Second of two parts. 

Re: “Wolkowitz Was in Fine Form”

Former Mayor Ed Wolkowitz did not merely wander into City Council candidate Göran Eriksson’s launch party last Sunday.

“I am here because I have worked with Göran, and I have seen what he can do,” said Mr. Wolkowitz, a himself a two-term former City Councilman. “Göran and I were on the board of the Chamber of Commerce for several years.

“What I like about him is that he is bright and he is open-minded. Those are qualities that a leader must have. There is not a surplus of that.

“Göran also has a lot of common sense. There is not a surplus of that, either.

“He showed these qualities during the year that he was chair of the Chamber of Commerce.

“Now he is leading the Finance Advisory Committee, and he is doing a fine job there. The Committee is doing a better job than the City Council.

“The Finance Advisory Committee has demonstrated more fiscal responsibility than the Council.

“For example,” Mr. Wolkowitz continued, “in the wake of Measure Y, whereby the people of Culver City agreed to allow themselves to pay additional sales tax to make up for the lost revenues as a result of the raping and pillaging by Sacramento, the Council goes ahead and continues rent subsidies. Meanwhile, the Finance Advisory Committee had the good sense to recommend that the Council not do that, or at least to study alternatives.

“It seems to me,” Mr. Wolkowitz said, “this is a slap in the face to the people of Culver City. The Council was saying ‘we are going to take the sales tax revenue that you have agreed to impose upon yourselves and use it to subsidize other people’s rents.’

Warming up fast, “that is a complete travesty,” said Mr. Wolkowitz, who left office almost 14 years ago. “When the city has the money, yes, we should help as many people as possible.

“But when we are taxing ourselves to make ends meet, the idea of creating subsidies for special groups is wrong.

“The Finance Advisory Committee told the City Council it was wrong, and the Council chose to ignore them.”

Specifically, whom does Mr. Wolkowitz blame?

“I don’t believe in blaming anyone. The problem is, having served for eight years, I know how difficult it is to sit on the dais, look people in the eye and say ‘I am sorry. We just cannot subsidize you anymore. We cannot continue this program you have come to rely on. It is not fair to others.’

“This is so difficult to do,” Mr. Wolkowitz said.

“There is a time when elected officials must realize their job is to do what is in the best interests of the greater majority of the public.”