Unions’ deep pockets bode ill for Parks

Using a political tool that sidesteps campaign financing limits, Los Angeles labor unions have raised an unprecedented $2.5 million to elect state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas to the county Board of Supervisors.

Before voters head to the polls in June, union officials say they will add an additional $1.5 million to the “independent expenditure committee” pot.

“It is a tribute to my colleagues and brothers and sisters in labor,” said Tyrone Freeman, the head of Service Employees International Union Local 6434, one of the contributors to the Alliance for a Stronger Community.

Beyond being a record for fundraising in a supervisor race or even for Los Angeles mayor, the support is helping Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) far outstrip the resources of his chief opponent, Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks, who has been endorsed by more high-profile political and business leaders, including retiring Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke.

Although financing laws prohibit an individual from giving more than $1,000 directly to a campaign, it is legal to give unlimited amounts to independent committees as long as the groups do not coordinate or consult with the candidate.

Parks surpassed his opponent’s fundraising during the first quarter of the year, raising nearly double Ridley-Thomas’ $354,000.

But labor’s backing, usually a strong tool for turn-out-the-vote efforts, has injected a dramatic financial boost amounting to more than $6 for every $1 that Ridley-Thomas’ campaign committee has raised. The next deadline for candidates and committees to report contributions is May 22.

Ridley-Thomas is “going to need his own message out there, but clearly it makes it easier for him because there’s money being spent on his behalf,” said Robert Stern, president of the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies.

Although both candidates are Democrats, Parks says he wants to find ways to trim county spending; Ridley-Thomas says he wants to ensure that all workers receive a living wage.

The 2nd District race is the first strongly contested supervisors’ election in the 16 years since Burke first won the seat. Union officials have called it a top local priority, in part because once elected, supervisors rarely are defeated.

“In a sense, you’re probably looking at a 12-year term,” Stern said, referring to the restriction that now limits supervisors to no more than three terms. “That’s why it’s so important for the unions and business to elect their person now.”

Parks said the money unions are spending to elect his opponent is a clear sign that Ridley-Thomas would not be an independent voice. And business leaders who support Parks accuse the unions of trying to buy a seat on the five-member board, which reigns over the largest county government in the nation and is the largest public employer in California, setting salaries and benefits for 102,000 employees.

“It’s very clear that organized labor intends to have tremendous influence on this race and with their candidate,” said Carol Schatz, president of the Central City Assn., a downtown business advocacy group. “I don’t think any special interest should attempt to control an election.”

Parks’ campaign manager, John Shallman, said the councilman has members of labor in his camp as well.

“We’re very proud of our support among rank-and-file union members,” Shallman said. “They admire the fact that Bernard Parks can’t be bought or bossed around and neither can the voters of the 2nd District -- even for $4 million.”

Business leaders who back Parks have also created an independent expenditure committee, the Council for Safe Streets and Neighborhoods, to support Parks and counteract the unions’ contributions. Although they would not disclose their fundraising goals or how much they have collected, they acknowledge that they will be unable to raise the kind of money the unions have amassed.

“We’re not going to match that,” said Dominick Rubalcava, a spokesman for the group. “If you only have one side that is being heard, then it creates an imbalance, and I think that’s what business is reacting to. There’s a perception that the union calls the shots on everything.”

Ridley-Thomas notes that he also has backing from business leaders, including Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. And he said the unions’ strong backing does not mean he will be beholden to them if he is elected.

“I find that to be a cheap shot at best,” he said. “I work on behalf of those who are my constituents and those are broadly defined. Included in that happens to be businesses.”

And union leaders say the two candidates are running in a vast district, 2 million residents in an area extending from Culver City and Mar Vista to Watts and Compton.

“We believe as labor we have a responsibility to talk to every constituent,” said Freeman, of SEIU. “If you just spend $1 on each resident, we still wouldn’t have enough money.”

But political observers say anyone who spends such large sums on behalf of a candidate expects a degree of access.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” said Dermot Givens, a lawyer and political consultant who has worked for both candidates but is not involved in this campaign. “We’re going to get you in, but then you’re our guy. That’s what politics is about.”

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jp.renaud@latimes.com