Schabarum Battles Back Against Redistricting Plan

Fighting for his political life, Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete Schabarum on Thursday called on his supporters to pack the Board of Supervisors meeting next week and urge rejection of a redistricting plan that would place him in a predominantly Latino district.

The other supervisors, on the advice of county attorneys, have been unwilling to publicly discuss the plan, fearful of upsetting negotiations to settle a federal lawsuit.

But Schabarum can take advantage of his new role as board chairman to promote his cause. As presiding officer, Schabarum decides who speaks and how long at board meetings. As a result, his colleagues can expect a long session on Tuesday.

Schabarum has sent letters to city officials in his San Gabriel Valley district and his Republican supporters urging them to attend Tuesday’s meeting, as well as to call and write Supervisors Deane Dana, Ed Edelman and Kenneth Hahn.

While Democrats Edelman and Hahn voted for the proposed plan, it is Dana who is the target of Schabarum’s campaign. Dana is not only a Republican like Schabarum, but he played a key role in drafting the plan and cast the deciding vote to submit it to a federal court.

“I am writing to let you know of my outrage,” Schabarum said in a letter to Republicans, “that one of our colleagues, Supervisor Deane Dana, has put his own self-interest above the party’s by voting to practically ensure that the Board of Supervisors will be controlled by a liberal minority.” Currently, the five-member board is run by Republicans Schabarum, Dana and Mike Antonovich.

Schabarum urged fellow Republicans to “wage an intense lobbying effort to let Deane Dana know you do not approve of his action . . . and insist that he switch his vote.”

Dana was unavailable for comment Thursday. An aide said the office has received a “handful” of calls and the supervisor continues to support the plan.

The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Justice Department and two civil rights groups, accuses the supervisors of drawing their lines in such a way as to dilute the political clout of the county’s 2 million Latinos. The plaintiffs are seeking to create a Latino majority district, from which a Latino could win election to the county board.

Schabarum said the supervisors are scheduled to go behind closed doors again next Tuesday to discuss a “counterproposal” that will be submitted to the supervisors by the plaintiffs today.