So many Göran Eriksson supporters made a pilgrimage on Sunday afternoon to the Paul and Madeline Ehrlich shrine for election candidates that they almost needed to convert Mr. Eriksson official campaign opening into a day and night doubleheader.
Stunning for a first-time pursuer of a City Council seat, although after 25 years as a top-tier international entrepreneurial businessman in Culver City, the former chair of the Chamber of Commerce scarcely conforms to the profile of a rookie.
Not only did Swedish-born Mr. Eriksson’s inaugural campaign affair lure a crowded cross-section of the community, the establishment standing alongside his candidacy, literally.
As the tallest contender of the century stepped into the Ehlrichs’ pastoral backyard at 2:15 to speak, three members of the City Council positioned themselves by him – Vice Mayor Andy Weissman, Jim Clarke and Jeff Cooper. Each declared his unequivocal backing.
“Culver City is a great community filled with great neighborhoods, engaged residents, cutting-edge technology and an amazing business community,” Mr. Eriksson said. “But we are not without challenges. I am running for City Council because I am determined to make Culver City an even better place to thrive. When my wife Britta and I moved here, we fell in love with the city.
“Our two sons were born here. They went to school here. Our businesses are here. Our lives are here.
“Culver City has given our family a lot. We have tried to give back a lot, too.”
Describing his and Britta’s involvement in community organizations, Mr. Eriksson played it light, too
“I even have coached soccer,” he said. “When people heard my (Swedish) accent, they were so relieved. They realized here (at last) was someone who knew soccer.”
Mr. Eriksson quickly returned to his non-nonsense theme. “As a lifelong environmentalist, making our city truly sustainable is an enormous task,” he said, drawing out the penultimate word. “But it is one we can achieve.”
Accenting the seriousness of his commitment to the environment, Mr. Eriksson said being an environmentalist was not merely show. “Making our city truly sustainable is more than recycling cans and riding a bike,” he said.
“I want us to look at the bigger picture. Cities in Europe reuse and repurpose everything. They have a lot of knowledge we can benefit from over here,” said Mr. Eriksson, who travels the continent for business.
The chair of the Finance Advisory Committee means to be prepared for once unheard-of eventualities.
He strongly advocated for solar panels. “There are issues we should explore for when the grid goes down,” he said.
Finally, another notion other candidates are not talking about.
“A lot of money is to be made from our regular trash,” Mr. Eriksson said. “With a different system, we could start to monetize a lot more of our trash scene.”
(To be continued)
