My Votes on Tuesday

By Doug Epperhart

I don’t think I’ve ever missed an election in the years since I turned 18. I’ll be there Tuesday and here are my picks:

Mayor: NONE OF THE ABOVE. But, if somebody held a gun to my head, I’d vote for Walter Moore – or maybe David Hernandez. I vote for candidates who make a positive argument for why they want the job and are qualified to do it. I don’t vote for a candidate just because he’s not the other guy. None of the nine challengers has convinced me to vote for them. Neither has Villaraigosa.

City Attorney: NOEL WEISS. I know Noel and like him. His heart’s in the right place and he’s not a city hall insider. That said, any of the other candidates – Carmen Trutanich, David Berger or Michael Amerian – would do a fine job. This is a tough pick because they’re all good candidates. Just don’t vote for JACK Weiss. He’s a Villaraigosa puppet.

City Controller: NICK PATSAOURAS. His main opponent, Wendy Greuel, is too closely aligned with Villaraigosa and too much the insider at city hall. Nick is independent and capable of shining a light on the dark corners of city government.

Councilmember: JANICE HAHN. I’m sure her opponent, Chris Salabaj, is a nice guy, but the city is at a critical juncture and I don’t think we can wait for him to complete on-the-job training. I’ve disagreed in print with Hahn more than once. I’ve agreed with her a lot more often. If nothing else, she’s a known quantity.

Measure A: YES
Measure C: YES
Measure D: YES
These proposed charter amendments have to do with technical matters involving the fire department and the police and fire pension plans. They provide additional oversight and flexibility.

Measure B: NO. This is the much-discussed solar power initiative. It was cooked up by the electrical workers’ union as a way to monopolize work at the expense of taxpayers. The city council rushed it to the ballot with little public scrutiny and no good estimate of how much it will cost. Five harbor area neighborhood councils oppose this measure. It’s so bad, other unions are against it.

Measure E: NO. Vaguely-worded amendment allowing the city to give “incentives” to lure business to L.A. Our mayor has spent a lot of time flying in corporate planes. Do you think this might be his way of helping the fat cats pay for jet fuel?

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Doug Epperhart is a San Pedro resident, business owner and Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council board member.