Everybody needs a little extra space sometimes. This is the back yard for Mayor Sam's Sister City where we'll have more room for documents from our articles, further expansion on some items, open threads and occasional suprises. Check here often!
NORTH HOLLWOOD – Mary Benson, one of the most respected neighborhood advocates in the region and a former candidate in the race for City Council candidate, announced her full endorsement of Paul Krekorian on Friday. The announcement of Benson’s support is a very significant development in the race for CD2 that further exemplifies Krekorian’s widespread grassroots community support.
“Paul Krekorian has the courage of conviction, the experience and the independence to make an immediate impact for us in City Hall,” Benson said. “Paul has provided extraordinary service to constituents in his Assembly District. Paul will be an advocate for our valley interests. Paul will be the most effective in preserving public assets like the Verdugo Hills Golf Course and keeping the integrity of our specific and community plans. Paul Krekorian will be an independent voice in the Council who will fight for us, instead of Downtown interests and big developers. Paul Krekorian is the kind of leader that our district and our city need during these challenging times.”
Benson was one of the top candidates in the first part of the Council race, coming in a very strong fourth place with 1,198 votes (8.29% of the electorate) on September 22. She continually garnered rave reviews at candidate forums when she displayed an impressive mastery of issues, especially with regard to development, open space and the environment.
“Mary Benson is among the most effective advocates for community empowerment in the entire city, and I am thrilled she is now a part of our grassroots movement for change,” Krekorian said. “The issues that Mary has fought for -– open space preservation, limiting overdevelopment and protecting our neighborhoods -– are important parts of my mission in running for City Council, and I am confident of succeeding in that mission with Mary Benson by my side.”
Benson’s endorsement demonstrates Krekorian’s growing momentum in the race and the developing consensus of community leaders. Krekorian has now been endorsed by nearly 100 community leaders and prominent neighborhood activists throughout the Second Council District.
Submitted by Amanda Fowler on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 22:25.
October 30, 2009
Los Angeles City Council runoff candidate Paul Krekorian has endorsed Instant Runoff Voting (IRV).
Currently, Krekorian represents California's 43rd Assembly District, which first elected him in 2006.
"We are pleased to have the support of Paul Krekorian," said Gautam Dutta of New America Foundation. "We look forward to working with him to bring IRV to Los Angeles," Dutta added.
A past member of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, Krekorian chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Renewable Energy.
Krekorian joins fellow Council District 2 candidate Christine Essel as an IRV supporter. A runoff election between Krekorian and Essel will be held on Dec. 8, 2009.
October 30th, 2009 – LAUSD politician Tamar Galatzan announced today that she will support California State Assembly Leader Paul Krekorian in the 2nd district City Council special election.
Galatzan’s endorsement comes just a few weeks after a meeting with Council candidate and Valley businesswoman Christine Essel. In the meeting, Essel asked Galatzan to consider supporting an effort to reform education in Los Angeles by breaking up the dysfunctional Los Angeles Unified School District. Galatzan was not supportive of the idea and detailed a litany of reasons as to why reform would be impossible.
“Christine Essel never asked for Tamar Galatzan’s endorsement. Instead, she asked her to think about supporting a plan to break up the largest and most dysfunctional school district in America,” Essel spokesman John Shallman said. “Unfortunately, Tamar wouldn’t even consider it. Now she’s trying to protect the bloated LAUSD bureaucracy by issuing a political endorsement of a fellow professional politician who opposes district reform.”
Essel has been on record as a supporter of tough LAUSD reform measures throughout the campaign. Essel’s detailed plan to reform L.A. government, “Big Ideas for a New L.A.,” contains recommendations to reform the failed Los Angeles Unified School District by breaking it up into smaller school districts run by parents and teachers.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD – Tamar Galatzan, former City Council candidate and current LAUSD Board Member, today announced her endorsement of Paul Krekorian for the city's Second District Council seat. A well-respected community leader and city prosecutor, Galatzan’s endorsement provides a significant boost to the Krekorian campaign.
