Students Run the Show at Candidates Debate
Students had their chance to fire questions at five of the nine candidates running for two city council seats on Wednesday night as 50 people attended an hour-long debate at the West Hollywood College Preparatory School.
The K-12 school is housed in the Iranian American Jewish Federation temple complex on the northwest corner of Crescent Heights and Fountain Avenue.
School alumnus Alexander Gurfinkel, left, served as the debate’s moderator.
Nine students in the school’s 8th through 12th grade U.S. government and history classes came up with questions for the candidates after spending six weeks researching the issues, according to organizer Guy Lande. Topics included transportation, homelessness, housing, technology, environmental issues and the city’s Russian community. School alumnus Alexander Gurfinkel served as the debate’s moderator.
Incumbents Jeffrey Prang and John Duran did not attend due to work commitments. Without their presence, the participating candidates skipped the flippant remarks and biting asides they aimed at the incumbents in the former debate, put on by West Hollywood neighborhood associations two weeks ago.
Candidate Sam Borelli, who has been a public safety commissioner for the last decade, emphasized shoring up the city’s eastside by engaging residents, especially when it comes to Plummer Park renovations.
He also continued to make his case for getting younger WeHo residents civically involved. To that end, he is pushing for the creation of 200- to 350-square-feet “micro-housing” apartments that are affordable for young people.
Candidate Nick Garzilli discarded Borelli’s idea. The micro-units would be like living in cages, he said. He did, however, argue for rehabilitating the city’s older apartment buildings, and using crowd-source funding sites, like Kickstarter, to do it.
Garzilli, once again, spoke extensively about his dream of building a network of personal rapid transportation (PRT) pods to move people on lines above the street. He said it would eventually be possible to transport people to San Francisco in 30 minutes, and New York City in 45 minutes with Evacuated Tube Transport.
Borelli, on the other hand, advocated for a nighttime Weho Trolley, which has long been in the works, to go to nightlife areas and “inspire people to leave their cars at home.”
Candidate Chris Landavazo, who works as an LA County sheriff’s deputy, focused on discussing public safety. He advocated for installing cameras in Plummer Park and LED street lights for improved visibility and lower costs.
The topic of homeless produced one of the more controversial comments of the afternoon as Landavazo said he would “empower” homeless people by offering them two options: They could either go to PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) to get housing and other services, or they could go to jail.
The homeless would be easy to arrest because they panhandle aggressively, Landavazo said.
Candidate Rusty Wiggs, who works as the office manager of a Beverly Hills psychology practice, said he would make sure mental health services were available for the homeless, while former council member and current candidate Steve Martin said he would work to expand drug and alcohol services to homeless people, because he believes those are most often the issues that contribute to their homelessness.
Martin also said he wants to keep the city’s urban village feel and would push to get rid of the developers who he believes are currently running city hall. Martin said he would work to preserve the city’s rent-control housing by eliminating incentives that encourage developers to tear down older, affordable buildings to build luxury condominiums.
Martin advocated finding ways to integrate the Russian population more into the city, noting that the Russian community is less insular these days as the population gets younger and is more likely to be bilingual.
Post-debate, school officials said they were pleased and proud of the students for coming up with the questions.
“I think this will likely become an annual event,” said Gurfinkel.
Sam Borelli answers as Nick Garzilli looks on.
Steve Martin, center, answers a question.
Christopher Landavazo.
Tagged election 2013, election debate, west hollywood city council campaign
Nick GarzilliThu, Feb 21 at 1:38 am
ET3 is fast, but it will not get you to NY in 45 seconds as this article currently says.
Eventually NY to LA in 45 min, but the first operating speeds will be around 350mph. You can learn more at http://www.ET3.com.
Just like Elon Musk talked about getting to SF in 30 min:
http://www.gizmag.com/elon-musk-hyperloop/25053/
I really wish that my objection to “micro units” was clear because I am squarely against the UN Agenda 21 plan. I don’t think people should spend $800-$1000 to live in a 250sq ft apartment. It is not right. Please go to http://www.DemocratsAgainstUNAgenda21.com to see that I am not making this stuff up.
