If I Could Vote For Garcetti-I Certainly Would

If I Could Vote For Eric Garcetti- I
Certainly Would

By Jack
McGrath

For over 45 years I was a voter in the City of Los
Angeles, but a year ago my wife and I moved to a beach town in Ventura County
named Port Hueneme. I had voted for Tom Bradley, Jim Hahn, Antonio Villaraigosa
and maybe one I have forgotten in past mayoral
elections.

I was Chief of Staff in the late 70’s to then LA City
Councilman, Zev Yaroslavsky, and had managed numerous local political campaigns
after my graduation from college in 1968. I have followed and been involved with
city government ever since.

 Last November I
voted for a Ventura County Congressman and a new county supervisor. I have
followed the LA campaign on television, in the newspapers, and on the websites
of the campaigns.

I contributed to Wendy Greuel for her first City Council
race in 2002, and sponsored a community based fundraiser (no lobbyists) in 2004
that raised $10,000 for her city hall officeholder account. I gave her a
contribution for her City Controller’s
race.

I met Eric Garcetti at a Studio City event in 2004 where
he was a guest. I saw first hand this young but mature councilman who was beyond
his years. He was then President of the City Council, which means you have to
appoint all the committee chairpersons, and work with all of them, some who have
fragile egos.

I had contributed to the Greuel for Mayor campaign early
on, but then saw disturbing signs about how she discussed public policy. She
bragged how she had everyone behind her campaign. That cannot be a reality. One
cannot have the endorsement of the LA Chamber and LA County Federation of Labor.
They are totally opposed to each other on labor issues. Which way does Greuel go
on basic labor questions? Who
knows?

Most troubling to me was Greuel’s acceptance of over $1.5
million dollars in campaign contributions, through an independent committee,
from the IBEW Local 18, the union representing over 10,000 employees of the DWP.
This is the largest financial contribution from any group or company to an
individual candidate in the history of CA campaigns. The Mayor, with concurrence
of the city council decides the level of COL increases for wage rates, pension
increases, and health care support for these 10,000 union people. Historically,
these increases are paid for by higher rates for electricity and water by all of
the homeowners and businesses in the city. The higher the increases to the IBEW,
the higher the rate increases on water and power for the
public.

Any politician accepting over one million dollars from a
union or business interest is tied to that interest. Why would the union
contribute that amount without a return on investment?

Eric Garcetti is confident, experienced, and full of ideas
for a better Los Angeles. I cannot vote on May 21, but I am confident the voters
will see the light and give Eric Garcetti their vote of confidence on election
day. But don’t take my word. View a debate on television, and read online the
campaign coverage in the LA Times, Daily News, and LAWeekly newspapers. Take
your vote seriously, but vote in this important election on May
21.