1st District candidates refine their messages

I've spent a lot of time -- perhaps way too much time -- with the six candidates who are running for the 1st District City Council seat in the April 7 special election. I've interviewed them one on one and attended my fourth candidate forum Friday night.

While much of what we heard was nothing new, the forum by the League of Women Voters showed that the mostly green, inexperienced candidates are now a more politically savy group with refined and clear stances on the issues. They have found their voice and their message, and the differences between them are becoming clear.

The forum at Covenant Manor had a smaller crowd and a more intimate feel than most of the previous forums, but the League's many years of hosting such forums showed. The candidates were limited to 1 minute responses, forcing them to state a clear position quickly and allowing many questions to be asked. Many of the questions, however, seemed to lead back to one issue: the city budget.

• Among the six candidates, former council member Evan Braude, who served from 1986 to 1994, is the only one with serious political experience, and he has focused on the value of that experience in his campaign. He is a union supporter who feels city employees do a valuable service and "deserve the pay that they get." He also has the endorsement of the Democratic Party, which can be a strong influence in the liberal 1st District, even though the council seat is non-partisan.
• At the other extreme, Rick Berry, a product management consultant and musician, has emerged as the most conservative voice and the most critical of city government. He says city salaries, pensions and benefits all may need to be reduced to eliminate the city's growing budget deficit, and pledges "no new taxes."
• Jana Shields, a linguist who runs a volunteer education program, has similarly conservative views, though she has focused on Long Beach partnering with non-profit organizations to fill the void of inevitable program cuts. She also says a "shop in Long Beach" campaign could increase sales tax revenue.
• Another candidate who had seemed the clear frontrunner early in the race but now faces tough competition is Robert Garcia, a Long Beach City College administrator. Garcia is a more moderate candidate -- he switched parties from Republican to Democrat two years ago and is supported by both unions and the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. He also has raised the most campaign money to date. On the budget, he says cuts should start with the council offices and that the city should eliminate unneccesary consulting contracts.
• The Rev. Misi Tagaloa of the Second Samoan Congregational Church is a grassroots candidate who has improved his performance at the forums. However, at Friday's forum he surprisingly discounted the city's budget problems as "an accounting exercise" that city management should deal with. His campaign theme has been one of inclusiveness and "giving a voice to the voiceless."
• A sixth candidate, Bill Grisolia, a policy and legal specialist, wasn't at Friday's forum, but like Braude, he is a strong union supporter. However, he also is the most embattled candidate after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in January (he hasn't been convicted yet) and losing some of his union endorsements to Braude.