FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * 29 March 2007
GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE IS TOP VOTE-GETTER IN STUDIO CITY RACE
STUDIO CITY, CA - LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL DISTRICT #28
Michael McCue, a Green Party member and renters' rights advocate, was the top vote-getter from a field of 21 candidates in the
Studio City Neighborhood Council (SCNC) election held Tuesday, March 27th.
Studio City is part of the City of Los Angeles, and the Studio City Neighborhood Council is an elected body officially recognized by the City of Los Angeles. Neighborhood Councils were empowered several years ago in an effort to promote greater access and participation in the political process.
McCue received 653 votes, the most of any candidate in the history of the SCNC, in his third try--and first win--for the Residential Renter's Seat on the SCNC board. McCue came in third from a field of four for the Renter's seat last year, when only 581 ballots were cast in the election.
McCue blames the traditionally low voter turnout in Neighborhood Council elections on the confusing nature of the NC system. "Instead of registered voters, the NC By-laws recognize 'stakeholders,' who are defined in many different and sometimes confusing ways."
According to the By-laws governing the Neighborhood Councils, stakeholders include anyone who lives in the neighborhood--either as a renter resident or homeowner resident--or as someone who owns a business or business property in the area. Even employees of local businesses or those who belong to a church or community service organization in Studio City, whether they live there or not, are eligible to vote. Stakeholders do not have to be an American citizen or registered voter to participate in the election.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that while candidates are divided into categories of stakeholders (Residential Homeowners, Residential Renters, Business Owners, etc.), every category of stakeholder is allowed to vote for every other category on the Board.
"I believe in a broad definition for stakeholders so that more and more people will get involved in the local democratic process, but the current definitions and procedures can also encourage election fraud," McCue said. "We observed some groups taking advantage of these definitions and forming voting blocs of stakeholders living outside the Studio City area, who were, in effect, capitalizing on low resident turnouts to nullify the residents' representation."
The Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) is considering reforms to the current election process. These reforms, which McCue favors, could include placing all NC candidates on the same ballot with citywide elections, to increase voter participation and awareness of their local Neighborhood Councils.
"The NC system is truly the best expression of the Key Green Value of grassroots democracy at work and that we all endorse as Green Party members" McCue said. "This year's SCNC election was the purest form of grassroots democracy in action I've ever witnessed personally. It was a purely spontaneous reaction to a power structure that wasn't responsive to the needs of its constituents."
McCue credits his record win and the nearly doubled turnout to an alliance he formed with a home and business owners group called the Concerned Stakeholders of Studio City. "The renters were already supporting me, but I had to have support from every category of stakeholder, which is difficult for an outspoken renters' rights activist."
The Concerned Stakeholders activated the Studio City residents to get involved in the NC election with flyer mailings and by reaching out to local groups like the Progressive Democrats of San Fernando Valley and the Friends and Neighbors for Peace and Justice of San Fernando Valley, groups that meet regularly in the Studio City area and that are more focused on national issues rather than local ones.
"According to our by-laws as written, the members of these groups were stakeholders in our community, but ones who had never participated in the NC election process because they didn't even know that they could."
McCue's SCNC Board seat is a two-year term. He plans to focus on increasing the amount of relocation funds that developers must pay to renters evicted due to demolitions, as well as By-laws reform within his own local Council.
"Renters are generally given just over $3,000 to relocate on short notice! Could you relocate in 30 days, or even 60 days notice on such a budget? It's not even enough for first and last month's deposit in the local market!" he said.
"There is a motion before the City Council to raise the relocation amounts paid to evicted renters, and I've been supporting that."
McCue is also concerned about environmental issues. He announced his candidacy on MLK Day while hosting a screening of "An Inconvenient Truth" for his friends and neighbors, and was endorsed by Ed Begley Jr. (a Studio City resident and current star of the "Living with Ed" series about Green Living on HGTV).
McCue urged all Greens in the Los Angles area to get involved in their local Neighborhood Councils. "They are structured as grassroots organizations and that is not only one of our Key Values, but one of our best strengths," he said. "The Neighborhood Council system is the perfect starting place for Greens who want to get involved and make a difference and where we can train candidates for larger offices in our in future. Get involved!"
Labels: elected Greens, elections, Michael McCue, Neighborhood Councils
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