Green vs. Blue: Debra Bowen Picks Up Environmental Endorsement In 36th Congressional Race

By Gene Maddaus Wed., Mar. 30 2011 at 3:09 PM

Debra Bowen

Since Rep. Jane Harman announced her retirement, there's been a struggle to frame the battle between the top two candidates to replace her: Democrats Janice Hahn and Debra Bowen.

The standard frame would be moderate-vs.-liberal, but good luck finding a genuinely moderate position that either has taken in the last 10 years. That does not mean, however, that there's no difference between them. In fact, they represent two different constituencies within the Democratic Party.

Hahn's base is in labor, while Bowen represents the concerns of more affluent coastal Democrats. Today, the California League of Conservation Voters ratified that interpretation by endorsing Bowen.

"Debra has a much longer record on the environment," said David Allgood, CLCV's Southern California director. "We know her to be a leader that doesn't knuckle under to pressure from special interests."

Allgood said the League had taken note of Hahn's flip-flop-flip on the L.A. oil severance tax. She proposed the tax last fall, before changing her mind and trying to keep it off the ballot. When it went on the ballot anyway, she then supported it. (It narrowly failed.)

"One of the things we considered was the ability of somebody to put their finger in the wind and change positions that quickly," Allgood said. "For her to have one position one day and the opposite position the next -- that was a big concern."

Allgood praised Bowen for opposing energy deregulation in the 1990s, and for her work to make the Playa Vista development more environmentally friendly. During her 14 years in the Legislature, Bowen earned a 96% lifetime score from the CLCV.

Dave Jacobson, a spokesman for Hahn, noted that Hahn had been a leader on the effort to reduce air pollution at the Port of Los Angeles.

"That's one of the most important environmental initiatives we've seen in this region ever," Jacobson said. "She has created green jobs at the same time."

Allgood said that Hahn had hit on the theme of green jobs during the endorsement interview, but, Allgood said, "there's more to the environment than that."

Tags:

California League of Conservation Voters, Debra Bowen, environment, Janice Hahn

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Nacount

The LA WEEKLY needs to take off the rose colored glasses and start seriously covering this race.

Secretary of State Bowen has accepted large sums of campaign donation from the gas & oil industry during the height of the energy crisis while she served in the California state senate and specifically as Chairman of the senate's Energy Committee.

Her acceptance of campaign donations from Enron as well as past investment in WAL-MART truly question her judgment as well as her ability to be the independent voice voters truly need and deserve.

In the case of both Hahn & Bowen, we have two termed out, career politicans seeking political refuge in Washington thanks to term limits. Like John Garamendi, Judy Chu and Karen Bass, we have two more politicos looking for a safe seat in congress to extend their political careers while picking up federal pension along the way.

How does Bowen, who is pro-three strikes, for the death penalty and pro-corporate tax cuts try to steal the mantle of progressive in a race where she seems to the right of even Jane Harman at times?

What is the Bowen record on job creation?

Hahn?

It doesn't exist.

When will either Bowen or Hahn take a position that isn't poll driven or straight from a consultant's handbook?

Marta Evry

The characterization that Bowen's constituency consists mostly of more affluent Democrats (or at least more affluent than Hahn's blue collar constituents) isn't entirely accurate. If you look at the fundraising both candidates have done on Act Blue (the only metric we have for fundraising efforts until the quarterly reports come in), the picture is a bit different.

As of this morning, Bowen has raised $63,677 from 722 donors, while Hahn has raised $58,732 from only 260 donors. The average Bowen donor gave $88.19 while the average Hahn donor gave nearly 3 times as much, $225.90.

At least when it comes to fundraising, it's Hahn, not Bowen, who has the more affluent constituency.