Robert Stevenson and Peggy Stevenson
Encyclopedia
Robert J. Stevenson and Peggy Stevenson were a husband and wife who served consecutive terms totaling sixteen years in representation of the Hollywood-Silver Lake-Highland Park area on the Los Angeles City Council—Robert between 1969 and 1975 and Peggy between 1975 and 1985.
.
Robert was news editor and commentator for WHN
radio and newscaster for "Around the World News" on CBS Radio
in New York City and also worked for CBS in Los Angeles. He was also a staff announcer, working on the Jack Benny Show and other programs. Stevenson was a motion picture and television actor, with 119 credits between 1946 and 1971. He was in the Army in World War II. His offices and memberships included president of the Nichols Canyon Association, trustee of the Buckley School, Greater Los Angeles Press Club, International Footprint Association, International Society for the Protection of Animals, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
and the Screen Actors Guild
.
Peggy Stevenson was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Constance, who had immigrated from Greece. She had a sister, Catherine. Peggy graduated from Fairfax High School
and then attended UCLA, where she studied political science
. After graduating she became assistant radio director of an advertising agency
, where she met Robert Stevenson. They were married and had a son, Robert, born in 1956. The family lived in the Hollywood Hills
, just above Sunset Boulevard
. She was a member of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral
.
She was "only a little over 5 feet tall" and said that she had to alter her own clothes to fit.
Peggy was chairwoman of an annual fundraiser for underprivileged children sponsored by the show-business Masquers Club, as well as being active in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. She was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters
from Columbia College
in Hollywood.
Robert died in Northridge, California, on March 4, 1975, after cardiac arrest
, complicated by hepatitis
and an infected gallbladder
. He had been ill for several months and underwent surgery for multiple retinal breaks
in October and November 1974, returning to his City Council seat in December of that year. A funeral service was held in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
, with the Rev. Frank Kelly of St. Athanasius Episcopal Church officiating.
The Stevensons—first Robert and then Peggy—represented Los Angeles City Council District 13, which in that era (1975) included Highland Park, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills
, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley, Mount Washington and parts of Echo Park and Eagle Rock. In 1969 the district also included Chinatown
.
They were the second husband and wife to serve consecutive terms on the Los Angeles City Council
—the first having been Ed J. and Harriett Davenport
between 1945 and 1955.
and later had the same job for Paul H. Lamport
in the 13th District. He resigned and successfully ran for election against his old boss in 1969.
Stevenson scored a major upset in 1973 by soundly defeating policeman Irving Kaspar in his bid for reelection. The conservative Kaspar's election complaints against Stevenson included the latter's indictment and trial on charges of conspiracy and bribery in a Chinatown gambling scheme (below). Stevenson attacked Kaspar for, the councilman alleged in a tabloid
publication, having been "a known John Birch Society
sympathizer." Kaspar went to court and got a temporary restraining order against further circulation of the campaign sheet on the grounds the statement was not true. In the end, voters cast 27,231 ballots for Stevenson and 21,062 for Kaspar.
, partially occasioned by Stevenson's support of redistricting
of Snyder's neighboring councilmanic District 14.
Known for his "progressive voting record," Stevenson was "the innovator of a new system of council hearings," being the first councilman to hire outside counsel to conduct an investigation. Other positions:
1969. He voted against allowing churches to be established in single-family residential neighborhoods as a matter of right, stating: "I don't have the right to say arbitrarily 'you people in the neighborhood are going to get a church whether you like it or not.' "
1970. He and Council Member James B. Potter, Jr.
took the lead in successfully opposing a proposed freeway (State Route 160) through Laurel Canyon that would have linked Slauson Avenue
in Ladera Heights with the San Fernando Valley
. They said the idea was a "scheme to bury huge areas of Hollywood, the mountains
and Studio City under a blanket of concrete."
1973. Stevenson submitted an ordinance that would have required outdoor eating places along Hollywood
, Ventura
and Wilshire
boulevards to be enclosed as a way to prevent the spread of litter.
1973. In urging the establishment of minibus
routes through the Santa Monica Mountains
, he and Council Member Joel Wachs
disagreed with a Southern California Rapid Transit District
report that the proposed routes would face safety hazards on the "steep and narrow roadways."
