Dispute Flares Over L.A.’s Use of Tobacco Funds

Los Angeles’ share of the $206-billion national tobacco settlement will total $312 million over the next 25 years and, at City Hall, where there’s smoke there’s bound to be the fire of political contention.

Mayor Richard Riordan wants to use the windfall to repair city sidewalks, which could get more use when the aggregate civic lung capacity increases as smoking declines. Others, such as City Atty. James K. Hahn, insist that the money should be used only for smoking prevention programs and to enforce tobacco control laws.

Appearing before the City Council on Friday, the day the national settlement won unanimous approval by the states involved in the litigation, Hahn sternly warned lawmakers against using the money for anything but anti-smoking programs, particularly those aimed at young children and teenagers.

“We should do everything we can to make sure the money doesn’t disappear into the general fund,” Hahn said. “If we get sidetracked into thinking, ‘Oh great, we have a windfall here . . .’ that would really defeat the purpose.”

Meanwhile, Riordan held a news conference in Watts to announce his proposal for spending the money.

Calling the settlement “a golden opportunity,” Riordan said Los Angeles should be “smart” in using the funds for the city’s most pressing need: sidewalks improvement.

Earlier this month, however, the mayor declined to support a special sidewalk tax on the city ballot because aides said he opposed taxing city residents and because he believed that streets--not sidewalks--should be the city’s priority.

But on Friday, Riordan said the city for the first time will have the money to construct 108,000 curb ramps to comply with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act and to fix 1,500 miles of cracked and damaged sidewalks.

“In my view, this is for health and safety and children and the disabled and for all city residents,” said Deputy Mayor Jennifer Roth. “Suddenly there’s a source of money for something everyone said was desperately needed, and now people are questioning it. . . . What everyone needs to remember is that the voters rejected the special tax.”

But council aides, and even a couple of council members, reacted with surprise and some consternation to the mayor’s proposal.

“Sidewalks?” some of the aides said incredulously Friday. “Sidewalks?”

Hahn went further, denouncing Riordan’s plan.

“My frustration is with his lack of leadership on this whole issue,” Hahn said. “The issue’s been facing us since he became mayor, and he’s done nothing about it. It seems to me it would have been a lot more responsible if he had supported the sidewalk bonds.”

Overall, city officials said they are pleased with the tobacco settlement, negotiated by state Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren. Los Angeles should receive its first installment of about $14 million in 2000, followed by multimillion-dollar payments through 2025.

Under the settlement, Los Angeles County stands to receive $3.15 billion; Orange County, $838 million; and Ventura County, $233 million. San Diego County could get more than $865 million, and San Jose and San Francisco, $312 million each.

Los Angeles council members said they will examine all ideas before making any decisions on spending the city’s share.

But “the bottom line,” said Councilman Mike Feuer, “is that it should be used for enforcement plus prevention.”

Hahn suggested that the city focus on preventing teenage smoking. He said the city should begin licensing tobacco retailers in an effort to enforce laws against the sale of tobacco products to minors. He also suggested a campaign to warn the public about the health hazards of exposure to secondhand smoke.

To that end, the city has sued tobacco companies for failing to make such warnings. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge earlier this week allowed the lawsuit to proceed, rejecting the firms’ claims that they already warn the public about the dangers of smoke on cigarette and other tobacco packages.