CHARTER PANEL READY TO ROLL : PRESSURE'S ON FOR VALLEY GROUP.Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer When the City Council's advisory commission on charter reform holds its first meeting Thursday, the 21 members will bring to the table a wide spectrum of views about what is wrong with 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. city government and how to fix it. The stakes are particularly high for the six commissioners who live in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , where growing dissatisfaction with a geographically and politically distant City Hall has sparked secessionist talk. ``I think people yelled for secession because they wanted attention paid to the Valley,'' said Commissioner Alexandra Glickman, a resident of Valley Village and senior vice president of an insurance brokerage firm. ``But instead of blowing the whole process up, what we have to do is try to fix it,'' she said. ``Before we toss the whole thing out, why don't we first try to change the charter? I think people will be clamoring less for secession if they feel they are getting their voices heard at City Hall.'' Commissioner Joseph Mandel of Sherman Oaks also believes charter reform may be able to address some of the concerns raised by backers of secession. The University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. , vice chancellor vice chancellor n. Abbr. VC 1. A deputy or an assistant chancellor in a university. 2. A deputy to or a substitute for a head of state or an official bearing the title chancellor. 3. for legal affairs, who was appointed to the commission by Councilman Mike Feuer, said he does not believe secession is the answer to Valley problems. ``I think a lot of the people who urged Valley secession felt the Valley was underrepresented un·der·rep·re·sent·ed adj. Insufficiently or inadequately represented: the underrepresented minority groups, ignored by the government. by city government,'' Mandel said. ``I'm willing to take those positions in good faith, and I believe they need to be examined.'' Besides Glickman and Mandel, the other Valley residents on the commission are Northridge political consultant Paul Clarke Paul Clarke is a former Dublin Gaelic football player. He played his club football for Whitehall Colmcille. Paul is a selector along with Dave Billings and Brian Talty under Paul Caffrey who is the current manager. , Pacoima civil rights activist and phone company manager Jose DeSosa, Woodland Hills community activist Sharon Schuster, and retired mayoral aide and Northridge resident Anton Calleia. Glickman was appointed to the commission by 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 , Schuster was appointed by Councilwoman Laura Chick, DeSosa was named by Councilman Richard Alarcon, Clarke was appointed by Councilman Hal Bernson Hal Bernson served as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 12th district. He was chair of the Transportation Committee. Prior to being on the City Council, he served in the Navy. Preceded by Robert M. and Calleia was appointed by council President John Ferraro John Ferraro (May 14 1924—April 17 2001) served as a Los Angeles City Councilman from 1966 until his death. Early life Ferraro was born in the working class suburb of Cudahy, California, just south of Los Angeles. . Commissioners acknowledge that they will be meeting in a politically charged atmosphere mainly because they were appointed by the council and their recommendations will be subject to the council's approval. Locked in a power struggle with the council, Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. has funded an initiative campaign to put an elected charter reform commission on the ballot, to create a panel that could submit reforms directly to the voters without council approval. Riordan and initiative chairman David Fleming
David Fleming , a Studio City attorney, have charged that the council will never agree to reforms, even from its own commission, if it means the council's power would be diminished. The council has blasted the mayor's proposal, saying an elected commission would not guarantee that the city's diversity would be reflected on the panel. Some council members said they were elected to make decisions on changing the charter, and they would be abdicating their responsibility as elected officials by giving up their veto power. ``Most of these (reform) efforts in other cities have failed because of political considerations,'' Mandel said, adding that with competing reform efforts, ``We have a mess from the outset.'' Added Clarke, ``This is going to be a thankless task.'' The commission will begin its historic 18-month review of the 700-page charter Thursday with a public meeting starting at 6 p.m. in Room 300 of City Hall East, 200 N. Main Street. Armed with a $300,000 budget, the commission will have to wrestle with how to change the 71-year-old charter to provide a form of government that best serves the needs of the city today. All of the Valley commissioners except DeSosa returned calls to discuss the task ahead of them. The deliberations will occur against a backdrop of citizen complaints that they feel alienated from their government. The secessionist talk has been heard not just in the Valley but in San Pedro, Wilmington and South Central Los Angeles. ``I think we want to make sure all people are represented and make sure government is working for everyone,'' Schuster said. ``Those are concerns I've heard articulated by Valley people, but I'm sure people in other parts of the city have the same feelings. My concern is to make sure we have a viable government for everyone.'' Clarke, the husband of former U.S. Rep. Bobbi Fiedler Bobbi Fiedler (April 22, 1937–) was a Congresswoman from California who made a name for herself as a strong opponent of