“Tamar Galatzan is a tremendous advocate for the people of the San Fernando Valley,” Krekorian said. “She is a reformer who continues to push for an innovative agenda of positive change and accountability for our schools, even when she has had to stand up to politically powerful interests. She has been on the front lines of fighting against crime and for a better quality of life for Valley families and has a deep understanding of our public safety needs. I am thrilled that Tamar has joined our Valley-oriented campaign for change in City Hall, and I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with her to make CD 2 streets and schools safer.”
Galatzan, a Valley neighborhood prosecutor and School Board member, finished a very strong third place in the CD2 primary election, garnering 2,128 votes (12.99% of the total votes cast). Throughout the campaign, she consistently impressed voters with her depth of understanding of the issues facing the Valley and her innovative ideas for solving the City’s problems.
"Paul Krekorian shares my values and my concerns about Valley neighborhoods," said Galatzan. "I admire his results-oriented leadership in the State Assembly on runaway film production, as well as his vote against the release of thousands of state inmates who would end up in our communities. CD2 voters should know that Paul has been consistent in his support for neighborhood councils and his opposition to overdevelopment. Paul is a proven advocate for Valley homeowners and jobs, and he has the skills and familiarity with CD2 to be an effective councilmember for us. I look forward to voting for him on Dec. 8.”
In addition to being endorsed by nearly 100 neighborhood leaders and advocates from throughout CD2, Krekorian has also earned recent endorsements from the Daily News, VICA Chairman Greg Lippe, and Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. President Richard Close.
It is with great regret I announce today that I am withdrawing from the race for governor of California. With a young family and responsibilities at city hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to — and should be — done.
This is not an easy decision. But it is one made with the best intentions for my wife, my daughter, the residents of the city and county of San Francisco, and California Democrats.
When I embarked on this campaign in April, my goal was to engage thousands and thousands of Californians dedicated to reforming our broken system and bringing change to Sacramento.
I would like to thank those supporters, volunteers, and donors who have worked so hard on my behalf. I have been humbled by their support and am indebted to their efforts. They represent the spirit of change and determination essential to putting California back on the right track.
I will continue to fight for change and the causes and issues for which I care deeply — universal health care, a cleaner environment, and a green economy for our families, better education for our children, and, of course, equal rights under the law for all citizens.
Richard Close, one of the Valley's most active and respected leaders for decades and the President of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, announced his endorsement of Paul Krekorian for City Council this week. The endorsement is the latest in a growing number of prominent Valley leaders who are coalescing around Krekorian's campaign, which has been driven largely by the broad grassroots support of homeowner leaders, neighborhood council members and other community activists.
“For three decades, Richard Close has been a tireless advocate for Sherman Oaks and a champion of the entire Valley," Krekorian said. “I am honored that he has endorsed me and joined my true grassroots movement to reform City Hall and make it work for us. With just six weeks left until Election Day, I will work closely with Richard and other Sherman Oaks leaders to bring my message of change to the Second District and the entire Valley. As my campaign continues to gain growing momentum from community-based support, the residents of this district have a real opportunity to create change in the Council and reject the status quo of Downtown politics as usual.”
Close, who has been president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association for about 30 years, said that Krekorian is the best choice for the Valley.
“Paul Krekorian is a true leader for our neighborhoods and the right person at the right time for this job,” Close said. “He is our best hope to fight overdevelopment and to fight for the interests of Valley residents. Paul has a proven record of effective service to his constituents in the state legislature, and I know he will do the same for us as a member of the City Council."
Last week, education leader Louis Pugliese also endorsed Krekorian, who already counts nearly 100 neighborhood council members and community leaders in his circle of support.
In addition to his long service as President of SOHA, Richard Close was Chairman of Valley VOTE from 1998 to 2003 and has been a Board Member since 2003. Valley VOTE is a diverse coalition of San Fernando Valley residents, business people, educators, community activists, and organizations committed to exploring and fostering the implementation of programs that empower the people of the San Fernando Valley and the City of Los Angeles.
