New Speaker Bounces Ex-Speaker Amid Shift of Power

In a raw display of his newly acquired power, state Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg of Sherman Oaks has bounced his predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa, from two plum committee posts.

Hertzberg’s ouster of Villaraigosa from the Assembly’s coveted Rules and Governmental Organization committees is the latest sign of tension between the former roommates and friends.

Hertzberg was Villaraigosa’s hand-picked successor, but the transfer of power has not been smooth.

“It’s the worst divorce in modern history,” said one Democratic insider.

Villaraigosa, a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, appointed himself to the committees 10 days before surrendering the speakership last month to Hertzberg.

Both panels are fertile ground for campaign contributions. The Rules Committee determines the fate of virtually all legislation in the Capitol, and the Governmental Organization panel votes on bills affecting casinos, racetracks and the liquor industry.

Hertzberg gave Villaraigosa no warning of his removal. Villaraigosa showed up on Monday at a Rules Committee meeting only to be told by Chairman Dennis Cardoza that Hertzberg had replaced him.

Hertzberg did offer Villaraigosa a consolation prize: a spot on the Assembly Transportation Committee. The post could give Villaraigosa high visibility on a hot topic in Los Angeles as lawmakers review Gov. Gray Davis’ $5.2-billion plan for busways, train systems, carpool lanes, freeway expansion and other transit projects.

Hertzberg spokesman Paul Hefner cast the shuffling of Villaraigosa as a side effect of promoting women in the Assembly hierarchy.

“To meet the speaker’s goal of providing new opportunities for women, some adjustments had to be made,” he said.

Hertzberg named Assemblywoman Helen Thomson (D-Davis) to replace Villaraigosa on the Rules Committee and Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes (D-Fresno) to take his spot on the Governmental Organization Committee.

As for the mayoral race, Hefner said, Hertzberg has not decided whom he’ll support.

Villaraigosa spokeswoman Elena Stern said it was “not at all unusual” for a new Assembly leader to reserve key committee spots for “his inner circle.”

“Certainly it would have been nice to receive the notice before walking into the meeting, but no hard feelings,” Stern said. “These things happen all the time.”

Villaraigosa, she said, “is a team player.”

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A HELPING HAND: The list of financial favors extended by the Los Angeles City Council to San Fernando Valley auto dealer Bert Boeckmann grew a little longer Wednesday.

Boeckmann, the politically influential owner of Galpin Motors in Mission Hills, is a mayoral appointee to the city Police Commission.

He and his business are among the top donors to political candidates and causes in the city, including his key role in bankrolling the Valley secession drive.

The council took the unusual step Wednesday of waiving $42,500 in city permit and inspection fees to be charged by three departments monitoring Boeckmann’s compliance with city orders to stabilize a landslide area on property he owns in Mandeville Canyon.

Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski argued that the waivers made sense, since Boeckmann is spending at least $356,000 to stabilize slopes on his property so that it can be purchased by the city for parkland.

“Since the land is to be purchased by the city, it is appropriate for the city to waive the permit and inspection fees,” Miscikowski said.

The council agreed last December to provide $2.4 million toward the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy’s $5-million purchase of Boeckmann’s 239-acre property.

Patricia Bell-Hearst, who heads a homeowner group in the area, said the city also previously picked up the cost of an appraisal for the land, and agreed to provide $37,000 annually in park bond money to clear brush from the property.

“Why should they waive these fees?” Bell-Hearst said. “It’s 100% political.”

Boeckmann said he was unaware of the waivers. He said his attorney was handling the final negotiations for the Mandeville Canyon deal, and he was not aware of the progress of the talks.

Boeckmann had said in the past that he was prepared to build homes on the hillside property but agreed to sell it for much less than it was worth as a favor to city officials wanting to preserve it as open space.

In the last two years, Boeckmann, his company, his employees and his family have contributed more than $123,000 to political causes and candidates, including $50,000 to Mayor Richard Riordan’s charter reform campaign and $45,000 in loans and contributions to Valley VOTE, the secession group.

This month, Boeckmann’s Galpin Motors was listed as the only disclosable contributor to the Valley school breakup group, Finally Restoring Excellence in Education. The company gave the group $6,025 during the first three months of this year.

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BRING ON THE HEAT: City Councilman Alex Padilla was a starting pitcher at San Fernando High School and MIT.

So naturally he relished the opportunity last Friday to throw out the first ball at the Dodgers’ home game.

Afterward, Padilla did a little bragging when asked by colleagues during a council meeting how well he did.

“We should have brought the catcher here,” Padilla said. “I think his hand is still healing.”

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FAMOUS STREETS: The City Council gave a little more credence to the Valley’s adopted marketing slogan “Valley of the Stars” on Wednesday by naming two streets near Universal Studios after famous entertainers.

Henceforth, the stretch of Coral Drive between Universal Center Drive and Barham Boulevard will be called Buddy Holly Drive, while a private entrance street owned by Universal Studios in the area will be James Stewart Avenue.

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AIRPORT BILL DOESN’T FLY: Richard Alarcon often had proposals shot down by colleagues when he was a member of the Los Angeles City Council. It hasn’t stopped since he left last year for the state Senate.

The City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to oppose a Senate bill by Alarcon that would have the state impose new noise rules on Van Nuys Airport.

“No evidence exists to indicate [Van Nuys] should be treated differently from other public-use airports,” said Councilman Nate Holden.

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ZOO STORY: As chairman of a special committee poring over the Los Angeles city budget, Councilman Mike Feuer has attempted to inject some humor into what otherwise are some very dry proceedings.

At one of the first daylong budget hearings, Feuer noted that he and his son had just spent the night camping out at the Los Angeles Zoo where they were kept up all evening by the screeching of monkeys.

The experience, he told his colleagues, was not dissimilar to the average council meeting.

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CHALLENGE EVAPORATES: The scant opposition that Assemblyman Tony Cardenas faced in his reelection race has all but disappeared.

GOP candidate Enrique Henry Valdez, an Arleta mail carrier, bowed out of the race after learning that the U.S. Hatch Act bars federal employees from seeking office in a partisan campaign.

“Even if I were to win it, I couldn’t do it,” said Valdez, who won nearly 8,000 votes in a GOP primary with no opposition. “I had to stop all campaigning.”

Not that he could have campaigned much on the “600 bucks” that he said he raised.

In a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans 3 to 1, Cardenas is likely to coast to reelection. His remaining challenger is Libertarian Party candidate Christopher Kit Maira.

Valdez had nothing bad to say about Cardenas. And he admires the assemblyman for attracting more than $400,000 in campaign donations from Indian casino promoters.

“He was helping them out, and that’s how they showed their appreciation for that,” Valdez said. “That’s how politics runs.”

Valdez, who has never held elected office, is not giving up. He plans to run next year for the City Council seat of Joel Wachs. That’s a nonpartisan race, so the Hatch Act, he said, will not apply.