DEMOCRATS' VALLEY GROUP DENOUNCED PARTY ACCUSED FOR DETERRING OFFICE SEEKERS OF NEW CITIES.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

San Fernando Valley and Hollywood secession supporters blasted a Valley Democratic group Thursday, accusing it of scare tactics against candidates who run for office in the proposed new cities.

In harsh tones, they complained that the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley was intimidating candidates by withholding support from those who run for mayor or council and by threatening to jeopardize their political futures.

``Fear is a very powerful weapon,'' said Laurette Healey, co-chair of the Valley Independence Committee.

``And now these fear tactics (are) employed by our own Democratic Party leaders that are saying to the good men and women of the San Fernando Valley and the Hollywood communities who wish to serve their communities: Do not empower yourself, do not empower your neighborhood, do not fight for a better way of life.''

The Valley Democratic group is a coalition of party clubs in the greater Valley region but does not represent the official party position. It opposes secession and recently announced it will not endorse candidates who run for secession offices.

However, the group's officials deny using any scare tactics and said they have not threatened to withhold support in the future, although they are withholding support in the current campaign.

``It (would have been) at the very least hypocritical for us to support candidates for offices we are working hard to ensure do not exist,'' said Carolyn Smith, the group's communications chair. ``That's generally as far as it's gone so far.''

``I am not aware of anyone on the executive board or in any other case representing the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley even implying that (threat of blacklisting). That is a fiction someone has made up to make us sound as if we're not being reasonable.''

Healey was joined at a press conference by about 20 Democratic candidates for the Valley and Hollywood offices, including Valley mayoral candidates Mel Wilson and Benny Bernal, and Hollywood mayoral candidate Gene LaPietra, a leader of the secession effort.

The two cityhood campaigns sent letters to the heads of the Democratic National Committee and the state committee complaining about the DPSFV and its chairman, Jeff Daar, a leader in the Valley anti-secession group One L.A.

Daar was out of town and unavailable for comment.

The state and local Republican Party committees have not taken positions on secession.

Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, also has not taken a position on the issue. Officials said the state Democratic Party position is determined by the state and county committees, but local clubs are free to take positions.

``We don't tell them how to run their shop,'' said Bob Mulholland, campaign adviser to the California Democratic Party. ``They have their own bylaws, they elect their own officers.''

On local issues, the state party generally follows the lead of the county committee, he said.

In this instance, the county committee's position is at odds with the Valley group. While both oppose secession, the county committee is considering whether to endorse candidates and has already begun the interviewing process, with recommendations expected at the committee's September meeting, according to committee chairman Eric Bauman.

The county party also will not withhold future support from Democrats who are now running for office in the new Valley city, Bauman said.

``The Democratic Party certainly is overwhelmingly opposed to secession,'' Bauman said. ``But it is not our policy to make blanket threats to Democrats who are running for office.''

As for the Valley group's policy, Bauman said: ``As an independent organization, they have to think about their own tactics as they believe best advances their message. It is clear to me from reading, for example, the Daily News that there are many Democrats in the San Fernando Valley who are quite irritated by the thought that groups such as (the Valley Democrat group) have taken such a harsh position on these candidates.''