LOCAL ELECTIONS : Environment, Growth Are Issues in Races : Carson: As alliances have shifted, control of the five-member City Council is once again up for grabs in an eight-person race.

Two years ago, it seemed that the electoral wars for control of Carson City Hall had been settled.

Political allies Michael Mitoma, Vera Robles DeWitt and Kay Calas were reelected handily to four-year terms, beating candidates endorsed by their City Council opponents, Sylvia Muise and the ailing Tom Mills. Shortly after the election, the three winners broadened their base by appointing political unknown John Anderson to the seat left vacant by the death of Mills.

But alliances have shifted and control of the five-member City Council is once again up for grabs. This Tuesday, Muise and Anderson, who with Mitoma form the three-member majority now in control, face an election in an eight-person field.

The challengers are Barbara Post, an executive for an air freight firm; Al Blanco, a businessman; Nathaniel (Nate) Riddick, retired from the Army and the Cal State Long Beach police; Juanita McDonald, an executive with the Los Angeles Unified School District; and Marvin Clayton, former president of the Carson-Torrance chapter of the NAACP. Elwood (Red) Hathaway is running a write-in campaign.

Muise and Anderson have been endorsed by the Homeowners Against Rent Decontrol, a well-organized mobile-home residents organization, as well as Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Carson), Sen. Ralph C. Dills (D-Gardena), Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Rep. Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton), and Mitoma.

DeWitt and Calas are backing Post and McDonald, as is the city employees union, AFSCME Local 809.

McDonald also has the support of the AFL-CIO’s political action committee, United Teachers of Los Angeles, local Democratic clubs, and former Mayor Clarence Bridges.

Muise is content enough with the city and her incumbent status to have said this week: “There are no major issues in this election.” But the other candidates are discussing a wide range of issues, including the city’s budget, racism, the influence of special interests, morale among city employees, drugs and gangs, as well as council factionalism and Mitoma’s dominance in the city.

That factionalism, along with the fleeting nature of recent Carson political alliances, were evident at a recent council meeting.

Calas, the longest-serving council member, expressed her disgust with the lack of civility in City Hall. “I am tired of people, when I walk into a room, they turn their back, and they won’t speak to me,” she said.

Anderson responded, saying he is ignoring Calas because she had signed another candidate’s nominating petition as well as his.

“When you are nominating against my election, I have no reason to say anything to you other than hello and not necessarily that,” he said.

Calas, who had also backed Post, responded: “I chose to back two people and I didn’t think I did anything wrong to you. . . .” Then, shaking a finger at Anderson, she concluded: “I would not back you now for nothing, no.”

Anderson is drawing the most criticism in the campaign.

Though on the council, he has never been elected to a political office; and even with Mitoma as his strategist, Anderson is seen by opponents as the more vulnerable of the two incumbents.

Post has criticized him for supporting car phones and credit cards for council members, as well as a $20,000 remodeling of his council office at a time when the city had “to dip into our reserves for $5 million.”

Anderson said that the furniture in his office was “about 10 years old” and needed to be replaced “if you are going to represent the city.”

Post also obtained a bill from Anderson’s political consultant that listed a $175 expenditure for “Barbara Post research” conducted by a detective agency.

Anderson said he knew nothing about the bill, which is reported as a “survey” on his most recent political campaign report.

Anderson’s consultant, Tim Carey, said the bill is genuine. He said it reflects money spent to do a computer search of public records on Anderson’s opponents.

Here are thumbnail sketches of the candidates:

JOHN ANDERSON

Anderson, 72, is a retired executive with Security Pacific National Bank who has lived in Carson since 1973.

The councilman said he wants to increase the share of city spending for law enforcement “and eliminate some of our activities in the Recreation Department . . . perhaps the number of excursions.” He also said he favors making parents of graffiti painters responsible for the vandalism and establishing a reward for reporting graffiti.

Anderson said he also wants the city to concentrate on economic development, aggressively seeking employers, retailers and commercial developers.

With Mitoma serving as his campaign adviser, he has raised the most campaign money, about $28,000. He said he expected to spend between $20,000 and $22,000. His contributors include many of the city’s major industries.

