As a ringside witness last week to what was billed as the first official debate of the six-month-long Los Angeles mayoralty campaign, realtor Rich Kissel of Culver City came away with a set of firm opinions.
Later, he was willing to deliver some of them for public consideration, but definitely not all.
Mr. Kissel was one of two representatives from the Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Assn. of Realtors deputized to observe the four contestants and return to the Board with evaluations and perhaps recommendations.
The latter will remain between him and the Board.
At the vast marble-floored Taglyan Cultural Center in Hollywood, from his second-row seat, Mr. Kissel’s eyes shifted, right to left, from City Councilman Eric Garcetti, the favorite, to City Controller Wendy Greuel to former federal prosecutor/talk show host Kevin James to City Councilperson Jan Perry.
What will his report say?
Mr. Kissel sighed.
“That’s a tough one,” he said. “It would appear that we had very highly qualified candidates. They have a lot of different ideas.”
Hollywood is the heart of Mr. Garcetti’s Council district, and Mr. Kissel was impressed by “the large role” he has played in cleaning up the notoriously raggedy region.
Before Mr. Garcetti’s arrival, he said, the neighborhoods of Hollywood “had greatly eroded,” and the former Council President has been responsible for a near-miraculous cleanup.
Mr. Kissel said that Ms. Greuel, a former Council member, “is doing a remarkable job” in the Controller’s office.
As for Mr. James, well, hje is an outsider. The question is, Does he have the type of experience to really get anything done in the mayor’s office? He has some great ideas, but just don’t know about his (lack of governing) experience. Does he know how government should work internally? I think about (former Gov.) Schwarzenegger.”
Mr. Kissel said that Ms. Perry has been very active and very successful” during her 11 years at City Hall.
But he declined to prioritize the candidates until after the doors of the Board meeting room had been closed.
