Antonovich and Dana Assailed in Latest Clash Over Homeless

Returning a volley in the continuing political skirmish over the homeless, Los Angeles County labor chief William Robertson Friday charged that county Supervisors Deane Dana and Michael D. Antonovich are using the issue “just for politics” and have demonstrated that “they have no concern for people.”

At a press conference outside the new, nearly complete Skid Row shelter at 5th and San Julian streets, Robertson, executive secretary-treasurer of the county Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, angrily denied that any “political conspiracy” to help the reelection efforts of the city’s Democratic mayor, Tom Bradley, was behind his push to hastily erect the 10,000-square-foot temporary dormitory.

Republicans Dana and Antonovich complained this week that the burst of recent efforts on behalf of the homeless were being politicized because of the mayoral election. On Tuesday, they blocked a proposal by liberal Democratic Supervisor Ed Edelman to create a joint city-county homeless task force that would have included the mayor, fearing that it might be used to help promote Bradley’s campaign.

Robertson was flanked by representatives of building trade unions that have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of labor in the last week to build the shelter. “You couldn’t go out and ask those volunteers to build this structure for Bill Robertson or Mayor Tom Bradley. They did it because they saw the need,” said Robertson, who is one of the mayor’s closest political allies.

Bradley, who has been personally involved in the project, has received media coverage at the site and plans a press conference there Monday, when the keys to the facility will be turned over to the Skid Row Development Corp., the nonprofit city agency that will operate the shelter. Robertson defended the mayor’s appearances, saying Bradley’s help was needed “expediting the things that need to be done to make this possible.”

Robertson said Dana and Antonovich are concerned about “the fact that Mayor Bradley is a Democrat and Bill Robertson is a Democrat. And they have no affinity for the labor movement to begin with.”

Dana, who opened a homeless service center in the Compton area of his district Friday, said Robertson’s charges were “ridiculous.”

Dana said the mayor called him Thursday and the two agreed that providing shelter for the homeless is chiefly a county responsibility. However, much disagreement remains on whether the county will pick up any of the estimated $250,000 tab for operating the temporary shelter.

Conservative supervisors are miffed by the fact that Robertson, a longtime foe, and city officials quickly constructed the temporary shelter and then announced that the county has an obligation to provide funds to operate it.

“I don’t think Mr. Robertson had any business putting that shelter up and then to come crying to the county,” Dana said. Free rooms are available in downtown hotels for those who qualify for county general relief, Dana said, adding that it is questionable whether the shelter, which will use portable toilets and has no showers, would qualify for county subsidies. “You don’t go off and build a facility without adequate planning and provisioning.”