Local Candidate Feldman Challenges Waxman

Would Represent Newly Reapportioned District 30

Clara Sturak
Associate editor

   Under the heading of “Local Boy Makes Good,” or tries to, sits Kevin Feldman. A 33 year-year-old former investment manager who grew up in Malibu and went to Santa Monica High School, Feldman has taken on the almost impossible challenge of running against the well-loved Henry Waxman in the Democratic primary race for Congressional District 30.
   Local voters, if they haven’t been paying too much attention, may be surprised to know that beginning this election season, they will not be voting for who will represent them in Congressional District 29, but rather in the new, larger, District 30. Thanks to the 2000 census; reapportionment, that kookiest – and often most corrupt – political tool has meant the redrawing of local districts, so that Santa Monica is now part of a strangely shaped district that includes the entire cities of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, parts of West Los Angeles; Malibu, Topanga, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, West Hills, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village, and small areas of Tarzana and Northridge.
   Feldman, who lives in West Hollywood with his partner of 11 years, Tom Nash, is fulfilling what he calls “a life dream,” of running for public office. As the economy began to falter last year, Feldman began to consider a run for Congress more seriously. “September 11 really formalized it for me,” he says. “I felt that there was very little [congressional] leadership [following the attacks], and that’s why the Bush administration was able to push through the tax cuts without a whole lot of opposition.” Feldman, having determined that he “would bring something different to the table,” decided to challenge Waxman for the seat the Congressman has held for 28 years.
   He understands that Waxman is not an easy opponent to run against, but points out that reapportionment means Waxman himself is new to many valley voters. For that reason, Feldman believes his best chance lies there – and he has spent a good deal of campaign time in valley neighborhoods. (Last week, he and Waxman spoke to voters in Westlake Village, a “conservative group of people,” according to Feldman, who were drawn to his business background. Almost hesitantly, he says he thinks he fared well against Waxman there.)
   Echoing the likes of former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, and other businessmen-cum-politicians, Feldman believes that government could benefit from an infusion of business practices. “My thinking is we need to use more innovative business world solutions to solve [public] problems.”
   He’s running on three major issues, things that voters have told him are their priorities, he says — the economy, transportation, and education.
   On economic issues he calls himself a “centrist democrat.” He feels the Bush tax cut was geared unfairly towards the very wealthy, but supports other types of tax breaks, including a temporary hold on Social Security payroll taxes to help small businesses. An advocate of public/private partnerships, he believes that the U.S.’s next “big project” should be the design of a zero emissions vehicle. “The technology is there,” he says, “we just need to champion it the same way we’ve done with other big projects.” Feldman believes a zero emissions vehicle would adddress two of the country’s major problems: our over reliance on foreign oil and worsening air pollution.
   He’s also a supporter of rail transit, feels Waxman’s stance against the east/west rail line on the Wilshire corridor was a horrible mistake, and says he will actively work to remove the current restriction that prevents a Wilshire Boulevard or similar east/west rail line. (He thinks the proposed Exposition Boulevard route is not ambitious enough, but would perhaps work “as part of a larger plan.”)
   When it comes to education, Feldman warns against the public sector’s reliance on “magic bullet” solutions, using class-size reduction as the current example of what he sees as a series of desperate measures recently taken to improve public education. “Why do we always have to put all our eggs in one basket?” he asks, “Why not make [class-size reduction] one of ten ideas that we’re experimenting with?” Using business lingo, Feldman suggests trying several of education’s “best practices” – theories that have proven successful elsewhere. Each idea would be invested in to a certain point, then reevaluated to see what worked and what didn’t.
   Comfortable with his three priorities, Feldman is less so when asked about his position on the military actions in Afghanistan, and the possibility of a widening conflict with other middle-eastern countries. At first he demurs, saying, “I don’t talk much about it because I don’t have a lot to contribute,” then, “On balance, the approach that Bush is taking is close to the one I would take.” His concern, he says, is that some of the actions the current administration is taking now may be judged harshly by history. “In this country, we often look back at what seemed reasonable [at a moment in time], and think, how could we have done that?”
   But it’s clear that Feldman’s heart is closer to home. He spent the first 10 years of his life in Sherman Oaks, then after his parents’ divorce, lived in Malibu with his mother and sister. After attending Malibu Park and Samohi, Feldman received a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Computer Science with a specialization in Business and Administration from UCLA. In college he enrolled in ROTC, as a pilot candidate, and enlisted in the Air Force Reserve. He served until 1989, and received an honorable discharge.
   Since 1993, Feldman has been a technology analyst and investment manager for Charles Schwab & Co. He was appointed a Vice President of the corporation in 1997. In 1998, Schwab granted him an educational sabbatical to complete a graduate program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he studied the use of business innovations in the public sector. He received a Master of Public Administration degree in June 2000, and left Schwab when he decided to run for Congress.
   If he’s elected, Feldman will be California’s first openly gay Congressman; something he calls “an historic opportunity.” He has long been associated with LYRIC (the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center, a provider of peer-based services for gay and lesbian young people), and makes a point to discuss the harassment many gay teens suffer in high school. “When we talk about the need for school safety, we tend to focus on headline issues like gun violence, but there is a lot of verbal and physical harassment of gay and lesbian teens. The numbers are shocking.” Still, he says, he doesn’t bring up his sexual orientation as a matter of course. “If someone asks me, I’ll tell them.” Even California Republicans are less concerned with sexual orientation, he says, and he doesn’t believe being a gay man will negatively affect his chances.
   Still, his chances are slim. In the next three weeks, Feldman will meet with community groups, canvas local markets and shopping areas, and attend a handful of fundraisers – in an effort to unseat a very powerful incumbent. His victory may not be assured, but he can consider this his best practice.
   A benefit cooking demonstration and luncheon for Kevin Feldman will be held at Border Grill, 1445 Fourth Street, on Saturday, February 16 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger host the event, along with Andrea Myerson and “Women on a Roll,” Diane Keaton, and others. For more information, call Tracy Johnson, (310) 689-7390.