Wrigley Association

Wrigley Association Assembly Candidates Forum 5/5/08

Date, time & Place

Date: Monday, May 5, 2008
Time: 7: 00 P.M.
Place: Veterans Park Social Hall
101 East 28th Street
Long Beach

Directions: One block east of Pacific Avenue. 28th St. is just north of Willow and just south of Spring.

Free Parking, child care and refreshments
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Press Telegram Article 5/6/08
54th Assembly District candidates square off in Wrigley
By Paul Eakins, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 05/05/2008 11:07:08 PM PDT

As fellow Democratic candidate Tonia Reyes Uranga looks on, Bonnie Lowenthal answers a question from the audience during a candidate's forum for the 54th Assembly District race at Veterans Park in Long Beach on Monday. The forum was part of a meeting for the Wrigley Association, a Long Beach neighborhood group. (Diandra Jay/Staff photographer)

LONG BEACH - Candidates for the 54th state Assembly District faced off for the first time Monday night in a forum at Veterans Park sponsored by the Wrigley Association.

Four candidates face opponents in the June 3 primary: Democrats Bonnie Lowenthal and Tonia Reyes Uranga, both Long Beach City Council members; and Republicans Michael A. Jackson, a Long Beach aerospace project manager, and Gabriella Holt, a Rancho Palos Verdes nurse.

Long Beach engineer John Kling, a Libertarian candidate who is unchallenged in the primary, didn't participate in the forum. He will face the triumphant Democratic and Republican candidates in the November general election.

The 54th District is heavily Democratic and includes Long Beach, Signal Hill, San Pedro, four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Avalon and parts of Los Angeles County. The candidates are vying for a seat that will be vacated by Assemblywoman Betty Karnette, D-Long Beach, who must leave at the end of the year because of term limits.

The candidates framed themselves differently throughout the forum attended by about 70 people, including many local politicos, such as other council members.

Jackson said he is nonpartisan and has the ability both to defeat a Democratic candidate and reach across party lines in the Assembly. He also referenced his previous campaign experience as a strength in the election.

Jackson has run for several state political positions, most
recently running in 2006 against entrenched incumbent Karnette, receiving 39.2 percent of the vote.

"I've been able to appeal across the board to Republicans, Democrats, decline-to-states," Jackson said.

Later in the forum, when the candidates were able to ask a single question of an opponent, Holt attempted to use Jackson's record against him. She asked Jackson to list how many times he has run for election and how many times he has won.

Despite multiple attempts, Jackson has yet to win a state election.

Jackson then questioned the forthrightness of Holt in identifying herself as a registered nurse and teacher, noting that she didn't receive a teaching credential until December and that she hasn't regularly practiced nursing. She explained that she received her teaching credential after volunteering as a student mentor for five years, and that she has practiced nursing in some form in recent years.

Holt touted her experience as a nurse in dealing with the state's health care issues and also her time as a board member of Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.

"I have served for eight years on the local board of education, and 60 percent of the state budget is education," Holt said.

The Democratic candidates, meanwhile, were less aggressive with each other.

Lowenthal and Uranga both promoted their political achievements and experience, particularly on the council.

"I have a history of working hard, getting things done, being honest with the voters," said Uranga, who has been a council member since 2002.

Lowenthal, who has served on the council since 2001 and spent seven years as a Long Beach Unified School District board member, said she, too, has worked for Long Beach.

"I'm running for this office because I want to extend the service that I've demonstrated to the city of Long Beach to Sacramento," Lowenthal said. "I want us to look at the air-quality issues, the environment, health care ... and really examine the budget issues."

Lowenthal also made a point of highlighting the difference between their endorsements. She asked Uranga who her most important endorsement is.

Uranga replied, half-jokingly, that her husband, Long Beach City College board member Roberto Uranga, as well as neighborhood leaders, were her most important endorsements.

But Lowenthal said it will take more than that to win the election, noting her own endorsements from powerful political groups, including the state Democratic Party.

The environment, air quality, the state budget and redistricting all were hot topics at the forum.

All four candidates said they would support a "no-net-increase" law to limit further pollution from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles even if they grow.

"Being a registered nurse, I understand the importance of high air quality," Holt said.

Uranga noted that she has spent two years fighting to improve air quality as a member of the South Coast Air Quality Management Board.

On the budget, both Republicans talked about cutting government waste. Uranga said that in making budget cuts, education and health care should be maintained, and Lowenthal said that tax laws need to be updated and loopholes eliminated.

Lowenthal also said a panel of judges should be appointed to handle redistricting, and Uranga and Holt said it is legislators' responsibility, while Jackson had a unique idea: Create a computer program to scientifically draw the districts so state leaders can't influence who is in their electorate.

paul.eakins@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1278
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LB Post Article 5/6/08
Candidates Face Off In 54th Assembly Debate

They tossed light jabs and threw heavy haymakers at each other, some missing and some hitting. The two Democrats and two Republicans competing for votes in the June 3 primary converged at Long Beach’s Veterans Park Monday night to discuss pollution, voter redistricting and California budget concerns.

