Mayor’s Asia Trip Gets Council’s OK

Should Mayor Richard Riordan go on an eight-city, 15-day trade mission to Asia, at a cost to taxpayers of $469,775?

Members of the Los Angeles City Council, albeit somewhat reluctantly, agreed Tuesday that the trip was OK. But their vote was highly unusual, coming at the request of Controller Rick Tuttle, who wanted the council to approve the trip even though it has no authority to block it.

Even as they voted 13-1 to endorse the trip, some council members questioned the costs, the makeup of the delegation and even Tuttle’s motivations in placing the matter before them.

Rita Walters, who ended up casting the only no vote, joined Mike Hernandez in criticizing the number of city officials (22) and number of business officials (60) going on the trip.

The mayor will be paying for his own trip, as will all the members of the business delegation. The $469,775 will go for travel expenses for the other city officials going, including Council President John Ferraro; it will also cover gifts, a reception and public relations costs.

The mayor is taking officials from his office as well as from the airport, port and convention and visitors bureau. Also going are officials from multimedia, real estate, architecture and high technology businesses.

The trip, which includes stops in Tokyo, Nagoya, Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei, is intended to allow officials to discuss several key trade opportunities for the city, including the airport and Los Angeles Harbor. The group also will open and inaugurate the first foreign office of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau in Tokyo.

Also scheduled to go--and entertain--is a flutist from the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

“That’s what we’re sending to represent Los Angeles?” Hernandez said of the entourage. “Who’s there from South-Central? Who’s there from the Eastside?”

When Deputy Mayor Stephanie Bradfield, who made a rare appearance before the council, said that the trip participants presented a reflection of Los Angeles, Hernandez shot back: “His reflection of Los Angeles is different than mine.”

Walters said she was more concerned about the money involved even though she said she had supported former Mayor Tom Bradley’s numerous trade missions overseas.

Others spoke in favor of the trip.

“I don’t think what we’re looking at is unreasonable,” said Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, who opposes expansion of the Los Angeles International Airport, an issue the mayor supports and that will be discussed in Asia. Others speculated about motives in bringing the matter to the council.

Tuttle, an elected official whose office has come under attack by the mayor in his charter reform proposals, maintained that the Asia adventure should be scrutinized by the council because of costs that he said are unprecedented.

Moreover, he said because the mayor will be accompanied by business officials who will be working on possible economic development initiatives, the council should be apprised.

Tuttle said that Riordan’s charter reform proposal to make the controller’s job an appointed position, answering to the mayor, was unrelated to his decision to put the matter to a council vote.