Kell Rejects Clark Proposal to Cool Heated Campaign

Councilman Tom Clark offered this week to clean up the rhetoric of the mayoral race and cut back on campaign spending, but the proposal was quickly rejected by Mayor Ernie Kell, who called it a hypocritical ruse.

Clark on Monday sent Kell a letter proposing, among other things, that the two mayoral candidates release their income tax returns for 1988 and 1989, agree to limit campaign spending to a total of $100,000 for the June runoff, and agree that “no campaign material will include the other’s name or any reference to ‘my opponent.’ ”

Kell immediately lambasted Clark and his proposal, arguing that Clark has failed to adhere to a previous campaign ethics pledge.

“I challenge Tom Clark to live up to the campaign ethics pledge he signed last January. He’s violated it twice already and admitted it once.”

The primary campaign, in which Kell and Clark emerged as the top vote-getters, was marred by negative campaigning, with each side accusing the other of mailing out the first hit pieces.

“Tom Clark spent $100,000 distorting and lying about my record and I don’t know how much money it’s going to take to correct those lies,” Kell declared.

Kell said again this week that he is particularly incensed by an early mailer in which Clark inaccurately quoted Kell’s remarks about a debate, and about a mailer sent to neighborhoods near the Long Beach airport in the last week of the campaign. In that mailer, Clark blamed the increase in airport flights on Kell, pointing out that he has received campaign contributions from general aviation companies doing business around the airport.

Clark has conceded that the debate quote was wrong, but stands by the airport mailer, despite the fact that the flight increases were a result of a court order rather than any political action.

Clark in turn blasted Kell, saying the mayor attacks him personally, while he attacks Kell’s record.

“It would appear we will be looking at a campaign that will continue to be largely personal attacks on my integrity and honesty. . . . I think it’s unfortunate,” Clark commented after Kell’s rejection of his proposal. “He really is beginning to start off on another negative campaign again. I think it was a very legitimate offer and one I would not have made if I had not intended to comply with it.”

Kell said that if Clark were willing to do the same, he would release his income tax returns going back 14 years, when Clark was mayor. “Look at ‘em all,” Kell declared.