1974. Stevenson proposed an ordinance
that would, among other things, have made job discrimination illegal against homosexuals. After his death, the City Council unanimously voted in 1975 to kill it. Police Chief Edward M. Davis
was one of its more vocal critics.
Robert Stevenson and eight other people were indicted in February 1970 on charges of conspiracy
and bribery
in the asserted proposed establishment of gambling dens
in Chinatown
the previous year. Authorities said a multimillion-dollar-a-year operation was planned. All defendants were freed when a jury could not reach a verdict and Judge Joseph A. Sprankle Jr. declared a mistrial, acquitting Stevenson and seven of the other defendants. He said he did so reluctantly in Stevenson's case because he thought the councilman "probably knew something about what was going on," but that "the voters can take care of this in the next election."
In 1973 Stevenson filed suit against fellow City Councilman Arthur K. Snyder
over Snyder's remarks about Stevenson during a radio interview concerning the bribery-conspiracy trial. Nineteen months later, a settlement ensued with Snyder making an apology but with no money changing hands.
Peggy Stevenson won a special election for the 13th District seat on May 27, 1975, over Irving Kaspar and 27 other candidates. With her seating on June 9, she and Council Member Pat Russell
became the only two elected women up to then to serve on the council at the same time.
Peggy Stevenson's two electoral battles against Michael Woo
were heated. Endorsed by Police Chief Daryl Gates
, she won her first fight against Woo in 1981 by a vote of 20,162 to 13,018, but Woo was victorious in 1985 by 16.417 to 12,052.
1981. In the 1981 race,Stevenson jettisoned the volunteers that had guided her primary campaign and hired Butcher-Forde Consulting of Orange County for the final vote, which was criticized for having "racial overtones." Even her primary campaign had been criticized for sending out fliers asking Republican voters if they wanted the candidate supported by the Mexican American Political Association
and the Asian Democratic Caucus "or Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson." She denied they were meant to raise racial questions but simply to point up Woo's "ultraliberal" support.
At one point, a debate between Stevenson and Woo "exploded into a verbal brawl" when the former, 56, attempted to turn Wilbur Woo, the father of 29-year-old Michael Woo, into the major issue of the campaign. She called him "a wealthy banker who doesn't even live in Los Angeles, let alone our district," and who "has put together a $300,000 bankroll from his associates and from borrowers of his bank to finance a totally immoral and untruthful campaign against me." The Los Angeles Times reported:
1985. The 1985 race was an expensive one—expected to be a million dollars for both candidates together. Stevenson was supported by "some of the city's most prominent political fund-raisers" and the "real estate
industry," while Woo could again count on his banker-businessman father.
Stevenson blamed a "Westside political organization" headed by U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman
and Howard Berman
for her loss. In an "unusual rebuke," the Times reported, her fellow Council Members Zev Yaroslavsky
and Marvin Braude
had endorsed Woo over her, "partly because they said she was too supportive of projects in their districts backed by big developers
who contributed to her campaign."
sponsored what Wachs called "the strongest gay rights ordinance in the U.S.," prohibiting job and housing discrimination based on sexual preference. Other positions:
1980. Peggy Stevenson charged that there was an "alarming trend toward overdeployment of police for relatively minor disturbances at gay bars" and held a hearing before her Police, Fire and Public Safety Committee on the situation.
1985. As a member of the Recreation, Library and Cultural Affairs Committee, she voted in favor of doubling the park ranger
staff of the Recreation and Parks Department and allowing the rangers to carry guns.
----
Robert Stevenson
Peggy Stevenson
Biographies
Robert Stevenson was born on October 10, 1915, in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
.
Robert was news editor and commentator for WHN
WHN
WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 kHz. Its best known format was country music, which the station played from 1972 to 1987...
radio and newscaster for "Around the World News" on CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
in New York City and also worked for CBS in Los Angeles. He was also a staff announcer, working on the Jack Benny Show and other programs. Stevenson was a motion picture and television actor, with 119 credits between 1946 and 1971. He was in the Army in World War II. His offices and memberships included president of the Nichols Canyon Association, trustee of the Buckley School, Greater Los Angeles Press Club, International Footprint Association, International Society for the Protection of Animals, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a performers' union that represents a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, as well as radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists , promo and voice-over announcers and other...
and the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
.