Permission to reprint and redistribute is granted.
Jerry Brown in trouble after appearance in San Bernardino County
by Sam H. Clauder II
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF. – Attorney General and undeclared Gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown encountered strong opposition from local advocates for his appearance as the guest of honor at a campaign fundraiser for San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos two weeks ago.
The controversy provoked a spate of press accounts across the state condemning Brown, a Democrat, for raising funds for Ramos, a Republican. Brown has since agreed to appear at a fundraiser for Congressman Joe Baca on October 23 in an attempt to repair his reputation among Democrats and his image in the county.
The partisan fundraising controversy is likely to die down quicker than questions about the impartiality of the Attorney General’s office helping the District Attorney’s office investigate and prosecute political corruption in San Bernardino County.
The partisan fundraising controversy is likely to die down quicker than questions about the impartiality of the state Attorney General’s office helping the county District Attorney’s office investigate and prosecute political corruption in San Bernardino County.
The attorney general’s office announced in August it was joining the district attorney’s office in an investigation of political corruption in the county. The announcement was taken by many as an indication the AG’s office would also be investigating DA Mike Ramos.
Recent reports have accused Ramos of protecting his political allies from investigation while prosecuting his political enemies with selectively tailored cases which violate the defendants’ civil rights under color of law.
Questions have also been raised about numerous criminal cases which have received unusual leniency from the District Attorney’s office after those being prosecuted made substantial contributions to Ramos’ re-election campaign, causing some to believe justice is for sale to those who can afford to buy it by contributing to Ramos’ campaign committee.
Ramos has also been officially accused, and is currently under investigation for, sexual harassment and promiscuity with various female employees. His sexual affair with San Bernardino County Public Defender Doreen Boxer has been well known by County Supervisors and dozens of other county officials and employees for years.
County records have also recently been revealed which indicate Ramos has used public funds for private travel.
For those reasons, when the state Attorney General announced his office was participating in the investigations of political corruption in San Bernardino County, it was widely believed the DA’s office would also become a target of the AG’s investigation.
The appearance of Brown at Ramos’ event on October 1 to raise $100,000 for Ramos’ re-election campaign may have dashed the hopes and expectations of county residents for the state’s intervention to clean up political corruption in the county.
The apparent collusion between Brown and Ramos may also result in several key corruption defendants recusing not only the DA’s office, but also recusing the AG’s office in favor of a change of venue to another county or bringing in the U.S. Attorney General’s office and the Department of Justice to take the cases over.
This could include such high profile cases as those being prosecuted against Bill Postmus, former County Assessor, and Jim Erwin, former Chief of Staff for Supervisor Neil Derry and former President of the Safety Employees Benefit Association (SEBA), the union representing 3,200 employees of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department.
Also at stake is the credibility and believability of the Attorney General’s office conducting a complete investigation into the $102 million settlement the county made with the Colonies Partners, which appears to be a cornerstone of graft and corruption in the county during the past decade.
Several key figures allegedly under investigation in the Colonies case also attended the Ramos’ fundraiser and were seen cavorting with the Attorney General.
Democratic activists were the first to hit Brown for raising funds for Republican Ramos.Complaints were made to the state party because the funds may be used by Ramos to support other Republican candidates and also to rebuild a fractured and floundering county Republican Party.
Questions are now being raised about the county Democratic Party’s leadership after it defended Brown’s appearance at the fundraiser, and attacked the activists voicing complaints, based on the District Attorney being a non-partisan office for which no Democrat is yet a candidate.
Other Democrats have blamed the lack of qualified and willing candidates on their county party leadership’s negligence in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and executing public relations campaigns.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, the only officially declared Democratic candidate for Governor, issued a state-wide press release condemning Brown’s fundraising for Republicans in San Bernardino County, and also for raising funds for the Republican Log-Cabin club in San Diego County.The Newsom for California website also posted an online petition for the public to sign to tell Brown to stop raising funds for Republicans.
