Media Release

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release October 21, 2016

Contact: Dave Jacobson, (818) 943-2348 Maclen Zilber, (510) 508-9142 Jacobson & Zilber Strategies ACLU, L.A. CO. GREEN PARTY JOIN EXPANSIVE COALTION OPPPOSING L.A.'S RRR

American Civil Liberties Union SoCal & L.A. County Green Party Say No to L.A. Charter Amendment RRR

LOS ANGELES, CA -- On the heels of rolling out a new online video featuring former L.A. City Controller Laura Chick who urges Angelenos to vote no on Los Angeles' Charter Amendment RRR, today the Neighborhoods Against the DWP Power Grab announced that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California and the L.A. County Green Party both recently joined the chorus of those opposing the measure.

In making their opposition public, the ACLU of Southern California posted on their website the following statement:

"NO on RRR: Gives Los Angeles Department of Water officials too much power and restricts voters’ say on precious resources: clean water and renewable energy

"Measure RRR is a misguided measure that will give the L.A. Department of Water (LADWP) officials too much power and make the department far less transparent and accountable to voters.

"Measure RRR transfers oversight of the LADWP from the city council to the DWP Board of Commissioners, enabling unelected commissioners to run the department. This means the DWP Board will have the power to spike rates and spend millions on contracts and salaries without any of the existing oversight and approvals from voters and elected officials. The measure also means the LADWP would hire from outside the Civil Service system, which provides objective procedures for hiring and allows employees to transfer among departments depending on their skills, their needs, and the city’s needs. Measure RRR severely restricts voters’ power over LADWP operations, hiring and rate hikes, and gives voters less of a say on precious resources: clean water and renewable energy policies. Vote no."

Additionally, the Los Angeles County Green Party publicly displayed their opposition to Los Angeles Charter Amendment RRR on their website, available here.

To watch the recently released digital ad featuring former City Controller Laura Chick, click on the link below:

To check out Chick’s opinion editorial in the L.A. Daily News, click here. To read Food and Water Watch's recently published opinion piece in the Los Angeles Progressive, click here.

Since the formation of the Neighborhoods Against the DWP Power Grab, the campaign has had the wind at its back, building up an expansive coalition of supporters who oppose Charter Amendment RRR.

To date, those who have signed on to the campaign as official endorsers include:

 Los Angeles County Democratic Party  Los Angeles County Young Democrats (LACYD)  New Frontier Democratic Club  Northeast Democratic Club  West Los Angeles Democratic Club  Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Council Member Nate Holden (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Council Member Rita Walters (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Council Member Hal Bernson (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Council Member Robert Farrell (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Council Member Dennis Zine (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Council Member Greig Smith (Ret.)  Los Angeles City Council Member Richard Alarcon (Ret.)   Elected Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission Chair Erwin Chemerinsky (Ret.)  Pastor William D. Smart, Jr., Fix L.A. Coalition*  Environmentalist and Actor, Ed Begley Jr.  Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association  National Organization for Women (NOW) California President Jerilyn Stapleton*  Food and Water Watch  Consumer Watchdog  Southern California Watershed Alliance  Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association President Richard Close*  Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action  People Organized for Westside Renewal (POWER)  Studio City Neighborhood Council President John Walker (Ret.)*  Silverlake Neighborhood Council Co-Chair Anne-Marie Johnson*  San Pedro Democratic Club President Robert Brandin*  LAX- Area Democratic Club President Al Lay*  San Fernando Valley Young Democrats  Pacific Palisades Democratic Club  Los Angeles County Green Party  American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California

For more information please visit the campaign's website at: www.NoDWPPowerGrab.com

*Titles for Identification Purposes Only.

###

Paid for by No on RRR, Neighborhoods Against the DWP Power Grab, a coalition of environmental groups, consumer advocacy organizations, and employee organizations, 514 Shatto Place, Los Angeles. Major funding by Service Employees International Union Local 721 CTW, CLC Issues and Initiatives (committee), California State Council of Service Employees Issues Committee, and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, District Council 36. Additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org.

Our mailing address is: 5419 Hollywood blvd Suite C135, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list