Although we still have important Statewide elections in just a few weeks, the race for Los Angeles City Council has officially begun, as L.A. Clean Sweep held a first, one of a kind, City Council 2011 Candidate Forum that featured some of the grassroots candidates who have already declared -- along with the one L.A. City Councilmember who actually knows what is going on (regarding the budget crisis and what it will take to improve it), Bernard Parks -- who seems to have the biggest stable of challengers of all the Councilmembers, so far.
After watching videos of the event from Saturday, the most notable election is in CD 6, now, for two reasons:
First of all, Tony Cardenas is the current incumbent councilmember and when you look at all the even numbered district council seats up for grabs in the next election, Cardenas stands out as the biggest facilitator of "fraud, waste and abuse" of all 15 councilmembers. (And that's saying a lot.)
But, there needs to be a second component, and that revealed itself, Saturday, at the forum:
A viable candidate who is able to articulate real solutions to deep-rooted problems of fraud, waste and abuse. NOT JUST REPEAT EMPTY EXHORTATIONS OVER AND OVER, saying how we need, "More of this, and less of that." (Unfortunately, that's all most of the other candidates had to say, based on the video segments, currently posted.)
DAVID BARRON was a stand-out, not only among the candidates present from the forum, but of all the city council candidates who have run in the past five years, since this blog was created.
It was delightful and refreshing to hear David Barron articulate some real measures (and he fired off quite a few) that would address the problem plaguing City Hall politics at the systematic level.
Here is the video that created the excitement to generate this post. (Even though Mr. Barron is not necessarily exciting in delivery; only in his concepts.)
Click here for bigger video player.
OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN SITE: http://barron4cc.com/site
TRANSCRIPT - DAVID BARRON at L.A. City Council Candidate Forum (09/25/10): http://tl.gd/67krsf
