Election ‘97: Predictable Results and Big Surprises

There were no surprises Tuesday in the election for mayor of Los Angeles. The victory of incumbent Richard Riordan had been predicted by the polls, the pundits and the pulse of the city throughout a lackluster campaign. The Angelenos who went to the polls gave the mayor overwhelming support in his reelection bid, more than 61% of the ballots cast, and he was never threatened by his foremost opponent, state Sen. Tom Hayden.

But there were surprising victories elsewhere on the ballot, and the most important was won by residents whose voices could not be heard in any official way. We refer to the children of the Los Angeles Unified School District, whose parents, teachers and community supporters rang up a fine surprise, passage of Proposition BB, the school repair bond issue that promises to change the face of the LAUSD’s dilapidated campuses. Not since 1971 had the district enjoyed sufficient voter approval to pass a school bond measure.

But for all the satisfaction and relief that the mayor, the school district and perhaps much of the city probably feel now that the campaign is over, many reasons for concern remain. First, the turnout. Early on the morning of the election, a woeful 30% of the city’s registered voters were expected to show up at the polling booths. In fact, it was a lot worse than that--just 24.09% of eligible voters participated in this election, less than one out of four, according to preliminary figures. That’s an appalling number for a city whose civic pride ought to at least reflect its ranking as the second-largest city in the nation. To be sure, neither Riordan nor Hayden conducted an inspiring campaign. The result was predictable and the race got more coverage on C-SPAN and CNN than it did in the local broadcast media.

The bright spot on Tuesday was provided by Latino voters. They went to the polls at a record-setting rate, spurred in part by the classic democratic quest to make their voices heard. There was no single candidate or issue that inspired the Latino turnout, but rather a growing understanding of the power of political participation. “Our vote is our shield” was a refrain among those exiting the polls.

The race that was heaviest with gutter politics was the contest for city attorney. Incumbent James Kenneth Hahn, who turned out to be the easy winner, and his opponent, Ted Stein, spent more time lobbing attack ads than sharing visions of leadership for that very important post. More was to be expected of both.

City Council and school board races ended much as expected, except for two contests. For the school board’s District 4, an energized and welcome campaign by Kenneth J. Sackman forced a runoff with the heavily endorsed Valerie Fields. In the race to replace outgoing 11th District City Councilman Marvin Braude, Cindy Miscikowski and Georgia Mercer will meet on the runoff slate.

The move toward a much-needed new city charter was highlighted by vigorous competition for seats on a citizens commission to revise the existing charter. That was a good sign, but it’s troubling that 76% of respondents in a Times Poll last week had not even heard about the ballot measure to create a panel to overhaul the charter. The City Council already has its own charter reform commission.

Finally, and loudly, we applaud the sound judgment of the voters on Proposition 6, the attempt to boost officeholder accounts for the city’s elected officials. Contrary to what the City Council members want, they will be held to the $10,000 annual limit that voters approved in a statewide proposition last November. These money pots have always been subject to abuse. The message to the council? The voters are watching, and they are not pleased.