Sting Has Voters Widely Suspicious of Legislators

Two-thirds of California’s voters have become aware that the FBI is investigating political corruption at the state Capitol, and just about as many think bribery is commonplace in the Legislature, according to the Los Angeles Times Poll.

So it is not surprising in this atmosphere of public suspicion and cynicism that legislative candidates all over the state are seizing upon the FBI probe and trying to turn it to their own political advantage as next Tuesday’s election approaches.

Typical is this Sacramento television commercial by Democrat John Byouk, who is running against Republican Assemblyman Tim Leslie:

A big, burly man, Byouk is shown watching television as a newscaster reports, “The FBI took the lid off its two-year sting operation today, allegedly finding. . . . “ The candidate clicks off the set and disgustedly says to viewers, “Had enough? This FBI sting just shows that things are out of control. The special interests are buying votes. If we don’t put a stop to this, we’ll never control crime, drug abuse or get better schools.

“The change will start with me. I won’t accept gifts from lobbyists. No expense-paid trips. And no $1,000 speeches. In fact, I’ll even buy my own lunch.”

Byouk is an underdog, but campaign pitches such as his probably are finding a sympathetic audience with voters.

When The Times Poll asked likely voters whether they thought it was “rare for legislators in Sacramento to take bribes” or was “a relatively common occurrence,” the answer was: Rare 25%, common 62%, not sure 13%.

“I think it goes on all the time in Sacramento,” said Sei Ochi of Los Angeles, a retired dental technician who agreed to be interviewed by a reporter after being polled. “Voters should elect better people to the Legislature. There should be fewer lawyers and more ordinary people.”

But voters do not believe that all lawmakers are crooked, the poll showed. The consensus was that while bribery is common, it is common only for a minority. Two-thirds of those interviewed said they were “confident that most legislators are ethical.” Only 8% expressed “a lot” of confidence, but 59% had at least “some.” Another 28% had “little” or “no” confidence and 5% were not sure.

4% Margin of Error

The statewide poll of 1,376 likely voters was conducted Oct. 20-23. The telephone survey, supervised by Times Poll Director I. A. Lewis, had a margin of error of 4% in either direction.

The poll found the electorate to be very aware of the FBI sting, which was aimed at snaring corrupt legislators engaged in extortion, or soliciting bribes. So far no arrests have been made. When voters were asked whether they had “heard or read anything about” the sting, the reply was: Yes 66%, no 33%, not sure 1%.

Still, the prevailing attitude was that whatever corruption exists, the situation is not much worse now than it ever has been. Asked whether “things in the state Legislature are getting better, or worse, or are about the same as they’ve always been as far as honesty is concerned,” the answer was: Better 9%, the same 62%, worse 23%, not sure 6%.

“I do not consider the Legislature to be one of the more ethical institutions that we have in the United States,” said Farya Jabbari, a UC Irvine engineering instructor who was interviewed in the poll.

Marjorie Mitchell, a Long Beach clinical psychologist, blamed the high cost of campaigning for the reliance of legislators on special-interest money, as do many political professionals. “I think it runs through both parties and both houses,” she said.

Candidates from both parties are using the “sting issue,” but Democrats especially are hammering on it.

After having endured years of incessant attacks against controversial Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) aimed at tarring all Democratic candidates, the Democrats have their own counter-weapon: Assembly Republican Leader Pat Nolan of Glendale, a major target of the FBI investigation.

‘A Pretty Good Hit’

“When you think about it, it’s a pretty good hit,” said Democratic campaign consultant David Townsend. “The (GOP) hit has always been, ‘You’re taking $200,000 (in campaign money) from Willie Brown. That means you’re going to do everything this black, liberal, horrible guy from San Francisco is going to tell you to do.’ But at least Willie Brown isn’t being investigated by a federal grand jury and the FBI hasn’t raided his office, as happened to the Assembly Republican leadership.

“Now, the counter-fire (against Republicans) is: ‘You’ve just taken $150,000 from people who are being investigated for political corruption.’ ”

For example, one of Townsend’s clients, Assemblyman Norm Waters (D-Plymouth), this week is mailing out 160,000 campaign brochures characterizing his Republican opponent, David Knowles, as a puppet of Nolan and Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier), another GOP leader under FBI investigation.

At least one Democratic candidate is attacking both Nolan and Brown.

Assemblyman Gerald R. Eaves of Rialto, a member of the Democratic “Gang of Five” that has been trying to oust Brown as Speaker, mailed a campaign letter to GOP voters asserting that his opponent, David Masters, “is supported by Sacramento politicians who have embarrassed the Republican Party. They are the kind of Republicans who forged President Reagan’s signature on political mail two years ago . . . are at the center of an FBI investigation into bribery and corruption in state government. And . . . voted to keep Willie Brown as Speaker of the Assembly.”

The reference to Reagan concerned the forging by Nolan operatives of the President’s signature, unbeknown to the White House, on 1986 campaign literature.

Viewed Negatively

The Times Poll found that attacks on Brown--the Legislature’s best-known, most powerful member--could also strike a receptive chord with many voters because the electorate basically views him negatively.

Asked their impressions of the Speaker, the voters responses were: Favorable 30%, unfavorable 43%, not sure 27%. Only in the San Francisco Bay Area, Brown’s home turf, did voters give him a slightly favorable rating. Statewide, liberals liked him, but moderates tended not to. Conservatives were overwhelmingly negative.

But despite their view that bribery is commonplace in the Capitol, voters had a somewhat positive impression of the Legislature overall: 47% favorable, 33% unfavorable, 20% not sure. Southern California, especially Los Angeles County, had a lot more positive impression of the Legislature than did Northern California, including the Bay Area, where voter attitudes tended to be split.

The Times survey, however, turned up evidence that the FBI investigation probably did tarnish the Legislature’s image because a similar poll last May found voters with an impression of the lawmakers that was more than 2-to-1 favorable.

Besides Republican Assemblymen Nolan and Hill, three Democrats are also under FBI investigation: Sen. Joseph B. Montoya of Whittier, Assemblywoman Gwen Moore of Los Angeles and former Sen. Paul Carpenter of Norwalk, currently a member of the State Board of Equalization.

Neither party owns the “sting issue,” as is being illustrated by two nearby races in the San Francisco Bay Area. In one, Republican challenger Carol Marshall is running this radio commercial against Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Milton Marks of San Francisco: “Where was he when the special interests took over the state Legislature and the FBI ran its sting operation? Milton Marks had nothing to say, no comment. Isn’t that just like a politician?”

‘Reputation for Corruption’

And down the road, in San Mateo County, Democratic challenger Tom Lempert is running this radio ad against Republican Assemblyman William P. Duplissea of San Carlos: “The California Legislature used to be a model for the nation, but now it has a reputation for corruption. . . . The FBI is investigating vote selling. . . . Special interests are polluting our political process. . . . “

One veteran politician who asked not to be identified said the effectiveness of the “sting issue” will depend upon the voters’ sophistication. “If they haven’t read about the sting, they may think it’s about killer bees coming to the United States,” he said.

Times Poll assistant director Susan Pinkus contributed to this story.