GROUPS SQUARE OFF OVER PROPOSED CHARTER; COUNCIL MEMBERS SPEAK OUT IN OPPOSITION TO CHANGES.Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer Charter reform commissioners stepped up their attacks Thursday on the campaign by City Council members, labor unions labor union: see union, labor. and some homeowner groups to scuttle the June 8 ballot measure. Erwin Chemerinsky Erwin Chemerinsky (born 1953) is a well-known professor of Constitutional law and federal civil procedure, has recently accepted a position at the University of California, Irvine, in the new Donald Bren School of Law, beginning in 2009. , the normally affable af·fa·ble adj. 1. Easy and pleasant to speak to; approachable. 2. Gentle and gracious: an affable smile. chairman of the elected Charter Reform Commission, said he was outraged by the decision of several council members - in particular 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. - and city unions to oppose the proposal. ``We worked with labor all along the way, and not only did we not go against labor, I was told by key labor leaders that they were in agreement,'' Chemerinsky said. ``We were absolutely misled mis·led v. Past tense and past participle of mislead. all along the way. ``We worked with City Council members along the way. Everything they raised, we addressed. John Ferraro didn't want elected councils, so we had appointed ones. (Councilwoman) Jackie Goldberg Jackie Goldberg (born June 16, 1937) is an American politician and teacher, and a member of the Democratic Party. She is a former member of the California State Assembly. didn't want to give the mayor unilateral power to fire general managers, so we gave the council a role.'' Ferraro denied ever making any promise, saying he only offered his views on what he thought would be best in submitting one proposal to voters rather than see competing measures from the elected and appointed commissions. ``For them to say we have no right to oppose what they suggested is wrong,'' he said. ``At no point was I negotiating a deal to give my support to this.'' Ferraro and other opponents to the measure held a news conference Thursday in front of a Hollywood fire station to complain about the added costs of reform, the potential of corruption and disputed the impact of 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. . ``The U.S. Constitution has been around for 200 years, and it works pretty well,'' Ferraro said. ``Over the last six years, our Police Department added 2,700 police officers, expanded library hours and paved pave tr.v. paved, pav·ing, paves 1. To cover with a pavement. 2. To cover uniformly, as if with pavement. 3. To be or compose the pavement of. hundreds of miles of streets. I'd say that shows the mayor knows how to use this charter.'' Noting the various groups at the event, he said, ``It was a cross-section of people who normally don't agree on anything.'' Chemerinsky and 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 , vice chairwoman of the elected commission, suggested the three major city unions - Service Employees International Union, Police Protective League and United Firefighters - knuckled knuck·le n. 1. a. The prominence of the dorsal aspect of a joint of a finger, especially of one of the joints connecting the fingers to the hand. b. A rounded protuberance formed by the bones in a joint. 2. under to the extreme pressure of the council and lure of lucrative future contracts. ``With the council opposition, it wasn't surprising in light of the extreme pressure the City Council is placing on labor,'' Chemerinsky said. Hahn added: ``It's the City Council that determines the salaries for union workers.'' ``We were misled,'' Hahn said. ``This document was written for labor. It's got their fingerprints Impressions or reproductions of the distinctive pattern of lines and grooves on the skin of human fingertips. Fingerprints are reproduced by pressing a person's fingertips into ink and then onto a piece of paper. and footprints all over it. I think we were duped by these organizations to present a unified charter and then they turned around and opposed it.'' If the measure is defeated, the two said they were not sure what course to take next. ``My instinct has been to put it back on the ballot again,'' Chemerinsky said. ``But if it fails, I wonder if any could succeed. I can't imagine we would have a proposal to put before voters that has a broader consensus than this one. ``The reality is any charter reform that strengthens accountability and the mayor's role is going to be opposed by the City Council.'' Hahn said she believes enough members of the elected panel are upset enough to return to their original, much stronger proposal and put it on the ballot. They watered it down to get labor and council support. ``A lot of us, quite frankly, still feel very passionately about this, and now hearing these same people say we don't need charter reform,'' Hahn said, ``I'm prepared to hold their feet to the fire.'' The elected Charter Reform Commission will remain in business for one week after the election and could decide to place any variety of proposals before voters in the 2000 election. CAPTION(S): 2 photos PHOTO (1) Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, left, speaks Thursday against the proposed charter on the June 8 ballot at a Hollywood conference. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Daily News (2) Councilwoman Rita Walters Rita Walters (1930-) is currently the commissioner of the Los Angeles Public Library. Prior to this position, she served on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 9th district. During that time, she chaired the Arts, Health & Humanities Committee. joined Council President John Ferraro in opposing proposed charter changes. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Daily News |
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