fromthehillsofbeverly

City votes Yes on J

Other reflections on the election
By Rudy Cole
So, you want to know how Beverly Hills voted in the election? So would we, but despite our ability to measure precise distances to the galaxies, the technology available to the County Registrar of Voters simply is not able to provide final vote figures until hours after the election, including how we voted. (Anyway, past my deadline) To be fair, the Registrar did efficiently complete the count of absentees and poll votes early Wednesday morning, and tallying the provisional is more difficult requiring validation of signatures and doing hand not machine counting. However, why the first and largest numbers of ballots cant be separated immediately by community is puzzling, as are the unacceptably long lines at the Registrars office for early voting. In races on which we could have an impact, the one that is the most hard to predict is the contest between Assemblywoman Betsy Butler and Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom in the 50th district. As of Wednesday morning, only 228 votes separated Bloom, who is leading, from Butler, with each receiving close to 70,000 votes. There could be as many as 5,000 uncounted, late ballots. Incidentally, provisional is a term used for late arriving absentees, including those delivered to the polling place. It also means challenged or questionable ballots and is the single most contentious arena for recounts. Interesting how Bloom has survived. When this race began, it seemed likely that the contest would be between the two women candidates: Butler and Torie Osborn, both well funded and with strong endorsements. But Osborn faded in the primary, and Bloom emerged as the underdog contender to a candidate who would have an incumbent designation, even though she had moved into the new district, opting not to run in her own. Obviously, this carpet bagger tag hurt her in the runoff. The most interesting and probably surprising election was for Congress between incumbent Henry Waxman and Bill Bloomfield. Waxman won, but not by nearly as large a margin as he has in almost every election in decades. Bloomfield spent mostly his own millions on what people assumed was a quixotic challenge to a popular, entrenched incumbent. Waxman is one of the most powerful members of the Congress and his seniority obviously benefited his district. But that district was changed when new lines were drawn by a citizen panel and the Democratic registration numbers were not all that staggering. Enter Bloomfield. When he first began running his television spots, it was not even clear what office he was seeking. They were messages for good government, independence and apple pie. The value was increasing his name recognition. When Bloomfield survived the primary, coming in second and thereby earning a place on the final ballot, his strategy took a dramatic turn. He began TV and mailer attacks on Waxman that began to have an impact. Bloomfield had also changed his registration from Republican to Independent, and that helped, as did the blizzard of hit pieces. Waxman has survived, and it was not all that close, but he will clearly be spending more time in his district before the next election. As for Beverly Hills, he has been a good friend to our community. I do have one Beverly Hills result, and it is really fascinating. Despite all the school board opposition, the well organized anti-J lawn signs, Beverly Hills voted in favor of extending the tax for Metro by a vote of 5,875 Yes and 4,342 No! The school board and many local activists unleashed a campaign against J, which would extend funding for county transportation needs, to make a statement on Metros plans to tunnel under the high school. Obviously, the community did not listen to the more extreme voices in this discussion. Although it was very last minute and had no effect on mail- in ballots, and that is close to a majority of votes cast in Beverly Hills, the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce made a surprising endorsement of J last week. It is also important to separate the evaluation and impacts these votes would have on City Council campaigns. The far greater turn out in national elections could explain why voters gave J a nod in our community but not help candidates on the Yes side in the municipal vote where far fewer people go to the polls. Frankly, and although I oppose tunneling under the high school, the community fell for a distraction that could never have any real impact on the route decision makers. Extending bond money funding under J, even if defeated, would have almost no real effect on route planning. What troubles me is that this was one more effort to distract the community from what the school board is spending on lobbyists and lawyers to fight Metro and so far without any measurable results. Education money is far too scarce to waste on hopeless efforts. As for all those people who placed No on J lawn signs all over the community, I understand your angst and appreciate your desire to have an effect on the route decision. The same can be said of some school board members who have been swept along in this effort. But there are others who see this as a partisan tool, a chance to hit some local elected officials and, yes, Democratic office holders outside our city, who are backing Metro. When we repeatedly mount campaigns that lose, when we point to our neighbors as not marching in lock step, we are doing real harm to our efforts to achieve any kind of compromise on tunneling. The No on J strategy was a no starter, made us look weak and played into the hands of those who are more interested in dividing than unifying our community. Clearly, what the decision makers learned is that the voters of Beverly Hills are independent and do not routinely follow emotional appeals, even those made by the Board of Education. Those rationalizing the loss will argue that they won because J did not receive two thirds of the vote locally. True, but as an expression of fairness and reality, the vote by our electorate sent a strong message to the nosayers, including those we believe were very well intentioned. *** ELECTION THOUGHTS You really have to credit Gov. Jerry Brown for conceiving and succeeding on Measure 30, he saved our schools. It really runs in the family. His father, Gov. Pat Brown, was the political architect who led the state in creating the nations finest institutions of higher learning the entire University system. A struggling, second tier college and university system was advanced

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under Browns leadership, leading to an incredible growth in new industries, including high tech. Good schools and not just good weather, expanded our economy, If we are hurting economically, it is in part because we have forgotten our dedication to education, slipping into almost the bottom state ranking of per student spending. Why is our economy down? Place the blame where it belongs, those who fight educational support. The reelection of President Barack Obama should send a message to both Democratic and Republican members of Congress. Despite his impressive win, the country remains deeply divided and people are distraught over Washington grid-lock. However, although the president has a clear mandate, his victory did not lead to a return of Democratic leadership to the House. Yes, there were strong wins in the Senate, but the Congress continues to have a big Republican majority. The president needs to reach out, and Republicans need to be there, to restore confidence in our government. In two years, the Congress will really feel how voters handle more failures at compromise. Credit Gov. Mitt Romney with a gracious and unifying election night concession speech. There is considerable speculation about his being offered a cabinet post, possibly Commerce. Just not likely, but well worth consideration. The election made a kind of history that received almost no attention, but speaks well for our country. This is the very first campaign where no nominee of either party for president or vice president was a Protestant, White Male! Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will exit soon, she is really exhausted, and John Kerry will be her likely replacement. Israel has few better friends, next to Joe Biden. Speaking of religious tolerance, and although it was not the first time the cry of Rome, Rum and Rebellion was used against a Democrat, the anti-Catholic hysteria in the 1928 presidential election reached a low level of bigotry. Anti-Catholics were charging that if New York Governor Al Smith won the election, the Vatican would run Washington. At Smiths press conference when he conceded defeat, a reporter asked him if he had had been in touch with the Pope. Yes, I have, Smith said. I told him to unpack. Final thoughts: We live in the greatest nation in the world, in part because of our diversity. Its time to lower the level of our anger, to find reasons to agree and not divide, and enjoy the security and freedoms we all enjoy. So many hysterical voices of gloom and doom, from all sides, diminish us as a people. Our own elected officials and City staff must be doing something right we remain solvent, safe and open a city government that is the envy of municipalities everywhere. More on the election next week, and the delayed Local Hero section.

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Rudy Cole served for eight years as a member and chair of the citys Recreation & Parks Commission. He was also President of the Greystone Foundation and served on three other city committees. Rudy can be reached at: Rudy@bhweekly.com.