Measure A Foes Apologize for Campaign Flier

The campaign to defeat an initiative expanding the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday’s ballot has apologized for issuing a flier erroneously implying that Gov. Gray Davis opposes the measure.

The mailer, sent to 500,000 county voters late last week and early this week, features a photo of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who opposes Measure A, and Davis, who has taken no position on it. Then the mailer declares: “Gov. Gray Davis and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky agree. . . . Vote No on Measure A.”

Davis’ chief political advisor, Garry South, said he called Yaroslavsky on Friday to complain about the mailing. “We haven’t even discussed Measure A and he doesn’t intend to,” South said. “It’s up to the people of L.A. County to decide.”

Rick Taylor, the consultant whose firm handled the flier, acknowledged that its layout may have implied that Davis opposed Measure A. “If there is any confusion we take responsibility,” Taylor said. “I don’t think a whole lot of people were confused.”

Taylor stressed that he--and not Yaroslavsky--is responsible for the mailer, something emphasized by the supervisor’s office.

Taylor added that he does not believe the mailer is confusing. An arrow on the mailer next to the statement that Yaroslavsky and Davis agree points toward Proposition 39--which would make it easier to pass school bonds--a measure the supervisor and governor do support.

But Taylor acknowledged that some could conclude that the two agreed on the other two positions listed next to Proposition 39: no on Measure A and yes on Proposition 35, which would allow private companies to bid on some highway construction work, another initiative on which Davis has not taken a stand.

Measure A would increase the number of supervisors from five to nine and shrink the size of the board members’ massive districts, which are larger than those of some states.