Yaroslavsky Opponents Claim Councilman Avoiding Debate

Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky’s opponents in the April 11 primary accused him of ducking debates during a news conference Wednesday outside his City Hall office.

The three--environmental activist Laura M. Lake, transportation consultant Ryan Snyder and political consultant Jack McGrath--said Yaroslavsky owes 5th District voters an explanation of his record.

“Zev has said he was ready to campaign, but we want to know when he’s going to show up for some debates,” Lake said. “He’s afraid to face his own constituents.”

Lake released a list of five scheduled forums and said Yaroslavsky has not committed to any of them. Yaroslavsky showed up unexpectedly Wedneday night at a forum sponsored by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. An aide said Yaroslavsky would consider future events. But his opponents contend that he is stalling.

Voters’ Impression

Snyder said Yaroslavsky is giving voters the impression that he has something to hide. “If he is not coming out and talking to the voters, we have to wonder if he is concerned about his record,” said Snyder, who also released a detailed political position booklet Wednesday.

McGrath, a former Yaroslavsky campaign manager and aide who is running as a write-in candidate, said the councilman is alienating the people who put him in office. “If you don’t come out and meet your makers, we will not put up any of your lawn signs,” he said.

Mark Slade, vice president of the Roscomare Valley Homeowners Assn., joined the three at the news conference. Slade said Yaroslavsky has failed to return numerous telephone calls concerning a candidates forum that the organization is sponsoring March 16.

Michelle Krotinger Wolf, Yaroslavsky’s spokeswoman, called Wednesday’s City Hall press conference a “publicity stunt.” She denied that the councilman is ignoring anyone.

“We will participate in debates as his schedule permits,” Wolf said. “He has been speaking to community groups before January, after January and will continue to do so.”

Short Notice

Since Yaroslavsky often schedules his appearances on short notice, Wolf said it is still possible that he will participate in one or more of the forums cited by Lake. Despite critics’ charges, Yaroslavsky has the support of most community leaders, Wolf said.

Political observers agree that Yaroslavsky probably has little to fear in the election. But over the last several days, he has called press attention to two high-profile events within the district in an effort to counter the charges being leveled by opponents.

On Monday, he attended the dedication ceremony for a federally subsidized, 50-unit housing project for senior citizens at 1450 S. Wooster St. Maxwell Kaufer, president of the Menorah Housing Foundation, credited Yaroslavsky with helping to make the project a reality.

On Feb. 9, Yaroslavsky joined homeowners in the Carthay Circle area at a press conference in which he announced that a developer had agreed to rehabilitate a run-down home in the area and rebuild another that was illegally demolished. John Baldoni, president of the Carthay Circle Homeowners Assn., said Yaroslavsky helped protect the area from commercial encroachment.

2 Points of View

Wolf said Yaroslavsky is constantly working on similar constituent problems, but opponents contend that the councilman has lost touch with the voters and is more responsive to the developers who are responsible for the area’s massive commercial growth.

Lake and McGrath have aligned themselves with 5th District residents who blame Yaroslavsky for traffic congestion, commercial encroachment on neighborhoods and other chronic growth problems.

Snyder went a step further Wednesday by releasing a 20-page booklet that details the city’s numerous problems and his proposed solutions. He said the booklet is the product of a yearlong study by a dozen urban planners who donated their time to him.

“I can’t fault Zev for everything,” Snyder said. “Many forces have shaped our destiny. But I have to say that things are not going well.”

In his booklet, entitled “Solutions for a Bright L.A.,” Snyder says his first priority as councilman would be to create traffic management organizations, associations of employers and building owners who would meet to discuss ride-sharing and other transportation ideas.

Snyder said he hopes to distribute about 25,000 copies.