County Loan to Haagen

Isn’t it ironic that Alexander Haagen, president of the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, was just awarded a $25-million, low-interest loan (to help reopen seven abandoned Gemco stores and hire about 1,000 low-income workers, Metro, July 15) by the Los Angeles County supervisors. These funds are available for use by the county to help economically depressed areas.

This is the same Haagen who only months earlier cried, most vociferously, that funds were not available to make the necessary seating improvements to the Coliseum. Denial of these improvements now will drive away the primary tenant, helping to perpetuate another economically depressed area in Los Angeles.

Does this smack of a double standard? You bet it does! Further, it is tainted with cronyism. Two of the supervisors, Mike Antonovich and Pete Schabarum, sit with the commissioner on the board that did not deliver what was promised by previous commission commitments. Schabarum was most critical of the L.A. Raider lease because, in today’s market, the deal made five years ago, when the Coliseum was empty, was not a good deal for our city. Will he, a year from now, when interest rates start to soar, be critical of this 5-1/2% loan that has been given to a major contributor of his fellow supervisors?

Where was the fairness in awarding this loan? Originally to be awarded in early June to the only applicant, Haagen, Supervisor Ed Edelman, sensitive to the obvious and fearful of citizens’ outcry, allowed a minimum period of time for competitive development plans to be prepared and presented. A rigged deal. The taxpayer gets it once again.

It is shameful that we must be saddled with this group of elitists who award funds where they want and to whom they want, assuring themselves that they will get theirs in return.

To be further burdened with an individual such as Haagen as president of the Coliseum Commission is unfair to L.A. He has truly exhibited his aggressiveness for his selfish personal interests, while acting as a passive obstructionist in his charge for public interests.

JACK SCHLAIFER

Van Nuys