POLLS OPEN TODAY IN 4TH DISTRICT RACE.Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer Voters go to the polls today to choose between Beth Garfield and Tom LaBonge Tom LaBonge (b. Los Angeles 1953), member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 4th district. He has served since 2001, taking over the position upon the death of John Ferraro. in a runoff election to succeed the late 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. in the City Council's 4th District. LaBonge was a Ferraro aide for 15 years, a special assistant to former Mayor Richard Riordan and a community outreach specialist with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving 3.9 million residents in 2006. It was founded in 1902 to deliver water and electricity supplies to residents and businesses in Los Angeles. . Garfield, an attorney specializing in labor-law issues, served eight years as a member on the Los Angeles Community College District The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is the community college district serving Los Angeles, California and some of its neighboring cities. In addition to typical college aged students, the LACCD also serves adults of all ages. Board of Trustees board of trustees Politics The posse of thugs who oversee an institution's administration. See Board of directors. . The two fought a bitter and expensive race, spending more than $1.6 million between them in the initial and runoff campaigns, including $700,000 in personal loans Garfield made to her campaign. Also, both have filed complaints over attack ads to the Campaign Watch Commission, an independent election watchdog panel sponsored by 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. of Los Angeles. LaBonge filed the first complaint over a Garfield ad that portrayed him as a shady character accepting contributions from the tobacco industry. Garfield countered with a complaint against a LaBonge ad that cited news articles attacking the performance of the college board. The commission did not find grounds for censure in either case. But it admonished Garfield on Friday for using ``dubious words and images'' in her ad and admonished LaBonge on Sunday for ``inaccurate and misleading accusations'' in his mail piece. In her rebuttal rebuttal n. evidence introduced to counter, disprove or contradict the opposition's evidence or a presumption, or responsive legal argument. , Garfield argued that the ``words and images of these ads are completely factual. The only basis for Mr. LaBonge's complaint is his assertion of what his imagination is able to invent about the ads.'' LaBonge, in his rebuttal, argued that the news articles cited criticized the entire college board, and ``if Ms. Garfield doesn't accept the fact that the article included her in its critique, that's not our problem.'' Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. For information on locating a polling place, or to report polling place problems, the City Clerk's Election Division can be reached at (888) 873-1000 or (213) 978-0444. Once the polls close, election results will be available at dailynews.com. |
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