MAILER EFFECTS LAST: LONG AFTER ELECTION GLENDALE COUNCILMAN WANTS PROBE
By Eugene Tong, Staff Writer

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
June 25 2006

GLENDALE – If the City Council were a high school cafeteria, Councilman
Frank Quintero – at least for now – would be the quiet kid forced to
eat lunch by himself.

Weeks after a failed state Assembly run in which he caught flak for
an attack mailer some denounced as anti-Armenian, the mood around
him seemed tense at last week’s council meeting.

In contrast, the other four council members – three of them
Armenian-Americans – joked and jibed while approving budgets and
countering critics.

"It’s almost like he’s a whipped puppy dog, losing that election,"
said Barry Allen, head of a local watchdog group called Vanguard.

Quintero, who lost to Burbank school board member Paul Krekorian in
the 43rd Assembly District’s June 6 Democratic primary, has denied any
connection with the offending mailer distributed by the Oakland-based
California Latino Leadership Fund.

"I don’t have any ill feelings toward any council member," he said
in an interview. "I had nothing to do with that flier. It was an
independent expenditure."

The mailer sought to link his Armenian-American opponent to terrorism
by way of the Armenian National Committee of America, which endorsed
Krekorian. A former ANC leader no longer tied to the advocacy group
was sentenced in 2001 to 37 years in prison for stolen explosives
and weapons possession.

"Things like this shouldn’t be happening," said Councilman Bob
Yousefian, who was among those offended by the mailer. "And this was
done by people who had been discriminated (against) in the first place.

"All bets are off against the candidate (when running for office).

But when you attack a whole group of people, I don’t think that’s
fair game."

Quintero said he was ready to put the campaign behind him and return
to work. He also is pressing for a state investigation of the mailer,
a matter the City Council is slated to consider Tuesday.

"I’m back at the job I was elected to do," he said. "I’m looking
forward to spending my time working (on) city issues. There are plenty
of things we need to work on."

But members of the council’s Armenian-American majority may not be
as forgiving.

"(Quintero) has chosen to completely deny it and not take
responsibility for it," Yousefian said. "He has to take some
responsibility for it.

"Time has a tendency to heal things. I hope that will take place. I
think Frank is going to have to take steps to basically wave the
olive branch."

Councilman Ara Najarian – who is also pushing for an investigation
to help "clear up some of the air" – downplayed the flap.

"There may be some tense and uneasy moments," he said. "(But) we’re
not going to vote against Frank just because he votes one way. We’re
not trying to isolate him or alienate him. He’s a full-fledged member,
and I for one expect him to participate fully."

It’s in the best interest of politicians to make nice, said Sherry
Bebitch Jeffe, a political scientist at University of Southern
California’s School of Planning and Public Policy.

"To get anything done in politics takes a majority of the vote," she
said. "You can’t hold a grudge." But with three Armenian-Americans
on the council, "the defeated candidate has a harder job."

City Manager Jim Starbird, who has more than 30 years’ experience
in municipal management, is optimistic that the council will remain
functional.

"Maintaining a professional relationship despite their differences is
always important in maintaining a council that will function well,"
he said. "I’m hopeful that we can separate the campaign issues that
arose from the Assembly race and the issues that confront the city.

"You don’t really expect all members of a council to think alike all
the time. What’s important is how they express these differences, and
working through the differences they have and coming to a conclusion."

As for Quintero, who was elected in 2001 with help from the ANC,
he still has time to mend bridges with his former supporters.

"He still has two more years before the next election," Allen said.