Second in a series

Re “Gourley Being Gourley. Let the Fun Begin.”

America’s second most colorful political retiree keeps the uncharacteristic peace these days by adopting a new role.

“I don’t speak publicly if I don’t have to,” says Steve Gourley.

In a familiar spirit of candor, Mr. Gourley stepped to the podium at a City Council meeting this month and rapped the knuckles of the suddenly chatty and formerly quiet state attorney general.

Mr. Gourley said Xavy Becerra’s ironclad “suggestion” that all communities curve their elections into the same date as state and national voting would bury the exposure of local candidates and add huge candidate expenses.

The three-minute exposure was not remotely tempting, said the former City Councilman and School Board member.

After Paul Netzel was the first Culver City resident to win a seat on both bodies, Mr. Gourley became the second and final two-tiered – in 1988 and 2007.

Mr. Netzel “is the guy I beat by 550 votes (in the 1988 Council election),” Mr. Gourley said.

“(Jim) Boulgarides and I beat him and (Richard) Brundo. Paul Jacobs, Brundo and Netzel were running for re-election. Only Jacobs made it.”

Over the following 23 years, Mr. Gourley became perhaps the most talked-about politician of his era because he may have been the No. 1 talker of his time.

Therefore, how can he be so comfortable with silence these days?

(To be continued)