A political lottery

Newly elected City Councilman Richard Alarcon is bringing a voice of political reality to Los Angeles City Hall.

With an Ethics Commission proposal being discussed in the council's Rules and Elections Committee, Alarcon was quick to find some problems.

While he has supported similar proposals in the past, Alarcon noted a proposal developed by the city Ethics Commission could end up being little more than a pot of money for people to take advantage of.

The proposal by the commission would provide up to $350,000 to a candidate who meets the minimum standards for qualifying for an election.

“I could just get a group of people together to qualify for the election and wecould pile up $2-$3 million and not run a campaign,'' Alarcon said. “I look at this and see it as something where someone could work the system for money. It would be better than the lottery.”