Rivals Tone Down the Debate Rhetoric

After weeks of contentious exchanges, former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and City Atty. James K. Hahn adopted a more conciliatory tone Saturday during their third public face-off, agreeing with each other on how they would help disadvantaged neighborhoods and tamping down the sharp attacks that have dominated the last few days.

But while the mayoral candidates were fairly agreeable on stage during the African American community debate at Crenshaw High School, a passionate audience of more than 400 people overshadowed the discussion about economic development with a lively reaction to the two men.

A vocal and standing-room-only crowd--dominated by Hahn supporters--alternated between loud cheers and boos as the candidates spoke. Throughout the forum, audience members also argued with one another, sometimes drowning out the candidates’ responses.

The fiercely partisan nature of the audience highlighted the strong and often personal feelings toward both men in the African American community, whose support is being aggressively sought by the two mayoral hopefuls. Villaraigosa and Hahn have held frequent events in South Los Angeles as they attempt to piece together a winning coalition of support before the June 5 runoff.

Hahn, who grew up in the Crenshaw area and whose father, the late County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, represented South Los Angeles for decades, engenders loyal support among many African American voters. Almost three-quarters of black voters backed Hahn in the April 10 election. But Villaraigosa has attempted to cut into that base, touting his endorsements from a cadre of young African American leaders and promising to govern with a multiracial coalition.

On Saturday, both candidates attempted to showcase their credentials in the black community. Hahn mentioned several times that he grew up in the neighborhood and has the endorsement of former Laker star and entrepreneur Magic Johnson, while Villaraigosa talked about how he was raised in a similar community on the Eastside and cited the support of City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents part of the area.

But for all their attempts to distinguish themselves before the energetic audience, the two candidates echoed each other’s positions on nearly every subject, agreeing that the next mayor has to do more to promote economic development in poor communities, facilitate better transportation, encourage more investment in local schools and advocate drug-treatment programs.

Both Say They Will Work With Chief Parks

“If my candidacy is about anything, it’s about opening up this city to every single one of us,” Villaraigosa said.

A few minutes later, Hahn said: “I’m running for mayor because I want to improve the quality of life of every person in this city.”

Both men agreed that they would work with Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks to reform the Police Department and increase community policing efforts. While the embattled chief’s approval ratings have plummeted overall since the Rampart corruption scandal, he remains very popular among African Americans.

Despite previous comments he has made that suggested he would be inclined to replace Parks, Villaraigosa said Saturday merely that he would be a partner with the chief.

“As mayor of this city, I am committed to working with Chief Parks,” he said.

Hahn, who has generally been a defender of Parks throughout the campaign, went further and said he would hold the chief accountable for implementing reform.

When asked to comment on his rival, each declined the opportunity to criticize the other. Villaraigosa called Hahn “a good man,” and later the city attorney called his opponent “a fine man.”

The agreeable tone between the two was an abrupt change from the last few days. During a debate Thursday night at Cal State Northridge, Hahn accused Villaraigosa of sharing the blame for the state energy crisis, and Villaraigosa challenged Hahn on the city’s high liability costs. On Friday evening, the Hahn campaign denounced a comment Villaraigosa made about a mentally impaired woman at a senior center, calling it insensitive.

But on Saturday, the sharpest back-and-forth was over their approaches to combating crime, a constant theme in the race. The candidates were asked what they would do to thwart violence outside of implementing gang injunctions, a controversial method the city attorney has pioneered in Los Angeles.

“My colleague has, at every opportunity, distorted my record on this issue, just because I said I don’t believe gang injunctions are the only way to fight crime in this city,” Villaraigosa said, as the audience applauded.

“Take a good look at me,” he added. “Someone gave me a second chance. I believe the next mayor of this city has to give young people a second chance.”

Hahn retorted that Villaraigosa has indeed been against injunctions, suing to stop the city attorney from implementing one of the first injunctions when Villaraigosa was president of the ACLU.

“I haven’t been distorting your record,” Hahn said. “I agree with you, and I’ve said that I know that that’s not the only way to do things. But if you’re going to give a community a time-out to focus on prevention . . . you can’t do that when you’re under the oppression of a gang.”

The crowd cheered loudly.

The city attorney also tried to counter his opponent’s reputation for having a more energetic style, saying, “I believe what matters is substance over style, results over rhetoric.”

Moments later, Villaraigosa responded: “It’s not about what you say; it’s about what you do.”

Throughout the debate, the audience shouted at the candidates and at one another, at times yelling out catcalls that were angrily hushed by other listeners. “You’re not your father!” one man called out repeatedly to Hahn. “Boo!” others called out in response.