Remembering a local politician with guts Jerry Weinstein 1935-1997	4/9/03
	The public opinion forum where Beverly Hills dukes out the issues. The Beverly Hills Weekly Staff   We've previously lamented the fact that these days most of our locally elected officials lack guts. Who knows why so many politicians today lack character? It could have something to do with the nature of political campaigns today; the massive amount of money and gladhanding it takes to get elected, and/or the public's general cynicism with elected officials in general. It's a "chicken and the egg" type argument that sadly has no definitive answer. So today we take the time to remember a politician who had real guts-- and his record throughout his life reflected it. We're talking about the late former Board of Education member (1977-1985) Jerry Weinstein. If you didn't know him, Jerry was an entertainment attorney who attended Harvard Law School and later moved to California to raise his family. Among others, Jerry represented the Beverly Hills Courier and the estate of Fred Astaire, often resolving complicated copyright and right of publicity issues on behalf of his clients. Jerry often took on unpopular causes in the name of principle. He didn't get involved in politics to be loved, to attend black-tie dinners, or to gain new legal clients for his law practice-- he did it to stand up for what was right. Jerry was a perennial critic of waste in government, and he was never afraid to call it when he saw it. Jerry first ran unsuccessfully for the Board in 1975 (the year Vicki Reynolds was first elected). Undaunted, he ran again two years later (the year Bernice Hutter retired, who had served since 1961!) and won. Jerry was reelected in 1981 (along with Fred Stern, who served until his resignation in 1991). In his last two years on the Board, Jerry served as a mentor to then-freshmen members Mark Egerman (currently Vice Mayor), Frank Fenton (currently City Treasurer), and Betty Wilson. Upon his retirement from the Board in 1985, he was succeeded by Dana Tomarken. Jerry had a sharp wit, but also no shortage of courage. He firmly stood for term limits, and later became a critic of Reynolds, despite having served with her on the Board. It's not easy to speak out against a former colleague, but many of us think you have a duty to do so if you think their votes or agenda don't make sense. Towards the end of his life, Jerry encouraged a new generation of parents to run for the Board, including Gerald Lunn, who was elected in 1997 with Jerry's help and support, and now writes a column in this newspaper (see pg.12). Right up until his passing, Jerry remained active in our city politics. Jerry left us far too early, and we can only imagine what role he would have played in the Board battles and embarrassing construction snafus of the last few years. Jerry's surviving law partner Joseph Hart still represents the Courier through his new law firm. To put it as charitably as we can, (and at the risk of sounding like former Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen during that famous 1988 vice presidential debate) "We knew Jerry Weinstein. Joe Hart is no Jerry Weinstein." The Weekly has faced off against Hart twice in court now (in 2000 and 2002), and we've beaten Hart and the Courier both times. We know that if Jerry were still with us, the Courier never would have filed such frivolous legal claims against the Weekly, because had Jerry still been their attorney, he would have had the guts to tell them that they were bound to lose (as they eventually did-- twice). Unfortunately, in our opinion, some lawyers are apparently only out for the almighty buck-- even when they know or have reason to know that their clients have no chance to prevail on the law. Jerry's legacy of public service lives on through his children, who include Olivia Weinstein Karlin (a lawyer with the California Attorney General's office), who now sends Jerry's grandson to Beverly Vista. If political courage runs in the genes, then it looks like we've found the best future candidate for our School Board! One thing is for sure: they sure don't make them like they used to. Jerry Weinstein is one local political icon who had genuine integrity. He won't soon be forgotten.

 

WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? You can write us at: 140 South Beverly Drive #201 Beverly Hills, CA 90212. You can fax us at: 310.887.0789. Email us at: editor@bhweekly.com