Fresh Start for 7th District

The race to succeed former City Councilman Richard Alarcon provides an invigorating reminder of what happens when ordinary residents get involved in their community.

Six candidates are vying for the 7th District City Council seat, which represents the northeast San Fernando Valley communities of Arleta, Pacoima, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Sylmar. Each candidate boasts an admirable history of service and strong ties to his or her neighborhood, the Valley and the larger city of Los Angeles. And each brings to the race a fresh perspective--the sort of honest, critical eye that offers the only hope of keeping a great city like Los Angeles responsive to its individual neighborhoods but united toward a common future. Whoever fills the 7th District seat, left vacant when Alarcon was elected to the state Senate, will play a key role in reshaping local government--or watch it crumble under secessionist pressure.

Of the six candidates, two have been branded front-runners: Alex Padilla and CorinneSanchez. This designation arises in large part from the cash and endorsements the two have accumulated. Given the size of the field and the political machines behind Padilla and Sanchez, it is unlikely that the April 13 election will produce a clear winner. Instead, two candidates will face each other in a June runoff. Conventional wisdom says those two candidates will be Sanchez and Padilla, but the field offers several strong choices.

Raul Godinez, for instance, is an engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Public Works and the former mayor of San Fernando. He resigned from that post and moved into the 7th District to run for Alarcon’s seat. But he is no carpetbagger. Godinez grew up in the northeast Valley and has innovative ideas for reviving a community that, despite recent successes, has endured a slow economic tailspin for the past two decades. In San Fernando, Godinez demonstrated that he is the sort of leader who focuses on solutions by taking a series of simple steps to tackle big problems such as gang crime. He says he brings an engineer’s approach to problem solving by “taking one step at a time.” The drive to splinter Los Angeles, he says, is a “symptom” best treated by changing the way city government operates and delivers services. Godinez is a strong candidate whose lack of political and financial support sadly undermines his ability to campaign as intensely as Sanchez or Padilla. For voters interested in practical solutions, Godinez offers promise.

Tony Lopez is a former district director for the Boy Scouts of America. His commitment to fighting the problems and developing the potential of youth in Southern California is apparent. He correctly points out that the northeast Valley has become a “dumping ground” for other parts of the city and region and brings a Boy Scout’s commitment to leave a place better than he found it. That would surely be a welcome ethic in City Hall. Yet although Lopez has true character and a demonstrated commitment to helping others, he does not appear ready for the challenges that governing Los Angeles will hold in the years ahead. He should stay involved in improving the 7th District, however.

Ollie McCaulley enjoys the endorsement of major Republican lawmakers from U.S. Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale) to state Sen. Pete Knight (R-Palmdale). As the only Republican in the nonpartisan race, those endorsements are not surprising. But in a heavily Democratic district, McCaulley knows his odds of winning are long. But he injects important perspective into the race. He believes the Valley’s council delegation should work together more often for projects and services that benefit the area as a whole. He correctly notes that the sort of retail jobs being created in the northeast Valley--although better than nothing--will do little to improve the area’s long-term economic health.

Alex Padilla’s age--26--has become an issue in the campaign. Not for him, but for the other candidates. And for The Times as well. Age should not preclude people from public service, but lack of experience generally accompanies youth. That’s true of Padilla. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Padilla has worked for U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and state Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar). Padilla has exposure to the political realm, but there is considerable difference between working in a political office and holding the office. Padilla’s endorsements include those of his former boss, Mayor Richard Riordan, and City Councilman Richard Alatorre. He draws on some of the most talented and highly paid political consultants in Southern California. Padilla’s well-oiled campaign has all the appearance of machine politics. That’s not the kind of leadership Los Angeles needs as it struggles to create a government accountable to the people it supposedly serves. Padilla has long-term promise, but he should get out into the real world and prove his mettle independently before seeking public office.

Barbara Perkins has good ideas about how to organize the community to get things done. A former consultant at Mission College, Perkins ranks public safety, economic development and education as top issues for the district. As a member of the City Council, though, she would have direct control over only the first two. And on those she was decidedly vague on how to proceed--beyond urging more training and more partnerships with private businesses. She does, however, understand the people she seeks to represent. Perkins points out, for instance, that most residents don’t understand--or have not taken the time to learn--the intricacies of municipal law to effectively fight projects they don’t want in their neighborhoods.

Of the two front-runners, Corinne Sanchez offers the most practical experience and political savvy. She is endorsed by Alarcon--which some in the district have suggested may be more of a burden than a blessing--as well as Los Angeles County Supervisors Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky and City Councilwomen Laura Chick and Cindy Miscikowski. One of eight children, Sanchez put herself through college and law school and has run El Proyecto del Barrio, a health clinic for the poor, for the past two decades. She points out that northeast Valley residents have good reason to resent City Hall. Streets are not cleaned. Dogs run wild. Trees go untrimmed. Police service sometimes is too slow. She understands that her first job would be to fix problems such as those, but also to work with other council members to repair government for the entire city. She understands the bottom line and sticks to it and would be a strong member of the council.

Voters in the 7th District have a rare opportunity April 13 to start fresh. The future of the district--and of the city--depends on making a reasoned choice. With a qualified field of people with integrity and commitment, it will be difficult to make a truly bad choice. But some candidates are more ready for the challenges ahead than others.

With a qualified field of people with integrity and commitment, it will be difficult to make a truly bad choice.