forced busing. Biography Born Roberta Frances Horowitz in Santa Monica, California on April 22, 1937, Fiedler attended area public schools. , said the way to satisfy the concerns of Valley residents and others over what they see as the lack of responsiveness by City Hall may be to decentralize de·cen·tral·ize v. de·cen·tral·ized, de·cen·tral·iz·ing, de·cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To distribute the administrative functions or powers of (a central authority) among several local authorities. decision-making. He said he was interested in the idea of creating neighborhood councils Neighborhood councils are governmental or non-governmental bodies composed of local people who handle neighborhood problems. They can be found in many cities throughout the world. that would be given some of the decision-making power now held by the City Council and administrators downtown. The idea was proposed by the last charter reform commission in 1969 but rejected then by the City Council. Present-day council members Wachs and Feuer have revived the idea as one way to give people a greater role in their government. ``That should be on the table,'' Clarke said of greater Valley autonomy. ``I can see neighborhood councils as one option. I'd like to look at that and see what they do in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of .'' Mandel, who is a former member of the city's Board of Zoning Appeals, also said the commission should look at the idea. ``I certainly am mindful of the feeling of people that they don't feel they control their own destiny, and that City Hall is distant to them both geographically and physically,'' Mandel said. ``To the extent we can push decision-making more to the local level, that's appealing to me, as long as we don't create chaos.'' Clarke said another issue the commission might address is how to better ensure that various parts of the city are getting their fair share of city resources. The Daily News recently conducted an analysis that found the Valley represents 35 percent of the city's population and 31.5 percent of taxes paid but gets only 22 percent of city services The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. . Clarke said he is interested to see if there is some way to put something in the charter to better guarantee a fair distribution of services. ``I think there should be some proportional share,'' Clarke said. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how that would be done, whether just based on economics. It can be done in the charter if there is some objective way to measure it.'' However, other Valley commissioners are not ready yet to say how specifically they might address the problem of fair share, only that it may be an issue on the table. ``I think we are all looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. greater accountability,'' said Glickman, a lifelong Valley resident. ``I think we want to make certain that all areas of the city are getting the services, attention and resources they deserve.'' Most of the Valley commissioners have had direct experience with City Hall that could serve them well during the charter review process. Schuster was chief deputy for then City Councilwoman Joy Picus before becoming president of the American Association of University Women ''This article or section is being rewritten at The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. in 1993. Glickman and DeSosa have both previously served on city ad hoc For this purpose. Meaning "to this" in Latin, it refers to dealing with special situations as they occur rather than functions that are repeated on a regular basis. See ad hoc query and ad hoc mode. commissions, and Mandel was a Tom Bradley Noun 1. Tom Bradley - United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998) Bradley, Thomas Bradley appointee APPOINTEE. A person who is appointed or selected for a particular purpose; as the appointee under a power, is the person who is to receive the benefit of the trust or power. to the city's Board of Zoning Appeals from 1984 to 1990. Clarke worked on Bernson's election campaign and has lobbied city officials on behalf of clients including the Porter Ranch Development Company. In addition to serving as an aide to then Mayor Bradley, Calleia worked on Mayor Riordan's transition team and served as a deputy to Councilman Marvin Braude Marvin Braude (August 11, 1920—December 7, 2005)served as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 11th district from 1965 to 1997. At various times Mr. Braude (pronounced BROW-dee) served as chair of the Finance and Revenue Committee, the Environmental Quality and Waste . Calleia declined to discuss the threat of Valley secession, saying he sees the charter reform commission as focusing on how to fix the city government that exists. ``The task of the commission is, No. 1, if the government is not responding to the needs and desires of the citizens, what can be done with the charter to make it more responsive,'' he said. ``And two, what management problem is the city having and how can it be fixed?'' Calleia said he begins the commission's work with an open mind and does not want to prejudge pre·judge tr.v. pre·judged, pre·judg·ing, pre·judg·es To judge beforehand without possessing adequate evidence. pre·judg whether power should be shifted to the mayor or to the council. Riordan launched his initiative to create a separate reform commission in part because he believes the mayor should be given more power to make decisions. Schuster, who also saw the mayor-council struggle up close, said the commission has to do something with the charter to reduce the warring that currently goes on between the mayor and council. ``I guess that's the challenge, to see if we can do something structurally to ensure the council and Mayor's