7 Candidates for 3rd District Seat Tout Experience

Candidates for the west San Fernando Valley’s 3rd District seat on the Los Angeles City Council offered competing proposals Wednesday to combat crime and improve city services.

In the first forum of the race, seven of the eight contenders to succeed outgoing Councilwoman Laura Chick squared off before a packed audience hosted by the groups Main Street Canoga Park and the Canoga Park Improvement Assn.

The event drew about 30 people to the Canoga Park Youth Arts Center.

With Chick running for city controller, a strong field of City Hall veterans has lined up for the April 10 election to fill the council seat.

The contenders include Francine Oschin of Reseda, an aide to Councilman Hal Bernson; Los Angeles police Sgt. Dennis Zine of West Hills, a police union director; Judith Hirshberg of Encino, a one-time aide to former Councilman Marvin Braude; and Jason Dominguez of Reseda, a deputy city attorney.

Others competing for the post include: Mike McGarr of Van Nuys, an editor for the Daily News; Frank Bush of Reseda, a senior building inspector; Glenn Bailey of Encino; and Tsilah Burman of Woodland Hills, a senior director of CB Richard Ellis who once worked for Zev Yaroslavsky when he was on the City Council.

Bailey was out of town and not able to attend the forum.

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Major issues confronting the district include the need for better police protection because of a spike in crime and improvement of other city services, from tree trimming to street repairs.

“It’s a very important race,” said Leslie Lambert, director of Main Street Canoga Park. “Canoga Park has benefited enormously from city resources and we want to make sure they continue.”

All the candidates said they have the best experience to deliver for the district and deal with serious problems, including the Rampart police corruption scandal.

Burman said her public and private experience will make her effective at achieving her main goals, which include expanding the number of paramedics and improving the business climate so that more money would be available to plug potholes and trim trees.

“One of my top priorities is reducing the business tax. What we are doing right now is pushing businesses out of the city,” she said.

Bush said his experience as a senior building inspector has convinced him that the city needs to restore previously scaled-back city programs, including specialized police units and the senior lead officer program.

“It was very effective and they did a good job,” Bush said of the senior lead officers. “I will work hard to restore that.”

Dominguez cited his work as a city prosecutor as preparing him to help improve West Valley neighborhoods.

“What I want to do is return our priorities to returning quality city services in the Valley,” Dominguez said.

He also proposed an increase in after-school programs for children and pursuing reforms in the Los Angeles Police Department.

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Hirshberg said her 20 years of work in city government going back to a stint with former Mayor Tom Bradley has helped her understand what the residents’ priorities are.

“I know what people want [are] beautiful neighborhoods. They want their streets cleaned, their potholes filled. They want graffiti off the wall,” she said.

Improved training and recruitment of police officers is necessary to address problems in the LAPD, Hirshberg said.

McGarr, a copy editor, said he would focus on solving the small problems that people have.

“It’s the small things. It’s the broken sidewalk,” he said, but added later that he would also take on major issues.

McGarr said City Hall’s neglect of neighborhoods must be reversed. “To me that smacks almost of a violation of the public trust,” he said.

Oschin focused on her accomplishments in 12 years of service for Bernson’s office, including work to preserve the Chatsworth Reservoir as a nature area, the establishment of a reward program to catch graffiti vandals and restoration of the Chatsworth Depot.

Calling herself “a bureaucrat’s worst nightmare,” Oschin said she knows how to get things done.

“I hold their feet to the fire and I have a reputation for following through on things that I start,” she said.

Finally, Zine told the crowd that he wants to expand the police and that his 32 years of service with the LAPD gives him unique experience to address morale and management problems in the department.

The police sergeant said he would donate $100,000 of his more than $130,000 council salary to charities in the district, including those that keep youth out of crime.

“I’m not into this to fatten my wallet. I’m into this to serve the community as I have for 32 years,” Zine said.