Peggy Stevenson was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Constance, who had immigrated from Greece. She had a sister, Catherine. Peggy graduated from Fairfax High School
Fairfax High School (Los Angeles)
Fairfax High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located in Los Angeles, USA, near the border of West Hollywood in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles...
and then attended UCLA, where she studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. After graduating she became assistant radio director of an advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
, where she met Robert Stevenson. They were married and had a son, Robert, born in 1956. The family lived in the Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
, just above Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
. She was a member of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Saint Sophia (Los Angeles)
Saint Sophia , was built by Charles Skouras in 1952, in what was then the Greek section of Los Angeles, California. It is located at West 15th Street and South Normandie Avenue in what is now the Harvard Heights neighborhood. This Greek Orthodox church is the result of a Hollywood success story...
.
She was "only a little over 5 feet tall" and said that she had to alter her own clothes to fit.
Peggy was chairwoman of an annual fundraiser for underprivileged children sponsored by the show-business Masquers Club, as well as being active in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. She was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
from Columbia College
Columbia College Hollywood
Columbia College Hollywood is a film school located in Tarzana, California, USA. It is approved by the State of California to offer degrees, and is an associate institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design...
in Hollywood.
Robert died in Northridge, California, on March 4, 1975, after cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
, complicated by hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
and an infected gallbladder
Gallbladder
In vertebrates the gallbladder is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. In humans the loss of the gallbladder is usually easily tolerated....
. He had been ill for several months and underwent surgery for multiple retinal breaks
Retinal detachment
Retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach, leading to vision loss and blindness. It is a medical emergency.The retina is a...
in October and November 1974, returning to his City Council seat in December of that year. A funeral service was held in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
, with the Rev. Frank Kelly of St. Athanasius Episcopal Church officiating.
City Council
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1969 and after.The Stevensons—first Robert and then Peggy—represented Los Angeles City Council District 13, which in that era (1975) included Highland Park, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley, Mount Washington and parts of Echo Park and Eagle Rock. In 1969 the district also included Chinatown
Chinatown, Los Angeles
Chinatown in Los Angeles, California is located in the city's downtown area. Built in 1938, it is the second Chinatown to be constructed in Los Angeles. The original historic Chinatown was founded in the late 19th century, but was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major rail...
.
They were the second husband and wife to serve consecutive terms on the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
—the first having been Ed J. and Harriett Davenport
Ed J. Davenport and Harriett Davenport
Ed J. Davenport and Harriett Davenport, a married couple, were both members of the Los Angeles, California, City Council, the wife succeeding her husband in the position after he died in 1953. It was the first of two such spousal turnovers in the history of the city...
between 1945 and 1955.
Elections
Robert Stevenson began his City Hall career as a field deputy for Councilman James PotterJames Potter
James Potter was a soldier, farmer and politician from Colonial- and Revolutionary-era Pennsylvania. He rose to the rank of brigadier general of Pennsylvania militia during the Revolutionary War, and served as Vice-President of Pennsylvania, 1781-1782.-Family and early life:James Potter was of...
and later had the same job for Paul H. Lamport
Paul H. Lamport
Paul H. Lamport was a Hollywood, California, developer and civic leader who was a Los Angeles City Council member between 1965 and 1969.-Family:...
in the 13th District. He resigned and successfully ran for election against his old boss in 1969.
Stevenson scored a major upset in 1973 by soundly defeating policeman Irving Kaspar in his bid for reelection. The conservative Kaspar's election complaints against Stevenson included the latter's indictment and trial on charges of conspiracy and bribery in a Chinatown gambling scheme (below). Stevenson attacked Kaspar for, the councilman alleged in a tabloid
Tabloid
A tabloid is a newspaper with compact page size smaller than broadsheet, although there is no standard for the precise dimensions of the tabloid newspaper format...
publication, having been "a known John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
sympathizer." Kaspar went to court and got a temporary restraining order against further circulation of the campaign sheet on the grounds the statement was not true. In the end, voters cast 27,231 ballots for Stevenson and 21,062 for Kaspar.
