BFI Dumped Almost $600,000 on Landfill Lobbying

If money talks, the operator of the Sunshine Canyon Landfill has achieved a rare level of communication with Los Angeles City Hall.

The final price tag for Browning-Ferris Industries’ successful lobbying campaign to win the dump’s expansion into Granada Hills last year was $594,785, according to records filed by lobbyists this week with the city Ethics Commission.

The trash-disposal firm paid $144,785 during the last three months of the year--when the council voted on the expansion--to four lobbying firms, including companies run by former City Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores and former City Council advisor Arnie Berghoff.

Money also went to two influential law firms that lobbied city officials: Paul, Hasting, Janofsky & Walker, as well as the firm of Weston, Benshoof, Rochefort, Rubalcava & MacCuish.

“This goes to show an awful lot of money was involved, and that’s what I think bought the vote,” said Wayde Hunter, president of the North Valley Coalition, the group that fought the dump’s expansion.

“That’s just the way things are done in Los Angeles,” Hunter added. “The person who has the most money wins.”

The battle over the expansion now goes to the courts, following a lawsuit filed by the coalition, and it appears lobbyists are anticipating that.

Lobbyists for BFI reported this week that they contributed $1,000 in cash and in-kind help during the last quarter of 1999 to the mayoral campaign of City Atty. James Hahn, who will defend the city against the coalition.

ALL QUIET ON THE VALLEY FRONT: While candidates for mayor of Los Angeles in the 2001 election have already raised a combined $2.8 million, none of the eight candidates for City Council seats representing the Valley reported raising any money last year.

Monday was the deadline for candidates to disclose whether they raised any money in 1999.

“It is too early,” said Judith Hirshberg, an Encino resident and former council aide who is one of two candidates to file so far for the 3rd Council District. West Hills businessman Scott Schreiber, the other candidate so far, also did not report raising any money last year.

The same is true for the six candidates who have filed so far to run for the 5th Council District stretching from West Los Angeles to Sherman Oaks. Papers have been filed for the 5th District by Jill Barad, Victor Norton Viereck, Joseph Connolly, Robyn Ritter Simon, Ken Gersten and Nathan Bernstein.

Some candidates say they are waiting until after the March 7 primary for state legislative races before approaching potential donors currently swamped with requests from state candidates.

“There is a lot of competition right now for raising funds for mayoral candidates and candidates for state Assembly, state Senate and national elections,” said Bernstein, a Westside attorney who has scheduled his kickoff fund-raiser March 25, after the state primary.

MOVING ON UP: City Councilwoman Laura Chick of Tarzana is losing her longtime chief of staff, Karen Constine, to a coveted state post.

Gov. Gray Davis announced the appointment this week of Constine to be director of the California Film Commission, which serves as a liaison among local film commissions and oversees filming on state property. Her annual salary will be $95,000.

Constine, 40, has been Chick’s chief of staff since 1993, helping her boss raise her profile on public-safety issues and setting the stage for Chick’s current run for city controller.

“Karen Constine has been an invaluable part of my office, but at the same time I’m very pleased for Karen and the state,” Chick said.

THE CNN FACTOR: They may live hundreds of miles from Rep. James Rogan’s congressional district in the San Fernando Valley, but retirees Janice Budinger of Pennsylvania and Sally Rains of Wyoming are putting more than their two cents in when it comes to whether Rogan should be reelected.

Budinger, a Pittsburgh widow, and Rains, who runs a kennel in Wilson, Wyo., are among the thousands of Republicans nationwide who have sent campaign contributions to Rogan after watching him on national television serve as one of the House prosecutors in the impeachment proceeding against President Clinton.

A Rogan aide estimated that up to 40% of the contributions so far have come from out of state.

Both women received fund-raising appeals and are concerned that Rogan (R-Glendale) is being targeted by Democrats who want to unseat him for his role in the impeachment. The two women say Rogan impressed them with how he stood up to the president during the unsuccessful effort to remove Clinton from office.

“He was so super in the impeachment,” said Budinger, 69, who contributed $250. “He isn’t afraid to stand up and be counted.”

Rains, 70, who sent $200 to Rogan and a similar amount to each of the other Republican House managers, agreed: “He’s a good honest man. I liked what he said on TV. We need more honesty in government.”

The flood of contributions from across the country have helped Rogan take a lead in campaign funding over his probable Democratic challenger, state Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), with Rogan taking in more than $2.9 million compared with Schiff’s $1.1 million.

Budinger said she was glad to write a check for Rogan, but said she wishes she could do more.

“I just wish I could vote for him,” she said.

Schiff is also receiving a lot of contributions from people outside California, said Ted Osthelder, a campaign spokesman.

“The best I can do for you from here is wish you good luck,” said one contributor from the Midwest, who sent a $5 contribution.

Schiff noted that his opponent had only $300,000 more in the bank than he did.

“We have gained ground in the last six months and, other than a couple of the leadership on the Democratic side, we have raised more than any other Democratic incumbent in the nation,” Schiff said. “So we are doing great.”