Local elections are once again upon us. Many of our residents would be surprised to learn that under the California Constitution, Article II, Section 6, these elections are required to be non-partisan. Residents would be surprised, as some candidates campaign on party lines, urging voters to select them simply because they belong to a particular party. Residents would be surprised, as in recent elections some candidates have mailed campaign materials stating that they are the choice of particular political parties. And some candidates even go so far as to send mailers deceptively stating that they are members of the opposite party than their registration!
Certainly, given the important issues that the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council must address, our residents will quickly understand that party affiliation (and lying about party affiliation) sheds no light on how the individual will handle these issues. Some of the important and controversial issues that have been addressed in the recent past include:
whether or not to allow building in Zone 2 of the landslide moratorium area of Portuguese Bend,
the use of publicly owned land for the Long Point resort hotel project, and
the senior affordable housing project at Crenshaw and Crestridge, and
In the upcoming year the City Council shall address such matters as:
the Marymount College proposed expansion,
deciding what to do with the 19 acre property owned by the city at Crenshaw and Crestridge,
finalizing Trump's Ocean Trails, and the public improvements at Ocean Trail,
overseeing the Long Point resort hotel project, and
addressing the city budget during these uncertain fiscal times.
The public would be better served if the party affiliation of candidates simply did not enter into the local campaign. After all, that is the law. But, unfortunately, it does. And unfortunately it has been used by some to deceive our residents.
This deception has been practiced upon our residents by candidates stating that they are the choice of, or supported by a political party to which they are not even affiliated. The candidates can do this, as your ballot will not show the party affiliation of the candidates. Indeed, when she ran for city council in 1999, Mayor Barbara Ferraro mailed a brochure to Republicans touting herself as "Republican to the Core!" She then participated in a mailer to registered Democrats urging them to "Vote Democratic." The mailer, put out by someone calling itself "Democratic Voters Choice" proclaimed that Ferraro was part of "Our Democratic Team."
Barbara Ferraro, and all candidates, are entitled under the law to campaign on any basis she chooses. That is our democratic system. But we voters are entitled to decide if people who would engage in such tactics deserve our votes. That is the democratic process as well.
Let’s hope that this election no candidate will try to deceive our residents about his or her party affiliation to gain votes. In fact, let’s hope the candidates address the local issues and run on that basis rather than their party affiliation.