John Burton, newly-elected California Democratic Party Chairman and a former State Senator and U.S. Congressman, was also reported to have called Brown to voice his opposition.
Burton recently succeeded in getting Newsom and Brown to agree to avoid a costly and divisive floor fight for an official endorsement from the state party at the party’s next statewide convention in Los Angeles in April, 2010.
The agreement has come under attack recently because Brown’s actions have been interpreted as taking the party’s Gubernatorial nomination for granted, and for acting in a manner which flaunts party loyalty with disrespect for the party’s rules – written and unwritten.
The agreement may be reconsidered at the California Democratic Party’s Executive Committee meeting to be held Nov. 13-15 in San Diego.
Brown has historically been a maverick, and seen by Democrats as both a savior and an embarrassment for his unpredictable and often quixotic behavior. He is known to have withdrawn his registration as a Democrat for a number of years.
Brown served two terms as Governor of California spanning the years from 1975 through 1983.
When he was first elected, Brown took over the state with a $4 billion surplus left behind by Ronald Reagan.Reagan had inherited the Office of Governor from Jerry Brown’s father, Pat Brown, who left the state with such a deficit it was widely believed to be on the brink of bankruptcy.
Jerry Brown perpetuated Regan’s economic policies until the surplus grew to $8 billion.
But his failure to spend the surplus, or rebate it to the taxpayers, resulted in the Jarvis-Gann tax revolt and the passage of Proposition 13, which set the2/3 majority requirement for the legislature to pass any budget, and continues to limit the income of the state and hamstring the education and general-fund budgets today.
Brown is also well known for his “determinate sentencing” policies which resulted in laws restricting the freedom of judges to sentence convicted criminals, creating a revolving door for repeat offenders due to the lenience of the sentences which were mandatorily imposed.
These policies of Brown have been credited for releasing such repeat offenders as Richard Allen Davis, who had been convicted of seven violent felonies and was on parole when he kidnapped, raped, and murdered 14-year-old Polly Klaas.Marc and Joe Klaas, Polly’s father and grandfather, became key proponents for the passage of the three-strikes law in 1994.
California’s law is the only three-strikes law in the nation which mandates a sentence of 25-years-to-life for a third felony conviction of any kind, without requiring it be a serious or violent crime.
As a result, there are now more prisoners in California serving 25-years-to-life for a marijuana felony conviction than there are serving 25-years-to-life for rape, robbery, and murder, combined.
By 1999, Joe Klaas had reversed his position on the three-strikes law and he became the public spokesperson for Citizens Against Violent Crime (CAVC) which placed Proposition 66 on the November, 2004 ballot.
Prop 66 would have amended the three-strikes law to apply only to violent and serious felonies.It would also have remanded as many a 27,000 non-violent offenders to their original courts for re-sentencing.
As mayor of Oakland, Jerry Brown advised in the original draft of Prop. 66.CAVC also hosted fundraisers for Brown mayoral campaigns, and the organization and its individual leaders twice made the maximum contributions allowed.
But Brown surprised CAVC by unexpectedly reversing himself in the Fall of 2004 and opposing Prop. 66 when he saw it as an opportunity to garner law-enforcement support and launch his campaign for Attorney General.
Brown’s reversal was inexplicable to CAVC until one of its leaders asked him if he was running for something.
“I’m always running for something,” Brown replied, and laughed off the Prop. 66 organizers.He went on to raise $5 million for the opposition, and his six million personally spoken pre-recorded calls to the initiative’s Democratic base of support is unanimously credited withdefeating the initiative.
The three-strikes law has caused California’s prisons to be so crowded the federal government recently ordered Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to release 40,000 prisoners or be sent to jail himself for contempt of court.
