COUNCIL SNUBS PUBLIC VIEWS BUT LAWMAKER GIVEN PRIME TIME TO SPEAK.

Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH Staff Writer

They speak faster and faster, racing against the clock. Some stop, dumbfounded, when the buzzer goes off. Others keep talking after the microphone is turned off.

The Los Angeles City Council recently imposed a strict one-minute limit on public comments to hurry along the growing list of concerned citizens, activists and gadflies who want to testify during its thrice-weekly meetings.

But Tuesday morning, with a long list of folks signed up to speak during public comments -- and an even longer line of people waiting to testify against the trash fee increase -- the council broke its own rule for a fellow politician: Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg.

``I'd like to suspend the rules to give Ms. Goldberg, a fellow elected official and former alumnus of these chambers, the opportunity to address us for a bit longer, if there's no objection to suspending the rules,'' Council President Eric Garcetti told his fellow members.

There were no objections -- from council members. So Goldberg took the time of five public speakers to call for softening the ``three strikes, you're out'' law.

Later, some people who wanted a chance to be heard complained about the inequity.

Manuel Criollo with the Bus Riders Union and several dozen others opposed to the trash fee increase sat through hours of council testimony waiting for their chance.

Yet when it was their turn to speak, they were subjected to the one-minute rule, which Criollo said makes it difficult to convey reasoned thoughts and opinions.

``It's a way to stop the public's right to speak and an infringement on our civil rights,'' Criollo said.

During her exempted time, Goldberg spoke for nearly five minutes on a proposed City Council resolution that would support a bill to change the ``three strikes'' law so it would no longer apply to nonviolent or nonserious offenses.

``It is literally destroying communities in Los Angeles and around the state,'' Goldberg said.

The City Council used to limit speakers to two minutes but recently shortened that when more and more residents showed up to testify about the South Central Farm, vending permits at Venice Beach and other controversial issues.

Garcetti spokesman Josh Kamensky said the law requires the city to have 10 minutes of public comment.

``Recently we've had a lot of public comment for various issues. When there are a lot of people who show up, we do limit them to one minute each in order to accommodate them,'' Kamensky said.

Goldberg's unlimited time was ``deference'' for a fellow elected official who is also representing her constituents.

But Criollo said the public also needs to be heard.

``We expect, at a minimum, from a board of this quality, to provide the most expansive rights for people to comment on issues that are important to their lives.''

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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