LOCAL ELECTIONS / L.A. MAYOR : Candidates Pose Ideas for Curbing Graffiti

Offering a range of crackdowns on graffiti, candidates for mayor of Los Angeles took on the obscure scrawlings that deface walls across the city, igniting sharp debate among themselves as to who has the best remedy.

The issue was a big concern for many of the 250 homeowners from Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Franklin Hills who gathered for a forum Monday night, and candidates responded accordingly.

“Sometimes, I think if I had my way I would chop a few fingers off,” said Councilman Joel Wachs, whose remark drew applause from the audience.

He said he would push for hard penalties for those caught defacing property, including a requirement that they clean up the neighborhood.

Wach’s harsh rhetoric came in contrast to the remarks of attorney Stan Sanders. He blamed the problem on young Latinos who feel left out of the system and said the only answer is to show them that the city cares.

Sanders’ statement drew grumbles from the crowd and a challenge from Julian Nava, who said the problem cannot be attributed solely to Latinos.

“That’s offensive,” Nava said. But, in an interview after the forum, Nava added that he agrees with Sanders’ general philosophy and himself believes that Latinos are “probably responsible for most of it.”

Others trumpeted laws they had sponsored to deal with graffiti, a problem one homeowner said may appear minor but symbolizes the city’s decline.

Councilman Ernani Bernardi said he sponsored a law that offers rewards to those who turn in graffiti vandals. . Councilman Nate Holden said he pushed for the city’s law that requires that spray paint be locked up, an ordinance that was recently upheld in a court challenge.