Riordan Lobbies Lawmakers in Sacramento

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan visited the state Capitol on Tuesday and raced between so many meetings that he easily could have been mistaken for an aspiring chief executive of the state.

“You’re not house hunting are you, Dick?” joked Los Angeles City Council President Richard Ferraro, who was part of the mayor’s entourage on the fast-paced lobbying trip.

“I have no interest, I don’t,” replied Riordan, who said Sacramento is a nice place to visit but not to live in as governor.

As mayor of the state’s most populous city, Riordan’s name pops up in the Capitol as a potential Republican candidate for governor or U.S. Senate. Riordan, who denied interest in a Senate bid, said politics was not on his Sacramento agenda.

Still, the visit--which began Monday with a get-together with Gov. Pete Wilson’s staff--raised Riordan’s profile. It showed the mayor lobbying on a wide variety of issues, from overhauling the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board to obtaining more funds for police officers and transportation projects.

In the morning, he chatted with Los Angeles lawmakers, including several critics, over doughnuts and coffee. Later, he met with Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward), who got out of a sickbed for the session, and new Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove). He also conferred with other officials, such as Republican Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren.

“It’s good to put faces behind the person on the other side of the telephone,” Riordan said.

All was not smooth sailing in the Capitol, where many legislative offices were moved last weekend to accommodate the new Republican majority in the Assembly. In the morning, Riordan went to see Assembly Democratic Leader Richard Katz of Sylmar, only to find Assemblyman Fred Aguiar (R-Chino) settling into his new quarters. “I think we were the first people to visit him,” Riordan quipped.

The delegation finally made it to Katz’s new digs, where the smiling, blue-suited Riordan appeared relaxed and at ease bantering with Ferraro and Katz, who ran against him for mayor.

Asked if he was having fun, Riordan cracked, “Richard and I got in this morning at 5 a.m. from a disco.”

Sitting at a table in Katz’s office, Riordan emphasized in an interview the nonpartisan nature of his dealings in Sacramento. He recounted how former Democratic Speaker Willie Brown, now mayor of San Francisco, would side with him on issues. Noting that the governor was out of town, Riordan said he nonetheless met with Bob White, Wilson’s chief of staff. “Bob White is his alter ego. So, you don’t feel like you’re being cheated” when you huddle with him, Riordan said.

In a less lighthearted vein, Riordan said he expects Democratic state Sen. Tom Hayden to oppose him for mayor next year. He described the left-leaning Santa Monica lawmaker as “a born-again conservative.”

Hayden, who is seeking reelection, said there is interest in Los Angeles “for a vigorous mayor’s race and I’m on the short list of rumors.” He said he had a cordial talk with the mayor, telling him the city “is suffering from diminished representation here” and needs a strong voice to oppose proposed cuts in funds for programs in Los Angeles.

Riordan also talked with state Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles), who recently lambasted Riordan for the dearth of African Americans on his senior staff. Watson said: “I think what’s he’s trying to do is increase his visibility. This is the first time I’ve seen him here relating to the Los Angeles delegation as a whole.”

Still, Riordan described his day as extremely successful, saying “on most things, if they [officials] know your concern, they’ll play ball with you.”