CENTRAL AREA : Goldberg, LaBonge Trade Accusations

Jackie Goldberg accused Tom LaBonge of being a tool of special interests, and LaBonge accused Goldberg of hiding her own special-interest money in the June 8 race for the 13th District City Council seat being vacated by Michael Woo.

Chiding LaBonge for accepting campaign money from real estate developers, Goldberg said voters should ask “whether a person is going to be an independent voice that represents you or is going to be bought and sold by special interests.”

LaBonge responded by accusing Goldberg of taking special-interest money, adding, “But not all of her money is listed. I don’t know why.”

Goldberg, a former Los Angeles school board member, has made a point of refusing to accept campaign money from developers and registered lobbyists.

The candidates swapped the charges last Monday during a forum at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel attended by about 150.

Later, LaBonge said in an interview that the special interests he was referring to include labor unions, women’s groups and others who have contributed to Goldberg’s campaign.

He accused Goldberg of reporting the names of only 667 contributors during the primary despite her claims of having raised money from more than 2,200.

“I’ve submitted the names of everyone who’s given me money, even if it was only $5,” he said. “I think Jackie ought to do the same.”

But Goldberg dismissed the charge as “ridiculous,” saying that besides reporting contributions of $100 or more as required by law, she had separately submitted the names of people “who have given me as little as $1” in order to qualify for campaign matching funds.

“It’s all there,” she said. “His is the kind of thing you say when you really don’t have an answer for the legitimate questions being raised about where he’s getting his money.”

LaBonge spent almost $300,000 in his primary campaign, while Goldberg raised and spent more than $200,000. Goldberg got 35% and LaBonge 31% of the vote on April 20, easily outdistancing six other candidates.

The district stretches from the heart of Hollywood to Northeast Los Angeles, including parts of Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Temple-Beaudry.

Despite the rhubarb over finances, the rivals agreed more often than not at Monday’s question-and-answer event, co-sponsored by United Streets of Hollywood and the Hollywood Leadership Forum.

Asked whether Los Angeles police should be allowed to cooperate with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to deport illegal immigrants, each gave a qualified yes.

Saying she supports federal law that provides for deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, Goldberg warned that the Police Department should not have as a priority the enforcement of immigration laws.

“I do not believe we need to start making people who look different feel afraid just because they look different,” she said.

LaBonge said that, if Los Angeles is to succeed, “we must look to everyone as Angelenos and not point at people.”

Both drew enthusiastic applause while describing what they would do to curb graffiti.

Goldberg said she was “actually ready to ban (paint) spray cans,” adding, “I think we could all learn to use a brush and that would help some.”

LaBonge, noting that the city’s limited efforts to ban spray cans have prompted lawsuits by paint manufacturers, said he would work to enhance a police program in which convicted graffiti vandals are forced to remove their scribblings under supervision.