From His Apex of Popularity, This Mayor Can Undertake Real Change : Power: Richard Riordan, if he’s quick about it, can do more than his predecessors dreamed of, especially in reforming inefficient police work rules.

Mayor Riordan’s popularity throughout the city was earned honestly by his performance in the aftermath of the earthquake and by the hard work, intelligence and flexibility he has shown in the job ever since. He is receiving kudos on all sides, even from liberals like myself who feared his victory. But popularity in politics is not a permanent condition; he has only a temporary window of opportunity to act boldly and move the city beyond the inertia, fear and decline it has struggled with for years.

For all the talk about the weak mayor structure of Los Angeles city government, Richard Riordan has more power right now than anyone in recent history. The question is, what is he going to do with it?

One area crying out for major reform is the way the city deals with its employees. Riordan made a mistake when he succumbed to the demands of the union that represents workers at the Department of Water and Power, granting them a 9% raise over three years. He learned how costly it was when the police asked for the same thing. He should lead in a coordinated way that brings the city together instead of allowing divisive and potentially dangerous union tactics to determine our agenda.

The mayor has the power to achieve many of his most important goals right now. He has the votes on the City Council to explore privatization, to experiment with public/private partnerships. He has the clout to negotiate a settlement with the police union, including work-rule changes that would enable us to put more police on the street without loss of pay. But we can achieve that critical goal of the Christopher Commission reforms only if the mayor is willing to be an advocate for the public interest.

The Police Department desperately needs work rule changes. The mayor must have the courage to demand that the police union agree to change the work rules so that the chief of police can have the discretion to efficiently and productively assign police officers on the basis of his best judgment.

The chief of police says he needs this power--which most police chiefs have and which all military leaders and private chief executives possess. Personnel experts agree. We all support the police department as our top priority. How can we handicap the police by tolerating obsolete work rules and wasting any part of the hundreds of millions of dollars taxpayers provide for the Police Department.

I am convinced that the mayor, the City Council, the police chief all want these changes. If the mayor does not lead, it will never happen.

Richard Riordan has proved himself capable of mastering the complex political skills that it takes to run Los Angeles. He is learning at a faster rate than most of us expected. He has demonstrated a sensitivity to others and to his role that usually comes only with long training in politics. It may be that he has climbed higher up the mountain than he thinks he has and doesn’t recognize how high he is right now, but those of us who have been around for a while can attest to his height, even if we are still waiting to measure his success.

All must be asked to share the pain and sacrifice necessary to protect our citizens from criminals, to retain and attract business and to enhance the quality of our lives. If Riordan fails to act, if he fails to take more risks and put his clout on the table, he will disappoint us and probably himself in the long run.

The people of Los Angeles have given Riordan extraordinary support, which translates into real power to bring about significant change.