Tom Hayden Campaign Tom Hayden
The Fifth District City Council seat has 11 candidates lined up,
but only one of them ““ the one with the greatest name
recognition ““ is truly in tune with students.
UCLA, Westwood, Bel-Air, Holmby Hills, West Hollywood, Century
City and parts of the San Fernando Valley are all part of the Fifth
District, making it one of the wealthiest districts in the city,
but also one that has continuing problems balancing student needs
with homeowner desires.
Tom Hayden, a former state senator, is the only candidate with a
record of commitment to students. Last year, Hayden was named
Legislator of the Year by the UC Student Lobby, CSU Student
Association and the Community College Student Association. As a
legislator, he passed bills that helped all three school
systems.
Unlike many politicians, Hayden’s past also demonstrates a
serious commitment to progressive social change. His political
career began in the 1960s as a civil rights activist and leader in
the anti-war movement. He co-founded the radical Students for a
Democratic Society, was a member of the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee and stood on trial as one of the
“Chicago Seven,” charged with conspiracy after the
violent 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He
eventually became a state senator who championed labor, human
rights and the environment.
His progressive views would benefit Angelenos. Hayden supports
the consent decree and police reform, though he says he will wait
to decide whether or not he would vote to renew L.A. Police Chief
Bernard Parks’ contract. He has also said he supports
low-income housing.
At UCLA, he opposes the destruction of the IM field to build a
parking lot, and supports the extension of the BruinGo! Program. He
wants to increase bus services throughout Los Angeles, which would
help commuters and make cheaper housing more accessible to
students.
In contrast, candidate Laura Lake, co-founder of Friends of
Westwood, is an advocate for the wealthy homeowners and is out of
touch with UCLA students. Though she is known for her interest in
revitalizing Westwood, her sentiments have historically been with
the homeowners who prefer upscale dining and bringing an expensive
Ralph’s Fresh Fare to Westwood, rather than bringing live
music, dancing and an affordable supermarket to revitalize the
Village for college students.
The third leading candidate is Jack Weiss, a former federal
prosecutor, who raised more money for his campaign than any of his
opponents. Weiss has not demonstrated any special understanding of
college students or the conflicting interests of the Village, which
is an important part of the district.
Hayden holds the potential to balance between the interests of
the homeowners as well as the interests of students ““ who
have too long been ignored in the Fifth District. His renown will
make him a powerful member of the city council and his broad
understanding of the diversity of the district will make him an
excellent representative for the Fifth District.