Other things not mentioned in this article:
1) My speaking up about suppressed energy technology.
2) Telling all the students to see the documentary “Thrive”. http://www.ThriveMovement.com
3) 3D printing and the enormous potential of this technology to build housing and even body parts in the near future.
http://www.exponentialtimes.net/videos/3d-printing-make-anything-want
4) Telling the students with my closing remarks that the Federal Reserve is not Federal. It is a privately owned bank!
My campaign is much more than just PRT. I am here to fight corrupt power structures big and small starting in WeHo.
marcoThu, Feb 21 at 2:24 am
SIX DEGREES OF CHRISTOPHER LANDAVAZO
I met Christopher Landavazo recently on N. Orange Grove Ave. while he was knocking on doors and introducing himself as a candidate for City Council and something prompted me to say hello. He introduced himself and told me that he was a candidate for City Council. I love West Hollywood and began to talk to him about my concerns. He listened, made notes and his sincerity struck a chord, so I went home and researched him. He made an impression and I had to find why; there was something special about the guy. I learned that he was in the armed forces, a Deputy Sheriff, an educator and LGBT advocate and founder of Cops 4 Causes. Christopher inspired me to get involved in working for my City and Community. I see him on SMB near Starbucks, having a quick lunch at Eat Well and tonight, I stopped into Basix for dinner and starting chatting with Michael Lupica, a patron and celebrity caterer. I asked Mike if he was interested in local politics and he stated:”Not much, but I recently met a remarkable young man singing Karaoke at Revolver, and he made quite an impression.” I immediately said Chris and Mike finished with Landavazo. Mike and I talked about Weho, Politics and Christopher Landavazo for an hour. Landavazo is committed to improving life from a grassroots level in West Hollywood. Please read about and VOTE for Christopher Landavazo for City Council!
Thank you.
Allegra AllisonThu, Feb 21 at 1:30 pm
The debate was beautifully prepared and executed.
The students worked so hard putting it together and did a brilliant job.
Some of the kids are going off to college in a couple of years.
If nothing changes in this election, I couldn’t help but think, that if after college,
should any of them decide to run for Weho Council,
they’d end up being up against the same incumbents and wouldn’t have a chance.
I can only hope things do change for them. They are our future.
Lynn RussellSat, Feb 23 at 8:49 am
In addressing Mr. Martin’s comment about preserving the “urban village feel” I would like to point out that most folks consider respect for a residential neighborhood paramount to such an idea. It was especially curious to find that the debate Wednsday evening took place at the IAJF facility at Crescent Heights and Fountain, which is supported and attended by congregants that principally reside beyond West Hollywood. For years the neighborhood has been been threatened by the excessively disruptive commercial banquet hall activities of these folks at Neman Hall.
Mr. Martin and his friend political consultant David Carlat exerted major efforts on behalf of IAJF to have an illegal three story parking structure approved with total disregard for the chaos that exists, and in all probability will continue with or without the structure. Last evenings traffic jam for nearly 2 hours exemplified a small measure of what the residents have experienced late into the night and early morning hours for years. Was Mr. Martin oblivious to the extreme noise and gridlock Wednesday evening or did he remember the neighbors that he undermined for his own benefit? Is this an example of how he cares for the local neighborhoods and its residents? Does he feel comfortable that neighbors had to sue the city in order to gain reasonable enjoyment of their homes and a peaceful nights sleep? Is he concerned that this appeared as a politically expedient move for himself that was totally unnecessary? Whose neighborhood is he interested in protecting?
The students who apparently did an admirable job staging this debate have their very own petri dish right here, in which to examine all the elements of the political arena, if any of them contemplate a career in public service, city government or issues involving fair business practices.
John Heilman and Abbe Land voted against the parking structure in favor of the residential neighborhood. Aren’t these the two people that Mr. Martin continues to castigate with a type of scorched earth vehemence? Mr. Martin is a very bright and articulate man who obviously has valuable ideas to offer but seems caught up in bad judgement and a poor approach to solving community and city issues. How does he think he can ever work with Heilman and Land or the other council members if he gets elected to the city council?
meSat, Feb 23 at 11:34 am
you have done an amazing job bashing and telling us what you don’t want lynn russell…..so what is it you DO want???….seems that’s way more productive, no?
