Reforms Put on Hold at Picus’ $200-a-Plate Fund-Raiser

West San Fernando Valley Councilwoman Joy Picus, who is leading an effort to win voter approval of campaign finance reforms, Wednesday night held the kind of fund-raiser that her proposal may eventually curtail.

Picus staged a $2,000-a-table fund-raising dinner in Studio City, expecting to raise $100,000 and thereby double her war chest for the April 9 city elections.

Picus is one of the sponsors of Charter Amendment 1 on that ballot, which asks voters whether they want to limit campaign contributions to council candidates. If voters approve the measure, council candidates would not be allowed to accept more than $500 from one contributor. Currently there is no limit.

Although Picus’ dinner Wednesday night was priced at $200 a plate, she confirmed that many supporters contributed $2,000 for whole tables.

The irony was not missed by Gary Klein, one of her five challengers in the coming election. He led a dozen of his supporters who were picketing outside the Sportsmen’s Lodge, brandishing signs that read “$2,000-per-table is not campaign reform.”

“It’s tacky, but it’s amusing,” Picus said while watching her guests drive past the picketers to get to the steak dinner, served to the music of a pop band.

“When the rules of the games have been established, then I play by the rules,” Picus said, explaining her refusal to voluntarity follow the proposed campaign limit.

Klein, who has raised $22,000 since he began his campaign last February, noted that Picus has advocated the campaign reform to put challengers like him on a more even footing with incumbents.