Debate Focuses on Charter, Secession

In their first debate of the runoff campaign, 7th Los Angeles City Council District candidates Alex Padilla and Corinne Sanchez sparred Wednesday over charter reform, secession and a proposed moratorium on apartments in the northeast San Fernando Valley district.

Sanchez, who received 25% of the vote in the primary, stepped up her attack on Padilla, who received 48% of the primary vote and has a big fund-raising lead with less than a week left before Tuesday’s runoff election.

On the issue of Valley secession, Sanchez faulted Padilla for not taking a position on the cityhood proposal made by Valley VOTE, a group of political activists.

“I have received an ‘A’ grade from Valley VOTE because I have said, if it does not hurt us and it does not hurt the city, I would support secession,” Sanchez said. “My opponent cannot say that.”

Padilla, a legislative aide, said he supports the study of Valley cityhood, but will wait to see the results before he makes a commitment on secession.

“If we’re going to make a decision on secession, we have to do it knowing all of the facts,” Padilla said.

About 30 people attended the forum, which was sponsored by the Southland Regional Assn. of Realtors at its Van Nuys office.

Padilla and Sanchez also clashed over the charter reform proposal on Tuesday’s ballot. Padilla said he supports the measure, seen by many as an alternative to Valley secession, because it will bring city government closer to people by creating regional planning commissions and neighborhood councils.

“My biggest reason for supporting charter reform is it gives communities a voice,” Padilla said.

Countered Sanchez, “I don’t think it’s good enough.”

She said the new charter gives too much power to the mayor and would spend money on a larger City Council rather than improving basic services to the Valley.

Even if the charter reform measure fails, Padilla said, he would use a position on the City Council to work to create a system of advisory neighborhood councils to provide him with input on important local issues.

Sanchez said she would appoint specialty committees on issues of expertise, including policing and education, to meet with her quarterly to help her decide major issues.

In addition, Sanchez said she would seek to have the City Council meet at least once every other month in the Valley.

Sanchez, an attorney who runs the social service agency El Proyecto del Barrio, also called for breaking up the school district, while Padilla said the schools need more resources to work.

“Breaking up the school district alone will not solve the education problems of Los Angeles,” he said.

But Sanchez said the breakup is needed because the district “is too big and unaccountable.”

Renewing her call for a moratorium on apartment construction, Sanchez said: “I have opposed more apartments at this time because of the quality of life and the blight it has brought, contrary to my opponent, who is supporting the continuing of violation of ordinances in our community.”

The moratorium is needed, she said, to allow time for development of better community plans so that services are available to handle the many additional residents.

But Padilla said more attention to improving schools, job training and other services, not a moratorium, is the answer.

“Doing away with an apartment building itself is not the answer to our problems,” Padilla said.

Padilla and Sanchez continued their sparring later in the day in a joint appearance on KCRW-FM’s (89.9) “Which Way L.A.?”

Sanchez again accused her opponent of being the candidate of a downtown political machine that she said includes Mayor Richard Riordan, Councilman Richard Alatorre and the County Federation of Labor.

Padilla disputed Sanchez’s charge that he was sought out by downtown political leaders to run.