Democrats competing for Assembly seat take part in Montrose forum

The five Democrats expected to vie to replace outgoing Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) often shared similar views on issues during a two-hour forum before nearly 80 people Sunday afternoon at the Sparr Heights Community Center in Montrose.

Glendale City Councilwoman Laura Friedman, Glendale City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian, former La Cañada Unified school board member Andrew Blumenfeld, Burbank High School teacher Dennis Bullock and Rajiv Dalal, former economic development adviser to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, took part in the Democratic forum for the 43rd state Assembly District.

Question topics ranged from environmental issues to charter schools, and there was little disagreement among the participants.

All supported the minimum-wage increase, which will grow to $15 an hour in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County by 2021.

“L.A. got it right,” Dalal said. “Put people together to put forth meaningful legislation. We need to do the same research and make sure it works for every city. Bakersfield is not L.A. In some places, we need to speed it up, and others slow it down.”

Blumenfeld said there cannot be a conversation about minimum wage without including expanded economic opportunities.

Regarding the environment, Kassakhian said middle-class families need to be able to afford cars that don’t rely on petroleum, and that people should be encouraged to use their cars less.

“Build infrastructure not reliant on gas guzzlers and have an interconnected transportation system,” he said.

Bullock remembered the tickle in his throat from the smog as a child after playing outside. With pollution levels being monitored and regulated by entities such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a lot has been done over the last few decades.

“It interrupts some incentives for the powers that be, and creates new ones,” he said. “It should be abundant energy, but clean energy. As oil prices come down, that should change incentives again.”

Friedman said the world is just starting to see the effects of climate change on the planet, and added that the focus needs to be placed on the “goods movement,” such as diesel trains, boats and other large pollution emitters.

Regarding charter schools, Blumenfeld, a classroom teacher, said decisions need to be made locally to make a true impact on quality, noting that some charter schools have the potential for success.

Bullock said charter schools’ “strengths are their own weakness” because they are often experiments, and experimentation should not be the norm, citing philanthropist Eli Broad’s plan to build many charter schools in the future.

“If we have charter schools taking away funding and resources in way that overcomes what we have [in public schools], then we will continue to have difficulties,” he said.

Friedman said she supports public schools and is concerned about private companies setting up for-profit education business models.

The forum was organized by the Cañada Crescenta Democratic Club, and all questions submitted to the moderator were provided by attendees.

Matt Sanderson is a freelance writer.