Wachs Tapping Into Gay Political Base for Mayoral Bid

Nine months after Joel Wachs publicly acknowledged he is gay, the City Councilman from Studio City is receiving a windfall of funding from the gay community for his campaign for mayor of Los Angeles.

Wachs estimated about 10% of the $318,437 he raised during the first six months of this year has come from the gay community. Contributors have included DreamWorks mogul David Geffen and artist David Hockney, Wachs said.

“I have always done well in that community,” said Wachs, who has represented his East Valley district for three decades, but only openly acknowledged he is gay last November.

A major fund-raiser is planned tonight by two gay organizations--the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a national political action committee; and Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality, a West Coast group promoting the election of gay candidates.

The fund-raiser, set for a private mansion near Mulholland Drive, is just the first effort by gay and lesbian groups who are hoping to see Los Angeles elect its first openly gay mayor.

“Joel Wachs will make a wonderful mayor for all the people of Los Angeles, and--as the first openly gay mayor of such a large city--he would be a highly visible role model for gay and straight Americans throughout the country,” said Brian K. Bond, executive director of the Victory Fund.

The political action committee has raised $2.5 million for other openly gay and lesbian candidates. The Wachs campaign, in which he is up against other, better-funded contenders, is seen by the Victory Fund as a major test of its clout.

“Our community needs to pull together now to ensure that he has fair access to the resources he will need in this costly campaign,” Bond said.

About 200 of the nation’s 500,000 elected officials are openly gay, according to Sloan C. Wiesen, a Victory Fund spokesman. Wachs will have a chance later this month to meet others who have paved the way.

More than 30 of the nation’s openly gay elected officials plan to attend a benefit before the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. The Aug. 13 event, which is not related to the Wachs campaign, is called “Recognizing Our Own,” and will be held in West Hollywood.

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CALMING THE STORM: After an angry June backlash from constituents, Councilman Hal Bernson recently sent out explanatory letters and e-mails to describe his vote process on two hot-button items: the city cutting a $4-million check to the Democratic National Convention, and Pershing Square proposed as a free-speech zone.

That communication--which included a sentence describing some heavy pressure exerted during the DNC moola vote--”I reluctantly went along at the strong urging of Mayor Riordan”--seems to have satisfied many residents.

This week, several wrote or e-mailed Bernson again to thank him for his explanation. A few were appreciative of the gesture, but still a bit ruffled, to the order of, “Thank you, but I still disagree,” said a Bernson aide.

In Bernson’s July 27 letter he makes it clear that on the DNC issue, he initially approved the city donation, but later voted to discontinue the money. (Ultimately, the council majority prevailed to cut a check).

The letter to constituents also explained how Bernson went along with the idea of Pershing Square as a protest zone. Then again, discussions with police and businesses prompted a change of heart--and vote.

Bernson also skewers the media for having the “advantage and luxury” of analyzing votes in a more academic setting, but criticizing the council that has to make decisions during a heated debate.

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NOT FOR SALE: On Monday, a memo was sent to the City Council and mayor to “disregard the communication received today” about the purchase of the Los Angeles Coliseum. “It was erroneous,” stated the memo from Margaret Farnum, chief administrative officer for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission.

How did the Coliseum sale rumor start?

“It’s the strangest thing,” reports Farnum, recalling a recent phone call from a man who said he wanted to buy the Coliseum.

Farnum said she explained that the longtime landmark was not for sale, yet the caller insisted that “everything has a price.”

Farnum said the caller wanted a ballpark figure, so to end the conversation she blurted out, “$100 million.”

A couple months passed, and then on Monday a fax from “World Wide Development Co.,” with a letterhead from an office in San Bernardino, stated that the $100-million sale price had been accepted. That so-called contract was then sent to the council and Riordan.

To prevent a panic, or more rumors, Farnum quickly faxed out her letter.

At City Hall, the unusual chain of events elicited chuckles among staffers and council members.

“It’s odd and funny,” said Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. “What is this supposed to mean?”

Councilwoman Laura Chick laughed, then added: “I’m almost at the place where nothing surprises me . . . I do think everything has a price and is for sale.”

Though it appeared to be a hoax, a pragmatic Councilman Alex Padilla saw potential dollar signs. “If we could get a deal like that . . . “ he mused.

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BAD RAP?: What do Snoop Dogg, Eminem, LL Cool J and Los Angeles Councilman Padilla have in common?

Guess again.

They are all featured in the latest edition of The Source, a magazine that covers the world of hip-hop music.

While the first three are well-known hip-hop artists, Padilla says he hasn’t rapped since he DJ’d parties for classmates at San Fernando High School.

Even so, Padilla, 27, was profiled by the magazine as part of its recognition of young minorities who are making a difference in society, an aide said.

The magazine praises Padilla’s emergence from “his run-down ‘hood in the Pacoima section of LA’s San Fernando Valley,” and notes he has energized young Latino voters in the area to become more involved in the political process.

Padilla’s conservative suit-and-tie image may not fit too well with the hip-hop lifestyle, but the councilman bristles at any suggestion that he is a stuffed shirt with no connection to youth culture.

To prove his hip-hop credentials and celebrate his feature in The Source, Padilla good-naturedly came up with a rap of his own, “against the advice of my staff,” he said.

As head of a City Council committee on preparations for the Democratic National Convention, Padilla chose that event as the subject of his rap, which he performed with an impressive street swagger for a reporter this week.

Padilla’s “DNC2000 Rap” goes as follows:

“Come on, wave your hands in the air,

Even if you’re in Pershing Square,

Don’t be a sucka believin’ alarmist fables,

We Democrats will be kickin’ it over at Staples,

Protesters, reporters, delegates and cops,

There’s one thing they agree on: our city is tops,

This is a Convention L.A. will remember,

And my man Al’s gonna win in November.”

What can we say?