City Council’s Latest Remap Plan Would Help Two, Hurt Two

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday tentatively approved a new redistricting plan that helps save the political hides of two of its members at the expense of two others--Ernani Bernardi and Joel Wachs.

Approval came after 3 1/2 hours of acrimonious debate, during which council members called each other “cynical,” “hypocritical” and “sleazy.”

“This is not the end,” an angry Wachs said after the 10-4 vote. He predicted strong public opposition to the plan, which he is encouraging by mailing 100,000 letters to supporters citywide urging them to call council members and Mayor Tom Bradley to protest. The plan will be up for final council approval next week.

Wachs’ district would embrace a territory that is 90% new to him and would deprive him of his longtime political base in the Sherman Oaks-Studio City area.

Bradley has refused to comment on the plan. But Dodo Meyer, his top adviser in the San Fernando Valley, where the plan would have the most impact, has urged him to veto the measure. Supporters need to hold on to all 10 votes to override a veto.

The proposal takes advantage of the vacancy created by the death of Councilman Howard Finn and is aimed at averting a clash between Councilman John Ferraro and Michael Woo. They found themselves in the same Hollywood-Wilshire district when the council approved a redistricting plan July 31 in response to a federal lawsuit.

The suit seeks to increase Latino representation on the council. The plan approved Wednesday, like the one before it, does create a new Latino district near downtown.

But the latest plan also eliminates the Northeast Valley’s 1st District, which Finn represented, and parcels out that territory to Bernardi and Wachs. Portions of Wachs’ 2nd District are assigned to Ferraro and Woo. Ferraro and Woo are able to preserve their districts--and their political bases--in the Wilshire area and Hollywood, respectively.

Councilman Dave Cunningham, typifying the majority view, said during Wednesday’s debate that the new plan would relieve council members of the “agony” of having to watch two of their colleagues fight for the same seat.

“Fortuitously, a hand greater than ours injected itself into this council . . . and we have an opportunity to make certain that the agony that would occur between two of our colleagues, me having to choose between Mr. Woo and Mr. Ferraro, having to put the people of the 4th District through that kind of anxiety, anger and competitiveness, does not have to occur,” Cunningham said.

Wachs likened his colleagues’ actions to a scene from the movie “Zorba the Greek.” “They couldn’t even wait for the old lady to die when they ran in, grabbed her possessions and scavenged them for themselves,” he said.

Councilman Richard Alatorre questioned Wachs’ motives, citing his support for the earlier plan, which left Wachs’ district largely intact.

“Joel, it’s unfortunate you feel you are the victim,” Alatorre told Wachs. “But you certainly were not the victim the last time around. You got what you wanted. You decided to vote for a plan that met your political interests. . . . At that time, it was fine. It was their (Ferraro’s and Woo’s) political problem. It wasn’t your political problem. It’s unfortunate but now it has become your political problem. But you are not a political virgin. And I really hate hypocrisy on this floor.”

Bernardi told supporters of the plan that although he opposes the changes, he will survive. Bernardi stands to lose 68% of his present district, including most of the Van Nuys area that he has long represented, and pick up areas that are new to him now but that he has represented in the past.

“This is the fourth time in the 25 years I’ve been a member of the council that my district has been through the meat grinder,” he said. “Even if you adopt this monstrous thing, I’ll be here.”

Wachs, joined by Councilwoman Joy Picus, contended that the new plan also would hurt the valley.

“We no longer have five (council members) living in the valley,” said Picus, who represents the West Valley. “We have four.”

However, Councilman Hal Bernson, who also represents the West Valley, responded: “The valley is not being hurt by this. . . . For the first time, the valley will have eight of the 15 members who represent all or portions of the valley.”

During an earlier public hearing, about 50 valley residents protested the change. They included Finn’s widow, Anne, and Finn’s predecessor on the council, Bob Ronka, who said: “It’s not fair to the 200,000 residents of the 1st District to be split up and assigned to other council members who we did not elect and who are not familiar with the problems of our community.”

But a number of Latino groups praised the plan because it allows for an election next year in a new, predominantly Latino district near downtown. Under the previously approved plan, the election would not occur until 1989. Alatorre Wednesday introduced a motion to have the election Jan. 6. His motion was sent to committee for a hearing.

The plan also creates new opportunities for Latino candidates by boosting the Latino population in Bernardi’s new East Valley district to 44% or higher, compared to 23% in Bernardi’s current district.

Voting against the plan, besides Bernardi and Wachs, were Robert Farrell and Picus.