Lynn RussellSat, Feb 23 at 1:15 pm
@me. It’s unfortunate that you feel the facts on the city record that I draw from and participated in are tantamount to bashing. I don’t feel that by respectfully stating an opposing point of view one is “bashing”. Perhaps you can be specific. Do you also have a specific area of concern that you feel I should be addressing in my “wants”?
Sheila LightfootSat, Feb 23 at 2:49 pm
Lynn, What in the world are you talking about? You say, “Last evenings traffic jam for nearly 2 hours exemplified a small measure of what the residents have experienced late into the night and early morning hours for years. Was Mr. Martin oblivious to the extreme noise and gridlock Wednesday evening or did he remember the neighbors that he undermined for his own benefit?” What Nonsense!!
Students from the school were civic minded enough to hold a candidate’s debate to which they invited the community. Unfortunately, it was only attend by, I would guess, about 75 people. It took place from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. The microphones were turned down so low it was often difficult to hear a candidate’s answer.
This event resembled a civics class not a rave. Yet, you say that Mr. Martin, and apparently all of us who attended, were “oblivious to the two hours of ‘extreme noise and gridlock’” that we caused? And exactly how did Mr. Martin undermine the neighbors for his own benefit by his agreement to participate in this student-sponsored debate? I guess you support Duran and Prang for snubbing the students’ first foray into civic engagement and the community by not showing up to answer questions in a public forum.
Furthermore, the only gridlock I saw going in or coming out was the gridlock on Fountain and Crescent Heights that I see every single day during this peak commuter time. This little debate caused that? And, the debate was too noisy for you? Oh, I’m sorry, I think I laughed once during the debate. Was it my laugh that you managed to hear over the daily din of traffic noise?
And, petri dish? If your tirade is an example of the “elements of the political arena” that you want these students to “examine”… well, you certainly did a great job of exemplifying nastiness 101 for them.
I am aware of the complaints made by you and your neighbors against this religious center, but you do your cause no good with this kind of over-the-top hysteria over a simple student debate that we members of the community considered to be a wonderful example of civic engagement set by these young people. It makes everything you say suspect.
Lynn RussellSat, Feb 23 at 5:31 pm
Shiela, I often respect some of the statements you make but in this case I think you are exaggerating as no hysteria was expressed in my comment or personally at any of the meetings concerning the IAJF issue. Mr. Martin clearly undermined the neighborhood of 100 plus residents by his unnecessary intervention into an issue that was not within his purview. He could have opted to stay out as a matter of judgement particularly in view of his relationship with Mr. Carlat. Beyond speaking out publicly against the neighbors, Mr. Martin went further to publish his comments in a local news venue(s). By doing so he appeared to compromise himself and his expressed sentiments not only about quality of life issues he espouses but by exhibiting the very behavior he condemns in others in the city and on city council. In this election the targets are Mayor Prang and John Duran previously it was Abbe Land and John Heilman and Lindsay Horvath. Who does he think he can work with in a respectful fashion? For someone with so much ability this is regrettable.
No criticism of the students was made nor would I engender nastiness or tirades towards them, it is just not my style. My comment went to their admirable job executing the debate. Presumed snubbing of the students is something I am not aware of and attributing presumed support of Prang and Duran for such an allegation is plain silly. There was no mention or criticism of the attendees. However I now understand that the IAJF scheduled an event immediately after the debate with typical noise and traffic resulting which proceeding until after 8 pm. Apparently it was not easy for folks to distinguish between the events.
I regret that you seem to have been carried away on this given the many presumptions, accusations and conclusions you have drawn. Longstanding animus and emotion that appears to have galvanized many individuals and their followers who have infrequently found a successful way to work with those in power is more than discouraging to see as it continues to distort the picture.
Lynn RussellSun, Feb 24 at 8:07 am
Curious to see that a Steve Martin sign just popped up on the IAJC property, albeit in the weeds at their corner parking lot.