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How Drollinger Did Me the Favor of a Lifetime
[Editor’s Note: Steve Gourley is one of Culver City’s enduring and significant citizens. He recalls the massive impact that one of the Westside’s most influential pioneers had on his life.]
Howard Drollinger died last month. Maintaining the concept of speaking nothing but good of the dead, especially the recently departed, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Howard Drollinger, the largest landlord (and sometimes the only landlord) in Westchester for introducing me to Culver City. During his long career, Mr. Drollinger was extremely well-known for his monopolistic business interests in Westchester, where I grew up. In 1964, Drollinger and Co. was broadminded enough to lease a small space next to the Paradise Theater on Sepulveda to run the Westchester Democratic Club’s headquarters for the election of Lyndon Johnson for President. My mother ran that office. In addition to me, most of her staff were my fellow high school classmates. We were 15 and 16 years old. In 1966, when the Westchester Democratic Club wished to rent an office to help re-elect Gov. Pat Brown (now praised by Republicans and Democrats alike for creating the infrastructure that got California through to the 21st century) in his battle with then-actor Ronald Reagan, Mr. Drollinger and his company would not rent to us. No space was available to Democrats at any price or location. Period.
Surfas Should Not Despair of a Solution, Says Ex-Councilman Gourley
[Editor’s Note: This is the ninth in a series of reports by thefrontpageonlne.com about City Hall’s attempt to claim four parcels of property belonging to Surfas Restaurant Supply and Gourmet Foods for redevelopment purposes. Les Surfas, the owner of one
of Culver City’s oldest, most popular and prestigious companies, has rejected all of the city’s offers, but to no avail. Through the legal machinery of eminent domain, the city is expected to formally be awarded the properties through court proceeedings by Nov. 1. Today Steve Gourley — he of the wry sense of humor who served two terms on the City Council in the 1980s and ‘90s — analyzes the steaming dispute.]
I read with interest thefrontpageonline.com interview with Les Surfas. I certainly agree with Mr. Surfas that the city of Culver City, its employees and its elected officials should do their absolute best to keep businesses in Culver City, especially long–standing honorable businesses like Mr. Surfas’. I empathize with Mr. Surfas. I hope to be able to talk both to him and to the Redevelopment Agency staff to find out what’s going on here. I know there is the tendency for old politicians like myself to say, “We didn’t do things like that in my day…” Then they go on to bore the listener with long stories of civic triumph, personal acumen, vision and foresight. But we didn’t do that in my days on the City Council (1988 to 1996).
You Wanna Know Who Votes?
I promised the eccentric, eclectic, right –wing, bleeding heart, Orthodox Jewish editor of thefrontpageonline.com that I would write another article for the newspaper once I got back the voting results for the 2006 Councilmanic election. I had determined that the trailer park people whom The Editor has so nobly championed during redevelopment discussions at City Hall the past two years, had not voted in the recent election.
Culver Citys Yellow Brick Road
How to be a mover and shaker in Culver City or any other city with fewer than 50,000 residents in the state of California.
Brief summary of the things that you should do, and can do, to become important in Culver City politics:
1. Register to vote.
2. Vote in all city and School Board elections.
3. Support at least one candidate at each election. You may support more than one, but not more than there are open seats.
Steven Gourley: What Is an Elected Official Worth?
The matter of what an elected official is worth is a loaded question. Many people would respond that elected officials are worth nothing. Some would agree that full-time elected officials should be paid a living wage. Others would not.
The question has been raised (indirectly) in this media often over the last two years, most frequently in connection with medical benefits received by members of the School Board.
We have also seen the question examined in larger media, in connection with corruption in cities like Carson, Compton and Lynwood. Compton, if I remember correctly, was paying its members about $40,000 each per year, plus expenses. Lynwood had a system where the City Council members were paid an annual salary and a per diem for each meeting. This encouraged them to have many meetings.
We have also seen the question examined in larger media, in connection with corruption in cities like Carson, Compton and Lynwood. Compton, if I remember correctly, was paying its members about $40,000 each per year, plus expenses. Lynwood had a system where the City Council members were paid an annual salary and a per diem for each meeting. This encouraged them to have many meetings.
