Other City Races Garner Little Notice

They are the “other” Los Angeles City Council races for San Fernando Valley seats, three low-profile contests that pit prominent, well-financed incumbents against little-known challengers.

Each contrasts with the 7th District race in the April 13 primary, a free-for-all that has split the political establishment and that observers predict will require a runoff election on June 8.

Council President John Ferraro is running against construction supervisor Benjamin D. Lucas in the 4th District, Councilman Joel Wachs is facing three challengers in the race for the 2nd District and Councilman Hal Bernson has four opponents in the 12th District.

In all three races, term limits restrict the incumbents to one more term of office. Each incumbent has a huge fund-raising lead. The newcomers complain that Ferraro, Wachs and Bernson have skipped forums where the issues could have been debated.

Just weeks after a petition drive succeeded in triggering a study of Valley cityhood, challengers are hoping the frustration of Valley voters with City Hall will translate into an anti-incumbent backlash.

4th Council District

Ferraro, 74, disputes criticism that after 33 years in office he has lost touch with residents. He says he has been responsive to constituents in the 4th District, which extends from Ferraro’s home of Hancock Park over the hills to include parts of Toluca Lake and North Hollywood.

“Look at my record and the kind of service I provided to constituents,” he said.

Ferraro said it is precisely because the city faces such demanding issues as secession and charter reform that someone with his experience and knowledge should be reelected.

“There are several things, including the new charter, that I want to be involved in,” Ferraro said, explaining his decision to seek one last term after 32 years on the council. “If it passes, it’s important to have someone with experience to implement the new charter.”

Ferraro said he also looks forward to passage April 13 of a $744-million bond measure, which would allow the city to build new and replacement police and fire stations.

Lucas, a Laurel Canyon resident, said voters should reject the charter reform package on the June ballot because it does not go far enough in allowing neighborhoods to make local decisions.

“I think the section of the charter on neighborhood empowerment groups isn’t specific enough,” Lucas said.

Lucas supports Valley secession, which Ferraro opposes.

Ferraro has raised $190,000, compared with just $1,700 collected by Lucas.

Lucas said he favors a longer process for considering projects in Community Redevelopment Agency areas in North Hollywood and Hollywood in order to give closer scrutiny to the effects on traffic and the quality of life of existing neighborhoods.

2nd Council District

Councilman Joel Wachs, 59, is seeking his eighth term in office, saying his last term will allow him to see many of his goals realized.

“Things that I have been working on are really starting to materialize,” he said. “For six years now I have been proposing a network of neighborhood councils. Finally, it’s going to be on the ballot this year.”

Wachs said he plans to be very involved in implementing the charter reforms if they are approved by voters.

The 2nd Council District includes much of the east San Fernando Valley, extending from Wachs’ home of Studio City through North Hollywood and out to Sunland-Tujunga. He also was a key player in setting up the North Hollywood redevelopment project, which this year could reach milestones, such as the creation of a massive movie studio and office complex.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is also close to opening the North Hollywood subway station, which should help revitalize a long-blighted community.

“Now, after all of these years of planting seeds, the flowers are beginning to bloom,” Wachs said.

But Wachs is under fire from three challengers: Sunland tailor-business owner Kathy Anthony, Sunland marketing manager John Spishak and retired city employee John Joseph Bunte of Tujunga.

Bunte, 68, said Wachs’ absence from candidate forums “just shows he doesn’t care about the district.”

A former electrical construction supervisor for the city of Pasadena, Bunte said he decided to run because he was tired of seeing the East Valley deteriorate because of what he believes is neglect from City Hall.

“I was just fed up with the way things were going,” Bunte said.

Bunte said the City Council has not met in Tujunga in 13 years.

In addition to improvements in streets and sidewalks, Bunte said he would work to restore the LAPD’s senior lead officer program, where officers served as liaisons to the public.

“They’ve taken away our only means of communication with our police department,” he said.

Anthony, 56, said she decided to run because of the same frustration driving the secession movement.

“My main reason for running is I don’t think this district is getting its fair share,” she said.

Part of the problem, Anthony said, is Wachs is too distracted thinking of running for mayor and “I don’t think he’s paid enough attention to the district.”

Anthony said she has demonstrated leadership skills, serving for three years as president of the Sunland Chamber of Commerce.

She said she would fight to get the district more policing and youth programs, and would work to streamline the process for issuing business and building permits, which she said can take months to complete.

“The fees are just outrageous,” she said. “We need, as a city, to become more business friendly.”

Spishak has criticized Wachs for what he termed poor attendance at council meetings and not being accessible to residents.

“We have a severe lack of accountability by elected officials in our area,” he said. “We have programs that suffer for lack of funds, and it’s because our councilman is not there.”

If elected, Spishak said, he would regularly publish his voting record and attendance record.

He said the proposed charter was “watered down” by a City Hall afraid of change.

Among his proposals, Spishak would create a program to reward city employees and departments for productivity and thriftiness.

Wachs says his challengers are less qualified to deal with the difficult issues facing the city.

“They don’t have any experience,” Wachs said. “I have 28 years of experience of really producing and keeping my promises.”

Wachs has a huge lead in fund-raising--$192,000 to Spishak’s $6,100 and Anthony’s $2,100.

12th Council District

The same cries of abandonment by City Hall can be heard from the challengers to Councilman Hal Bernson, who is seeking his fifth and final term.

The district includes the communities of Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Northridge and part of Van Nuys.

Challengers are Northridge attorney Charles Rubel, journalist Marilyn Stout, businessman Howard Nussbaum and retired city employee David Guzman Sr.

“I would really like to be a lot closer to the people than the present councilman is,” said Guzman, 56, of Northridge. “A lot of people say they have lived in the district 20 years and never met him personally.”

A former project expediter for the Public Works Department, Guzman said he is experienced in streamlining government and improving services to reduce crime.

In addition to working to put more and better-equipped police officers on the street, Guzman called for additional after-school programs.

“A lot of kids are left home alone,” he said. “If we had programs for them, they could be at the local playground after school.”

Rubel, who practices real estate law, called for better civilian oversight of the Los Angeles Police Department, including a civilian group handling citizen complaints.

A 55-year-old Northridge resident, Rubel believes Bernson has neglected the district.

“I believe that the people do not have a voice in the City Council,” he said. “Services have been lost. Our streets, trees, sidewalks have just gone downhill.”

While willing to work as a Los Angeles City Council member to improve basic city services, Rubel supports cityhood for the Valley as the ultimate answer.

“It’s the only way our area can get the services that are required,” he said.

Neither Stout nor Nussbaum returned calls.

Bernson, a 68-year-old Granada Hills resident, has raised $161,000. No challenger has raised more than $2,800.

The incumbent said he still has good ideas and is in a position to make a difference because he has been appointed to key positions, including the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the Local Agency Formation Commission, which will decide whether Valley cityhood will go on the ballot.

“I obviously want to finish my last term,” Bernson said. “I’m involved in a lot of activities.”

As a member of Local Agency Formation Commission, Bernson is neutral on secession, but he has in the past supported studies of the issue.

Bernson said growth demands that government provide some better system of mass transit.

“I’d like to see us solve some of the mobility problems we have,” he said. “If we don’t do something about improving mobility, we will have gridlock.”

Bernson said he is proud of his role in spearheading efforts to upgrade building codes for earthquake safety. He serves as chairman of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

He also again pledged to fight the proposed expansion of the Sunshine Canyon Landfill into his north Valley district.

“I want to make sure that the dump will not be reopened in the city,” he said.