City Votes $25,000 for Debate

At the request of Mayor Tom Bradley and the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Los Angeles City Council voted today to donate $25,000 to help offset the $500,000 cost of Thursday night’s final debate between Vice President George Bush and Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis.

The council’s 11-2 vote followed a 40-minute discussion that included a personal plea by debate coordinator Janet H. Brown. Brown said that contrary to recent reports that the entire $500,000 had been raised through private donations, organizers were $200,000 short of their budget goal.