CAMPAIGN FINANCE VETO STANDS.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer With a promise to take a comprehensive look at campaign reforms, the Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. agreed on Wednesday with Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see .James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California in his veto of a city Ethics Commission In the United States, an Ethics Commission is a commission established by State law to discourage dishonest practices by their public employees and elected officials. Almost all American states have such a commission. plan that was termed a short-term solution. The council, with six new members, also said it wanted a chance to weigh in on any changes to city campaign finance laws based on their experiences in this election, as well as the threat posed by a state law that gives broader power to political parties and independent expenditures. Hahn had vetoed the Ethics Commission plan that would have shortened the fund-raising period from 18 months to 12 months and doubled the amount of public financing. Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski Cindy Miscikowski represented the 11th District on the Los Angeles City Council for two full terms from 1997 through 2005. Previously, she was an aide to Councilman Marvin Braude and the Executive Director of the Skitball Cultural Center in its beginning stages. , who with Councilman Joel Wachs Joel Wachs served for several terms as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 2nd district. He was first elected by defeating incumbent James B. Potter. While in office, Wachs chaired the Public Works Committee and vice-chair of the Environmental Quality & Waste Management voted to override the Hahn veto, complained that without action there would be no reforms until the 2005 election. But several of the members who took office on July 1 argued they needed to be included in any discussions. ``We want to continue to be on the cutting edge of campaign reform,'' Councilman Eric Garcetti Eric Garcetti (born 1971) is the son of former Los Angeles county district attorney Gil Garcetti, and was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2001. He was reelected in 2005. said. ``But, we also want to have some input.'' Garcetti and others argued against reducing the amount of fund-raising time because of the disadvantage it places on challengers to incumbents. ``I feel like we have a great opportunity to have a say,'' Councilwoman Janice Hahn Janice Hahn is a member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 15th district. Hahn was elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005, running unopposed. The 15th District encompasses the Los Angeles communities of Watts, Wilmington, Harbor Gateway, Harbor City, Athens on the said. ``But, I, too am concerned with reducing the fund-raising period. I know I had to hold down a full-time job and couldn't spend all my time fund-raising. Limiting the amount of time hurts working mothers and minorities. As new members, we have a right to reattack this issue.'' Wachs complained that Proposition 34, approved by voters last year, gave too much power to political parties and hurt him and other candidates in this year's mayoral contest. ``We did have one of the best campaign finance laws in the country,'' Wachs said. ``Proposition 34 changed all that. All of a sudden we had unlimited resources being spent by anonymous donors. It made it impossible to compete.'' Council members pledged to work with the Ethics Commission to develop more comprehensive proposals to change the city's law as well as seek a change allowing it to have tougher standards exempt from state election laws. |
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