Coalition Urges Rebuild L.A. to Reveal Funding : Recovery: Women’s groups say they have been unable to get aid. They call on officials to describe how funds are being spent.

As Rebuild L.A. prepares for its second board meeting, the post-riot revitalization group came under fire Tuesday from a coalition of women’s organizations demanding that its chairmen and city officials disclose how Rebuild L.A.’s money is being spent.

Calling for a public accounting of resources allocated to the city and Rebuild L.A. for post-riot recovery, the women’s groups complained that community organizations have been unable to find out how they can gain access to aid.

“We’ve read reports of corporate contributions,” Abby J. Leibman, director of the California Women’s Law Center and co-chair of the coalition of 60 organizations, said at a news conference at the Central American Refugee Center in the Pico-Union district. “Where is the money? Who gave it? Who got it? What are they doing with it?”

The complaints are part of a growing chorus of criticism that Rebuild L.A.--established by Mayor Tom Bradley as a private sector organization--is free from public scrutiny and unaccountable to either City Hall or residents of the city’s riot-scarred neighborhoods. Many activists have complained that Rebuild L.A.’s efforts are foundering and that the city has no comprehensive riot recovery plan.

Leibman said the coalition decided to press for a public accounting after learning that riot victims are still suffering from a lack of food, infant formula and baby supplies, and that community groups lack resources to meet those increased demands.

“The possibility that Los Angeles residents will go hungry for lack of adequate resources is unthinkable,” Leibman said. “The possibility that such a vital and immediate need has gone unaddressed while huge sums are passing through the city does not inspire confidence that long-term strategies will fare any better.”

The coalition made its demands public one week after sending letters outlining its concerns to Bradley and other officials. The replies it received were unsatisfactory, Leibman said.

“As you well know, RLA is not engaged in grant-making,” Catherine L. Walker, an assistant to Rebuild L.A. Co-Chairman Peter V. Ueberroth, wrote Leibman. “Rather, we are using our resources and imagination to encourage investment and job creation in the inner city by businesses, philanthropies and government. . . . Naturally, a company or agency, when making an investment, determines how and to whom it will allocate the funds.”

Leibman said Walker’s response “begs the question.”

Amid the latest controversy, Rebuild L.A. announced that its board of directors will grow to 80 members when 13 Los Angeles-area community, business, religious and political leaders are officially installed at today’s board meeting.

Among the new board members is Deputy Mayor Linda Griego. Sources say that many Latinos--including several Rebuild L.A. board members--have urged Ueberroth and his co-chairmen, Bernard Kinsey and Barry Sanders, to select Griego as the organization’s fourth co-chair.

Griego was unavailable for comment Wednesday, and Rebuild L.A. sources said no announcement on adding a co-chair is anticipated at today’s meeting.

The women’s groups expressed concern Tuesday that some recovery funds already have been allocated “without adequate guidelines for identifying responsible funding recipients or sound procedures for accounting to the public for the expenditure of such funds.”

Evangeline N. Ordaz of the Latino Unity Forum said she believed that Rebuild L.A. may be linking corporations with particular community organizations. But she said that most such organizations were in the dark about how such arrangements were consummated.

Bradley’s written reply to the women’s groups says that unprecedented energies have been devoted to the issues raised by the coalition, “from the allocation of ever-shrinking government resources to the marshaling of formerly untapped private resources.”

The mayor added: “I believe that you will be best satisfied by answers that will come to you through your personal involvement in one or more of the myriad aspects of the rebuilding process. I invite and urge your participation in the task forces that have been created by RLA.”

In fact, Leibman is a member of Rebuild L.A.’s task force on health, human services and youth. Three months ago, she and other women held a news conference outlining issues they believed that Rebuild L.A. should address.

Late Tuesday, Councilman John Ferraro sent a response to the coalition, saying he shared its concerns “that the efforts of RLA have been painstakingly slow.”

Ferraro urged the women to channel their objections directly to Rebuild L.A. “Because the city of Los Angeles does not have a legal relationship with RLA, it is not in a position to respond to specific questions, such as the ones posed by the women’s coalition,” he said.

New Members Here’s a list of additional religious, civic, community and business leaders nominated to serve one-year terms on the 80 - member Rebuild L . A . board: Rev. Robert Alvarado, executive director, Victory Outreach Los Angeles.

Homer F. Broome Jr., president, African-American Chamber of Commerce.

Herb Carter, president, United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Annie Mae Curry, resident site coordinator, Pueblo del Rio Housing Authority.

Rabbi Harvey J. Fields, senior rabbi, Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, western regional director, American Jewish Committee.

Linda Griego, deputy mayor, city of Los Angeles.

Karen Hill-Scott, executive director, Crystal Stairs.

Rick Icaza, president, United Food & Commercial Workers, Local 770.

Bong Hwan Kim, executive director, Korean Youth Center.

Eleanor R. Montano, commissioner, Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations.

Jo Melvin Muse, chairman, Muse Cordero Chen Inc.

Leticia Quezada, president, Los Angeles Board of Education.