Malsin: Why He Is a Classical Candidate

Monday, Dec. 19, for April¹s election. Shortly after sunup on a morning when even the non-hip could chill out, he reported to the City Clerk¹s staid  marble counter in City Hall in the first minute of the first legal hour.
     This was no accident of timing. Mr. Malsin had carefully pre-arranged the moment of precision with Dep. City Clerk Ela Valladeres.

     The main showcase for the official opening day of Mr. Malsin’s candidacy lay ahead.
     Across the street from City Hall, on the patio of the Downtown Starbucks, three dozen largely recognizable citizens of Culver City had assembled to affix their names to his filing papers. The open-air party was by invitation only.
     The underlying message was unmistakable: If so many persons of prominence were attaching their reputations to Mr. Malsin¹s maiden campaign, he must merit close voter examination. 
     Attired classically in a blue blazer, light slacks and blue shirt open at the collar, Mr. Malsin, medium tall and slender, made a critical campaign point in his opening observation. "It is a pleasure," he said, "to have people from all parts of town." In a community known for its neighborhoods, the candidate was portraying his campaign as a program for Eastsiders with their light rail concerns, for Blair Hills residents with their indigenous concerns, Culver Cresters, mid-towners and others with their regional needs.
     With two of their City Council colleagues up for re-election in the spring, Councilmembers Steve Rose and Alan Corlin made it clear where their sentiments lie, throwing their support to Mr. Malsin. 
      By name, Mr. Malsin also mentioned former City Councilmen in the crowd, Paul Jacobs and Ed Wolkowitz, City Treasurer Crystal Alexander, his wife Anne and their nineteen-month-old daughter Arden.
     "My family and I love Culver City," he said. "I, like you, want to make this exceptional city better. As a community leader and Planning Commissioner. I have fought to protect our neighborhoods, to improve our economy and to make our city an even better place to live."

What voters in the crowd said:

     Jeff Cooper, Parks Commissioner: "I am here to support the future of Culver City, Scott Malsin."
     Vince Motyl, businessman: "The City Council needs a new direction, and I believe that is what Scott represents."
     Bobbi Gold, environmental activist: "After working with Scott on the board of the Ballona Creek Renaissance, I know that he is right for Culver City. We are looking to have an era of civility, compromise and intelligent discourse."
     Councilmember Rose: "I support Scott because we need new, creative thinking on our City Council to make our community grow."
     Andrew Weissman, lawyer, member of numerous city-sponsored groups: "Scott will bring insight and leadership to the City Council."
     Ed Wolkowitz, lawyer, former mayor: "Scott has the capacity to get things done, and on this City council, that would be an achievement."
     Joseph Rosendo, media maven, neighbor and a Herbert Street community activist: "Scott is the perfect example of think-globally, act-locally. He gets things done in his neighborhood, and we have all benefited from his activities. He is a consensus builder and much more moderate than many people I know."

     Sandra Brice, departing Executive Director of the Downtown Business Assn., who begins a new professional life in Santa Fe, N.M., Jan. 2: "He has a great sense of tradition while also being innovative and on the cutting edge. He is a wonderful blend."
     Jessica Beagles-Roos, recently re-elected member of the School Board: "One reason he will be a good member of the City Council is that he has been successfully involved in a wide range of volunteer and service groups."
     Paul Jacobs, lawyer, former mayor: "Scott will bring to the City Council a civility that seems to be lacking, civility, and also a willingness to reach consensus. These qualities not only are essential, they are far more important than any issue can think of."

     Ms. Alexander: "Scott is levelheaded, and he is willing to listen to all sides on an issue before reaching a conclusion."
     Councilmember Corlin: "Scott, in my opinion, is the right person for the job now because he is able to balance competing issues in a way that brings people together. He also will give the Council the cohesiveness it needs."

     From his first appearance as a communal advocate, Mr. Malsin established an eye-catching profile that drew attention because his style was not eye-catching. By emphasizing a calm, soft-spoken, low-key, let¹s-talk-it-over-creatively approach to negotiation and advocacy, he has turned the portrait of the traditional activist upside down.  A "soft-spoken activist" sounds to some people like a tall short man or a short tall man.
     Ever a casual dresser, mutedly tidy to the point of preppiness, Mr. Malsin has employed his personal neatness as a tool for deflecting attention from his looks to his message. As Culver City continues to emerge from its historical cocoon when it proudly wore the mantle of a sleepy little town, Mr. Malsin represents the community¹s newer image. This more mature perspective accents modernity, sophistication and professionalism.

     Respected for his financial acumen and technological knowledge, friends say that Mr. Malsin¹s velvet-glove approach has enabled him to be outspoken with polarizing factions.
     Long acknowledged as the premier force for civic activism in his neighborhood, Mr. Malsin has broadened his image in recent years. A familiar figure at City Hall, he serves on the Planning Commission, and he was the founding father of the smooth-running Culver West Neighborhood Assn., which has become a handy vehicle for attracting recognition. Aggressively, he has worked to gain equal footing at City Hall for the residents of West Culver City whom he has perceived to be overlooked.
     Many neighbors west of Inglewood Boulevard regard themselves as the underdogs of Culver City.

     It is Mr. Malsin¹s contention that because the boundary lines dividing Los Angeles from Culver City historically have been blurred and little understood, Westside residents have been routinely deprived of consideration and services.