CD11 City Council seat forum moved briskly along Monday night at Windward school with incumbent Mike Bonin and candidate Robin Rudisill standing before the audience.  Candidate Mark Ryavec, who had an engagement conflict, was projected over the screen with answers to the ten given questions.  After the ten questions, the audience’s questions were answered by Rudisill and Bonin.

The forum was sponsored by the Westside Regional Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (WRAC), which is a cooperative regional council made up of Neighborhood and Community Councils on the Westside of Los Angeles. The forum was moderated by Doug Fitzimmons, chair of WRAC.  The forum was also streamed via facebook.com/WRACforLA/.  One thing that Fitzimmons did immediately was ask people not to applaud so that the program could move along in a timely manner.

Forum or Bonin Rally?
“It was apparent upon entering the school grounds that it was a “Bonin Crowd,” said Reta Moser, who was there to cover the story for the Venice Update.   “People were yelling and flashing Bonin signs.  Before entering the building, I was told I had to register in a booth to the left.  I told the nice young man that ‘no I didn’t have to register, that I was neutral, and that I was there to cover the story.’  Then, having said all that, I asked him ‘why I would have to register.’   He finally said I didn’t have to.  Then I moved thru the signs and entered the building foyer with Bonin signs on both sides.   Got passed that gauntlet to find people lined up with Bonin signs next to bleachers.  I made it passed all of the Bonin crowd to ask people in the bleachers if areas in bleachers were cordoned off for a particular candidate.  I was told no.

Brave Candidates/Rude Hosts
“My thoughts were: How brave these candidates were.  Why would anyone in his right mind submit himself to the ridicule of being a candidate?  Where is the debate/forum impartiality? Aren’t debate/forums suppose to be impartial?  They always have been. Is this a Bonin rally or is it a debate/forum? If this was suppose to be an impartial debate/forum, how rude the hosts were to the opposing candidates, to the audience supporting others. Questions were great; otherwise what a charade.

“Is this a fond farewell to the impartial, democratic process of informing a public with a debate/forum?”

The following are the candidates two-minute summaries.

Incumbent Mike Bonin

Candidate Robin Rudisill

Candidate Mark Ryavec