Democrats Making Inroads in GOP Bastion of Palmdale

California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres said he plans to talk a lot during the Democratic National Convention next month on the inroads made by the party in the Golden State, including a reversal that has taken place in one former GOP bastion--Palmdale.

In 1997, Republicans made up 43.5% of the registered voters in Palmdale, contrasted with 40% for Democrats.

Democrats now hold a 764-vote lead in voter registration in Palmdale, with 41.89% of the registered voters versus 40% for Republicans, according to election officials.

“This is a little more friendly territory,” Torres said this week in announcing plans to lead a fund-raiser July 30 for Democratic candidates in the Antelope Valley.

“The working-class people of Palmdale are starting to respond to the issues that Democrats support,” Torres added.

The event is being hosted by three area Democratic clubs, including the Democratic Club of the Santa Clarita Valley, whose president is Roberta Gillis.

“The leadership of the California Democratic Party realizes that the demographics in this area are changing and that the voter rolls are growing in our favor,” Gillis said.

Republican leaders aren’t exactly shaking in their boots.

GOP incumbents such as Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), state Sen. William “Pete” Knight (R-Palmdale) and Assemblyman George Runner Jr. (R-Lancaster) are all favorites in the November elections to keep their seats against lesser-known Democratic challengers, said Mary Croxen, president of the Palmdale Republican Women Federation.

In the open primary last spring, the three Republican candidates all received more than twice as many votes as their Democratic challengers in districts that extend beyond the Palmdale city limits.

“I don’t think it will translate at all in this election,” Croxen said of the slim lead in Democratic registration in Palmdale. “I’m not concerned. The Democrats in this area don’t get out to vote, and when they do, they vote Republican.”

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ORANGE VELCRO?: City Council members Laura Chick, Mike Feuer and Cindy Miscikowski were up on the catwalk as fashion models for a recent Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. benefit.

Chick, who once organized fashion shows, was pleased to hear several audience members inquire about the black cocktail dress she modeled. Chick bought one too, though she’d hate to see “five other women wearing it.”

Miscikowski also bought outfits she modeled, including an elegant long maroon dress.

Feuer didn’t fare as well with his wardrobe, including two outfits that put him in clogs.

“They seem to choose me to model clothing that you wouldn’t normally see me in,” Feuer said.

The councilman, who typically favors simple, dark suits, strutted several ensembles, including one with orange-pink parachute-style pants with a Velcro fly, a tank top topped by a black short-sleeve shirt and “carrying something like a saddlebag.”

Neighborhood associations “seem to get me to do about anything,” Feuer said good-naturedly.

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YOUTH MOVEMENT: During his successful campaign for the Los Angeles City Council last year, Alex Padilla attended a Democratic Party meeting at which members boasted of their long ties to the party.

“I’ve been a Democrat since Harry Truman was president,” one said. “I’ve been a Democrat since FDR was president,” another said.

Padilla, who was 26 at the time, recalls standing up and sheepishly announcing, “I’ve been a Democrat since Bill Clinton was elected.” He first registered to vote in 1992, the year Clinton was first elected.

Padilla is an Al Gore delegate to the Democratic National Convention next month.

“I’m very excited,” Padilla said. “This will be my first national convention.”

Padilla, who chairs a council committee on the convention, said he has talked to DNC officials and his high school government teacher, Alex Reza, about bringing a group of students from San Fernando High School to the convention to work as volunteers.

“It makes sense to me to have as many high school government students as possible observe some part of the convention,” Padilla said. “It’s a real-life civics lesson.”

The plan would bring Padilla’s political career full circle. It was Reza who got Padilla to register to vote in 1992.

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MONKEY BUSINESS? No fooling, there really was a frolicking primate in City Hall chambers this week--and it wasn’t a council member.

Guitar-strumming Dan Hanken sang before an amused council to pitch his “campaign” for mayor. Hanken, 30, of Eagle Rock, a self-described “slacker/musician,” crooned about abolishing pay toilets and parking meters, accompanied by a sidekick in a gorilla suit.

Hanken, who says he plans to soon post a Web site touting his candidacy, livened up the session.

“I may vote for the gorilla,” Councilman Hal Bernson said.

“It’s been known to happen before,” Councilwoman Ruth Galanter deadpanned.

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Critics say the fledgling city Department of Neighborhood Empowerment--a cornerstone of city charter reform--is bungling the challenge of finding a true cross-section of residents to serve on neighborhood councils, designed to give residents more influence in local government.

Adding to that tumult, says Councilwoman Chick, is Mayor Richard Riordan’s decision to move two commissioners off the board that will oversee the councils.

Less than a year after appointing the seven members of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, Riordan is recommending that two of them vacate their seats to move over to the Airport Commission.

Riordan offered Lee Kanon Alpert, a Northridge attorney who became president of the neighborhood commissioners just six months ago, the nomination to join the airport board. Alpert said he welcomes the opportunity, adding that his decision to change boards is due in part to the heavy workload on the neighborhood panel.

Riordan has also nominated neighborhood commissioner Christopher Pak to leave to join the airport board.

But that will just add to the struggles of the neighborhood councils, Chick says.

“That is not a good commentary on this piece of the charter and this department [of Neighborhood Empowerment] at a very crucial stage of its inception,” Chick said. “To put two new commissioners on cold after less than a year, it doesn’t seem like a good idea. It contradicts how important they are.”

But the mayor’s office said Pak and Alpert were needed on the airport board, where residents near LAX have growing concerns.

“The concern is that the Airport Commission is not receptive to their issues,” said Peter Hidalgo, spokesman for the mayor. “Pak represents the Westchester area, so he has an intimate knowledge there, and Alpert brings a strong community perspective that will help. The mayor has made equally strong appointments to the neighborhood commission [vacancies].”