Hugs, Smiles Fill Riordan’s Last Day as Mayor

The chessboard and clocks in Mayor Richard Riordan’s office at City Hall were packed in boxes, along with his firefighter’s hat and the photo of him cradling a monkey at the Los Angeles Zoo.

On his last day of work at City Hall on Friday, Riordan sorted through his hundreds of books and threw a party for his staff. Finally, in time for the 5 o’clock news, he walked outside to the site of his 1993 inauguration speech to thank Los Angeles “for the honor and the privilege of serving as your mayor.”

“Thank you for being my partners in making Los Angeles a better city, a place we are proud to call home,” he said.

Riordan was swamped in hugs, handshakes and farewells Friday as he closed up his office at City Hall and paid respects to friends and foes on the City Council. Tonight at midnight, Riordan’s successor, James K. Hahn, will become the mayor.

“You know, you’ve got to let go some time,” Riordan said during a break between tributes.

“I think eight years is right. Let go and let somebody else do it. Too many people, after a number of years--and eight years seems to be magical--the title becomes more important than the accomplishments, so that you’re a big shot, people kiss your ring, but you’re not really busy. I never want to be that way. And now I can criticize Mayor Hahn if anything goes wrong.”

Riordan kept his sense of humor intact on an otherwise poignant day.

On the KTLA-TV Channel 5 morning news show, he gleefully sprayed Silly String goo on the two anchors. The anchors, in turn, sprayed so much Silly String on the mayor that he looked as though a platter of spaghetti had been dumped on his head.

“It is so wonderful to get the respect I deserve,” he deadpanned.

The mayor chuckled and set about spraying more strands of goo on his hosts.

In more serious moments on the show, Riordan looked back on the high and low points of his two terms as mayor.

He cited his help in electing new Board of Education members as his most important achievement, along with improvements in the quality of life in poor neighborhoods. As for his legacy, Riordan said, “I’d like people just to remember one thing--that I love Los Angeles, and I’ve always loved it, and I always will.”

As for the Rampart police corruption scandal that marred his second term, Riordan dismissed it as a problem that involved a “tiny, tiny portion” of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Looking forward, he had only kind words for Hahn, who defeated Riordan’s preferred candidate, Antonio Villaraigosa. “I think Mayor Hahn will go down as a great mayor,” Riordan said.

Later, he paid a visit to the City Council chambers in the newly restored City Hall.

“Despite a few barbs back and forth during the last eight years with the council, when it came down to doing things for your constituents, we acted as a team and we made them happen,” he said.

The council, which at best has had tense relations with Riordan, gave him a proclamation.

“You were for the children,” said Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. “You didn’t say, ‘It’s not my job.’ ”

Councilman Nick Pacheco thanked Riordan for being “one of the very few people who stood by me when I ran for City Council.”

Several members remained conspicuously mute during the tributes to Riordan. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas said he declined to talk about Riordan “because my grandmother raised me properly.” Councilman Mike Feuer said with a grin: “The usually loquacious Mike Feuer had no comment.”

Riordan said he and the council had “energized each other to do a better job.”

After he left, the council paid tribute to its members whose terms end tonight: Mike Hernandez, Laura Chick, Feuer, Rudy Svorinich and Rita Walters. Although the members have often been at odds, they all lavished praise on each other. Even Hernandez got a standing ovation from his peers, who less than three years ago wanted to throw him out of office because of his cocaine and alcohol addictions. Hernandez vowed to get sober and stayed on the council.

“For those of you who are counting, tomorrow is my last day as a council member and I have 1,408 days of sobriety today,” said a tearful Hernandez.

Councilwoman Ruth Galanter told Hernandez he performed “an incredible feat of strength.”

“During the whole time that he was having desperate personal problems, he never stole anything from the city, he never sold the vote, he never abused his position,” Galanter said.

After the meeting, the council members mingled at a city-catered lunch. But City Controller Rick Tuttle, who also leaves office tonight, sent them a letter questioning the propriety of their spending public money on the reception.

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Farewell: Riordan’s last day in office, captured in pictures. B5