Opinion: March 8 election: Three cheers for incumbent Bernard Parks
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Los Angeles County Supervisors Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky support incumbent Bernard C. Parks in the race for the City Council’s 8th District seat, and so do we.
Molina and Yaroslavsky spoke on behalf of Parks at a rally on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Times news blog, L.A. Now, reported:
‘What’s wrong with the city is that every weak-kneed politician is bending over backwards for special interests,’ Molina said. ‘What we’ve had in Bernard Parks is courageous leadership all the way through. …The only special interests he is responsible to are the constituents in his district.’ […] ‘Bernard has had a long vision, a grand vision, of how to keep the city of Los Angeles solvent,’ said Yaroslavsky, who lives in Los Angeles and said he was speaking as a taxpayer. ‘If the city would listen to Bernard, we wouldn’t have potholes on every street in this city. ... We wouldn’t be half a billion dollars in the hole if they’d listened to Bernard. And they’re going to come around to Bernard -- not because they want to, but because they have to because he’s right.’
Our editorial board agrees that Parks is the best man for the job. ‘The Los Angeles City Council would have a tough time functioning with 15 members like Bernard C. Parks. But it needs at least one,’ said the board in its endorsement. ‘Parks combines independence, strength and acuity, a rare combination on a council where many members prefer to wish away the city’s problems.’
Find all of the recommendations by The Times’ editorial board in our voter guide. And check back here on Sunday for an endorsements recap -– perfect for printing out and bringing to the polls on Tuesday.
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Los Angeles Times Endorsements: March 8 city election
Voter guide:March 8 Los Angeles Election
--Alexandra Le Tellier
