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Mr. Stanley Treitel
He drew more votes in last Tuesday’s primary than anyone else seeking a City Hall office, and he thoroughly scrubbed the incumbent, Carmen Trutanich, by a 14-point margin, 44 percent to 30 percent.
Not by happenstance was Mr. Feuer’s election night victory party in a private home in the bosom of the upscale mid-town enclave, and it was heavily attended by Orthodox Jews.
Like few blocs of the American electorate, Orthodox Jews vote in impressive proportions. They are strangers to the sidelines.
Among Hancock Park insiders, decades-long consultant Stanley Treitel’s grasp of the community is unmatched.
First, the neighborhood knows Mr. Feuer.
[img]1610|left|Mr. Mike Feuer||no_popup[/img]“We are backing Mike Feuer because he was a former Councilman in this district, he was a state Assemblyman here, and we know his qualities,” Mr. Treitel said.
“As the city’s attorney, his experience in having dealt with the Council and the Legislature in the past will be helpful, and he has worked with people in our community.”
The Orthodox community, dotted by traditional synagogues, is motivated by one specific cause that comes with an ugly memory attached.
They Have Not Forgotten
“We feel Mike will make a better city attorney than the current one,” and there is a towering reason that transcends personal qualities.
“Trutanich,” said Mr. Treitel, “sued the synagogue at 3rd and Highland,” a burning dispute that has endured almost two decades.
What vexed the community was that the suit was brought by the City of Los Angeles (read: Mr. Trutanich).
“This was not complaining neighbors or a homeowners association but the city,” Mr. Treitel said. “The City of L.A. sued and lost in federal court. They charged that we didn’t get the proper permits to have a synagogue there.
“While this case goes back 17 years, no other city attorney sued the shul (synagogue). After the federal court ruled in our favor, we now are waiting to hear what the judgment will be.”
There is more.
“Trutanich made certain promises, before and after he was elected four years ago,” Mr. Treitel said. “He didn’t keep any of them
The best known one is that Mr. Trutanich pledged not to seek another office before serving two terms as city attorney. That crumbled a year ago. He chased the County District Attorney’s job but was eliminated fast in last June’s primary.
Although Mr. Trutanich constantly hammered away at Mr. Feuer’s lack of actual courtroom experience, contrasted with his own many years before judges, Mr. Treitel discounted the claim.
“The city attorney has hundreds of attorneys on his staff,” he said. “Administering them keeps him busy. I don’t think he goes to many court cases himself.”
