Doubts Emerge in L.A. Bid for GOP ’88 Event

Los Angeles came up short Monday in parts of its preliminary bid to lure the biggest event to the city since the 1984 Olympics--the 1988 Republican National Convention.

Nine members of the Republican National Committee site selection committee were treated to a lively unfurling of the civic red carpet Sunday and Monday--all the way to the downtown Convention Center. But unexpected problems and doubts emerged.

The GOP scouting team voiced strong concerns about rush-hour transportation of 15,000 or more conventioneers and about a potential shortage of work space at the Convention Center. But most alarming of all, the committee said, Convention Center officials said they could not pledge Republicans the advance time they requested before the opening gavel to construct the giant convention podium, arena seating and television anchor booths.

Full Control

Specifically, the Republicans demanded full control of the convention hall for six weeks before the Aug. 15, 1988, starting date. GOP National Chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. underscored the importance of the six weeks, because of the construction needed to prepare the hall for a nationally televised presidential nominating convention.

“If there is anything in the specifications that is inflexible from our standpoint, it is time,” he said.

Fahrenkopf noted that the written bid received from Los Angeles promised that Republicans could have the convention center only 13 days before opening day. Convention Center General Manager Dick Walsh said this possibly could be extended to three weeks. But Walsh said the extension would require that the California Gift Show voluntarily cancel its contract for use of the main hall for those days.

Chris Simons, Convention Center special projects director, said the Republicans were given the facts without any candy coating, “because it’s our policy to tell them the truth up front.”

Simons said there is room “to make adjustments” in negotiations with GOP technical advisers as time passes. He noted that the Los Angeles Convention Center has a track record of moving one convention out and another in very quickly. If some of the construction was done off-site, he added, the Republicans might not need all the time they are asking for.

Even though Los Angeles cannot meet all of the party’s demands like other cities might, Simons added in an interview, “We have lots of things that other cities don’t.”

While voicing concern about the “minuses” of Los Angeles, Fahrenkopf and other members of the site selection committee also said the city showed many pluses in the tour, which continues this morning.

Among the positive points, Fahrenkopf said, were the enthusiastic backing of civic and business leaders and a fine assemblage of downtown hotels. Additionally, Fahrenkopf credited Los Angeles officials with savvy and experience in handling large events, thanks to the successful Olympics.

No decision was made Monday in the competition between Los Angeles and nine other cities. None is expected until January, 1987.

“We have yet to find the perfect city,” Fahrenkopf said.

The party chairman repeatedly sought to dismiss persistent rumors that regardless of technical problems, Los Angeles is likely to receive the convention because it is the favored site of First Lady Nancy Reagan. The party chairman said he had spoken with both Reagans and was assured that “the results of our work product will be satisfactory to the President and First Lady.”

The Republicans will be making their final decision on a convention site after considering three factors. First are such basics as transportation, hotels, convention hall arrangements and the like. Second is civic spirit. Third is the purely political matter of which city would be the best place to showcase the Republican nominee to succeed Reagan.

Only in the category of civic spirit did Los Angeles seem to escape controversy.

Among those who joined in welcoming the Republicans was Los Angeles Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Bradley.

“I am a Democrat who has never been shy about criticizing the policies of the Republican Party. But the growth and dynamism that has characterized Los Angeles in the past 13 years has been due to the ability of members of my party to work with those with whom we do not always agree to achieve progress,” Bradley said in a written statement.

He also addressed the Republican committee in person.

Among the day’s entertainment was a well-received film glorifying nearly all aspects of Los Angeles life, from bikinis to fire walkers to a record-holding traffic intersection where 100,000 vehicles pass each work day. “I love L.A.” was its theme.

Raucous Luncheon

But most popular with the Republican officials was a raucous luncheon party at Casey’s Restaurant. Featured was live music and a team of celebrity look-alikes, who seemed to satisfy any curiosity the visitors had about holding a convention within sight of Hollywood.

Fahrenkopf, in particular, was delighted to ham it up with a look-alike Queen Elizabeth. He showed everyone who would look an instant photograph of himself bowing to the Queen.

When it came to technical aspects of the convention, Los Angeles’ notorious rush hour was once again cause for concern. Fahrenkopf noted that convoys of buses would have to be moving conventioneers right around 4 p.m. in order for the convention to begin sharply at 5 p.m. for prime television viewing in other time zones.

“The question is whether moving 15,000 people--16,000 or 17,000 people--at 4 to 5 o’clock in the evening in Los Angeles is feasible,” he said. “We’re initially told it is.”

Another basic requirement set down by the Republicans for their convention is the availability of 325,000 square feet of work space for the press. The initial bid by the Convention Center offered only two-thirds that much available space. But the use of a parking garage under the convention hall could expand that somewhat.

Convention Center officials repeatedly warned that their facility is expected to be in the midst of a major expansion during the summer of 1988. They said this would have unknown effects on parking and the availability of work space.

On the political front, Republicans were repeatedly urged Monday to bring their convention to Los Angeles so that they could make their convention a hometown tribute to the outgoing President.

As Bradley put it, “No other city can claim the title ‘Reagan-County’ like we can. Affection for your party’s leader is very high in his hometown. The people of Los Angeles would be honored to host a convention that would stand in large measure as a tribute to Ronald Reagan.”

It is exactly that kind of talk, heard frequently during the day, that worried some of the GOP traveling party. Would a convention in Los Angeles inevitably showcase Reagan to the detriment of the party’s new presidential nominee?

All the attention paid to Reagan, said Carl L. Gillis Jr., a member of the site selection committee representing Georgia, could “work against you.”

Fahrenkopf said the Republicans would not begin to seriously ponder the many conflicting political implications of the convention site until after the 1986 elections.

The committee leaves Los Angeles today for Las Vegas. From there it’s on to Seattle and, later, to Philadelphia. Already visited are Atlanta, Houston, St. Louis, New Orleans, Detroit, and Kansas City.