Former Mayor Bradley Opposes Prop. 187 in Rare Appearance

Former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, all but hidden from public view since he retired after 20 years in charge at City Hall, made a rare public appearance Thursday to emphasize his opposition to state Proposition 187.

Bradley, who now works for a Downtown law firm, said the fact that this is the first public matter on which he is taking such a visible stand gives “some indication of how concerned I am about this issue and how strongly I feel about it.”

First and foremost, he said, it is not fair to turn the children of illegal immigrants into scapegoats by ejecting them from public schools and denying them vital health services.

“I’m concerned that 300,000 youngsters will be thrown out into the streets of this state because they are kicked out of school,” said the former mayor. “These youngsters not only would be without education but would be without medical attention.

“All of us, of course, are concerned about illegal immigration. But Prop. 187 doesn’t solve that problem.”

The morning news conference at the Biltmore, sponsored by Taxpayers Against 187, hearkened back to years of news conferences in Bradley’s City Hall suite.

Despite the emotion of his words, Bradley, looking fit in a dark blue business suit, spoke in the familiar monotone with which he delivered so many messages during his long public tenure.

Bradley also proved that he remains deft at sidestepping questions he prefers not to answer, declaring that such issues as whether illegal immigration was a net plus or minus for the city while he was mayor were not germane to the discussion of Proposition 187.

After the news conference formally concluded, Bradley told reporters that his “new life is wonderful,” but declined comment on his successor, Richard Riordan.

In recent months, Bradley, saying that he is retired, has refused comment on other public matters, including requests for an assessment of the city’s progress in recovering from the devastating 1992 riots.

Thursday, Bradley acknowledged that the fight to defeat Proposition 187 is “an uphill battle,” but he said it is nonetheless important to speak out on the issue.

“I think that the people of this state need to know that this proposition is poorly drafted, is full of holes, will create enormous problems and in fact will not solve the key issue of illegal immigration.”

Outside the news conference, in which two Jewish community activists also decried the ballot measure, Federation for American Immigration Reform spokesman Ira Mehlman said Bradley’s opposition would have “about as much (impact) as all these other groups.”

The ballot measure, which would deny most government services to illegal immigrants and their children, is opposed by a broad coalition of education, health and law enforcement agencies including the state PTA, School Boards Assn. and California Teachers Assn. However, recent polls show support by more than 60% of the state’s registered voters.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, the board of directors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, after hearing pro and con arguments, voted Thursday to take no position on the ballot measure.

“We took a firm stand not to take a stand,” said spokeswoman Shannon Jones.