Last week,LA Clean Sweep endorsed a slate of candidates for City Council seats on the March ballot.
The organization was inspired by former LA Daily News editor Ron Kaye with the objective of encouraging and supporting alternative candidates.
For the record, I support LA Clean Sweep, but I was perplexed by a major inconsistency in the endorsements. On one hand, Clean Sweep took a neutral stand in the Paul Krekorian- Augusto Bisani race in CD2, but supported Bernard Parks for CD8.
Strange, given that incumbents Parks and Krekorian have almost identical voting records on major issues.
Neither Parks nor Krekorian have taken a fiscally conservative stand on the city budget – a problem they share with all of their colleagues – and both botched chances at blocking DWP rate increases.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_16869661
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/city-council-may-review-dwp-rate-hike-again-2010427
Clean Sweep has been consistently critical of the Council’s inability to rein in the budget and just as vocal against the DWP rate increases that were passed.
Parks is not the budget hawk as he has been characterized by some. As head of the budget committee, he has allowed the city to become mired in ever-increasing red ink. He has allowed bloated budgets to pass year after year, ignoring the structural deficit created by excessive compensation and benefits.
Parks was the only incumbent to attend Clean Sweep’s candidate forum. Nice, but a person’s voting record should be the primary reason for an endorsement.
At least Paul Krekorian has worked to protect neighborhood councils and provided constituent service far superior to the level that was offered by Wendy Greuel, his predecessor in CD2 .
Krekorian’s opponent, Valley Village resident and local businessman Augusto Bisani , lacks knowledge of the local community and the issues affecting it. At last week’s CD2 candidate forum, it was reported that he did not even know that Valley Village was shared by two council districts – 2 and 5. He was equally unaware of local issues when he ran for the seat in the 2009 special election, a race I covered in-depth for this blog.
To be fair, Bisani has contributed to the community by operating a successful business, but you have to know what is happening in your backyard, too.
Overall the neutral stand on CD2 was a good call, but it is inexplicable when compared with the support for Parks.
Paul, the main reason that Krekorian was not in the running for an endorsement was that he did not return the survey sent to him by the CS committee. My feeling is that he probably would have received an endorsement if he had simply filled it out and returned it. Simple as that.
Great post Paul. I received many emails on the Parks endorsement as well. For one thing Parks put forth a motion to cut Neighborhood Councils budget by 80%. The LA Clean Sweep reps many are from NC’s. Also, I can’t find one instance where Parks has been fiscally responsible. I was in city council chambers when the motion to take over jurisdiction of DWP was being discussed. Parks seat was empty. However, shortly and I mean shortly after the vote was taken and failed Parks magically appeared in chambers. Parks also handed his pal Magic Johnson a $30 million LAX concession contract who was the highest profile supporter of Parks failed attempt for Board of Supervisor. Parks was grandstanding against the sale of the Parking Structures but again when it counted voted with his colleagues. And I’m sure you know my opinion on his Failure being Chief of LAPD. WE lost 1,000 officers while he was Chief because he lacked the leadership.
As far as Parks goes “Throw da bum out”, as for Paul Kerkorian I cut him some slack because of his support of the N.C.’s and his accessibility to the constituents. Like any other politician he needs to be told what we want, and continually followed up on to keep him on track (ours not the special interests)
Paul, certainly Krekorian will be very attentive to the NC, because they represent no problem for him, they stay off his back. He constantly refuses to respond to any of the rest of us who communicate our valid concerns directly. He does not recognize that there are many of us, who do not feel that the NCVV represents us very well, certainly not very effectively or proactively. The value of His representation, to date for our Village, has been, at best, very questionable.
If you knew the labor groups that are supporting Park’s opponent and the further disaster they will bring to City Hall, you’d agree that sometimes it is not about the best candidate but the lesser of two evils. As for Krekorian only time will tell of his true colors. Anyone who jumps ship midstream for a more lucrative job is just biding his time.
Your point is well taken and I respect it. However, as bad as his opponent might be, I cannot see rewarding Parks for inaction. A neutral stance on his race would have been better in my opinion.
Paul has a point. You can’t win anything unless you get in the game. Win, lose or draw.
The goal shouldn’t be getting the job, it should be getting the job done.