Pavley, Kuehl Win; Prop O Passes

Ignited by a number of crucial state issues, Sixty-eight percent of Los Angeles registered voters, went to the polls Tuesday, but couldn’t agree on much, except on the need to clean up Santa Monica Bay. Proposition O gained over 70 percent of bipartisan voter support, endorsing a $500 million bond to help reduce the flow of pollutants flushed out to sea via our storm drains and culverts. The money will be used to upgrade storm drains, install catch basin inserts and screens on drains and develop new parks to filter storm-water runoff. ‘This is a real affirmation of how Los Angeles voters really understand that clean water is equal to public health,’ said Palisadian Fran Diamond, chairwoman of the Regional Water Quality Board, whose recommendations the city acted upon and who will monitor the effective and wise use of the bond money. ‘The City Council will appoint a committee of eight or nine people, all with an expertise in water quality who will select the projects that will be built,’ Diamond told the Palisadian-Post Wednesday. Equally enthusiastic was Assemblywoman Fran Pavley. ‘Prop. O speaks volumes about the support we will now get to clean up our air and water,’ said Pavley, who won reelection to her Westside seat with 60 percent of the vote. Pavley received twice as many votes as her Republican rival Heather Peters (31 percent) and Libertarian candidate Richard Koffler, the Palisadian who garnered 6,777 votes. Entering her third and final two-year term, Pavley told the Post that she will continue her focus on the environment and education. Having won a precedent-setting victory with her bill on reducing limits on automobile emission, she will be working to extend California’s regulations elsewhere. ‘Next week I will be meeting with the Canadian Parliament to discuss our plans to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by passenger vehicles.’ On another issue involving Canada, Pavley said that she is working on attracting film production in the state. ‘While it’s difficult to compete with Canada because of the difference in exchange rate, getting production back is key to our economic growth.’ She added that she may also reintroduce her bill to lower prescription drug costs, which was vetoed by the governor this fall. Health issues will be on the docket for State Senator Sheila Kuehl, who won reelection by some 60 percent to her final, four-year term. Kuehl told the Post that she may resurrect her health care bill, which would provide universal health care for all Californians through a single-payer system. Joining Pavley in her focus on the environment, Kuehl said she will continue working on both natural resources and water issues, and in particular safeguarding the Water Resources Board, which is the only watchguard commission monitoring water quality in California. ‘The governor hasn’t really focused yet on a recent performance review of hundreds of government commissions and boards, but I am worried that the Water Resources Board’which is the only way for the public to really know what is going on’might accidentally get eliminated in an effort to cut costs.’ Kuehl, an attorney, has introduced more than 100 bills that have been signed into law, including legislation to overhaul California’s child support services and to expand the rights of crime victims. While Pavley reflected on the fact that two-thirds of the new assembly will have two years or less expertise due to term limits, veteran Representative Henry Waxman, representing the 30th Congressional District, won a 16th term. The Democrat defeated his Republican challenger Victor Elizalde with 71 percent of the vote. As ranking member on the Government Reform Committee, Waxman has been studying the delay in disability benefits for veterans, the politicization of nonpartisan inspectors general in federal departments and agencies, and the Congressional failures in investigating misconduct involving Bush Administration officials. Closer to home, Waxman will continue to monitor the work of the Federal Advisory Committee Act to develop a master plan for the 400-acre West L.A. Veterans Administration land that takes into consideration the needs of veterans and seeks input from the adjacent businesses and neighborhoods. Also on Tuesday, Los Angeles voters failed to support County Proposition A, which would have raised the sales tax to 8.75 percent to put 5,000 more police officers and sheriff’s deputies on the streets.