L.A. ELECTIONS / 12th DISTRICT : Bernson Faces Little-Known Challengers in Primary

At a recent candidates forum at Pierce College, longtime Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson was catching some flak: Challengers accused him of being out of touch with his community and of being in the pockets of big developers.

The problem was, Bernson, a 16-year incumbent running for his fifth term, wasn’t there to defend himself. His opponents, Maria Armoudian, a Granada Hills journalist, and David Guzman Sr., a city employee from North Hills, were taking shots at an empty chair.

Bernson might have reason to take the April 11 primary lightly. After all, neither challenger can match his name recognition, his political track record or his $200,000 campaign war chest.

But his challengers say Bernson shouldn’t take the race for granted. Instead of relying on big-money contributions, they are positioning themselves as “alternative” candidates who hope to mount an upset based on anti-incumbent sentiment in the northwest San Fernando Valley district.

“I think there are enough people who are looking for an alternative to Bernson,” said Armoundian, 28.

Guzman, 52, agrees: “I think we have been neglected. A lot of people are disappointed with Hal Bernson.”

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Not so, said Bernson, who believes he has kept close ties with his district.

“I think my record speaks for itself,” he said.

The 12th District, which includes Chatsworth, Northridge, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch and surrounding areas, is a middle-class, suburban area of mostly conservative voters. In 1993, 75% of the voters in that district supported Mayor Richard Riordan, a multimillionaire Republican who campaigned as a law-and-order and pro-business candidate.

Bernson, a 64-year-old former Northridge clothing salesman who shares his constituents’ conservative viewpoint, has represented the district since 1979, winning his first two reelection bids by comfortable margins.

But he ran into trouble during his 1991 reelection campaign when he was forced into a close runoff with school board member Julie Kornstein, who harshly criticized Bernson for backing the sprawling Porter Ranch commercial-residential project above Chatsworth.

Last year, the city Ethics Commission questioned Bernson’s spending of more than $158,000 in contributions to pay for expensive meals, foreign travel and gifts to employees.

Armoudian and Guzman believe Bernson is still vulnerable to attacks about his ties to developers and other big businesses that contribute heavily to his campaign. A Times analysis found that almost 15% of the $92,000 Bernson received as of Jan. 1 came from developers, landlords and others in the real estate industry. Guzman has only raised $3,000, most of which came from a loan from himself, while Armoudian has raised about $2,000, mostly in contributions from family and friends, according to campaign statements.

Guzman, who works as a city liaison for businesses and developers trying to get city permits, said Bernson’s campaign support from developers and contractors makes him beholden to them when he takes his seat as chairman of the council’s Planning and Land Use Committee.

If elected, Guzman said he would press to add and expand city recreational programs to keep youngsters occupied and away from crime. But he said he would also try to add more police to the force and pay for the added officers by cutting waste from city government. As a 31-year city employee, Guzman said he knows where to find the funds for such expenses without adding or increasing taxes.

“I think we could have a better use of our tax dollars,” he said. “These professional politicians have been in office for years, and they can’t balance a budget.”

Armoudian is a contrast to the other candidates: she is a free-lance journalist and editor who boasts a brown belt in karate and likes to quotes Gandhi.

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To bolster her claim that Bernson is out of touch with his constituents, Armoudian cites Bernson’s support for the highly controversial Porter Ranch project four years ago and said Bernson only reluctantly opposed a proposed Home Depot in Chatsworth after residents rallied against the development. The project was eventually scuttled by its developer.

Bernson disagrees with such accusations, saying that he has helped form several citizens advisory groups to allow residents to express their feelings about development, police protection and other issues.

Because of his 16 years of experience and his expertise in seismic safety, he said he should be reelected to help his quake-devastated district rebuild.

As for his platform, Bernson said he will continue to press for more police and fire protection in his district, a position he said he has held since he was first elected.