DEBATE STARTS ON TERM LIMITS, ETHICS PACKAGE.Byline: RICK ORLOV Staff Writer Ballot arguments for and against Proposition R, the term limits-ethics reform package that 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. voters will decide Nov. 7, were submitted Monday to the City Clerk's Office, kicking off a three-month debate over the future of city government. Proponents and opponents of the measure to give a third term to City Council members portrayed the debate as being over open, ethical government, but they disagreed on the cause of the problem and the remedy. The opposition arguments, prepared by Jason Lyson of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council In June, 1999, the voters of Los Angeles approved a new City Charter which created the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE). Its purpose is to promote more citizen participation in government and to make government more responsive to local needs through a citywide network of and Jeff Jacobberger of the Mid-City West Mid-City West is a subregion located in the Wilshire area of the City of Los Angeles, California. While it may be confused with the Mid-Wilshire area, the city designates it as a separate area, encompassing the area south of Santa Monica Blvd, west of Fairfax Avenue, and north of Neighborhood Council, said the measure was rushed through the City Council and would weaken existing ethics laws. They also complained that 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. were not given sufficient opportunity to review the measure offered by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters League of Women Voters, voluntary public service organization of U.S. citizens. Organized in 1920 in Chicago as an outgrowth of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, it had as its original nucleus the leaders of the latter organization. . It would allow a third four-year term for council members, as well as tighten regulations on lobbyists and require disclosure of all contributors of $100 or more to independent expenditure committees. ``Measure R doesn't say what it really does -- lengthen City Council term limits,'' the argument said. ``Do they think you'll only approve an extension if it's hidden in `ethics reforms?' They should be honest and clearly ask voters for another term, without mixing in separate issues.'' The two said the City Council ignored the advice of City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo (born July 15 1960) is the current City Attorney of Los Angeles, California. Career
In addition, they quote Ethics Commissioner Bill Boyarsky as saying the proposal is ``outrageous'' and shows ``absolute contempt for the 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. .'' But Proposition R supporters -- including Liza White of the League of Women Voters, Chamber Chairman David Nichols and former 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. -- maintain that the proposal would ``make city government more honest, effective and accountable to voters.'' It devotes only one paragraph to the extension of term limits, with most of the argument explaining that implementing ethics reform through a City Charter amendment would make it more difficult to change in the future. Also on Monday, Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association helped sponsor Proposition 13, the property tax-cutting initiative in California in 1978 which slashed property taxes by fifty-seven percent and initiated a national tax revolt. It was founded by California republican Howard Jarvis. filed an argument against Proposition H, the $1 billion affordable-housing bond measure on the Nov. 7 ballot. Coupal argued that the measure would have the opposite impact from what city officials want by making it more expensive to own a home in Los Angeles. ``Homeowners are already paying higher taxes,'' Coupal said, citing voter approval for a number of recent bond measures. ``Local taxes are for police, fire, sanitation and other local services, not for subsidized housing for some who may not yet live in Los Angeles.'' rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion