Former Hermosa Councilman George Barks promises “No More Pie In the Sky Politics” in 66th Assembly District bid
by Kevin Cody
When George Barks ran for Hermosa Beach City Council in 1974, he campaigned on the promise of “No Pie in the Sky Politics.” It was his first bid for public office and he was the top vote getter. He was 32.
Now, at age 80, in his first return to electoral politics since he left the Hermosa council in 1985, Barks is campaigning on that same promise as the Republican candidate for the 66th District State Assembly seat.
The 66th State Assembly District represents 481,000 residents. It runs north/south from Manhattan Beach to Rancho Palos Verdes, and east/west from Gardena/Torrance/Lomita/Carson to the ocean.
Barks’ opponent is four term Democratic incumbent Al Muratsuchi, who was first elected to the Assembly in 2012
66th Assembly District candidate George Barks (second from right) last year at the Hermosa Historical Society, discussing his years in the early 1980s on the City Council with fellow council members he served with (left to right) George Schmeltzer, Lance Widman and Jim Rosenberger. Photo by Kevin Cody
Barks acknowledges he is the underdog. The 66th District is 41 percent Democratic, 27 percent Republican, and 19 percent declined-to-state.
In the June primary he received 38 percent of the vote (41,918), versus Mirasutchi’s 62 percent (67,6618).
For campaign advice on the upcoming November 8 general election, Barks turned to fellow Republican David Hadley, who unseated Muratsuchi in the 2014 Assembly race. Muratsuchi reclaimed the seat in the 2016 election.
“David advised me to stress bipartisanship, and willingness to compromise,” Barks said.
Barks cites his council experience as evidence of his bipartisanship. In 1974, he was the only candidate to oppose redevelopment in south Hermosa, a hot button issue that led to an unsuccessful council recall attempt. But once elected, Barks worked with his more liberal colleagues to acquire the Greenbelt from Santa Fe Railroad; and the former Pier Avenue, and South school sites from the school district. Pier Avenue is now the Community Center and South School is South Park.
If elected to the Assembly, Barks’ moderate positions on the homeless and local zoning control make compromise with Democrats look feasible.
He now lives in Redondo, and supports Redondo’s homeless pallet program. He also supports the controversial Los Angeles County plan to convert a motel on Pacific Coast Highway in south Redondo to homeless housing.
“We can’t just chase out the homeless. We need to accept some of the homeless impact. We need to show some compassion,” he said.
More consistent with District sentiment, Barks opposes Sacramento’s effort to address the State’s housing shortage by mandating the number of housing units each city must build.
“The beach cities are built out. The only way to increase housing would be to build high rises,” he said.
Less consistent with District sentiment, is Barks position on climate change.
“I think there is climate change. But I’m not ready to say it’s all caused by fossil fuels,” he said.
“I believe we will transition to electric cars, but not in our lifetime. There’s no way we can stop sales of gasoline cars by 2035, as the Democrats propose,’ he said.
He also believes it’s “pie in the sky politics” to believe alternative energy can meet the State’s energy demands.
At a recent Hermosa Beach Council Meeting, he spoke against the council’s decision to enroll residents in the Clean Power Alliance, which will replace Southern California Edison as the city’s’ primary energy provider. CPA will provide renewable energy to residents unless they opt out, in favor of Southern California Edison.
“There are questions about CPA’s financial stability. Why be the guinea pig,” he said in explaining his opposition to the renewal energy provider.
“We need to build more nuclear power plants, like they have in Europe. It’s clean and it’s safe,” he said. “I support alternative energy sources. But when people talk about nuclear waste, I want to ask how we are going to dispose of electric car batteries,” he said.
Also contrary to local sentiment, Barks said he supports desalination plants, including the plant the Waste Basin Water District proposed for El Segundo. Waste Basin’s plant was scuttled last year under pressure from neighboring Manhattan Beach residents.
Barks’ affinity for the internal combustion engines dates back to his youth when he and his brothers owned an auto repair shop at Pacific Coast Highway and Second Street.
His Greek immigrant parents moved to Hermosa Beach in 1938 and bought Egger’s Bakery at Second and Pacific Coast Highway.
Following World War II, his parents opened the first market in the South Bay to offer frozen food.
“Aerospace workers on their way home from work would stop at the market for frozen dinners. But my brothers and I were more interested in cars than groceries, so our dad bought the property next door, and we built a three-stall garage. My brothers and I worked there from high school until 1977, when we leased the property to Vasek Polak Porsche,” Barks said.
When Vasek Polak closed in the early 2000s, Barks and his brothers leased their property, on the west side of Pacific Coast Highway, between Second Street and First Place, to CVS Pharmacy.
Barks has loaned his campaign $18,500, and has received $20,261 in donations, all under $250, according to his November campaign disclosure statement.
Muratsuchi reported having received contributions totaling $476,666, as of September. ER