‘Reagan Tradition’? : * Mailer Ties Democrat Hall to Republicans

Los Angeles City Council candidate Lyle Hall, endorsed Saturday by former Democratic Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr., is featured in a campaign mailer sent to Republicans that calls incumbent Ernani Bernardi a liberal Democrat and suggests that Hall is a fiscal conservative in the “Reagan tradition.”

The mailer, which includes two pictures of former President Ronald Reagan and uses the GOP’s elephant logo, states that Hall contributed toward its publication costs. But Hall said Saturday night that he did not authorize the mailer and was unaware of any contributions from his campaign to L.A. Taxpayers Alliance, which produced the flyer.

Hall pointed out that although he is a Democrat, he has been endorsed by Republicans, such as former Rep. Bobbi Fiedler, as well as by Brown.

“I just learned of this and am investigating it further,” Hall said. “We don’t need to do something that is improper or even misleading like this to get our message across.”

Bernardi, Hall’s opponent in the race to represent the northeast San Fernando Valley, made the mailer the focus of his campaign late Saturday. Bernardi, a Democrat, said he has been endorsed by such Republicans as Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block and Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

“He was just endorsed by Jerry Brown--a real conservative,” Bernardi said. “How much integrity does a person like this have to turn around and use this tactic.”

Another Mailer

A similar mailer with Los Angeles school board member Julie Korenstein’s name on it was also sent out by the alliance, which drew criticism from state GOP officials.

GOP officials could not be reached for comment Saturday night on the Hall mailer. About 55,000 Democrats and about 23,000 Republicans are registered to vote in the 7th Council District.

Hall’s day had gotten off to an upbeat start Saturday with a Van Nuys breakfast appearance by Brown that attracted more than 350 carpenters, who then hit the streets to walk precincts on the challenger’s behalf.

Next came a rally at his Sylmar headquarters, where Los Campesinos, a mariachi band, played, and union and Democratic elected officials--including state Sen. Art Torres of Los Angeles, Rep. Matthew Martinez of Monterey Park, Los Angeles Controller Rick Tuttle and Assemblyman Richard Floyd of Carson--praised Hall as a union leader and valuable ally of working people.

Focusing on the makeup of the heavily union crowd of about 60 supporters, Hall, who served eight years as president of the city firefighters union, said: “The labor movement is not all that’s here. There are community people as well, and we are proud of that. But the labor movement is a strong part of my background.”

A breakfast sponsored by United Farm Workers Vice President Dolores Huerta followed. It attracted about 25 Latino supporters. Hall spent the early afternoon walking a precinct in a Pacoima neighborhood plagued by drug dealing.

Bernardi led a car caravan early Saturday that wound 20 miles through Pacoima, Arleta, Mission Hills, Panorama City and Sylmar. By the time the councilman and his supporters made it back to their campaign headquarters in Sylmar, the caravan had lengthened to 50 honking vehicles sporting blue-and-orange Bernardi signs.

Challengers who trailed Bernardi and Hall in the April 11 primary, including Irene Tovar, Jules Bagneris, Al Dib and Barry Gribs, rode in the caravan to advertise their endorsement of the incumbent.

Back at his headquarters, Bernardi lashed out at his opponent, saying much of Hall’s support has come from unions and from politicians outside the district.

“I’m convinced that if Lyle Hall is elected, the welfare of the city will come third or fourth behind the economic interests of the employee unions . . . Lyle Hall has represented for so long,” Bernardi said.

Referring to the $131,400 that Hall has raised since the primary, Bernardi said: “All the money is coming from outside the district, and all his support is from outside the district.” Bernardi has raised $71,000 since the primary.

Bernardi charged that Hall “bought” the endorsement of the UFW by paying the union $27,000 to print his campaign literature at its Bakersfield office.

Hall characterized Bernardi’s criticism of the support he has won from outside the district as “sour grapes.”

*Related Stories: Page 1, Part II