The Mayor’s Money Has Short Coattails

A funny thing happened Tuesday on Mayor Riordan’s way to charter reform. It’s one of those good news, bad news jokes, and it goes something like this:

The good news, Mr. Mayor, is that your idea for a commission won.

The bad news, Mr. Mayor, is that the commission you wanted lost.

Who knows, maybe in the long run, everything will turn out OK. But right now, the irony is as rich as Richard Riordan.

Frustrated in his dealings with the City Council, our multimillionaire mayor, a man who insists on a salary of $1 a year, spent $575,000 to get Proposition 8 on the ballot to create the charter reform commission. He also got two dozen well-heeled pals to contribute $25,000 to $50,000 to the cause. Then the mayor’s plutocratic political machine raised another $556,000 to back a slate of 12 candidates for the 15-member commission.

Now that the votes have been counted, it’s nice to be reminded that money doesn’t always equal power. Riordan is personally popular and won a resounding reelection, but his bid to stack the commission was soundly rejected. Several of his candidates fared no better than his choice for city attorney, Ted Stein, who was trounced by incumbent James K. Hahn.

So what happened? Plenty. But the quickest and easiest analysis is that organized labor outmaneuvered organized money.

Consider, for example, the race in City Council District 2 in the east San Fernando Valley. Riordan’s candidate was Marvin R. Selter, a businessman who is president of the influential Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. His principal opponent was community activist Anne V. Finn, the 81-year-old widow of the late Councilman Howard Finn. She had won the endorsements of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the Service Employees International Union.

A third candidate made a runoff seem likely, but Finn won 53.3% of the vote, Selter only 28.2%.

In the West Valley, in CD 3, Riordan’s candidate was Gary M. Thomas, president of the Valley’s United Chambers of Commerce. His chief opponent was Dennis P. Zine, director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the LAPD union. Zine won 51.6% of the vote, Thomas only 35%.

In CD 5, straddling the Santa Monica Mountains, the mayor’s man in a seven-candidate field was Matt Epstein, vice president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. Labor endorsed USC law professor Erwin Chemerinsky, best known for his media appearances as legal analyst during the O.J. Simpson trials. Chemerinsky won 56.6%, while Epstein was a distant runner-up at 17%.

In all, five of Riordan’s favorites lost outright and three were victorious, but that figure may be misleading. Of Riordan’s three winners, Gloria Romero ran unopposed and Marcos Castaneda was also endorsed by the unions. The third was former Assemblywoman Paula Boland.

Three of Riordan’s candidates made it into runoffs, but two face uphill fights. And after winning 49.2% of the vote this time, Janice Hahn, sister of the city attorney, seems all but certain to defeat Riordan candidate Jerry L. Gaines in CD 15.

If you’re counting, that makes 11 candidates. Riordan, you may recall, had also endorsed Helen Bernstein in CD 4. The former leader of the teachers union was killed in a car accident a few days before the election.

Fate, if that’s the right word, is a factor beyond the control of the savviest political strategist. The thinking here is that the Riordan-vs.-unions analysis is only part of the story. A bigger part, perhaps, is simple name recognition. Chemerinsky, Finn, Zine, Boland--for various reasons, all were more widely known than their rivals. A recent Times poll showed that more than 70% of voters were unfamiliar with the charter reform issue itself--another reason to appreciate a familiar name.

Although his candidates didn’t do well, the mayor, buoyed by his personal triumph, expressed optimism Wednesday about his charter reform movement. Some others in the mayor’s camp seem more dismayed about losing control of a process they started. Studio City attorney David Fleming, a Riordan ally who launched the charter reform petition drive, was quoted as voicing concern that the unions and City Council allies may have too much influence on the elected commission.

From another perspective, Richard Close of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. declared on KCRW’s “Which Way L.A.?” public-affairs program that union-backed candidates would promote the status quo and this, in turn, would inspire Valley secessionists.

Some people just can’t stand democracy when their candidates lose. When I spoke with Chemerinsky and Zine on Wednesday, both seemed dismayed and disappointed that the commission would be criticized before its first meeting.

Chemerinsky, who assisted in writing the constitution for the Republic of Belarus, formerly part of the Soviet Union, said he was “thrilled” with the various endorsements he won, “but that doesn’t make me beholden to them.”

The professor said it felt as though, on the basis of union backing alone, his integrity was being questioned. “Mr. Close had never met me,” Chemerinsky added.

A honeymoon period would be nice, both Chemerinsky and Zine said. And if critics still don’t like the work of this commission, remember that another commission, this one appointed by the city’s elected officials, is also working on charter reform.

Chances are we’ll have dueling reform measures on the ballot in a couple of years. Wouldn’t it be funny if Riordan winds up preferring the charter reform he didn’t bankroll? What if he lives to regret spending all that money?

Now wouldn’t that be rich?

Scott Harris’ column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Readers may write to Harris at the Times Valley Edition, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311, or via e-mail at scott.harris@latimes.com Please include a phone number.

Now that the votes have been counted, it’s nice to be reminded that money doesn’t always equal power.