‘Recall Bonin’ Campaign Continues

Although District 11 Councilman Mike Bonin has announced that traffic lanes will be restored on Jefferson and Culver Boulevards, the movement to recall him continues.

In an October 6 press release, Alix Gucovsky, co-chair of the movement, said that $72,000 has already been raised. “The Recall Bonin campaign is truly a grassroots effort and one that speaks for the vast majority of the district,” Gucovsky said. “This is evidenced by our internal poll that has 69 percent of registered voters weighing in against the lane diets and road reconfigurations.”

The 11th District includes the communities of Brentwood, Del Rey, Mar Vista, Pacific Palisades, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Venice and Westchester.

The recall campaign was launched in September in response to Bonin’s implementation of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Great Streets Initiative which removed one lane of traffic on Venice Boulevard between Beethoven Street and Inglewood Boulevard. Other streets affected by “road diets” were Vista del Mar, Culver, Jefferson and Pershing Boulevards.

“These transportation-related schemes that Bonin is creating and supporting are having a severe negative impact on the everyday quality of life for his constituents,” said Robin Rudisill, former chair of the Venice Land Use & Planning Committee, who ran against Bonin in the March election. “Bonin thinks he knows what’s best for us, but he barely speaks to the citizens before he does these things. His outreach is pitiful. Why? Because he knows the majority would of course be against ideas such as reducing lanes of traffic on major thoroughfares.”