L.A. Mayoral Candidates Hit Streets

With new poll results showing that incumbent Richard Riordan enjoys a strong lead over challenger Tom Hayden, the two mayoral candidates stumped in each other’s strongholds Monday: Riordan toured South-Central, while Hayden worked the San Fernando Valley and appeared at a fund-raiser hosted by the mayor’s next door neighbor.

The candidates took to the streets a day after a Times poll showed Riordan the commanding favorite to win reelection, though the same survey revealed that black voters heavily favor Hayden, a Democratic state senator whose district includes portions of West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. The survey showed that Riordan’s strongest support comes from the Valley and the Westside, and he also leads Hayden in the Central City; the only area where Hayden leads is South Los Angeles.

Riordan’s schedule for Monday, prepared before the poll results were published, called for him to spend most of the day in South Los Angeles, including some of the city’s most heavily black neighborhoods. Questioned by reporters, the mayor shrugged off suggestions that the poll uncovered potential pitfalls for him--as well as questions implying that he could coast to the finish.

“I can’t look at the polls,” Riordan said. “I’ve just got to keep a clear mind.”

Hayden did not comment directly on the poll, but he kept up his vigorous campaign schedule, promising to fight to the finish.

Riordan’s first stop was to present a proclamation to Crosby “Top” Milladge, an 89-year-old man who has run a news stand at the corner of Normandie Avenue and Adams Boulevard for 15 years and who has been selling papers for nearly four decades. Milladge welcomed Riordan cordially Monday, doling out thoughts on longevity and governance as the mayor and the Rev. Rosey Grier urged him on.

Grier’s appearance was a welcome sight for Riordan, who greeted the burly former football- star-turned-minister with a handshake and then a bear hug.

“I know he wants to see this city develop,” Grier said of the mayor. “I think he’s provided opportunities.”

Grier’s support visibly buoyed Riordan, who smiled broadly as the minister lent his backing. Later in the day, Riordan toured a gleaming, new government complex in South-Central with an occasional critic, City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. Although the mayor and councilman occasionally have clashed, Monday’s session was amiable, the two men sharing ideas for city services and teasing each other about past differences.

Ridley-Thomas, who led the effort to build the new center, located on the site of one that burned to the ground in the 1992 riots, told Riordan it would be the first of half a dozen citywide.

“Are they all going to be named after you?” Riordan asked, grinning.

“Yes, if I can help it,” the councilman answered with a laugh. “Not a bad idea.”

While Riordan and Ridley-Thomas were meeting in South-Central, Hayden and a group of his supporters were gathering in the Brentwood Park neighborhood where the mayor lives.

Norine Pollack, who lives in the house next to Riordan’s, hosted the “Tea for Tom,” and Hayden used the event to highlight his views on neighborhood participation in city government, as well as to criticize Riordan’s approach.

“He is trying to increase his power over other property owners and neighborhood groups citywide--even in his own backyard,” Hayden said as guests ate bagels and brownies. “This issue of neighborhoods won’t go away. It is not enough to say, ‘I’m going to plant some trees.’ You have to give neighborhoods real power.”

A central tenet of Hayden’s campaign is a plan to create satellite mayor’s offices throughout the city and to establish elected neighborhood councils that would control planning and zoning decisions.

Pollack’s problems with Riordan are typical neighbor complaints: The mayor’s dogs bark all night. He has parties with loud music. They’ve fought over property lines.

“He’s not a neighborly neighbor,” said Pollack, 72. “He doesn’t associate with me. I don’t remember him being at any of the homeowners meetings. We haven’t been friendly with each other, period.”

Asked about his neighbor, Riordan responded: “I feel sorry for this woman. She’s got gripes against all the neighbors. Underneath it all, she’s a fine person, but she’s got some problems.”

Earlier in the day, Hayden broached a neighborhood issue with somewhat broader impact, saying Riordan has been lax about noise regulations at Van Nuys Airport. He pointed out that a Lear jet the mayor once owned a part of was among the planes most often cited by the city for violating noise restrictions. He added that several businesses supporting Riordan and his campaign to reform the City Charter also had numerous citations.

“This is a bunch of special interest, privileged people who rattle the windows of the neighbors,” Hayden said at a morning news conference near the airport, as a loud plane flew overhead. “The law is clear that there has to be a balance between aviation and neighborliness. Mayor Riordan’s Airport Commission has turned a deaf ear.”

If elected, Hayden said, he would immediately appoint a new airport commission and move the current 11 p.m. curfew on noisy jets back to 10 p.m. He said he also wants to ban helicopters from flying after 10 p.m. and to completely phase out “stage two” jets at the airport, which he refers to as “Van Noise.”

But it was Pollack’s party that drew more attention Monday, with six television news crews--more than had been at any Hayden event since he announced his candidacy--clamoring for pictures of the perturbed neighbor.

“This tea party might just be the turning point,” Hayden said with a smile. “Tea parties have done it before.”