They didn’t mind getting a little personal in the process.

In Long Beach, all eyes have been on the Democratic race, where City Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga and Vice-Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal have battled for weeks for supremacy amongst voters in a Democrat-heavy voting district. But Republicans Gabriella Holt and Michael A. Jackson, who are less known in Long Beach because of Holt's residency in Palos Verdes and Jackson's lack of fundraising, proved that there is still a fight to be won.

Intros

Introductions began with Republican candidate Michael A. Jackson, a former Navy vet and engineer by trade who has faced an uphill battle from his own party, and expressed his versatility by describing his ability to appeal across party lines because of his responsibility to his constituents. “They cannot wait to see change,” he said.

Jackson’s opponent Gabriella Holt opened next. A registered nurse with school board experience, and recent service with the Probation Commission, Holt expressed her front-lines, hands on experience. “It is a very good time to run,” she said.

Long Beach City Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga kicked off the Democcratic introductions by proclaiming that she is the candidate to represent her party in November. She expressed her desire to stay away from negative campaigning and explained that the difference between herself and Vice-Mayor Lowenthal is life experience. She was adamant about Long Beach air quality and healthcare issues, and called education “another area where Sacramento has failed us.”

Long Beach Vice-Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal stressed similar concerns, including air quality and the environment, education, healthcare and the state budget. She pointed to her experience in positons that she was asked to run for, and expressed a desire to “extend service that I’ve given to Long Beach to the state of California.”

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Port of Long Beach No-Net Increase

All candidates expressed support for a bill that would curb Port of Long Beach expansion once the port had reached a certain level of production, in order to reduce pollution, but many other factors were included.

Holt outlined a need to keep any upcoming bill short and simple, without complicated add-on issues that confuse voters. Reyes Uranga called for the EPA to put pressure on the port to force incoming ships to switch to cleaner fuels to reduce air pollution. “Not just the ports,” she said, referring to trucking and railroads, “But all industries around the port need it.”

Lowenthal agreed, but maintained that efforts must be made beyond those mentioned. She called for the use of alternative fuels in all methods of transportation, from shipping to commercial and personal vehicles. Jackson agreed, saying, “We have the technology and abilities to make that a go.” He pointed to his related expertise as a mechanical engineer. “I’m the one to make this happen,” he said.

Jackson then warned that, “You’ve got to listen to what [the candidates are] doing and not what they’re saying.” He then explained that Democrats had killed Assemblymember Warren Furutani’s bill to keep railroad shipping yards away from schools, unintentionally leading into the next debate question about support or disdain for Furutani’s idea.

All candidates called Furutani’s efforts valiant, and vowed to support the idea. Reyes Uranga expressed her excitement to win the election just to vote in favor, while Lowenthal called the pollution from railyard shipping yards that accumulate near schools, “Absolutely unacceptable.” Jackson supported the idea and warned that those who voted down the idea had received donations from railroads, while Furutani had not. Holt brought up the idea of smartboards installed in locomotives to shut down engines during idling, which causes a mass amount of the accumulated pollution.

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What would you do to clean the Los Angeles River, and do you support recent proposals to re-direct its flow into the Port of Long Beach?

“We’re losing one of our greatest assets,” said Lowenthal, agreeing with all candidates that the re-direction proposal should be examined closely to change the flow of the Los Angeles River away from city beaches. Jackson proposed working with other West Coast ports to examine possible solutions, while Holt proposed fining polluting cities with a plan in which “repercussions flow upstream,” and Reyes Uranga likened the proposal to the Breakwater study in that the idea will take years to study and properly implement. She also called for stricter polluting regulations.

“If they don’t clean up the river,” she said, “We have to pursue litigation.”

As a California Assemblymember, what would you do to curb excess government spending?

Jackson reaffirmed his claim to represent the people, and not blind party loyalties. “We should use money for the community,” he said, “Not cronies and payoffs.”

Holt, his opponent, outlined two major ways to simply cut spending, by addressing the problem of medical fraud (which she claims could save $3 billion per year) and moving low-level offenders into the County system.

Reyes Uranga called for a complete restructuring of Sacramento’s spending methods, and Lowenthal proposed a comprehensive review of all tax systems in the state, including updating tax laws and loopholes, oil company windfall profits and possibly altering tax breaks for the 10-11% income bracket that were implemented by Ronald Reagan.

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Re-Drawing Traditionally Democratic 54th District To Balance Voting

The two Republican candidates feasted upon this question, frustrated by the traditionally Democrat-heavy district lines drawn, and called for immediate change. “Voters should pick legislators,” Holt said, “Legislators shouldn’t pick voters.” Jackson proposed a computer program that would construct unbiased voting lines, and claimed that “Democrats drew the district so that Long Beach Democrats will run against Palos Verdes peninsula Republicans,” because more than two-thirds of the 54th District voters live in Long Beach.

Democrats Reyes Uranga and Lowenthal also called for change. Reyes Uranga spoke about a disconnect between voters and legislators, and feared that the problem would cause the public to lose interest in the Democratic process. Lowenthal pointed out that many residents cannot vote in the same election as their neighbors next door or down the street.