Positions
Robert Stevenson was known as "a widely respected reformer and moderate who often served as a peacemaker between clashing colleagues." Nevertheless, he was also seen as "warring" with fellow Councilman Arthur K. SnyderArthur K. Snyder
Arthur K. Snyder, also known as Art Snyder, was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member between 1967 and 1985 and later engaged in a private law practice.-Biography:...
, partially occasioned by Stevenson's support of redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
of Snyder's neighboring councilmanic District 14.
Known for his "progressive voting record," Stevenson was "the innovator of a new system of council hearings," being the first councilman to hire outside counsel to conduct an investigation. Other positions:
1969. He voted against allowing churches to be established in single-family residential neighborhoods as a matter of right, stating: "I don't have the right to say arbitrarily 'you people in the neighborhood are going to get a church whether you like it or not.' "
1970. He and Council Member James B. Potter, Jr.
James B. Potter, Jr.
James B. Potter, Jr. was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member between 1963 and 1971. A sales manager for a tool company, when elected to the City Council he became its youngest member at age 31...
took the lead in successfully opposing a proposed freeway (State Route 160) through Laurel Canyon that would have linked Slauson Avenue
Slauson Avenue
Slauson Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare for southern Los Angeles County, California, named for the land developer and Los Angeles Board of Education member J. S. Slauson. It passes through Culver City, Ladera Heights, View Park-Windsor Hills, Baldwin Hills, Inglewood, South Los Angeles,...
in Ladera Heights with the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. They said the idea was a "scheme to bury huge areas of Hollywood, the mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
and Studio City under a blanket of concrete."
1973. Stevenson submitted an ordinance that would have required outdoor eating places along Hollywood
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
, Ventura
Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S...
and Wilshire
Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
boulevards to be enclosed as a way to prevent the spread of litter.
1973. In urging the establishment of minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
routes through the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
, he and Council Member Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs , was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member for thirty years and a three-time candidate for mayor of that city, who is now the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City...
disagreed with a Southern California Rapid Transit District
Southern California Rapid Transit District
The Southern California Rapid Transit District , was the successor to the original Metropolitan Transit Authority after it virtually went bankrupt...
report that the proposed routes would face safety hazards on the "steep and narrow roadways."
1974. Stevenson proposed an ordinance
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
that would, among other things, have made job discrimination illegal against homosexuals. After his death, the City Council unanimously voted in 1975 to kill it. Police Chief Edward M. Davis
Edward M. Davis
Edward Michael Davis was the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from , and later a California State Senator from and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 1986...
was one of its more vocal critics.
Indictment and decision
Robert Stevenson and eight other people were indicted in February 1970 on charges of conspiracy
Conspiracy
-Types of conspiracies:* Cabal, an association between religious, political, or tribal officials to further their own ends, usually by intrigue* Conspiracy , an agreement between persons to deceive, mislead, or defraud others of their legal rights, or to gain an unfair advantage* Conspiracy , an...
and bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
in the asserted proposed establishment of gambling dens
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
in Chinatown
Chinatown, Los Angeles
Chinatown in Los Angeles, California is located in the city's downtown area. Built in 1938, it is the second Chinatown to be constructed in Los Angeles. The original historic Chinatown was founded in the late 19th century, but was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major rail...
the previous year. Authorities said a multimillion-dollar-a-year operation was planned. All defendants were freed when a jury could not reach a verdict and Judge Joseph A. Sprankle Jr. declared a mistrial, acquitting Stevenson and seven of the other defendants. He said he did so reluctantly in Stevenson's case because he thought the councilman "probably knew something about what was going on," but that "the voters can take care of this in the next election."
Slander
In 1973 Stevenson filed suit against fellow City Councilman Arthur K. Snyder
Arthur K. Snyder
Arthur K. Snyder, also known as Art Snyder, was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member between 1967 and 1985 and later engaged in a private law practice.-Biography:...
over Snyder's remarks about Stevenson during a radio interview concerning the bribery-conspiracy trial. Nineteen months later, a settlement ensued with Snyder making an apology but with no money changing hands.