Thus, many political historians believe the passage of Prop. 13, the subsequent national tax-revolt, the 2/3 requirement to pass a state budget, the current strapping of the state’s education and general-fund budgets, and the massive overcrowding of the state’s prisons, all have their roots in Brown’s policies when he was Governor from 1975 through 1983.
Democrats also remember Brown’s use of the California Democratic Party (CDP) chairmanship in 1984 as a platform to declare his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, leaving the CDP in a disorganized state halfway through his term to lose the U.S. Senate race to Pete Wilson in 1986.
Wilson subsequently used the Senatorial seat to run successfully for Governor in 1990, and defeated Jerry’s sister, Kathleen Brown, when she challenged him for Governor in 1994.
When Brown’s period of years when he was not registered as a Democrat and questionable accomplishments as Mayor of Oakland are added to the mix, many Democrats are so dissatisfied with their Gubernatorial choices being limited to Brown and Newsom they have begun to seek another candidate to run.
Sam Clauder is a journalist and political consultant who has been involved in Democratic politics for 38 years.He has not endorsed a candidate for Governor.
I have personally elected to support Mary Benson to represent Council District Two because I have worked by her side on community and city wide issues with government leaders for many years. I have always been impressed with her knowledge, intelligence, negotiation and people skills, ethics and follow-through. After my own thorough review of the Candidates, I am convinced that she is the most qualified Candidate. She has already demonstrated that she studies issues intently before making a fair decision. She has always shown that she has our community's best interest at heart by her many hours of volunteerism, dedication and support, especially regarding crucial issues. I am also positive that she will remain ethical, balanced and fair and most importantly, she will continue to listen and support the will of the people in our entire district.
Many people may not know it, but Mary was on the steering committee that worked to certify the Foothill Trails District NC and also served as their Treasurer for 5 years, until termed out. (It helped them that she has a Degree in Finance) She was also a Board Member of Sun Valley Area NC during that time. She presently serves as the Vice President of the Sun Valley Area NC and Chair of their Land Use Committee. She is able to serve in both communities because of her business. She is also a life long member of District 2.
I can tell you a lot more about Mary. She is a doer, not a talker and has never been a person to say "look what I have done." Because I worked with her, I know. Truthfully, Mary supported me when I started No to Home Depot in S-T. She gave me the insight to go after a Mission College satellite campus in S-T. She still serves on many committees such as the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) Committee. We served together on the DWP/Dept. of Sanitation’s Integrated Resource Planning Committee (IRP) for 4 years. We both serve on the DWP Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Committee and DWP Advocacy Committee. We set up the first North Valley Communities Planning Committee together with Tammy Flores from Sylmar and Kim Thompson from Granada Hills, which was the forerunner of the citywide Plan Check Committee. She also serves on the Los Angeles River Project Committee. We worked to oppose the Las Lomas Project together, and we are both on the Save LA Project Committee.
She also advocates on our behalf in our community to insure Angeles Golf Course follows the rules. She is still working to protect the trails and keep the Tujunga Wash preserved and clean. She worked hard to defeat Canyon Hills. She and Elaine Brown wrote the Grant to save the 4 3/4 acres on Oro Visa from development, and she is continuing to work on saving the Verdugo Hills Golf Course and responded to the DEIR. She is also working to help us secure open space and protect our water through the Tujunga Watershed Committee.
In Shadow Hills/Sun Valley area, she worked to bring justice to the owner of the Wealthea Pit for violating the law and is following up to insure the $650,000 awarded to the community by the court takes place. Mary also stopped the CRA from invading the historical Stonehurst area and helped get it established as only the second Historical Preservation Zone in the in the S. F. valley. She is also working to improve the San Fernando Business Corridor and worked with the Sun Valley Watershed group to improve the intersection of Tuxford and San Fernando Rd. to install a unique underground storage tank to capture the water that flooded that intersection during very rain season She also worked to mitigate their landfill problems and established a trash truck route to improve the quality of life in the area. Mary interfaces with government officials during the course of all these projects.
