EDITORIAL CHALLENGE ACCEPTED HAHN ASKS CRITICS TO ``PROVE'' HE DOESN'T HAVE CITY'S BEST INTEREST AT HEART.ONCE again, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn faces allegations of pay- to-play politics, this time that he accepted $300,000 in laundered contributions from a contractor trying to get special treatment from the city. And, once again, Hahn has trotted out his benevolence BENEVOLENCE, duty. The doing a kind action to another, from mere good will, without any legal obligation. It is a moral duty only, and it cannot be enforced by law. A good wan is benevolent to the poor, but no law can compel him to be so. BENEVOLENCE, English law. and know- nothingism as his defense. ``I think people are smart enough to look at the facts,'' Hahn says. ``They know me. They know what I stand for, that what I do is in the best interest of the city. Anyone who alleges otherwise has to prove that, and I don't think they can.'' That sounds like a challenge - one we're more than happy to accept. Is what Hahn does ``in the best interest of the city''? Consider just a few examples from his recent record: --Hahn is pushing an $11 billion plan to ``modernize'' Los Angeles International Airport “LAX” redirects here. For other uses, see LAX (disambiguation). “KLAX” redirects here. For other uses, see KLAX (disambiguation). Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX - a plan that no one wants, save the contractors and unions who stand to make a bundle. The plan would actually make LAX more dangerous and increase traffic on the 405 Freeway and expand the already congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. airport. --In three years in office, Hahn has made no effort to rein in to check the speed of, or cause to stop, by drawing the reins. to cause (a person) to slow down or cease some activity; - to rein in is used commonly of superiors in a chain of command, ordering a subordinate to moderate or cease some activity deemed excessive. See also: Rein Rein the bloated and overpriced o·ver·price tr.v. o·ver·priced, o·ver·pric·ing, o·ver·pric·es To put too high a price or value on. overpriced Adjective costing more than it is thought to be worth Adj. city government. Instead, he has taken on an enormous staff of his own, while approving unaffordable un·af·ford·a·ble adj. Too expensive: medical care that has become unaffordable for many. un pay raises for members of all the city unions that have bankrolled his campaigns. --The mayor has used the city's Department of Water and Power as City Hall's piggy bank, while engineering rate increases for ratepayers - a stealth tax hike to support the rampant inefficiencies and corruptions in city government. --He has overseen and mastered the ``pay-to-play'' culture in City Hall, which is why his administration is the target of both county and federal investigations. --Hahn's Harbor Commission recently approved a sweetheart, $540,000 ``consulting'' deal for former Harbor Department chief Larry Keller, who happens to be a key witness in the pay-to-play scandal. And now there's yet more evidence of campaign money laundering The process of taking the proceeds of criminal activity and making them appear legal. Laundering allows criminals to transform illegally obtained gain into seemingly legitimate funds. , to which Hahn can only plead ignorant. Can critics ``prove'' Hahn doesn't always have the city's best interest at heart? They don't need to. His record does that for them. |
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