Legacy
Stevenson Manor, a 61-unit apartment project at 1230 North Cole Avenue, Hollywood, was named for Councilman Robert Stevenson.Special
Peggy Stevenson won a special election for the 13th District seat on May 27, 1975, over Irving Kaspar and 27 other candidates. With her seating on June 9, she and Council Member Pat Russell
Pat Russell
Pat Russell was the fourth woman to serve on the Los Angeles, California, City Council and the first woman to be City Council president .-Biography:...
became the only two elected women up to then to serve on the council at the same time.
Michael Woo
Peggy Stevenson's two electoral battles against Michael Woo
Michael Woo
Michael K. Woo, also known as Mike Woo, is an educator who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1985 to 1993. He is now dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.-Family:...
were heated. Endorsed by Police Chief Daryl Gates
Daryl Gates
Daryl Gates was the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1978 to 1992.-Early life:...
, she won her first fight against Woo in 1981 by a vote of 20,162 to 13,018, but Woo was victorious in 1985 by 16.417 to 12,052.
1981. In the 1981 race,Stevenson jettisoned the volunteers that had guided her primary campaign and hired Butcher-Forde Consulting of Orange County for the final vote, which was criticized for having "racial overtones." Even her primary campaign had been criticized for sending out fliers asking Republican voters if they wanted the candidate supported by the Mexican American Political Association
Mexican American Political Association
Mexican American Political Association is an organization that promotes the interests of Mexican-Americans, Mexicans, Latinos, Chicanos, Hispanics and Latino Economic Refugees in the United States.-History:...
and the Asian Democratic Caucus "or Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson." She denied they were meant to raise racial questions but simply to point up Woo's "ultraliberal" support.
At one point, a debate between Stevenson and Woo "exploded into a verbal brawl" when the former, 56, attempted to turn Wilbur Woo, the father of 29-year-old Michael Woo, into the major issue of the campaign. She called him "a wealthy banker who doesn't even live in Los Angeles, let alone our district," and who "has put together a $300,000 bankroll from his associates and from borrowers of his bank to finance a totally immoral and untruthful campaign against me." The Los Angeles Times reported:
The candidates tried to outdo each other as champions of gay rights and rent controlRent controlRent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
. Woo ridiculed economic development in the district and Stevenson said she had brought in one billion dollars worth of construction in four years. Woo said he'd like to see proof.
1985. The 1985 race was an expensive one—expected to be a million dollars for both candidates together. Stevenson was supported by "some of the city's most prominent political fund-raisers" and the "real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
industry," while Woo could again count on his banker-businessman father.
Stevenson blamed a "Westside political organization" headed by U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman
Henry Waxman
Henry Arnold Waxman is the U.S. Representative for , serving in Congress since 1975. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress...
and Howard Berman
Howard Berman
Howard Lawrence Berman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He earlier served in the California State Assembly from 1974 to 1982, and as the U.S...
for her loss. In an "unusual rebuke," the Times reported, her fellow Council Members Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D...
and Marvin Braude
Marvin Braude
Marvin Braude was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 32 years, between 1965 and 1997—the third-longest-serving council member in the history of the city...
had endorsed Woo over her, "partly because they said she was too supportive of projects in their districts backed by big developers
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
who contributed to her campaign."
Positions
Peggy Stevenson and Councilman Joel WachsJoel Wachs
Joel Wachs , was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member for thirty years and a three-time candidate for mayor of that city, who is now the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City...
sponsored what Wachs called "the strongest gay rights ordinance in the U.S.," prohibiting job and housing discrimination based on sexual preference. Other positions:
1980. Peggy Stevenson charged that there was an "alarming trend toward overdeployment of police for relatively minor disturbances at gay bars" and held a hearing before her Police, Fire and Public Safety Committee on the situation.
1985. As a member of the Recreation, Library and Cultural Affairs Committee, she voted in favor of doubling the park ranger
Park ranger
A park ranger or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Different countries use different names for the position. Ranger is the favored term in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Within the United...
staff of the Recreation and Parks Department and allowing the rangers to carry guns.
Further reading
- Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1971, opening statements in Robert Stevenson trial (library card required)
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