These are just some of the facts I know about Mary off the top of my head while being involved with her. They are not in any particular order and I am sure I left out other pertinent facts. But, please keep in mind, all of that she is doing, is as a volunteer only. Like she said, she can do so much more as a councilmember.
I am very prudent with my recommendations and do not give them out easily, for fear of being burned. But, I am confident Mary Benson will continue to do a superb job as a councilmember and I stand behind my support of her for the reasons I stated above, for which I can personally vouch.
The Special Election on September 22, 2009 to fill the seat vacated by Wendy Greuel, is very important to securing our voice on the City Council. We need real representation in CD2 to receive our fair share of city services. We need someone who knows us and our priorities. We need a Councilmember who will stand up to City Hall and special interest. We need experience and lots of it. The only candidate who fits this description is Paul Krekorian.
For three years, Paul has provided valuable services to his Assembly District 43, which includes over one-third of CD2 and much of our community. He has an excellent staff who have been responsive to our needs. No call goes unanswered, no request ignored. You’ve heard of “one call to city hall”? Well, for us it’s been “one call to Paul”.
Paul is for neighborhood based planning and says “Growth in the Valley must meet neighborhood needs and be based on community level decision making. We can’t allow over-development to destroy the character of our neighborhoods. City planning must always protect our quality of life.” For the first time, a Council member whose entire district is in the Valley will be on the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee. That will be our CD2 representative so we will have a stronger voice than ever in city planning matters. Paul Krekorian is the best candidate for this job.
Paul is tough on crime and endorsed by Sheriff Lee Baca and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Sheriff Baca says “Recently Paul Krekorian took the lead in working with law enforcement leaders to craft a prison reform bill that will make us safer. While others in the Capitol pushed for early release plans, Paul Krekorian stood firm with law enforcement.
Paul Krekorian has always stood with law enforcement, and I trust him to put public safety first.” To this end, Paul was able to get several sex offenders removed from a state sponsored half-way house in Valley Glen.
Paul is endorsed by the rank and file firefighters. Pat McOsker, President of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City says “Paul Krekorian knows that emergency response should be at the top of the list of city services. Los Angeles needs leaders like Paul Krekorian who will always work to put public safety first. We know with total confidence that Paul Krekorian is the best choice for public safety and the best choice for the people of Los Angeles.”
Paul has held several Women’s Self-Defense Workshops over the last two years, providing an opportunity for women to learn how to protect themselves and to discuss legislation on women’s issues and safety.
Paul is strong on education. Paul served as President of the Board of the Burbank school district, which is recognized for its excellence in education and high standards. Paul took over at a time of fiscal crisis and created new efficiencies in the school budget, averting lay-offs and putting more resources in the classroom. Our CD2 Councilmember will be chair of the City Council’s Education and Neighborhoods Committee, providing us with a strong voice on education as well as on our neighborhood council system. Paul Krekorian is the best qualified candidate for this job.
Paul instituted the annual FILMFEST 43 competition featuring top student filmmaker’s work from the public and private high schools.
Paul is bringing jobs back to California. Paul was the author of the first incentive in California history to fight runaway production and keep middle class film and television jobs here at home. He is a member of the California Film Commission. Paul also authored an economic stimulus measure that encourages small business to add jobs to their payroll.
Paul is protecting our environment and spurring economic growth. Paul chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Renewable Energy, and is theauthor of landmark legislation that will increase our generation of electricity from sustainable sources like solar, wind and geothermal.
The Southeast Valley and Council District 2 needs Paul Krekorian as our next L.A. City Councilmember. We the undersigned urge you to vote for him on September 22, 2009.
All Titles and Affiliations are for identification purposes only and
are not meant to imply organizational endorsement.
