CommentsELECTION POLITICS-I moved to Koreatown more than twenty years ago. The organization I worked for opened its office here.
I wanted to walk to work and found an affordable unit right on Wilshire. Now two decades later I’m at ground zero for two hard-fought local races where quality of representation really counts.
This is the most important Presidential election of my seventy years. But that’s just one contest. Public services and accountability for rule-breakers depends on who’s elected closer to home. In the showdown for the open seat on the 15-member City Council and the 5-member Board or Supervisors, Mark Ridley-Thomas and Herb Wesson are, in effect, trying to trade seats. Grace Yoo is fighting for the District 10 seat at City Hall. And state Senator Holly Mitchell is making a very strong bid to represent District 2 at the County. Make no mistake: Holly vs. Herb is not just a faceoff between longtime politicians.
I have watched closely what Wesson and Mitchell had to say, including during the online meeting of East Area Progressive Democrats (EAPD) on June 23. This was just before club members voted on their endorsement for the Nov. 3 ballot.
Quality of life often drives local elections. Like a lot of newcomers to Koreatown, I felt lucky when I arrived. My apartment is up high, has a partial view of the Hollywood sign, and in spite the age of the dwelling, everything works. My building, the Gaylord, is better known for its street-level tavern, the HMS Bounty, a dimly lit joint with a throwback vibe that evokes Mae West, James Baldwin, and Al Pacino in his prime. The fourteen floors are home to a mix of young hipsters, older residents (some with some old Hollywood memories), and people who just plain keep to themselves.
Not once in two decades have I seen a visit to our building from local elected officials, including Wesson, to talk about issues such as safety in the neighborhood, earthquake preparedness, homelessness or housing access, parking, or the urban environment in our built-up part of the city.
For purposes of disclosure, I love politics. I fight day and night for the principles I care about. So, it’s partly on me for not organizing such an event in my building to meet and seek answers to questions from local electeds. COVID has made in-person meetings impossible but not remote ones. I would gravitate to such a gathering, especially online.
That’s why I tuned in closely to the EAPD meeting featuring both candidates, which was well organized and well attended via Zoom. So, what do I ask them?
I have met Mr. Wesson a number of times throughout the last ten years. He has always been friendly and open. But, in the course of those years, he has failed me and my part of the district more than once. The issues have been simple and relatively easy to solve.
Across the street from me for about a year, the worst construction noise emanated from a worksite to refashion a building from offices to apartments. The clanging and uproar were unbearable. They started at 7 AM and ended at 7 PM. Every neighbor in my building facing east could not stay in their apartment due to the intrusive and constant banging. We have seniors, writers, and single parents with kids, many of whom have to be home during the day.
The noise got so bad that I hired an attorney to research legal standards. LA years ago did approve a noise ordinance. It cites decibel levels and specific times when construction was allowed. But in addition to reining in the noise, I also hoped to mitigate dust, another problem from the nearby site.
So, I communicated all of this to Herb Wesson's Council office. They promised to jump in. One of his staff visited the site. I saw the gentleman walk through the construction area. I called him the next day and the next day and the next day. I then started asking for the Councilmember. No luck. Each time I was promised a call back, and each time nothing happened.
Then I saw Councilmember Wesson on the EAPD zoom call. I did not bring up the noise problem but instead asked him about something more relevant to others and more pressing: Screening for the coronavirus and whether the County of Los Angeles was making it too difficult for seniors to travel to get tested for COVID. I explained the issue to him. He responded that he lives right near a building where there are lots of older residents. He believed that they should be tested as well. He promised to be in touch to work with our group around testing older Angelenos. I followed through with call after call. But nothing happened.
I like Herb Wesson. He is a friendly person. And I know he loves Los Angeles. The few times I testified in front of the City Council when he was President, he was always welcoming. But local issues are about things that people need now. They often hinge on details of where you or your family live, what your business does, or which police or fire station or school or hospital serves your neighborhood. Not following through with someone or not calling when you said you said are not the worst errors. Still, they are mistaking that people remember.
Councilmember Wesson has never come to this building to meet with the tenants. The art and talent of governance come from following through. We laugh about politicians shaking hands. But that stuff is real, and it builds trust and rapport. An official need to call upon that trust when he is facing serious allegations of presiding over a racket of pay to play and corruption in city decision-making, especially on land use, which is exactly what Wesson now faces.
I know state Senator Mitchell's record in Sacramento. She has led on some especially important issues. She authored measures to improve training to prevent sexual harassment. She worked to improve CalWORKs benefits and eliminate discriminatory lifetime caps. She championed legislation to remove barriers to reproductive healthcare. And her bill that was the first of its kind in the nation to ban discrimination against people based on texture and appearance of hair, the CROWN Act, actually passed and became state law. She has done good things. She has a human service background. And she has yet to face stringent tests on neighborhood problem-solving.
We are at a very serious moment as a city and a country. We need "yes,” and we need "no,” and we need "I will find out.” Those answers must be true since they are the foundation of trust and faithful performance by an elected official and their staff. Not following through is not acceptable, not in the time of COVID, not in the time of Trump, not with the messes of injustice we must fix from the local level to the federal.
Senator Mitchell, I am giving you a chance. I am glad you earned 90 percent of votes by EAPD members for endorsement. When my official general-election ballot arrives soon, you have my vote.
(Ernie Powell, former manager of advocacy for AARP in California and for the last 6 years has been the California Organizer for Social Security Works, has devoted five decades to organizing for workers, conservation, affordable housing, and Social Security. He is a member of the East Area Progressive Democrats (EAPD) and lives in City Council District 10 and Supervisor District 2 in LA.)
-cw
