Roberti Jousts With Rivals During Forum and Denies That He Is a Carpetbagger

State Senate Democratic leader David Roberti, in his first campaign appearance with other candidates to replace former Sen. Alan Robbins, sought Tuesday to fend off charges he is a carpetbagger who accepted large amounts of campaign money from special interests.

Roberti (D-Los Angeles) and seven other candidates for the 20th Senate District seat representing the central San Fernando Valley also jousted over how to balance the state budget in a one-hour program carried live on Century Cable Television, Channel 10.

Roberti is generally considered the front-runner in the April 7 special election to succeed Robbins, but conceded that he is unlikely to win a majority of votes and probably will be forced into a June 2 runoff election.

Robbins, the influential Van Nuys Democrat who had represented the 20th District since 1973, resigned last year and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges. The district covers Van Nuys, Mission Hills, San Fernando, Pacoima, Panorama City, Sun Valley, Reseda, North Hills and portions of Encino, Sherman Oaks and Tarzana.

Roberti is running for the 20th District seat because his own district was carved up by reapportionment. Under voter-approved term limits, he must leave the Senate in 1994--making this his final campaign for the chamber in which he has served since 1971.

Roberti, a longtime resident of the Los Feliz area, rented a small house in Van Nuys last month in order to run in the 20th District. His campaign has stockpiled $500,000 for the race--far more than the other candidates are likely to raise in the short campaign before the special election.

Opponents have repeatedly charged that Roberti does not actually live in Van Nuys and is trying to “buy his way” into the 20th District only to stay in the Senate an extra two years--allegations repeated by his rivals in Tuesday’s forum.

“I am kind of angry about the fact that Sen. Roberti decided to move to our district, rent a little house in Van Nuys and try to take over our district,” Democratic candidate Drew Angel said.

“I am angry about that because it stole the opportunity for our neighborhoods, our 20th District, to have an election on the local issues,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after the forum, Roberti insisted, “I do live in the Valley,” saying he has represented portions of it for years.

“Ring up my house on Hamlin Street,” he said, referring to the Van Nuys rental. “My wife is there right now.”

During the forum, Green Party candidate Glenn Bailey charged that Roberti “received over $9.5 million from the biggest polluters and other corporate interests” in California in recent years.

Bailey also charged that Roberti received $20,000 in contributions from Robbins in exchange for appointing Robbins chairman of the powerful Senate Insurance Committee, a position Robbins used to solicit money for his own campaigns. He called Robbins’ donations to Roberti an “immoral. . .pay-back.”

Following the debate, Roberti said there was “absolutely no connection” between the money Robbins gave him and the chairmanship Robbins received.

Roberti said he has “received hundreds of thousands of dollars” in special-interest money but has given most of it to other Democrats seeking election to the Senate in order to preserve the Democratic majority there.

The only candidate who did not appear at the forum was Republican Carol Rowen, regarded as one of Roberti’s leading challengers. A Century Cable spokesman said Rowen agreed to come but canceled 30 minutes before the show began.

Asked how he would balance the state budget, Roberti said he favored some cuts in welfare backed by Gov. Pete Wilson. But he said education should be “fully funded” and that he was willing to raise taxes for school programs.

Libertarian John Vernon said state spending and hiring should be frozen, and Peace and Freedom candidate Gary Kast recommended decriminalizing drugs, saying that would cut down on law enforcement costs.

Century Cable plans to broadcast the debate again today at 3 and 8 p.m. on Channel 10.