Douglas Breidenbach
Board member Greater Valley Glen Council (GVGC)
Chair Planning & Land Use Committee, GVGC
Sarah Burns
Valley Glen community activist
Asta Criss
Vice President, Valley Glen Neighborhood Association (VGNA)
Past President, VGNA
Member Planning & Land Use Committee, GVGC
Susan Daugherty
Valley Glen community activist
Former Executive Board member, VGNA
Seth Eskigian
Executive Board member, VGNA
Carlos Ferreyra
Board member, GVGC
Executive Board member, VGNA
Past President, Valley Glen Community Council
Past President, VGNA
Denly Ford
Valley Glen community activist
Sharon Ford
Valley Glen community activist
Lisa Freedman
Past Vice President & Treasurer, VGNA
Past Vice President, Valley Glen Community Council
Neighborhood Watch Commander
Police Community Rep (PCR)
Bobbie Fresh
Valley Glen community activist
Peer Ghent
Executive Board, VGNA
Past President, VGNA
Past President, Valley Glen Community Council
Stephen Gonzalez
Executive Board, VGNA
Member Outreach Committee, GVGC
Gerome Huerta
Executive Board, VGNA
Ellen Jannol
Valley Glen community activist
Mickey Jannol
Treasurer, VGNA
Past President, VGNA
Member Beautification Committee, GVGC
Former Board member, GVGC
Eli Kademian
Board member, GVGC
Charles Knecht
Valley Glen community activist
Philip C. Lange
Valley Glen community activist
Steven Porus
Executive Board, VGNA
Member Planning & Land Use Committee, GVGC
Judy Price
President, Valley Glen Neighborhood Association
Past President, Greater Valley Glen Council
Member Planning & Land Use Committee, GVGC
Arline Simon
Former Board member, GVGC
Member Beautification Committee, GVGC
Abraham Tetenbaum
Former Board member, GVGC
Executive Director, Enrichment Works
Karo Torossian
Board member, GVGC
Member Outreach Committee, GVGC
Linda Wehrli
Former Board member, GVGC
Mary Garcia
Vice-President, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
Chair, Arts and Humanities Committee, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
Diann Corral
Treasurer, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
Chair, Budget and Finance Committee, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
President of Laurel Grove Neighborhood Association
Michael Higby
Parliamentarian, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
Chair, Government Affairs Committee, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
Tony Safoian
Past-President (2007), Universal City-North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Yvonne Demery
Secretary, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
Chair, Community Beautification Committee, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
State’s largest nursing organization throws full weigh behind community-backed candidate
VALLEY GLEN – The California Nurses Association, the largest consortium of nurses in the state, endorsed City Council candidate Paul Krekorian, another example of the widespread support he has garnered that includes backing from environmental, public safety and community groups.
“I am proud to have stood up for healthcare reform and improved access for patients throughout California, and am delighted to have that record now be recognized by our most important nursing organization in the state,” Krekorian said. “With the CNA at my side, we can now collectively work toward maintaining the high level of care given at our hospitals and medical clinics throughout the Valley, while standing up for the workers who ensure that those centers continue their life saving role in our community.”
Krekorian has been a champion of healthcare reform since his election in 2006. He is the author of the historic Assembly Bill 1894, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2008, in which California became the first state in the nation to require health insurers to cover routine HIV screenings. Krekorian has been endorsed by the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles and dozens of grassroots, neighborhood council advocates. The Special Election is set for Sept. 22.
“It is clear to us – from both his experience and his support - that Paul will be the best representative for the Valley,” said Jill Furillo, CAN’s Southern California director. “We believe that Paul will do an excellent job in representing the Valley on health, labor and women’s issues to increase the standard of living for Registered Nurses and all residents throughout Los Angeles.”
The California Nurses Association, and its national arm, the National Nurses Organizing Committee, is one of the nation’s premiere nurses’ organizations and health care unions. One of the fastest growing health care organizations in the U.S., CNA/NNOC presently has 86,000 members in 50 states, representing nurses at scores of hospitals, clinics, and home health agencies. Since 2000, over 19,000 RNs at 50 hospitals have elected to affiliate with CNA.