Office can work together,'' Schuster said. ``There is an inherent conflict in that (current) system. I don't know if that can be overcome with structural changes.'' Mandel's experience with the Board of Zoning Appeals gave him insight into the council's power to overturn, on political grounds, decisions made by citizen commissions. City officials have suggested the commission system should be scrutinized in any effort of charter reform. ``I got a good look at the role of commissions in the bureaucracy,'' Mandel said. ``It was clear to me that a lot of things were antiquated and needed to be examined.'' Even though the Board of Zoning Appeals is a quasi-judicial body A quasi-judicial body is an individual or organization which has powers resembling those of a court of law or judge and is able to remedy a situation or impose legal penalties on a person or organization. that is supposed to make decisions based on evidence presented, Mandel said the panel was sometimes lobbied by former Mayor Bradley's office, and its decisions were sometimes overturned by the council. ``The City Council would decide to reverse what we had done for political reasons,'' he said. Although Mandel said he recognizes that the council as the elected representative of the people has the right to make such decisions, ``As a lawyer that didn't always sit well with me.'' Mandel said he is not sure whether there are any ways to prevent political considerations from creeping into decisions that should be based on facts, but he is willing to explore the issue on the commission. The recommendations of the council's commission will be subject to veto or modification by the council before anything is placed on the April 1999 ballot. Schuster said she hopes the reform commission can address the concerns of residents, but disputes the notion that failure to reform the charter could give momentum to any secession efforts. ``I don't think of this as a last chance,'' Schuster said. ``I don't see the city exploding or falling apart or collapsing if the voters don't approve something.'' Still, Glickman said she hopes the commission can accomplish its task in a way that addresses the concerns of the city's residents. ``The Valley is a sleeping giant Sleeping Giant may refer to: In geology:
axiomatic, self-evident obvious - easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; "obvious errors" ,'' Glickman said. ``If the commission takes its task seriously, and if the City Council listens and does not try to apply partisanship, I think it will be very successful.'' OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS Here are brief descriptions of the 15 members of the City Council's commission on charter reform who come from areas of Los Angeles outside the San Fernando Valley. Gloria Michel, appointed by City Council President John Ferraro is a senior at Loyola Marymount University and a research assistant for Loyola's Center for the Study of Los Angeles. She lives in Westchester. Steward Kwoh, appointed by Ferraro, is executive director of the Asian Pacific Legal Center. Miguel Contreras, appointed by Ferraro, lives in central Los Angeles and is secretary-treasurer of the county Federation of Labor. Andrew Friedman, appointed by Ferraro, is an attorney who lives in Hancock Park and heads the city's Police Permit Review Panel. Linda Griego, appointed by Councilman Mike Hernandez, owns the Engine Company 28 restaurant and is head of the post-riot recovery group Rebuild Los Angeles. She lives in central Los Angeles. Andrew R. Henderson, appointed by Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, is an attorney who lives in West Los Angeles
Kenneth Thomas, appointed by Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, is publisher of the L.A. Sentinel newspaper and lives in central Los Angeles. Marguerite Archie-Hudson, appointed by Councilwoman Rita Walters, is retiring from the state Assembly and lives in central Los Angeles. James Reese, appointed by Councilman Nate Holden, is a retired Superior Court judge who lives in central Los Angeles. Xandra Kayden, appointed by Councilman Marvin Braude, is a political science instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who lives in West Los Angeles. Luann Boylan, appointed by Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, is an executive with Pacific Bell Directory Pacific Bell Directory Holdings was the advertising/publishing division of the Pacific Telesis Group. PBD Holdings held Pacific Bell Directory under its umbrella, who published directories in both Nevada & California. and a resident of central Los Angeles. MaryAnn Reyes, appointed by Councilman Richard Alatorre, is an East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. resident who works for Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. . Tim McCosker, appointed by Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr., is an attorney with the law firm of Burke Williams and Sorenson who lives in the harbor area. Ed Edelman, appointed by City Controller Rick Tuttle, is a former city councilman and former member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the five member governing board of Los Angeles County, California. Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district, the current members as of April 2006 are:
George Kieffer, appointed by City Attorney James Hahn, is an attorney and partner with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps and lives in West Los Angeles. CAPTION(S): 6 Photos, Box Photo: (1) Anton Calleia Northridge (2) Paul Clarke Northridge (3) Jose DeSosa Pacoima (4) Alexandra Glickman Valley Village (5) Joseph Mandel Sherman Oaks (6) Sharon Schuster Woodland Hills Box: OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS (see text) |
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