Redondo Mayor Seeks Ban on ‘Sleazy’ Magazine Sales

Redondo Beach Mayor Brad Parton has called for a ban on vending machine sales of sex-oriented magazines and for curbs on alcohol consumption at events in city parks sponsored by civic and charitable organizations.

“We have a lot of problems in society stemming from drugs, alcohol and pornography,” he said in an interview last week. “As elected representatives, we should stand up to these issues and do what we can to help deal with them.”

Most Controls Eliminated

Parton noted that court interpretations of First Amendment and other constitutional rights have eliminated most controls on pornography and said he has no wish to interfere with such rights.

“But I just think that some of these magazines are objectionable to many residents,” he said. “People have a right to read what they want, but the sleazy stuff shouldn’t be displayed out there in public.”

City Atty. Gordon Phillips said Parton’s proposal during last week’s council meeting “raises some difficult constitutional issues, but at the mayor’s request, we will explore all of the avenues and come back with a report on any viable alternatives.”

As examples of what he termed objectionable publications, Parton mentioned the Hollywood Press, Sun and Action, and said the papers are sold from vending machines in front of both post offices in the city and at the Redondo Pier. He said the front pages usually feature nude women in suggestive poses, with just enough covering to avoid being labeled “straight-out pornography.”

“I think such publications exploit women and tend to contaminate people’s minds,” Parton said. “We should discourage them as a matter of public policy.”

He said such a policy should extend to serving alcohol at public events in city parks. The consumption of alcoholic beverages in the parks is banned unless the City Council grants a special permit, a routine practice in the case of civic groups that hold parties and fund-raisers at city facilities.

Councilman Terry Ward said he supports the idea “of taking smut off the streets.” But he said he has doubts about banning beer at community gatherings sponsored by recognized civic groups.

“I would want to look into that before taking a position,” he said. “I haven’t heard about any problems or complaints.” Councilman Steve Colin said he was not aware of any problems created by either alcohol at city facilities or adult publications at newsstands. “All of this comes out of the blue,” he said. “Nobody ever mentioned it to me. But if the mayor knows something we don’t, then he should share his information with the rest of the council so that we can take appropriate steps.”

Councilman Ron Cawdry said: “I certainly have no objections to looking into these issues, but I’m not sure exactly what Brad has in mind. I’ll wait until we see what the city attorney comes back with, because I sure don’t want to take away anyone’s First Amendment rights.”

Ernie O’Dell, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, noted rising public concerns about alcohol and drug abuse and said he agrees with the mayor’s proposal “on a philosophical level.” But he said banning beer at occasional events held in city parks would hamper fund-raising efforts by civic organizations that provide thousands of dollars a year to local charities.

“Most people prefer soda or water on those occasions,” he said. “But for some, it’s appealing to have a beer or two, and I don’t see any harm in that.”

Awareness During Campaign

O’Dell said he has been active in community events for nearly a decade and has seen “only one or two occasions where somebody drank too much and got out of line.”

Parton said he became more aware of the pornography issue last spring when he was campaigning for mayor. In his door-to-door walks, he said, many people expressed concerns about the prevalence of sexually explicit material in the print and broadcast media.

He said that after the election, some of his campaign workers circulated a petition calling on the city to ban the sale of sex-oriented publications from sidewalk vending machines. He said that 300 signatures were gathered but that the petition has not been presented to the City Council.

“I’m a Christian, and that shows where I’m coming from on these issues,” Parton said. “But I think anyone with values may find these magazines offensive when they’re displayed out in public.”