Garcia/Doud-Backed Charter Changes AAA-DDD Pass, Including BBB Letting Mayor/Council Seek Third Terms Without Write-In Req't, Fends Off Opposition From Reform Coalition PAC
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(November 7, 2018, 6:25 a.m.) -- Mayor Garcia and Council incumbents can now seek third terms without facing a write-in requirement. As seen LIVE on LBREPORT.com, LB voters approved Measure BBB along with three other Charter Amendments (AAA-DDD) proposed by Mayor Robert Garcia and supported by City Auditor Laura Doud.
As seen LIVE on LBREPORT.com,
With 219 of 219 precincts reporting:
Measure AAA (gives City Auditor explicit authority for "performance audits" the office already conducts):
69.87% Yes
Measure BBB (allows Mayor/Council 3rd terms without write-in requirement, replaces current 2 terms + write-ins)
55.62% Yes
Measure CCC (creates "Ethics Comm'n" with majority chosen by Mayor + Auditor whose choices choose the other members)
59.99% Yes
Measure DDD (creates "Redistricting Comm'n" to redraw Council district lines after 2020 elections)
58.59% Yes
Measure WW (petition-initiated measure requiring LB hotels with 50+ rooms to provide hotel worker "panic buttons," limits square footage to be cleaned, includes worker scheduling requirements and anti-retaliation provisions.)
61.76% Yes
[Scroll down for further.]
Measure BBB sparked creation of a LB Reform Coalition PAC by a number of veteran grassroots groups, neighborhood and community advocates, supported by retired Councilmembers Rae Gabelich and Gerrie Schipske . Within two months, the Reform Coalition raised over $40,000 mainly from the advocates themselves, backed by residents, in an effort focused on defeating BBB. The group deployed yard signs and sent at least two mailers (which stated "City Hall is Lying To You About Term Limits."
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Garcia and Doud described BBB as "strengthening" term limits and waged a campaign using a political committee operated by Garcia (that added Doud's name for the AAA-DDD campaign) that called AAA, BBB, CCC and DDD "good government measures." Their campaign was funded mainly by corporate interests. For LBREPORT.com "Follow the Money" coverage, click here.
BBB's ballot argument was signed by Mayor Garcia, Auditor Doud, former Mayor Bob Foster, LB Police Officers union president Jim Foster and LB Firefighters president Rex Pritchard. The LB Firefighters Ass'n also contributoed money to the BBB campaign.
In recent weeks, pro-BBB efforts were amplified by another PAC, backed by a $100,000 contribution by an L.A.-based pipe-trades union) that tied BBB to DDD by describing both as "civil rights" issues (a stance supported by Councilman Rex Richardson, Cambodian-American redistricting reform advocate Laura Som, and former Councilwoman Doris Topsy-Elvord.) The Garcia-Doud committee also made an effort to seek Cambodian community support for AAA-CCC by tying them to DDD (that offered the Cambodian community an opportunity to correct Council gerrymandered weakening of their community's poltiical voice by the Council in 2011 (an action joined by Garcia at that time.)
Voters citywide saw text on the ballot drafted by the City Attorney (and approved by the City Council 9-0, Aug. 7) that described BBB as providing three-term limits without write-ins without noting that BBB erased LB's twice-voter-approved 2-term-limit with write-ins.
Only after the Council voted to put BBB's text on the ballot did the City Attorney's office mention publicly that under CA law, term limits apply "prospectively." Ms.Schipske (an attorney), and separately an attorney retained by the Reform Coalition (who practices election law) opined that under that state law, BBB allowed the Mayor/Council incumbents three additional terms, a position disputed by the City Attorney. (That issue may now end up decided in litigation.)
As with Measure M (City Hall sought utility revenue transfer/diversion), city management spent $100,000 for a City Attorney-approved "informational campaign regarding BBB that opponents considered tendentious advocacy. "Common Cause," an out of town advocacy group that initially entered the election cycle to support DDD, went on to support AAA, BBB and CCC, echoing Garcia-Doud "good government" campaign themes.
In addition to the Reform Coalition, BBB was opposed by Assemblyman/former Councilman) Patrick O'Donnell (also re-elected on Nov. 6.) Three Councilmembers -- Suzie Price, Daryl Supernaw and Stacy Mungo, who voted on Aug. 7 to put BBB on the ballot, subsequently declined to publicly support it [although they can now use it if they choose.] Councilman Price explicitly said was voting "no." BBB in the Nov. 6 election. The LB Business Journal editorially opposed BBB (along with Measure WW.) The LB Area Chamber of Commerce remained neutral on BBB and LB Area Republicans took "no position" on BBB (although in recent days Vice Chair Ben Goldberg said in a Facebook mention that he opposed BBB.)
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