Hahn Comes Under Attack at Debate

Mayor James K. Hahn came under sharp attack Thursday night from three political opponents who charged during a debate that he has failed to lead Los Angeles on key issues, from expanding the police force to setting an ethical tone at City Hall.

Hahn did not attend the forum at Stephen S. Wise Temple in West Los Angeles, but was the focus of repeated attacks from Richard Alarcon, Bernard C. Parks and Antonio Villaraigosa.

The three challengers spent little time criticizing each other.

Citing the investigations into contracting at City Hall, Parks said Hahn has failed to lead by his own example. “I think we need a different brand of leadership in the city,” the South Los Angeles city councilman said. “We need leadership where there is character.”

Parks, the city’s former police chief, also accused the mayor of squandering millions of dollars on raises for city employees that could have paid for more police.

Hahn has been pushing the City Council to put a measure to raise the sales tax on the ballot to pay for police officers.

Villaraigosa said the mayor has failed to lead the drive to expand the police force. Villaraigosa said he spent $500,000 of his political funds on last year’s campaign for a county sales tax increase to hire more cops, while Hahn spent $10,000.

The Eastside councilman also criticized Hahn’s role in a strike by Metropolitan Transportation Authority drivers and mechanics last year. “I was sitting on the MTA board when Jim Hahn was missing in action,” he said.

During the strike, Hahn did make an attempt to mediate between the two sides.

Alarcon, a state senator from Sun Valley, touted his initiative to ban campaign contributions to city candidates from developers and contractors, saying the mayor and council have not acted. “Our city is being influenced inappropriately,” he said.

Hahn has proposed his own limits on contributions by contractors and developers that are pending in the City Council.

Alarcon and Villaraigosa both said they would be willing to renew the contract of police Chief William J. Bratton, if he continues to reduce the crime rate. Parks, however, said he would have to evaluate the chief’s performance. “I don’t choose to politicize that position as it has been in the past,” he said.

A fourth major challenger, former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, canceled his appearance after his son was hospitalized with an allergic reaction. Hertzberg would have had the home-field advantage because he is a member of the temple.

Jewish voters are being wooed because they made up about 16% of the electorate in the April 2001 election.

Hahn, who has skipped other debates, plans to attend half a dozen events that are televised, said spokesman Kam Kuwata.

The forum, which drew about 100 people, was sponsored by the temple; MWW Group, a public relations and lobbying firm; and the Executives, a support group for the Jewish Home for the Aging.

Harvey Englander, a senior vice president of the MWW Group, said the buzz over the March 8 election is building.

“People are really starting to talk about it everywhere I go,” said Englander, who donated to the 2001 mayoral campaigns of Hahn and Villaraigosa but is not backing a candidate this time.