The Malibu Times endorses Sharon Barovsky, Andy Stern for City Council
Sharon Barovsky
Sharon was first appointed by the council to temporarily replace her late husband, Harry. Thereafter, she was elected in her own right by the citizens to serve the remaining two years of the term. She is now running for reelection. Barovsky is capable, hardworking and knowledgeable. Her decisions are level headed and generally centrist.
Also, in a council that has typically been weighted to membership of citizens from the west end of Malibu, she brings a useful balance of central and east Malibu opinion to the council. She’s tough, direct, honest, not always diplomatic, but with Barovsky, typically, you’ll always know where you stand, because if you ask her, she’ll tell you.
The coming battle with the Coastal Commission will take both smarts and toughness. Barovsky has both, which is why we support her.
Andy Stern
Stern has been involved in community politics for a number of years and most recently serving as chair of the Malibu Planning Commission. He is Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s appointment to the L.A. County Beach and Harbors Commission, where his colleagues also elected him chair.
Stern is both an attorney and a businessman and has always exhibited community leadership in the roles he has filled. His judgment is sound, he’s levelheaded and he’ll come to the council with a very broad base of experience so he can hit the ground running. Stern, like Barovsky, has a gravitas, a seriousness of purpose and will be a fine addition to the council.
A number of people have asked me how it is we decide whom we want to endorse. Some newspapers have an editorial board meeting with candidates so they can ask questions and get to know them. The Malibu Times, typically, does not do it that way.
Malibu is a very small town and the world of town politics is even smaller. We, the publishers, get to know all the candidates personally. Generally, we have had an opportunity over the years to observe them in both formal and informal settings and there is seldom a candidate whom we don’t know. We know their reputations, their beliefs, their politics, their likes and their dislikes, who are their supporters and who are their opponents. We generally try to go to a few of the forums to find out how well they know the issues and how they do under pressure. Then we talk to others-our reporters, our sales people and others in the community who have had interactions with the candidates. Are the conscientious? Are they fair? Will they work hard? Typically, people lobby us all the time, both for and against. Sometimes that tells you something about the candidate. Sometimes it tells you more about the person doing the lobbying.
Every election, we endorse candidates for City Council. We’ve now been at this for more than 10 years and have had an opportunity to develop a set of criteria that seem to portend the potentiality for a good councilmember.
Intelligence: Simply put, government is complicated, and to master it successfully the councilmember has to be smart, reasonable, agile on their feet, have a sense of what’s doable and what’s not, and be knowledgeable about city government.
Experience: Generally, it helps if the person comes up through the process and along the way, pay their dues. That means participating in study groups or on city commissions. That also means past participation in the political process or elections.
Fairness: We seek people who are open-minded and able to listen to the opinion of others, particularly opinions that might not agree with their own. Invariably, to be fair, you have to have a sense of humor, particularly in this town.
Gravitas: It’s a hard quality to define, but you know it when you see it. It’s a combination of judgment, self-confidence, seriousness and knowledge, which leaves you feeling comfortable they can do the job.
We try not to make snap judgments. We think long and hard before we endorse. Sometimes the question is close.
But, lastly, I tip my hat to anyone who runs for public office. It takes courage, and you have to believe you can make it and then take the risk of being rejected. It’s time-consuming and often stressful. It has its good moments, but it also has its bad ones. Few people ever get used to being attacked in print, or in a phone campaign or at a forum. Once you decide to run for public office you have friends, but you also inherit enemies, and that’s not always easy. So, for those who undertake the challenge-Bravo!
The candidates in this race have given their all and that is the toughest part. We owe it to do our part, which is a lot easier, and that’s to go to the polls on Tuesday and vote.