Bernson, Korenstein OK Televised Face-Off on Issues

Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson and challenger Julie Korenstein have agreed to face each other in a televised question-and-answer program less than a week before the June 4 runoff election for Bernson’s seat.

Spokesmen for both campaigns confirmed Tuesday that the two candidates will participate in a joint interview scheduled to be broadcast May 29 on Channel 7.

Bernson was forced into the runoff against Korenstein, a Los Angeles school board member, after he failed to win a majority of votes in last month’s city primary race for the seat representing the northwest San Fernando Valley. Although he led the balloting against Korenstein and four other challengers, he garnered slightly less than 35% of the vote, the lowest percentage of any council incumbent in 20 years.

Two weeks ago, Bernson called for a series of debates with Korenstein during the runoff, an unusual move since incumbents typically strive to deny public exposure to challengers. Bernson and his advisers hope to use the debates to expose what they contend is Korenstein’s lack of familiarity with city issues, sources in the Bernson camp said.

Korenstein’s campaign manager, Parke Skelton, said he has yet to receive a formal proposal from Bernson and could not comment. But he has maintained that Bernson dodged candidates’ forums during the primary campaign.

Channel 7 producer Milli Martinez said Bernson and Korenstein will be interviewed live by co-anchors Paul Moyers and Ann Martin on a number of issues. Details have yet to be worked out, but the topics will include growth and the controversial Porter Ranch project north of Chatsworth, she said.

Martinez said the program will not be a formal debate, in which candidates answer questions from interviewers and then contest each other’s responses. Bernson and Korenstein will be allowed to argue with each other only at the discretion of Moyers and Martin, she said.

Martinez said the TV station proposed the interview program shortly after the April 9 primary election. Bernson and Korenstein will not know what questions they will be asked, she said.

The interview will probably run six to 10 minutes and will be part of the TV station’s 5 p.m. news broadcast on May 29, Martinez said.

“If they get really going, we’ll take a break and come back,” she said, adding that some such confrontations are dull and others enlightening and lively.

Bernson spokesman Greig Smith said Bernson “very much wants to debate” Korenstein.

“When she’s grilled on the issues, she’s totally out of step with the district and we want voters to see that,” he said.

Skelton said Korenstein welcomed the opportunity to “juxtapose herself against Hal Bernson.”

During the primary campaign, the two contenders appeared together only once in a candidates’ forum. Korenstein left about halfway through the event, saying she had another campaign appointment that night.