Newspaper clippings · December 7, 1993
Daily Breeze — Burke becomes chairwoman of L.A. supervisors
Article and continuation describe Yvonne Brathwaite Burke’s county leadership, budget outlook and priorities.
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Burke becomes chairwoman of L.A. supervisors
From news service reports
County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, who represents much of the South Bay, took over today as the first female and the first black chairwoman of the five-member board - just in time to oversee another rugged year of money shortages and difficult choices.
Burke, who assumes the one-year leadership position from Supervisor Ed Edelman, said Monday she will focus on improving the county's strained relations with the state and the city of Los Angeles.
"I think this is a good chance to really do some good things," Burke said. "It's a chance to be a good force on the board. We need to establish good relationships with Sacramento and the cities."
Her district includes Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Gardena, Carson and Culver City.
Burke has a number of legislative plans, including finding a stable funding source for county libraries and creating a legal method to favor local businesses and those with minority and female owners in contract awards. Still, she joined other observers in acknowledging the budget likely will dominate her year leading the board.
"We have to figure a way out of that" financial bind the county faces, said Burke, who with Supervisor Gloria Molina has successfully pushed for a line-by-line review of departments' spending this year. "The word's going to have to be nothing is sacrosanct."
Major deficit
The county's own fiscal experts are projecting a deficit next year of $600 million to $1.1 billion, out of what this year is a $13.5 billion spending plan. The state is headed for financial problems again, with early estimates placing the shortfall at as much as $6 billion.
"I really think this whole fiscal issue is going to be paramount," said Dan Savage, assistant to the general manager of the county's largest union, Service Employees International Union Local 660.
In each of the past two years, the state has taken away significant chunks of the property taxes that once went to the county, and though Burke believes that won't happen this
BURKE/BACK PAGE
Yaroslavsky set to enter race for supervisor
By John Rofé
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky was expected to announce today that he will run for the county Board of Supervisors seat held by retiring Ed Edelman.
The Westside councilman - twice a would-be mayor who has also thought of running for Congress - was due to make the announcement at an afternoon news conference. The event, scheduled for the steps of the county Hall of Administration, is considered a formality because Yaroslavsky already has hired a campaign manager.
Yaroslavsky, 44, and his staff refused comment before the announcement. But aides said political consultant Kevin Acebo would coordinate the news conference and handle the campaign. Acebo could not be reached for comment this morning.
"It's like he's been practicing for the job for almost 20 years," said Fernando Guerra, a politics professor at Loyola Mary-
CANDIDATE/BACK PAGE
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B8 The Daily Breeze Tuesday, December 7, 1993 ***
Burke
FROM PAGE B1
year, in recent months other observers have voiced fears of yet another tax take-away and resulting problems.
Burke said the board must fight those take-aways, and avoid the public relations missteps that have hurt the county's bargaining power with Sacramento. She said examples of missteps were boosting perquisites of supervisors and allowing managers to spend too much of taxpayers' money.
No Cadillacs
"We have to be sensitive to things. Some are symbolic and some are substantive. We don't need to all go out and buy Cadillacs," said Burke, who drives a used, county-owned Nissan Maxima and has declined the county-paid driver available to supervisors.
Burke, 61, said she hopes to tap her personal relationship with Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, D-San Francisco, a relationship that goes back to law school and was cemented when they served together in the Assembly in the mid-1960s for six years.
In one speech during last summer's budget negotiations, Brown blasted the board as "scalawags." Despite those harsh words, Brown was at a weekend testimonial for Burke organized by Assemblywoman Juanita McDonald, D-Carson.
Yvonne Burke has assume[illegible] leadership of the Los Angele[illegible] Board of Supervisors.
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Burke becomes chairwoman of L.A. supervisors From news service reports County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, who repre- Yaroslavsky sents much of the South Bay, took over today as the first fe- male and the first black chair- set to enter woman of thefive-member board - just in time to oversee race for another rugged year of money shortages and difficult choices. Burke, who assumes the one- supervisor year leadership position from Supervisor Ed Edelman, said Monday she will focus on im- By John Rofé COPLEY NEWS SERVICE proving the county's strained relations with the state and the city of Los Angeles. "I think this is a good chance to really do some good things, Burke said. "It's a chance to be a good force on the board. We need to establish good relation- ships with Sacramento and the Her district includes Ingle- wood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Gardena, Carsonand Culver Los Angeles City Coun- cilmanZev Yaroslavsky was expected to announce today that he will run for the county Board of Su- pervisors seat held by re- tiring Ed Edelman. The Westside council- man - twice a would-be mayor who has also thought of running for Congress - was due to make the announcement Burke has a number of legis- at an afternoon news con- Lative plans, including finding a stable funding source for coun- ference. The event, sched- uled for the steps of the ty libraries and creating a legal county Hall ofAdminis- method to favor local business- tration, is considered a es and those with minority and formality becauseYaro- contract slavsky already has hired a awards. Still, she joined other campaign manager. observers in acknowledging the Yaroslavsky, 44, and his budget likely will dominate her staff refused comment be- year leading the board. fore the announcement. "We have to figure a way out But aides said political of that" financial bind the consultant Kevin Acebo would coordinate the news county faces, said Burke, with Supervisor Gloria Molina conference and handle the has successfully pushed for a campaign. Acebo could line-by-line review of depare not be reached for com- ments' spending this year. ment this morning. word's going to have to be noth- "It's like he's been prac- ing is sacrosanct." ticing for the job for al- most 20 years, " said Fer- Major deficit nando Guerra, a politics The county's own fiscal ex- professor at Loyola Mary- perts are projecting a deficit next year of $600 million to $1.1 CANDIDATE/BACK PAGE billion, out of what this year is a $13.5 billion spending plan. The state is headed for finan- vice Employees International Union Local 660. cial problems again, with early estimatesplacing the shortfall at as much as $6 billion. In each of the past two years, the state has taken away signif- "I really think this whole fis- icant chunks of the property cal issue is going to be para- taxes that once went to the mount," said Dan Savage, assis- county, and though Burke be- tant to the general manager of lieves that won't happen this the county's largest union, Ser- BURKE/BACK PAGE
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B8 The Daily Breeze Tuesday, December 7, 1993*** need to all go out and buy Cad- Burke illacs," said Burke, who drives a used, county-owned Nissan FROM PAGE B1 Maxima and has declined the county-paid driver available to. year, in recent months other supervisors. observers have voiced fears of Burke, 61, said she hopes to yet another tax take-away and tap her personal relationship resulting problems. with Assembly Speaker Willie Burke said the board must Brown, D-San Francisco, a rela- fight those take-aways, and tionship that goes back to law avoid the public relations mis- school and was cemented when steps that have hurt the coun- they served together in the As- ty's bargaining power with Sac- sembly in the mid-1960s for six ramento. She said examples ofyears. missteps were boosting perqui- In one speech during last sites of supervisors and allowing summer's budget negotiations, managers to spend too much of Brown blasted the board as taxpayers' money. "scalawags." Despite those No Cadillacs harsh words, Brown was at a "We have to be sensitive to weekend testimonial for Burke things. Some are symbolic andorganized by Assemblywoman some are substantive. We don't Juanita McDonald, D-Carson. Yvonne Burke has assumer leadership of the Los Angele Board of Supervisors.