EDITORIAL HARD TRUTHS PUBLIC MUST DEMAND A STOP TO THE ENDLESS HIKES IN CITY RATES, FEES AND TAXES.

COUNCILMAN Bernard Parks has found a good campaign issue in this one: City Hall must stop sucking out the profits of the Department of Water and Power, then jacking up rates again to feed its squandering habits.

Parks pledges to freeze DWP rates should he win the mayoral sweepstakes, which would be the right thing to do no matter who wins the election, at least until there's a thorough housecleaning at the DWP.

Perhaps it's his ambition that has moved Parks to get religion about the DWP since he voted along with the rest of the council to transfer some of the utility's profits to the city's general fund. Whatever the reason, it's a step in the right direction.

But, sad to say, the mayor and council, the unions, consultants and contractors are so addicted to robbing the public, it's hard to imagine weaning them from the DWP cash cow.

Mayor James Hahn has siphoned off $600 million in water and power revenues so he could buy support by putting the money in the pockets of the insiders. In addition, millions have been paid from DWP accounts for corrupt public-relations contracts that appear to have been intended to improve the mayor's personal image.

But the DWP can't be sucked dry forever, so rather than end these shameful practices, the mayor and council agreed to stick ratepayers with an 11 percent rate increase.

Perhaps an 11 percent increase doesn't seem like much to those who earn six-figure salaries, but this hurts the neediest of the city's residents. And it's only the beginning of what likely will be 33 percent or more in increases in the next few fears.

The ripping off of the public doesn't end there. The city has raised or will soon raise virtually every fee and rate it can while cutting services.

The most recent hike is the 40 percent sewer rate increase over five years that the council unanimously approved Wednesday.

At least the sewer rates are tied to actual service costs, even though they have been caused by municipal neglect for the past century, and are putting an extra burden on Valley residents.

The DWP increase is indefensible. City officials claim that the hike will pay for ``security'' improvements. But the only security it buys is for politicians who want to continue their reckless spending and payouts to special interests with impunity.

The City Hall scandal isn't going to be cleaned up by a freeze on more rate hikes at the DWP. Nothing is going to change unless the public gets fed up with what's going on and gets involved in demanding civic responsibility from its government.