City’s Cable Channel Keeps Incumbents in Limelight

Six months before City Council members Eric Garcetti and Janice Hahn stand for reelection, they can be seen four times a week on cable Channel 35, touring city restaurants on the show “Flavors of Los Angeles.”

Also shown repeatedly on the channel, available on cable systems throughout Los Angeles, are Mayor James K. Hahn and others running for reelection talking about how they are making the city a great place to live.

That Channel 35 is controlled by the city of Los Angeles and is paid for with $3 million in public funds has some people in and out of City Hall shouting, “Cut!”

“I don’t like it because it’s used for partisan political purposes,” said John Fer, a retired school principal who is running against Janice Hahn in the March election. “It’s propaganda. It’s used to beat her drum and say, ‘Look what I am doing.’

“When she goes on a tour of restaurants in her district, the camera doesn’t show that she is crossing streets with potholes and broken curbs.”

Councilman Jack Weiss agrees that something is not quite right about public funds being used to tout elected officials who are up for reelection with a message controlled by the city government.

Weiss has proposed that management of Channel 35 be taken from the city’s Information Technology Agency, whose budget is set by the council, and transferred to an independent, nonprofit entity, the Los Angeles Cable Television Access Corp., which already operates the educational station Channel 36.

The proposal was endorsed by Ron Deaton, the council’s top advisor, who said he has had concerns about the use of Channel 35.

Deaton said it was valuable to have a station that could explain city services, such as how to recycle trash. But he said it was necessary to “tie the hands” of channel operators “in how they provide what is essentially a public resource in order to get somebody elected.”

Weiss’ proposal was blocked from leaving committee, however, after Garcetti, host of the weekly “Flavors of Los Angeles” show, said consolidation of the two stations under the nonprofit group would go too far.

“Government does need to have a voice,” Garcetti said in withholding his support for the merger. “Design this in a way that isn’t as abusable, but to take away completely a government voice is a mistake.”

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Proposal Would Allow Foreign-Born President

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), an ally of Austrian-born Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow foreign-born Americans who have been citizens for at least 20 years to be eligible to seek the presidency.

“In response to charges that the amendment has been introduced only as a ploy to accommodate a particular elected official from California of Central European origin,” Rohrabacher said jokingly, “I honestly believe that Tom Lantos should be able to seek the highest office in the land, just like any other elected official.”

The Hungarian-born Lantos is a Democratic congressman from San Mateo, Calif. A similar proposed constitutional amendment is pending in the U.S. Senate. But amending the U.S. Constitution is no easy task. Amendments must be approved by a two-thirds vote of both chambers of Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures.

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Ferret Owners Put More Pressure on Governor

California ferret owners are calling in the big guns to pressure Schwarzenegger into signing a bill granting amnesty to the rodent-like animals.

Pet ferrets, which state biologists consider a threat to ground-nesting birds, are banned in only two states: California and Hawaii.

After more than a decade of lobbying, ferret fanciers finally persuaded the Legislature this year to liberate their pets, a population estimated at somewhere between 160,000 and 500,000.

Sales and imports still would still be banned, but under SB 89 ferret owners would pay $75 to register their pets, provided that the animals were spayed or neutered and vaccinated against rabies.

To boost their cause, ferret lovers have sent Schwarzenegger a letter from former Massachusetts Gov. William F. Weld, who in 1995 faced a ferret legalization bill. Weld writes that, “I was confronted with the same momentous decision you face on where to draw the line between individual freedom and excessive state paternalism with respect to, yes, ownership of ferrets.”

Weld’s conclusion? “I chose freedom.” Do the same, he advised Schwarzenegger, and “hundreds of thousands of ferret owners will rejoice.”

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Personals Bulletin Board Caters to Policy Wonks

It may not be as romantic as exchanging meaningful glances across a packed hearing of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation, but one website is offering a way for male policy wonks to meet female wonks and vice versa.

AroundTheCapitol.com, in addition to its usual news and information, has set up a personals bulletin board that some Capitol staffers have taken to using to meet other state government types.

Where else would you find the posting “Policy geek seeks same,” and “Rep political hack looking for similar.” The latter posting offers: “If you wouldn’t mind a guy that takes off for ‘less desirable’ parts of California for swing races, then hit me up.” But there is one rider on this guy’s bill. “Latte-drinking, New York Times-reading liberals need not apply,” he adds.

Then there is the posting from “Capitol gal seeks witty guy,” in which a 24-year-old legislative aide says she “would love to meet one of the hot guys I’ve seen in the building over the last couple of months.”

Not to burst her bubble, but the governor is married.

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Points Taken

* After Mayor James K. Hahn declined to participate in an Oct. 22 debate, saying it was too early before the March election, the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and KNBC-TV Channel 4 have decided to postpone the forum until Dec. 2. Hahn campaign advisor Bill Wardlaw would not commit last week to whether Hahn would show up, but said it is now more likely. “Obviously, the league is a very prestigious organization, and it will be given very high consideration,” Wardlaw said.

* State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) announced last week that he has named state Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) as the majority floor leader, a decision that appeals to those who thought a Latina should be given a position of power as well as those concerned that Southern California might be left out of the leadership.

* The California Republican Assembly is keeping the heat on Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, a Democrat, over allegations that he used federal election reform money to award no-bid contracts to political cronies. The group has launched an online petition drive at www.Shelly MustResign.com, collecting signatures of those who believe that Shelley should step down.

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You Can Quote Me

“I’ve had a short-timer’s attitude for about five years.”

-- Los Angeles City Clerk Mike Carey, responding to kidding from council members about his decision to retire next month after 37 years with the city.

This week’s contributors include Times staff writers Richard Simon and Jenifer Warren.