Holiday Party Invite Is Invitation to Lampoon Ballots

Mayor Richard Riordan’s staff poked fun this week at the ballot counting mess in Florida by sending out an invitation to a holiday party printed like one of those butterfly ballots that has Democrats crying foul in Tallahassee.

The mock ballot offers a chance to vote on whether to attend the party, but the choices don’t line up with any of the hole punches that run down the center.

At the bottom, the invitation warns “Ballot is nontransferable,” but offers the assurance, “All RSVPs will be hand counted.”

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SCOUTS’ HONOR: The storm clouds hanging over the city of Los Angeles and the Boy Scouts have brought rain on the Girl Scouts’ cookie parade.

Last week, the City Council set in motion a review of its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America because of the organization’s stance against gays and atheists.

That was followed by Tuesday’s actions by the Los Angeles Police Commission, which may drop its Explorer police cadet program because of its ties to the Boy Scouts.

Although it was the other Scouts who were on the hot seat, the Girl Scouts had to bear some unfair heat.

The Girl Scout Council of San Fernando Valley was puzzled by the chilly reception it received from local stores who had long supported cookie sales on their premises. Several flatly told the Girl Scouts they “no longer want to support Scouting.”

“It was a little scary,” recalled Shannon Adams, public relations and grant manager for the Valley Girl Scout council. “We understand what’s going on with Boy Scouts, but that’s a different organization.”

In fact, Girl Scouts do not discriminate on basis of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, disability or religion, according to Adams.

Fortunately, merchants eventually figured out it was a Boy Scout matter. So those cookie sale tables will go up as planned.

But it’s no cakewalk, yet.

Turns out some senior Girl Scouts are also registered as Explorer Scouts. And though the Girl Scouts have issued media statements about their strong policy of nondiscrimination, they are still worried.

A decision by the city to sever ties with Explorer Scouts could strand some mighty disappointed Girl Scouts as well.

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CONSOLATION: He lost his bid for reelection, but Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale) is not leaving office without a consolation prize, including some cash to help with the transition to the next phase of his life.

The Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy announced Wednesday that Rogan is the winner of its Henry Salvatori Prize, which carries with it $25,000.

“He has been an eloquent proponent and defender of the Constitution,” said Glenn Ellmers, a spokesman for the conservative group.

Rogan, who lost last month’s election to Democrat Adam Schiff, is scheduled to return to Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12 to accept the prize.

“It is unfortunate he won’t have a platform in Congress to make his views known,” Ellmers said, but predicted Rogan would continue to be outspoken on important issues.

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DIVORCE, L.A. STYLE: The question of whether to split up Los Angeles is already dividing candidates vying for City Council seats in the San Fernando Valley.

Many predict the proposal for San Fernando Valley cityhood will be a big issue in the 2001 city elections, with mayoral candidates staking out positions on the matter.

This week, candidates for the West Valley’s 3rd District seat on the City Council clashed over the issue at their first forum, hosted by the Winnetka Chamber of Commerce.

Judith Hirshberg, a former aide to Councilman Marvin Braude, was the only candidate to oppose cityhood for the San Fernando Valley, telling the audience that smaller isn’t necessarily better.

Hirshberg said in an interview that she has lived in small towns in Massachusetts where taxes were double what they are in Los Angeles.

“I don’t think becoming a small city will make our lives better, easier or cheaper,” Hirshberg said, adding she refused to sign a petition that triggered a cityhood study but believes the study will show major problems with breaking away.

Dennis Zine said he would support Valley cityhood if the current study finds it is feasible. Zine, who said he signed the secession petition, said he would also condition his support on a determination that the city had not improved service to the Valley at the time of a vote, likely to be held in November 2002.

“I would be in favor of a Valley city if it can be done and we can afford to do it and if the city continues to fail to deliver services,” said Zine, a police union director who has been backed by Bert Boeckmann, one of the principal financial backers of the secession group Valley VOTE.

Candidates Tsilah Burman, Jason Dominguez and Francine Oschin said they support a study of Valley cityhood but want to see the findings before announcing a position.

The candidates can expect more pressure in the future to take positions on secession issues.

Valley VOTE, the group that has pushed secession, is planning to send a questionnaire to City Council candidates early next month. The plan is to mail the responses, possibly in the form of a report card, to voters before the April election, said Richard Close, the group’s chairman.

“Whoever is elected council member, whether it is in the 3rd, 5th or 11th council districts, that person could potentially block residents of the Valley from voting on cityhood,” Close said. “We think it’s our responsibility to communicate the views of candidates to as many people as possible.”

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DO THE RIGHT THING?: With the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency still reeling from charges of misconduct in land deals, Councilman Joel Wachs of Studio City demanded Wednesday that the agency stop 10 years of foot-dragging and adopt the ethics laws approved by voters for other city departments.

The ethics codes were approved by voters in 1990, but the semiautonomous CRA has not yet adopted the model ordinance for its operations.

“If there ever was a public agency that needed strict ethics laws, it is the CRA,” Wachs said, noting a recent city controller audit found the agency significantly overpaid for properties.

Thomas Knox, a spokesman for the CRA, said he did not know why the CRA board never adopted the ethics laws for the agency, but said administrator Jerry Scharlin has taken steps to get the issue on the table for a vote at an upcoming meeting.

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INSIDE CRITIC: Who better to criticize the Metropolitan Transportation Authority--dubbing it an extinct species--than one of its own?

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is both an MTA board member and the chair of the group that is attempting to create a San Fernando Valley bus district that would be spun off from the MTA.

“We are being held hostage to a dinosaur organization,” Yaroslavsky said of the MTA’s bloated bureaucracy.

But Monday’s meeting of the interim Joint Powers Authority, which is struggling to create a Valley transit zone, was almost MTA-like in its lack of public input.

MTA board members rarely attend hearings when bus routes are changed or cut, but those sessions can draw hundreds of angry bus riders.

Though the JPA knew about Monday’s meeting and its agenda, a media advisory went out on the wire half an hour before the session and the public probably didn’t hear a peep about it.

So when it came time for a public hearing, it was of little surprise that no one spoke. Then, Yaroslavsky quickly articulated the motions and the voting was speedy and unanimous.

Not unlike MTA board meetings.