To Democrats: You both voted for the 2001 Pension Spike, which turned out to bankrupt the city. Why should I vote for you?

Reyes Uranga maintained that she had just recently been voted into her Council seat before making a quick decision in the pension vote, without any previous experience with the bill. She also said that two classes of employees should not exist, and announced that the City Council would look into the issue in Tuesday’s meeting.

Lowenthal said that the pension spike had been explained to the Council as a very safe bet, and that there was no concern for pension spiking that would eventually hurt the city. Years later, it was realized that City Manager Henry Taboada and the City Auditor had given bad advice, and the City Manager was let go for this reason.

Reyes Uranga used her 30-second rebuttal time to explain that Taboada had not left for that reason, and was let go because of a lack of communication between himself and the Council as well as the public, and that his ideas did not fit with those of others.

Lowenthal used her time to respond. “We had spent years spending more money than we took in,” she said. “That’s why Henry left.”

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To Republicans: What service do you have that makes you more qualified than your more-experienced Democratic competitors?

Jackson pointed to a life of public service that began with ten years in the Navy and continued as an aerospace project manager, where he was in charge of multi-million dollar projects that were completed on time and within the expected requirements. He also mentioned his membership with the National Association of Parliamentarians, and noted that his knowledge would allow him to work well with members of both parties.

Holt explained her ground-level experience in the fields of healthcare and education as a nurse and teacher. She has also overseen 20,000 youth and 70,000 adults as a member of the Probation Commission. Because of her Doctorate in Health and Administrative Law, she points to her ability to pass bills without resistance from peers and the courts.

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Moderator Alan Tolkoff acknowledged that the Libertarian candidate was not included, but explained that this was due to the fact that he faced no opponent, and the debate was intended to help voters decide their June 3 primary vote.

The general election between one candidate from each party will be held in November 2008.

By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor

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LB Reporter Coverage 5/6/08
Hear Them: Dem & Repub Assembly Candidates In Wrigley Candidate Forum

(May 6, 2008) -- LBReport.com provides below on-demand audio coverage of last night's (May 5) Wrigley Association 54th district Assembly candidates forum.

Wrigley 54th forum May 5/08

Two Dems -- Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal (on mike in photo below) and Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga faced-off...
Wrigley 54th forum May 5/08

...alongside two Repubs -- ELB/aerospace engineer/Navy veteran Michael A. Jackson and RPV RN/former PV School Board member Gabriella Holt.
Wrigley 54th forum May 5/08

In separate June 3 partisan primaries, Dem and Repub voters will choose the candidate who'll compete in the Nov. 08 General Election to replace Assemblywoman Betty Karnette (D., LB) (precluded from running again by term limits).

Roughly 75 people attended the candidates forum at Veterans Park social hall...including Councilmembers Gerrie Schipske, Dee Andrews, Rae Gabelich and Val Lerch; Harbor Commissioner Nick Sramek; LB Harbor Commission Executive Officer Alex Cherin and aides for various elected officials.

Questions came from the audience, written on cards, read by moderator Alan Tolkoff.
Wrigley 54th forum May 5/08

Judge Daniel Lowenthal (spouse to Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal) and brother Josh Lowenthal (Sachi co-owner) were visible.

So was LBCC Trustee Roberto Uranga.

To launch LBReport.com's on-demand audio, click the links below:

* Opening Dem statements by Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga and Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal.

* Opening Repub statements by ELB aerospace engineer/Navy Vet Michael A. Jackson and RPV RN Gabriella Holt .

* Are you in favor of a "no net increase" in Port pollution bill??

* Would you support a bill similar to Assemblyman Warren Furutani's bill (blocked by a majority of Assembly Transportation Committee Dems) that sought to prevent railyard construction/expansion within a quarter mile of schools?

* What's your position on a new system to draw district lines?

* What about redirecting the L.A. river flow into the Port of Long Beach?

* You both voted for the [2002] pension spike. Why should I vote for you? [direct replies, not tangential rebuttals]

About the Wrigley Association

The Wrigley Association, one of Long Beach's largest and most respected neighborhood organizations, will provide free child care, refreshments and parking.

More information:

The Wrigley Association will hold a debate with candidates for the primary election for the 54th Assembly seat. Both the Democrat and Republican candidates will be invited.

The moderator for the forum will be Alan Tolfkoff, long time leader at the Wrigley Association. The election will be June 3rd.

This forum is a long time tradition with the Wrigley Association. Over the years, the Wrigley Association held several very successful and well attended forums for the Mayoral, Sixth & Seventh District, State Assembly and the Auditor races.

The candidates are seeking to replace Assemblywoman Betty Karnette, who is ineligible to return to the Assembly because of term limits. The winner of the June primary will advance to the November general election. The 54th District includes Long Beach, Signal Hill, San Pedro, as well as, four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Avalon, and portions of Los Angeles County.

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lbwrigley@yahoo.com

Wrigley Association