Gadfly

At first the gruff, bull-like man was one of those pesky gadflies--a minor irritant buzzing around the heads of politicians. They waved him away, slapped at him and tried to ignore his raspy heehawing about big government and confiscatory property taxes. Finally, in 1978, the gadfly took a bludgeon and gave government in California a mighty whack. California is still reeling. The gadfly was Howard Jarvis; the bludgeon was Proposition 13.

Some call them community activists. Others label them gadflies. And a few simply call them pests. But no matter what you call them, they get noticed, and they get involved in their cities. They seem to have these things in common: They are colorful, committed, sometimes eccentric, fervent, often attention-seeking, accomplished and driven. Times correspondent Lisa Addison looks at five of them.

UCLA professor Laura Lake is undertaking a wholesale rewriting of Westwood's community plan in an attempt to scale down what she sees as "helter-skelter" growth in the congested district. Planning consultant Ruth Galanter, who lives in Venice, is trying to unseat City Councilwoman Pat Russell in the 6th District and dreams of slowing development in that populous Westside area.

A Torrance Superior Court judge dismissed a $250,000 libel lawsuit filed by Janice Cruikshank, former El Segundo school board president and City Council member. Judge Jean Matusinka ruled last Friday that Cruikshank's lawsuit against political gadfly William Campbell should be thrown out of court after Campbell's attorney filed a motion saying that the suit should fall under a 1992 law aimed at eliminating lawsuits that could hinder public dissent.

I detect sympathy in your editorial "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime" (Sept. 27) regarding Hayes being sentenced to 155 days in jail for refusing (as always) to abide by the rules during certain public agency meetings; that Hayes is "an outspoken gadfly" and "no ordinary gadfly." (Personally, I think 155 days in the pokey is a bit much myself, but he broke probation and that's a different matter.) However, in concluding your editorial you say, "Gadflies can be annoying, but the self-appointed watchdogs have every right to express their opinions at public meetings."

San Diego's population has exceeded 1 million. It is absurd that the City Council would seriously consider implementing a rule that targets only one, solitary citizen. A proposal limiting a person's appearances before the council to 100 times a year was clearly aimed at City Hall gadfly Rose Lynne, who frequently voices her opinions at council meetings--much too frequently to suit City Manager John Lockwood and certain council members. The rights of the citizenry to speak out at meetings of public officials are guaranteed by the Constitution.

Having known and admired Ray Reyes for several years, I read with interest the article about him, "Glendale Gadfly" (Glendale section, July 16). The story reviewed Mr. Reyes' tenure as chairman of the Glendale Human Relations Council, focusing especially on criticisms of his leadership. The essence of these criticisms is opposition to Reyes' notion that racism must be directly confronted. Critics deride Reyes' "confrontative style," demanding that he concentrate on "bringing people together."

Melvin Perlitsh has a sour face, a strident manner and a voice like a baritone band saw. In Burbank they call him the Gadfly From Hell. When he comes at you frowning and shaking his head, you know there has been a social injustice somewhere to which Melvin has taken personal offense. Brave men scatter when they see Perlitsh approaching and women shield the ears of their children from the invective he is about to fire in barrages.