ELECTIONS / L.A. CITY COUNCIL : 5 Candidates Vie to Show Sympathy in Wilmington : Politics: Each strives to distinguish himself in first joint meeting with homeowners. And they all promise to be attentive to the community’s problems.

Only the best of therapists could have matched the candidates for Los Angeles’ 15th Council District as they soothed the problem-ridden patient on the couch--which in this case was Wilmington.

In their first joint appearance in the harbor area, five of the seven candidates scrambled to seem the most sympathetic to Wilmington’s problems--its crime, its broken roads, its sense of being ignored by City Hall.

So they promised that, if elected, they would be far more attentive to the blue-collar community than Joan Milke Flores, the current City Council member from the 15th District, which stretches from San Pedro to Watts.

“It doesn’t take me long to find out that you’re very frustrated, very angry,” said candidate Janice Hahn, daughter of former Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. “All you need is someone who can partner with you to get things done.”

Said Louis Dominguez, another of the candidates: “You’ve been neglected; the incumbent has failed us.”

Flores had a previous engagement and did not attend the session. San Pedro attorney Diane Middleton was called away on an emergency to a hospital. Middleton’s absence drew sympathetic comments from some in the audience of about 60 people. Flores’ drew jeers.

“Where is she?” several people asked aloud.

“I know where she is. She’s at Disneyland,” a man called out, drawing laughter.

The five candidates present Thursday at the homeowners meeting were Los Angeles Unified School District board member Warren Furutani, Hahn, San Pedro attorney James Thompson, San Pedro businessman Rudy Svorinich and Dominguez, a resident of San Pedro and director of computer operations in Mayor Tom Bradley’s office.

While sympathizing with Wilmington residents, the candidates also strove to distinguish themselves from one another.

Dominguez stressed good management, leadership and know-how. “It’s time to take away the hoopla. The incumbent has failed us. Crime and violence are out of control. I’m here to ask you for a job. It’s time for someone to do the job,” he said.

Furutani’s theme for the evening was leadership and community activism. “We need to change how we do business in this city and you know how to do that? With leadership,” he said.

As a school board member, he said, he frequently is asked by people who are not from Los Angeles if things have returned to normal after last spring’s uprising. “Back to normal? Normal is what caused it in the first place,” Furutani said. “It’s been normal to see kids killing each other. It’s been normal for people to live in fear. We need to change. We need leadership.”

Hahn said elected officials should be responsive to the community, suggesting that--like her father--she would pay close attention to constituents.

“I remember what Los Angeles used to be like,” she said. “I remember safe neighborhoods, clean streets, clear water.”

Many in the audience nodded in agreement.

Svorinich pointed out that he owns a business in Wilmington and is a lifelong resident of San Pedro, portraying himself as the only candidate with ties to both communities.

Thompson, an attorney with engineering training, called upon the audience to be level-headed and elect the most qualified candidate--him.

“What’s most important is who’s the most qualified--not who has good intentions but who can get the job done for you. . . . Clearly, I’m the most qualified,” he said.

A panel composed of members of several community groups questioned the candidates about the proposed breakup of the Los Angeles Unified School District, community relations with the Port of Los Angeles and other local concerns.

Dominguez, Hahn and Thompson said they oppose breaking up the school district (an issue on which the City Council has no direct authority). Dominguez said the district could turn around with better leadership, and Thompson said smaller districts would have too little economic clout.

Hahn cited the concerns of residents of Watts. “Many in the community of Watts see the breakup as a return to segregation and isolation,” she said.

Svorinich said he supports a breakup and favors school districts with enrollments of about 20,000 students.

Furutani--who as a school board member is a participant in the debate over the breakup proposal--did not take a firm position on the issue, saying only that the question should be considered on educational rather than political grounds.

On other questions, all the candidates agreed that the Port of Los Angeles could be a better neighbor to Wilmington and San Pedro. All but one concurred that the port should compensate the community for land it purchases and leaves undeveloped for long periods of time, since such property is removed from the tax rolls.

Dominguez said he opposes such compensation and several other proposals to charge the port, arguing that the added costs could make the port less competitive.

When the homeowners were allowed to question candidates directly, most asked what the council hopefuls would do for Wilmington. The answer was just about anything.

The candidates uniformly opposed new taxes and the recent use of port funds to help cover Los Angeles’ budget deficit. They also endorsed hiring more police and deploying existing officers more effectively, without recommending specific tax increases.

Candidates also ranked potholes, sidewalks and cracked streets as top priorities--until Svorinich said that in focusing on such matters his opponents betrayed their ignorance of the harbor area. Svorinich, citing a survey he sent out to 13,000 area homes, said the top priority ought to be crime.

“It’s starting to finally show . . . the (other candidates’) lack of experience living and working in Wilmington,” he said. “What we need is more police protection. Unless people feel safe, the city of Wilmington will not flourish. Crime first, graffiti stopped, more police. They’re not from here, they’ve never done anything for this community.”

Referring to Svorinich, Hahn shot back: “I would ask the people who’ve lived here their whole life, what have you done? How have you let things get like this in Wilmington?”

Svorinich, however, angrily rebuked her, accusing her of implying that the people of Wilmington are responsible for the problems in their community. The problem, he said, is that Wilmington has been ill-served by Flores.

“That’s a bunch of baloney. We didn’t do this to ourselves. We’ve had 12 years of a council person who’s neglected us,” he said to loud applause--the loudest applause of the evening.