LaBonge and Garfield Trade Charges in Radio Debate

Two weeks before their special election, Los Angeles City Council candidates Tom LaBonge and Beth Garfield clashed in a debate Thursday, with Garfield accusing her opponent of being part of a problem bureaucracy and LaBonge saying his rival lacks the experience to get things done at City Hall.

The acrimonious exchange signaled a marked rise in temperature in the contest between the two finalists in the Oct. 23 runoff for the 4th District seat vacated by the death of John Ferraro.

LaBonge touted his 27 years of work at City Hall, including service as a chief field deputy to Ferraro, saying he has a track record of solving community problems.

“She does not have the experience or the knowledge of the district. She does not know how to get things done,” LaBonge said.

Garfield, a labor lawyer and former president of the Los Angeles Community College Board, said LaBonge spent too many years as part of a City Hall bureaucracy that has neglected the average citizen.

“It’s a choice between the status quo and change,” Garfield said. “People in Los Angeles are dissatisfied with City Hall. My opponent has been a city bureaucrat for 27 years. He is part of the problem.”

The debate on the radio program “Which Way, L.A.?” was held the same day campaign finance reports were released. They showed Garfield made a $350,000 personal loan to her campaign, an amount that put her far ahead of LaBonge in political funding.

In addition to the loan, Garfield raised about $10,000 in private contributions, according to papers filed with the Ethics Commission.

In his filing, LaBonge said he raised $218,228 and had received $20,833 in city matching funds through Oct. 6.

At the end of the period, Garfield had $277,000 in the bank, contrasted with $102,000 held by LaBonge. She also reported $72,000 in unpaid bills.

During the debate, LaBonge said Garfield is trying to “buy the election” by lending $700,000 to her campaign. In addition to her personal loan for the runoff, Garfield lent $350,000 to her primary campaign.

“It’s important that our elected officials not be beholden to special interests,” Garfield responded.

She criticized LaBonge for accepting money from tobacco interests in a 1993 election and from billboard and liquor interests in this campaign.

LaBonge sought to convey that he is not beholden to any special interest. “Those billboards in the 4th District that are illegal are going to be removed,” he said.

Both candidates said they support more community policing, but they clashed again when each accused the other of distributing misleading campaign mailers.

In a mailer this week, Garfield accused LaBonge of ducking debates, accusing him of backing out of several invitations “because he can’t defend his misleading negative ads.”

LaBonge campaign consultant Julie Buckner called the criticism “ridiculous,” noting that LaBonge attended the debate Thursday and planned to attend another today.

The council district stretches from North Hollywood to Koreatown, and includes parts of Silver Lake, Hollywood and Studio City.