'OUTSIDER' POLITICS ALLEGED CRITICS SAY SPECIAL INTERESTS AT WORK.Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer A new kind of political player is surfacing in local politics of cities bordering the Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. corridor - so-called citizen groups powered by big money. A political action committee emerged in last month's Agoura Hills and Westake Village City Council races. And in March, the Calabasas Taxpayers Association launched a similar campaign in that city's council election. ``I think it's the first time an outside group came in,'' said Agoura Hills City Councilman Dan Kuperberg, who was not up for re-election. ``This was the nastiest, meanest election in the 10 years I've lived in Agoura Hills. I am of the understanding we have an outside group trying to steal an election, and I will do what I can to fight it,'' said Kuperberg, who has asked the city attorney to investigate possible campaign violations during the recent election. Elected officials, especially those targeted in hit pieces, say the groups are simply fronts for outside special interests meddling med·dle intr.v. med·dled, med·dling, med·dles 1. To intrude into other people's affairs or business; interfere. See Synonyms at interfere. 2. To handle something idly or ignorantly; tamper. in local politics. With backing from deep pockets, the groups have upped the ante in campaign spending and brought mudslinging mud·sling·er n. One who makes malicious charges and otherwise attempts to discredit an opponent, as in a political campaign. mud to a new height, they claim. However, the groups say they represent local residents and businesses who want better leadership than what's been put into place. ``We just want balance,'' said Ray Slayton, treasurer of the Coalition for Competent Leadership, which was involved in the some of the local races, in part seeking a more business-friendly environment. ``We are not going away,'' he added. ``And unless someone locks me up and turns the key, I will still talk.'' One of the fliers mailed out by the Coalition for Competent Leadership targeted Agoura Hills incumbents Ed Corridori and Jeff Reinhardt, claiming they were responsible for blight blight, general term for any sudden and severe plant disease or for the agent that causes it. The term is now applied chiefly to diseases caused by bacteria (e.g., bean blights and fire blight of fruit trees), viruses (e.g., soybean bud blight), fungi (e.g. and street congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. . Westlake Village incumbent Iraj Broomand speculated the flier against him contributed to his loss in the election. Corridori said although the group's campaign tactics didn't hurt his run for a third term, that's not the point. ``Suppose the next time it does?'' he said. ``These are developers' interest or land-interest people. They have an agenda that is within our area.'' Calabasas City Councilman James Bozajian said he was disappointed to see the negative campaigning Negative campaigning is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies. when he and Councilwoman Leslie Devine ran successfully for re-election but were targeted by the Calabasas Taxpayers Alliance. ``There has always been negative campaigns, it's part and parcel of American politics,'' Bozajian said. ``The difference is if you campaign negative and go out there and say bad things, your name is on it and everyone knows where it's from,'' he said. ``I just hope this is not a permanent feature of local elections.'' The Coalition for Competent Leadership filed as a county committee focusing on election issues in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Westlake Village and unincorporated areas In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, i.e., a city or town with its own government. of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County. It has raised more than $10,000, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the latest campaign disclosure statements. Donations include $1,000 each from Richardland Properties Inc., of Tampa, Fla.; Pacific Proventure Group Inc. of Hawthorn hawthorn, any species of the genus Crataegus of the family Rosaceae (rose family), shrubs and trees widely distributed in north temperate climates and especially common in E North America. and Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson may refer to:
The Calabasas group has raised $5,994 - all in individual $999 donations, according to campaign disclosure forms for the period covering Jan. 1 to June 30. Donors include the group's treasurer, along with Vintage Communities Inc. of Cosa Mesa and Gateway Estates in Hawthorn. A Malibu company, Valley Industrial Properties Inc., gave to both groups, documents show. In Calabasas, Marcus Allen Frishman, who was endorsed by the Calabasas group in his bid for office, defended the organization. ``The Taxpayers Alliance was formed by a bunch of people who cared about Calabasas,'' he said. ``They are longtimers who live in Calabasas and the vicinity, formed to assist candidates in the last City Council election.'' Slayton, who lives in Malibu but also owns property in Agoura Hills, said critics are out to discredit TO DISCREDIT, practice, evidence. To deprive one of credit or confidence. 2. In general, a party may discredit a witness called by the opposite party, who testifies against him, by proving that his character is such as not to entitle him to credit or the group, which only wants to bring balance on city councils. ``We are not particularly driven by any issue,'' said Slayton. ``We just want people who will simply look at all the issues that are presented in a fair and equitable way.'' Fliers like those used in the last campaign aren't mudslinging, he said. ``Some people look at it as negative,'' he said. ``I look at it as giving another perspective of what is going on in the city.'' In Calabasas, Councilwoman Devine said the group that targeted her was ``as outside as you can get.'' But the Calabasas Taxpayers Alliance's treasurer said the group formed in February and just wants council members with some sense. ``We've had a City Council that has, I think, overstepped their bounds,'' said treasurer Betty Bross. She points to the $600,000 she claims the city has spent fighting Ahmanson Ranch, a controversial housing development. Bross, who's lived in the city since 1964, discounted claims her group is made up of outsiders, saying ``people give money because they think the cause is worthy.'' ``We want to bring sensibility sensibility /sen·si·bil·i·ty/ (sen?si-bil´i-te) susceptibility of feeling; ability to feel or perceive. deep sensibility into the whole picture,'' she said. ``No one has to thoroughly agree with me, yet I think some things are not good government.'' |
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