Feinstein’s attempt to buck big boys falls short
Santa Monica City Councilman Mike Feinstein lost his bid for a leadership post with a regional smog-fighting agency on Thursday.
L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry beat out Feinstein, 13-8, for the four-year seat on the governing board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The 12-member AQMD governing board meets monthly and controls a $100 million annual budget. Members often participate in a handful of sub-committees and are paid $100 per meeting.
Feinstein, a member of the Green Party, launched an ambitious campaign for the seat earlier this year. In order to win the seat, a candidate has to win the majority of votes and those votes have to represent a majority of the total population of the western area.
Feinstein, who is currently being investigated by the L.A. District Attorney’s Office for his handling of $10,000 in Green Party funds, did not return calls seeking comment. While some of the other AQMD representatives said the ongoing investigation affected their vote, others said it did not. Others contend they didn’t even know Feinstein was being investigated. Feinstein loses bid for seat on air quality board Perry, who declined to comment on the investigation, launched a relatively intensive campaign for the agency seat, sending out a 23-page faxes to members and urging L.A. Mayor Jim Hahn to place calls on her behalf. An earlier election was held June 26, but neither Feinstein nor Perry won. Though Feinstein earned votes from nine of the 14 members present, Perry’s five votes, one of which included L.A., represented an overwhelming 82.5 percent of the population.
Because of L.A.’s massive population — at 3.7 million, it controls 78 percent of the population in the western region — one of its council members has always held the seat. Most recently, former L.A. City Councilman Hal Bernson vacated it.
Rolling Hills Estate City Councilwoman Judy Mitchell said before the election she was still undecided. She had supported Feinstein in the past but didn’t want to see the post stay vacant if the election was again continued. Mitchell said she was concerned about the investigation, but she questioned whether Feinstein has actually done anything wrong. She ended up voting for Feinstein.
El Segundo City Councilman Kelly McDowell said he was bothered by the investigation but that he had a better reason to vote against Feinstein — he needs Perry as a political ally to protect El Segundo residents from any further expansion at LAX.
“It’s hard to collect those votes,” he said. “That kind of support we like to reward because it’s tough to find... plus, this thing about Feinstein bothers me. No one else seems really aware much of it.”
“... Plus, this thing about Feinstein bothers me. No one else seems really aware much of it.” — — KELLY MCDOWELL El Segundo City Councilman
The western area is made up of 25 cities — Agoura Hills, Avalon, Beverly Hills, Carson, Compton, Culver City, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Hidden Hills, Inglewood, Lawn-dale, Lomita, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Santa Monica, Torrance, West Hollywood and Westlake Village.
“I’m extremely excited,” Perry said. “I have a strong environmental agenda and a great understanding that these issues of air quality and water quality don’t stop at Florence or Alameda.”
Responding to critics who say the board doesn’t reflect the interests of the smaller cities, Perry promised to work with an effort by the California League of Cities to change the way the board is comprised. One possible solution would be to model it after the board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which oversees transportation issues in L.A. County. The MTA has one seat for L.A. and the rest of the county is divided into four regions, each of which have their own representative. Santa Monica City Councilwoman Pam O’Connor represents 16 cities on the west-side to the MTA board.
Perry said she is committed to helping the smaller cities in their quest for representation on the AQMD board. She defended herself against concerns that she may follow in Bernson’s footsteps and not play an active role on the board.
“As one who represents a very active area... we have to prioritize our issues,” she said.
“This is an important issue to me and once I make a commitment, I intend to stand by it.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 25, 2003. Read the original PDF.