Supervisors Slash Funds for L.A. Ad Campaign

The County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday slashed in half its $500,000 commitment to an aggressive advertising campaign to sell Los Angeles.

Following a heated discussion about the financially struggling county’s spending priorities, the board voted 3 to 2 to provide $250,000 to support the marketing effort, which uses the slogan: “Together We’re the Best” to promote Los Angeles.

Supervisor Deane Dana complained that his colleagues Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina were doing “great harm to L.A. County” by seeking to delay the funding sought by the New Los Angeles Marketing Partnership until deliberations on the next county budget.

“It’s an absolute disgrace,” he said. Dana said it is essential that the county promote economic growth and strive to bring business to the region. “We’re committed to it,” he said.

Without prosperity, Dana said, the county will see one budget cut after another.

But Yaroslavsky told representatives of the marketing group they can’t compete with other demands facing the supervisors. “We can’t afford it,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”

As community activists and providers of services to AIDS patients looked on, Yaroslavsky said the county faces a potential $3-million to $5-million shortage of funds for AIDS programs in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

While acknowledging the importance of investing in the creation of jobs, Yaroslavsky said an upcoming network television story about the financially struggling county’s inability to open its state-of-the-art Twin Towers jail will be equal to millions of dollars worth of bad publicity.

Regina Birdsell, executive director of the New Los Angeles Marketing Partnership, defended the advertising program, telling the supervisors that the jail story is not the whole story about Los Angeles. The marketing effort is designed to counter negative media coverage and offer positive information about economic activity in the region, she said.

Birdsell said the advertising effort, backed by the city and county and private industry, is essential “to control the message” that business leaders receive about Los Angeles.

But Molina said she needs to see more tangible evidence of progress in improving Los Angeles’ image and would rather devote the $250,000 to providing more recreation programs in county parks.

Molina said New York City’s image has improved, in part because of the popular television show “Seinfeld.” “A situation comedy changed so much for New York,” she said, questioning Los Angeles’ marketing approach.

Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, who offered the compromise to provide $250,000 for the marketing program, said she did so because of concern that neighboring states are flooding the local airwaves with pitches to local businesses to leave Los Angeles and take jobs with them.