In the San Fernando Valley, where temperatures during the summer often reach a sweltering 100 degrees, a new Super PAC formed to back Wendy Greuel is, like, not sitting well because it is bankrolled in part by the Dept. of Water and Power which just hiked utility rates by more than 10 percent.
Greuel’s opponent Kevin James took the opportunity to pounce.
“In September 2012, the Dept. of Water and Power raised your utility rates by 11.1 percent… The DWP… is now raising big political money to support Wendy Greuel for Mayor,” James said.
With that increase over a two year period, the typical family will eventually pay an extra $3.65 a month. For those homes that use more than the average, the increase means about $19 a month, according to estimates from the DWP.
Wendy Greuel once represented District 2 of the San Fernando Valley as a member of the city council, where residents spend more on air conditioning over the summer.
Greuel is now laser focused on winning the race for mayor which represents the entire city. And doing that takes money.
Is Wendy Greuel selling out middle income Valley residents in favor of big utilities and other well-heeled big money interests?
The Super PAC, Working Californians, is funded by the DWP, entertainment companies and has engaged the same campaign consultants well-known for their work with outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
“If the group succeeds in raising a substantial sum of money, it could play a significant role in the fiercely competitive March 5th mayoral primary,” according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
Writes the thefrontpageonline.com: “Greuel, a former government relations executive at the DreamWorks movie studio, has drawn strong financial support from the entertainment industry. Company co-founders Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen are three of the Democratic Party’s top donors and fundraisers in Hollywood. Greuel has raised $3.5 million, just shy of the $3.6 million collected by Garcetti. But even with matching funds provided by the city, that will be too little to buy more than a few weeks of saturation TV advertising in the city’s expensive media market. Donations to mayoral candidates are capped at $1,300, but independent committees like Working Californians are not subject to those limits.”
Says a source close to the compaign: “It’s hard to believe that Wendy Greuel once represented the Valley. By playing to the utilities at the expense of middle income folks it almost seems like she’s forgotten where she came from.
“Perhaps she’s seen too many big numbers as Controller that she’s forgotten the value of money.”
Direct link: https://prnewschannel.com/2013/01/23/in-backing-dwp-l-a-mayor-candidate-wendy-greuell-feeling-the-heat-in-the-san-fernando-valley/SOURCE: Concerned Citizens for Los Angeles
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