Top Officials Mingle With Valley Business Leaders

Local political heavyweights spoke Thursday afternoon at a Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) luncheon, answering questions about public transportation, the film industry and the football stadium deal.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Controller , County Supervisor Zev Yarolslavsky and Councilmen Paul Krekorian and Tom LaBonge were among the guests at VICA’s Local Officeholders Luncheon at the  in North Hollywood.

After the elected officials mingled with Valley business leaders and ate lunch, VICA Chairman Daymond Rice and Vice Chairman David Adelman took turns asking questions.

Krekorian, when asked about the highly publicized Farmers Field deal with AEG, touched on his initial skepticism with the project.

“Let’s keep in mind that the economic record for stadiums throughout this country has not been a very positive one,” he said. “It has not been a very clear record in job creation.” 

The councilman said that he wanted to analyze the plan to see if it would create jobs for the city. Now, he is confident of the project’s economic stimulus impact. 

“This is about as secure of a situation as we can have,” he said.

Yarolslavsky talked transportation, namely Measure R, which is set to bring a bevy of public transit projects to the Valley.

Part of that measure is already underway: a Metro Orange Line connection that links the Canoga Park station to Chatsworth, set to open next summer. 

Yet Yarolslavsky said the most important Valley project to come out of Measure R is the 405 light rail that would connect Van Nuys to West Los Angeles. 

“Most of us will not live long enough to see it,” he said. “If we can accelerate the funding, we can all live to see it, if we stay healthy.” 

The county supervisor, who coined the term “Carmageddon,” said he regrets not copyrighting the word during the 405 freeway closure hype.

“The one regret I have in life is that I didn’t copyright that word,” he said. “I wouldn’t be standing here today, I’d be at a home in the Bahamas.” 

Councilman Richard Alarcón was asked about the city’s support of local film production. Last week, Alarcón introduced a motion to phase out Los Angeles’ gross receipts tax, which he said is a “key” issue to VICA.

Lowering taxes and phasing out the gross receipts tax is crucial to the industry, he said.

The councilman also said that he has expanded resources for FilmLA, a non-profit organization that coordinates permits for production in the city. 

Councilman Dennis P. Zine reflected on a story during his time as a police officer to reinstate his point that corruption cannot be tolerated in the city, in light of recent FBI arrests in the Dept. of Building and Safety.

“One time I was bribed by a drunk driver passenger … the passenger gave me $500 to let the drunk driver go,” he said. “The drunk driver went to jail for drunk driving, the passenger went to jail for bribery.”

“They both went to jail and the car got impounded,” he continued. “You’ve got to have honest government.”

Zine, who announced plans last month to run for city controller in 2013, said that honest developers shouldn’t have anything to worry about. 

“Wendy Greuel with her audits and I as the audit chair moving forward with it makes it an honest city, and that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “God Bless America!”