Bradley Opens Campaign Office in Van Nuys

Clad in a tuxedo, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley stood outside his newly opened campaign headquarters in the San Fernando Valley on Saturday night and assured 125 supporters he is not taking his reelection bid for granted.

“I take the campaign seriously,” Bradley told the crowd in the parking lot of a Van Nuys mini-mall. “Anybody who questions whether I’m serious about my campaigning, tell them to follow me around. . . .”

That message was repeated by Richard Alarcon, Bradley’s Valley campaign coordinator, who tried to ward off complacency among the troops as the mayor attempts to win a fifth term April 11.

“Many people are saying, ‘Why campaign,’ ” Alarcon said. “I think it’s important. . . . We must stop the dangerous negative messages being carried by some of the other candidates.”

In a short speech, Bradley talked about the city’s achievements and his plans for tackling air pollution, crime and inadequate child care.

The mayor cited the hiring of 400 additional police officers last year and the city’s ability to use confiscated drug money for to fight crime.

‘Hire More Police’

“We’re using their ill-gotten gains to hire more police to put more of them in jail,” Bradley said to applause.

Absent from Bradley’s speech was any mention of the issues that at times have brought him into conflict with Valley homeowner activists. When asked afterward if he would discuss such topics as light-rail transit, billboards and continued development along Ventura Boulevard, Bradley said he would.

“I’ve been talking about all of these issues . . . and I’ll be talking about them all over the Valley,” Bradley said.

At least one dissenter was present. Gerald Silver, president of Homeowners of Encino, was carrying a campaign sign for City Councilman Nate Holden, who is challenging Bradley.

Silver said homeowner activists throughout the Valley have been favorably impressed with Holden. He said he likes a Holden proposal to freeze development along Ventura Boulevard and other congested areas.

On the fringes of the crowd were more than a dozen people protesting the lack of media coverage of the 3rd District City Council race. Joy Picus is the incumbent.