under pressure

The Los Angeles Business Association (LABA) has threatened to bankroll a campaign to defeat any proposed charter that includes neighborhood councils. City Administrator Kieth Comrie came out with a vehement attack on the elected commission's progress, drawing attention to his argument that elected neighborhood councils would "bog down city government unnecessarily." Media coverage, particularly the LA Times , (the Daily Breeze, as noted by Janice Hahn, elected Commissioner and San Pedro resident, has virtually ignored Charter reform) has subtly and consistently presented the perspective that writing elected nieghborhood councils into the charter is a flawed idea, calling it "an invitation to gridlock" in a recent editorial.

The heat is on the elected Charter Reform Commission and its daring support of the creation of an elected, empowered neighborhood council system. The Commission has managed to keep things together, however, and no small amount of enthusiasm surrounds their "renegade" status in relation to the more business-like appointed Charter Reform Commission that is operating under the City Council. Attempts to reconcile the two commissionshave all but dissolved, and the possibility that voters will be asked to choose between two charters is increasingly likely. "I used to be a proponent of the single charter, but lately I've been thinking that the voters are smart enough to decide between two," commented Commissioner Hahn.

The elected Commission esatablished a consensus support of the elected neighborhood council in the spring at the behest of widespread public opinion voiced at their public information-gathering meetings around the city. The Harbor Area meeting spotlighted local concerns about decentralizing Los Angeles government, and demonstrated the general ire and frustration in this area--comparable to that of the San Fernando Valley--with a government out of reach to its citizens. Defenders of the status quo, notably the appointed Commission, offer a diluted "appointed, advisory" neighborhood council. This concept has been ardently supported by powerful interests in government and business, including the LABA, among whose wealthy white ranks one finds Arco execututive Mike Bowlin and LA Times publisher Mark Willes.

The elected commission has come to represent the voice of the people in reshaping the government, but as Hahn points out, "Things change quickly." A task force of five commissioners headed by Bill Weinberg of the 4th District has been weighing specific restructuring proposals, hoping to give a definitive picture of a neighborhood council system back to the full commission in time for an October deadline. One week ago, the task force voted on "elected" vs. "appointed". The vote was a split. Absent member Janice Hahn is still weighing her options, but as an avid supporter of elected neighborhood councils from the outset, she is expected to bring the recommendation in that direction. Still, the lukewarm support of a body elected by the people seems to indicate that the pressure is having an effect. "The LABA's threat has had a grave impact on the Commissioners, pragmatically and politically," admitted Hahn. The idea that two years of unpaid wirk could be torpedoed by a self-serving business group disturbs some of the Commission. The elected, empowered councils may become the utilitarian sacrificial lamb.

Hahn, for her part, is determined to stick to her guns. "(The threat) was just the wrong thing to do. I can't let it get in the way of my decisions." She is open to discussion, however, on the manner of election, which may become an interesting debate in the coming weeks. The choice is between having council members running full-scale municipal elections, or the more traditional New England-style caucus election. "I feel like municipal elections may end up excluding the very people we are trying to include in city government. But we'll see."

Note: The appointed Commission for Charter Reform is currently circulating a booklet outlining their current recommendations for rewriting the Los Angeles Charter and requesting evaluation and commentary from the citizenry. The pamphlet gives the distinct impression that they are the lone authority on the matter. This is, of course, not the case; a parallel elected commission is currently deliberating the same issues, and has been arriving at divergent opinions on some aspects. It is also worth noting that the elected charter reform commission sought public opinion before and during their initial deliberations. The appointed Commission will be arriving in San Pedro on October 28 at Peck Park.

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