The home field advantage

Local residents were made proud six years ago when Agoura Hills resident Fran Pavley won election to the 41st California Assembly District. The newest favorite son hoping to represent our region in Sacramento is Barry Groveman, an environmental attorney and member of the Calabasas City Council. The other candidates in the Democratic primary are from Santa Monica. A Democrat is expected to win the general election in November.

When he was elected in Calabasas in 2003, Groveman brought firm leadership and innovative new ideas to a city council struggling for direction. With Groveman's encouragement, the city improved many of its chronic traffic problems, especially around neighborhoods and schools. More attention was paid to education, financial reforms were put into place and the city's credit rating was improved. The council's biggest problem-its constant bickering and lack of consensus-was finally laid to rest.

As mayor, Groveman and his controversial secondhand smoke ordinance drew fire from individual rights activists, but Groveman's actions were put forth in the name of health and the environment, something Fran Pavley was never criticized for.

The latest bump in the road in Groveman's drive to Sacramento came last week when Democratic opponent Kelly Hayes-Raitt accused him of misrepresenting a Sierra Club endorsement. The environmental organization backs Hayes-Raitt, but a Groveman campaign flier came out that showed Groveman making a speech at a podium with a Sierra Club logo (see story on page 2). Groveman was an invited speaker and because the event was public, he felt the image of him at the podium was his to use. Hayes-Raitt saw political opportunity-not unlike Groveman in his use of the photo to begin with-and accused her opponent of an ethics violation.

If anything, the club's reputation has been damaged, not Groveman's. The event took place in Ventura County and the Sierra Club representatives there were never consulted on who the club would endorse in the first place.

The whole incident smacked of campaign politics and was not a true measure of what's important to the voters. What's important to the residents of Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village is having a representative in Sacramento with a proven record and who understands local issues and local needs. Our vote stays at home with Barry Groveman.