Now we know what Kevin Roderick was "on assignment" for a few weeks back:
In the latest Los Angeles Magazine, Mr. LAObserved unspools a fascinating profile of Mayor Jim Hahn as the "sleeper" dragster of campaign race cars - a bland '69 Dodge Dart with tin hubcaps and blistered paint that paces you sleepily to the edge of town, then completely blows your doors off and rolls away with your pinks.
Roderick's profile focuses largely on Hahn's (admittedly interesting) bio facts, and on the ruthless race-baiting of then-(and now-) rival Antonio Villaraigosa that pulled an unremarkable city attorney up from weak-second runoff survivor to the mayoralty of America's second-largest city three years ago:
Sadly, Roderick doesn't delve much into Hahn's performance much beyond the political ramifications of two big moves: His battle against secession pushed some Valley supporters into Bob Hertzberg's camp, and his (correct) decision to kick then-LAPD Chief Bernard Parks to the curb in favor of proven reformer William Bratton has alienated many of the black Angelenos who thought they were electing beloved Sup. Kenneth Hahn's son.
Roderick mentions Hahn's LAX expansion plans, delves deeply into the Fleishman-Hillard PR scandal he's covered so extensively and excellently on his blog.
But he lets him off the hook for the city's lackluster and haphazard growth and the steepening division between filthy rich and dogfood-poor, by noting that the city isn't falling apart, and that things generally seem to work.
No mention of Hahn's absolute failure to address the fact that L.A.'s biggest industry is hemorrhaging jobs to cheaper movie locales and third-world digital factories.
Nor does he really call any witnesses on Hahn's inability to do what all great mayors do, from Fiorello LaGuardia and Ray Flynn to Tom Bradley and Willie Brown - give the world beyond a sense of the real city behind the familiar veneer of cliches.
Still, it's definitely worth your $3.95 to pick up a copy, if for no other reason than to read:
Lots of politicians try to make themselves seem more common. Hahn has the opposite problem: People think he's nice but wonder if he's mayoral enough. He has a knack for things like citing obscure code sections, not describing a vision for the city's future, and his speaking style never leaves an audience wanting more ... "The idea that seems to be dogging me is, you know, 'Jim Hahn, he's not exciting enough. He doesn't sizzle enough. He's not flashy enough. We want a mayor who's a star.' If that's what people want," he says, " they are free to choose somebody like that."
And here, Roderick's piece is most telling: Hahn's missing the point. We don't want someone who acts like he gives a damn about the city. We want someone who actually gives a damn about the city, and is not just going through the motions, collecting a paycheck and allowing possible corruption and disloyalty fester within his departments.
L.A. needs a mayor with a capital M, not a pair of quote marks around the title.
Posted by: mack_reed on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 11:34 PM