AL BLANCO

Blanco, 63, a Carson resident for more than 25 years, is an electrical contractor who ran for the council in 1976 and in 1988.

Blanco said that, if elected, he would retain the city’s mobile-home rent control board and would investigate allegations of “unfair treatment” of city employees.

He criticized the incumbents for their record in fighting crime and said he would intensify the city’s involvement with the Neighborhood Watch program.

Blanco, citing his Filipino heritage, said: “I think I have a better understanding of ethnic groups” than Anderson, who is black, or Muise, who is white.

His campaign will spend about $8,000, he said.

MARVIN CLAYTON

Clayton, 47, a community relations consultant at the Carson Community Development Center, is running on his record as a community activist involved in black causes.

A resident of Carson for almost 21 years, he was a founder of the Carson-Torrance branch of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, became its president in January, 1989, and resigned to run for council in December.

As chapter president, he staged demonstrations a year ago at the Carson Mall after a mall executive refused to use a black as Santa Claus.

In September, Clayton led a march to City Hall and staged a fast to protest racial discrimination in employment by the city, which is 30% black. Shortly after that, the city hired a black as finance director.

He is critical of Anderson’s relationship with Mitoma and said: “Mitoma is a dictator.”

Clayton ran for council in 1984. He estimated he would spend about $8,000.

ELWOOD (RED) HATHAWAY

Hathaway, 68, a 12-year resident of Carson, is running a write-in campaign for council. A retired carpet salesman and three times an unsuccessful candidate for council, he is critical of Muise and Mitoma and wants both of them off the council.

Hathaway, who has put $1,000 of his own money into the campaign, says this will be his last run for office.

JUANITA MCDONALD

McDonald, 51, a 21-year resident of Carson who runs the programs for pregnant students for the Los Angeles schools, is making her political debut.

Her main issues are “the fiscal irresponsibility of the council; the lack of strong, good leadership, (and) low morale in City Hall,” she said.

McDonald has attacked the council for approving “a deficit budget” by pulling money from the city’s reserve funds, as well as for taking six months beyond the start of the fiscal year to pass a budget. “It is fiscal impropriety at best,” she said.

Although endorsed by DeWitt and Calas, McDonald said she would be independent of them. She has sizable campaign contributions from labor organizations and expects to spend about $18,500.

SYLVIA MUISE

Muise, 50, a 26-year resident, is seeking her third full term. The hallmark of her campaign is her rapprochement with Mitoma, her former bitter enemy.

The shift occurred after her council ally, Tom Mills, died.

“She needs two other supporters on the council,” Mitoma said, explaining his endorsement. “She has changed a lot. . . . She has become a lot more moderate over the last three years since I first met her.”

Replying to critics of the council’s budgetary actions, she said the council balanced the budget “without cutting any services.” The city’s “reserves are quite healthy,” and the city is working on projects that will more than replenish the reserves, Muise said.

The councilwoman took credit for requiring city contractors to give hiring preference to Carson residents, as well as the expansion of youth job programs by Carson employers who last summer hired 120 local youths.

Muise expects to spend about $17,000, she said.

BARBARA POST

Post, 53, a 10-year Carson resident and manager of three offices of DHL Worldwide Inc., an international air freight firm, is making her first campaign for office.

She is critical of the council’s use of the reserve fund to balance the budget and of Anderson as a puppet of Mitoma.

“I might as well be running against Michael Mitoma,” she said.

She said employee morale “is at an all-time low and that is due to the unfairness, an intimidation factor, a harassment factor and fear of retaliation.”

She said her campaign budget is about $5,000.

NATHANIEL RIDDICK

Riddick, 69, a 24-year resident of Carson, is basing his campaign on a record of activism for seniors. He has been an assemblyman in the California Senior Legislature, a lobbying group.

Riddick said he feels that he could be a catalyst to bring together the factions on the council and that voters should favor him over Anderson.

“He was appointed to the City Council with no background in city government and no background in the legislative process prior to his appointment, and all of the things he cites as his accomplishments, he has ridden on the coattails of the things the council has done.”

Riddick’s campaign budget is less than $700 and he does not have any endorsements--”Not that I know of,” he said.