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One Reason Why LA Sucks: Re-Running City Councilmen

According to news reports last week, Los Angeles City Councilmen Hal
Bernson, John Ferraro and Nate Holden are running again for
re-election.  Holden's been on the council since the late 80s, Bernson
since the late 70s and Ferraro SINCE THE EARLY 1960s!

What do you people think about this?  Do you care?  Most don't and
that's unfortuanate. In the view of many political scientists, the most
important politics is local.  In all reality, the power is there.  Why
do you think former state legislators such as Richard Alatorre, Gloria
Molina, Holden, etc. came to the City Council? Why does former Governor
Jerry Brown want to be Mayor of Oakland?  Because - local government is
where the real power, the real perks and the real spoils are.  Local
government touches our lives more than the State or Federal, whether its
ranging from trash pickup to police protection to our schools to what
kind of businesses we have in our neighborhood to transportation
matters.  

We know about Nate Holden's recent shenanigans to draw the Raiders NFL
team to LA.  He has been the recipient of allegations of sexual
harrassment (for which the City was forced to pay for his legal
defense).  He was photographed whopping it up in a strip club with
Korean businessmen.  Many of his constituents report his office provides
little service to them.  And it has been alleged for years that he does
not reside in his 10th Councilmanic District, but in nearby Marina Del
Rey NOT EVEN IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES! He also was reported making
racist comments about Councilmembers who mustered some courage to call
for the resignation of convicted druggie Councilman Mike Hernandez,
referring to Mike Feuer and Laura Chick as Westside Ku Klux Klan
members.

Hal Bernson is another gutless wonder on the City Council who has
allowed developers to ruin quality of life in his district and has
seemingly been on the losing end of numerous scandals where he has tried
to scam free tickets to the Hollywood Bowl. In one case he failed to
distribute free Bowl tickets meant for needy people in his district. His
office's explanation "We don't of any needy people in or district."  Hal
did not have the guts to publicly call for the resignation of Hernandez,
until other of his colleagues had, and when he did, it was pretty meek.

John Ferraro, a former USC All American, is the consumate insider and,
as Council President, has tried to stifle public input at City Council
meetings.  Granted, the gadflies and gooks (such as Howard Watts) who
show up to speak at City Council meetings on a daily basis try Ferraro's
nerve.  "Big John," as he is known, also reserves the same treatment for
average members of the public who show up to speak out on important
issues in their community.  A moderate Republican, Ferraro decries his
more liberal colleagues ideology when he visits police groups, etc., but
when sitting as a member of this once august body, consistently supports
their schemes.  Ferraro did nothing to condemn the behaivor of
Hernandez, stating through his office that the City Council could not
remove him.  But Ferraro never addressed the issue that there was
nothing in the City Charter to prevent him or the rest of the Council
from taking the moral high ground and speaking out.  Ferraro has served
on the City Council SINCE LYNDON JOHNSON WAS PRESIDENT OF THE USA, THE
BEATLES WERE NUMBER ONE ON THE CHARTS AND BEFORE MANY OF US WERE BORN -
and he still wants another term.  As the President of the Council, he
has presided over the decline of a great city, as well as debacles such
as the MTA.

Fortuanately, the voters of Los Angeles saw it in their wisdom to enact
term limits.  This will apply to Ferraro, Bernson and Holden as of their
next term, so we will (finally!) be rid of them in five years.  But five
years is too long to wait, and Los Angeles doesn't have another five
years to hope to get it right.  We need action now.

The best thing would be for the abovementioned threesome to retire now,
and do us all a favor.  With their City Council pensions, they will be
set for life.  Holden also will get pensions for his stint in the State
Legislature and as an aide to former Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenny
Hahn.  All three could do well on the political consulant circuit.  They
will eat and live well if they give up these jobs.

But, the siren's song calls, and all three have announced early (due to
a legal loophole and much to the chagrin of good government groups such
as California Common Cause) their intent to seek one last hurrah.  It is
not known who their competition will be, but it will be an uphill battle
for anyone given the power of incumbency.

Hopefully, someone qualified, dynamic, and new to the political scene
will want to take the challenge.  And if so, we need to support him or
her, to the full extent of our ablities.

Our city - our home - couldn't deserve any less.