I dunno what came over me, but I started banging out an Open Letter to Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, the most invisible chief executive in the city's recent history:
"Dear Thin White Duke:
I've been reading the papers, and tracking your career online, and more than two years later, I have to ask: What exactly is it that you do every day to justify your six-figure salary and figurehead position as Leader of the Creative Capital of the World? "
But I thought better of it. Let the people judge him on his acts - or lack thereof. I'm just not getting a sense that Jim Hahn has done much of anything since taking office but draw breath and a paycheck.
Hahn stood behind striking supermarket workers. But when the strike entered its second month (now in its fourth) and it became apparent Safeway was summarily screwing thousands of cashiers, stockers and clerks - many of whom were 10-year-plus employees having their health benefits yanked from beneath them - Hahn didn't exactly apply any pressure to the chain to begin bargaining in earnest.
Hahn continues flogging his $9-billion pork-barrel plan for "modernizing" LAX, even in the face of a 9-year low in air traffic there. Why?
He said he has "serious reservations" about the police-state implications of the PATRIOT Act, but when the City Council decided to oppose it he said rather weakly that he would "have to review it" before deciding to sign.
And he asked state water-keeper to block attempts by proponents of the Sunshine Canyon dump in Granada Hills to undermine laws to keep it clean.
Opposing a landfill near your constituents' homes. Now there's a brave position.
What has the Invisible Mayor done so far this week according to his Web site?
In fact, about the only worthy thing Hahn's done in the past six months is to protest Gov. Schwarzenegger's brainless plan to cut the living guts out of the city's state budget allocation - something any sensible politician would do, particularly when it threatens his administration's ability to keep the voters happy with adequate police and fire protection.
Go ahead, do a keyword search in the L.A. Times database for stories even containing the mayor's name. Since the 2001 election, you get only about 150 results.
I suppose you could argue that the Times isn't doing a great job of covering Hizzoner's administration, let alone digging into whether he's accomplished anything in the realm of bringing jobs to L.A., pushing for investigation of the DWP's overcharging during the energy crisis a few years ago, stopping runaway studio production, or, for instance, sticking to one particular love/hate position regarding Schwarzenegger's bloated egomaniac performance masquerading as a governorship. I just don't think Hahn's done much that's newsworthy.
But I rant.
Listen, I'm not saying we should bring back Sam Yorty. Or Tom Bradley - they were far from perfect, and managed to offend people in between helping Los Angeles make significant leaps forward as a world-class metropolis .
But at least you could see their reflections in the mirror.
Posted by: mack_reed on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 12:02 PM
