Schabarum Assails 2 Colleagues on Protests

Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete Schabarum accused two of his colleagues Tuesday of an “incite to riot” by encouraging a boisterous protest in the supervisors’ chambers by county welfare workers.

In a bitter attack that surprised even some of his fellow conservatives, Schabarum blasted Supervisors Ed Edelman and Kenneth Hahn after more than 600 eligibility workers and union officials shouted, blew whistles and turned their backs to the board to show their unhappiness at the progress of labor negotiations.

The welfare workers, who have been negotiating with the county since last July, walked out of the meeting en masse chanting, “We’re fed up” and waving placards after criticizing the contract talks. But not before Schabarum had accused Edelman and Hahn of “grandstanding shenanigans” that he called “despicable” and an “incite to riot.”

Invited Welfare Workers

Schabarum was referring to the fact that both Hahn and Edelman had invited representatives of the welfare workers to come before the board and air their grievances.

Singling out Hahn for special criticism, Schabarum charged that the veteran supervisor, who is running for reelection, was using the issue of welfare workers as a political ploy for his campaign.

“If ever there was a greater demagogue and a hypocrite as has been demonstrated this morning, I don’t know of one,” Schabarum said.

“I’ve never seen you once vote for poor people,” Hahn shot back. Hahn claimed that conservative members of the board were out to “destroy” the county’s labor unions, including Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents the welfare workers.

Raises Sensitive Issue

Although the bickering died down after the supervisors agreed to discuss the welfare issue in a private session, Schabarum, who refused to attend the meeting, raised the issue again when the board returned. This time, he took on the sensitive issue of Hahn’s lengthy recovery from a stroke.

“This board has been forebearing and sympathetic to you in a number of ways for the year period that you have gone through this convalescence,” Schabarum told Hahn. “I, for one, am sick and tired of you using that circumstance to embarrass and, in fact, disgrace this board in a number of ways in your conduct here as a member of the Board of Supervisors.”

Specifically, Schabarum said he would no longer tolerate Hahn interrupting board members, nor would he support matters brought by Hahn “to improve on his election percentage.”

Afterwards, Schabarum told reporters that Hahn, who still uses a wheelchair, was using his illness to try to gain sympathy and political support, charges that Hahn later denied.

“He just went temporarily berserk,” Hahn said of Schabarum, “I don’t need that to win an election.”

Although both men have clashed in the past, Schabarum’s remarks were rare in both their vehemence and openness. Other board members have criticized Hahn, but only privately, since his illness.

No Complaints

Board Chairman Deane Dana admitted Tuesday that he has been reticent to publicly criticize Hahn but said, “I don’t have any complaints with what Mr. Schabarum said. I agreed with him.”

The third member of the board’s conservative majority, Mike Antonovich, said he was surprised at the exchange but refrained from criticizing either man.

Edelman, who defended Hahn to board members, insisted that both he and Hahn were unaware of what the demonstrators had planned. The welfare workers, whose clientele includes welfare recipients and the homeless, make up one of the few bargaining units among county employees still without a contract.

Union negotiators, who represent about 3,200 eligibility workers and 150 supervisors, are seeking a 16.5% wage increase over the next two years, compared with the county offer of 5.5% during that same period. They also are seeking a reduction in their workloads.