Municipal Elections

* Re “Hahn and Villaraigosa Begin Wooing Valley,” April 13.

Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson [said], “I think in eight years, Antonio [Villaraigosa] would have made a great mayor,” but that with term limits, “we need someone like [City Atty.] James Hahn, someone who already knows how things work and can get along with the City Council.”

This is exactly the reason L. A. voters voted for term limits. We no longer want politicians like Bernson, who by making those types of statements indicates that Villaraigosa won’t be able to get along with the City Council.

The current mayor did not serve as a councilman, and he has proven to be an effective leader--the best mayor this city has ever had, in my opinion.

What we need is someone who will put the interests of the city and its citizens above outside influences and the deal-making that has gone on in previous administrations.

What the people of L. A. want is for politicians to mind their own business and stay out of this race. The candidates should be able to state their views on all issues affecting the citizens of L. A. and let them decide who can “get along with the City Council.”

JOSE G. CASTILLO

Granada Hills

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* Your article on the changes on the Glendale City Council (“Council to Reflect New Face of City,” April 5) portrays homeowners in Glendale as being responsible for the defeat of business-friendly candidates. That, in my opinion, stretches the reality of the attitudes of voters in Glendale.

A business-friendly political action committee was formed by a group of people whose sense of what Glendale should be is what Glendale was. Although this PAC called itself Glendale Tomorrow, it seemed to be out of touch with the real concerns of Glendalians today. Neither of its candidates was elected, and because the PAC members don’t realize they are out of touch with the voters, they try to lay blame for their loss on homeowners groups.

Homeowners groups in Glendale range from condominium associations to neighborhood associations to managed homeowners associations. Twenty-four of these associations send representatives to an umbrella group called the Homeowners Coordinating Council, which, by the way, does not endorse candidates.

Homeowners cannot be called anti-business nor anti-growth, but they want growth to come with measures that mitigate impacts on the quality of life: traffic, parking and city services. That’s not too much to ask of our City Council.

The makeup of the new council, I believe, will be supportive of business and growth, while protecting the issues so dear to those of us who make our homes in Glendale.

Both of the new City Council members own their own businesses, and one is a past president of the Chamber of Commerce. The incumbent returned to office was supportive of a number of business-growth issues, including the huge Disney campus project. This new council can hardly be classified as anti-business.

GENE MESTEL

Past president,

Glendale Homeowners

Coordinating Council