i><br></i>