CALIFORNIA COMMENTARY : 2.285 on a 4.0-Point Grading Scale : Good 100-day marks for the kinder, gentler Riordan; now, how about some attention to the vision thing?

One hundred days is too soon to measure greatness or assign failure. But we can get some hints of where Mayor Richard Riordan is heading and with that come a few plaudits, some advice and a few warnings. Let’s call it a first-quarter report card.

* Congeniality--A.

Riordan is out and about at gatherings large and small, biking, riding in parades, eating at barbecues and civic gatherings. Some people say his soft and gentle side is showing.

* Communication--D.

Riordan needs a speech writer and possibly a joke writer. He needs to be able to persuade and charm us before he can get us to swallow any bitter medicine or controversial programs. Having good ideas is not good enough; he has to sell them. He needs help in public appearances. He should study the speeches of people who were effective political communicators and have a great quote handy at all times.

* Effort--B.

There’s some early concern that his attention and concentration may not be constantly focused on the important issues. He made some good early moves, going to Sacramento to argue on the city’s behalf, hosting the City Council for dinner, letting the President know he intended to be “in his face” about needs of our region. Riordan shouldn’t forget to keep after congressional representatives to get our fair share of federal money.

* Political science--C-.

Riordan has not yet secured a council majority. He needs to line up eight loyal votes and do a better job of making council members feel like they are deciding, with the mayor, the “big things.” Elected officials will not be taken for granted. Riordan needs to learn to share the credit and limelight. Early brushes with the council should have taught him that he and his staff need lessons in consultation and stroking.

* Personnel management--B-.

Riordan pulled together--relatively quickly, unlike President Clinton--a staff and a group of commissioners. He picked a few “lemons”--lobbyists and big givers with vested city interests, perennial appointees. He leaned too heavily on the criterion of “were they with me during the campaign.” He also selected some well-seasoned people and some new faces with the potential of doing innovative things. He is instructing city bureaucrats to be more business-friendly. Perhaps most promising is that he is creating task forces, using some of the leading business and financial people around town.

* Psychology--D.

Riordan failed to understand what it would do to the city’s psyche if people felt we were so broke that we would become the first major city in America to sell our Central Library. Even if there was cash for Los Angeles in the lease-back proposal, selling the beautifully renovated building was a symbol this city could not accept. Riordan’s job is to move the city along with a plan and vision, not with sales of our treasures.

* Economics--Incomplete.

Successfully addressing Los Angeles’ fiscal crisis is what will make Riordan’s mark in history. He sold voters on his ability to find the money. He has not yet told us how he proposes to erase a $100-million deficit, plus find money to begin new programs, like adding the 3,000 police officers he promised.

He has proposed some revenue raisers connected to the airport, but thus far no really comprehensive economic approach. This must be done by the end of the next quarter.

* Political ethics--C.

Riordan has “forgiven” the debt of the millions he loaned to his campaign, so we won’t have the unseemly sight of a rich mayor raising money to repay himself. But he had a $1,000-per-person fund-raiser in September. And some people with continuing interests in the city like Rupert Murdoch, with his Century City Fox expansion, and Tutor-Saliba, now being questioned on its use of transit construction funds, rushed, right after the election, to throw money into Riordan’s “officeholder” and transition accounts.

* Comments.

This is what I saw after leaving City Hall the other day: Directly opposite stood a woman about 40, begging. Near her bundled things and too embarrassed to look at the passing cars was a girl about 10 playing with the pink hair of her troll doll. Mr. Mayor, please work to change this family’s life. And we’ll work with you.