EDITORIAL UNANSWERED QUESTION CITY HALL CORRUPTION CLOUDS DEBATE ON TRAFFIC, GROWTH AND OTHER ISSUES.

THE first debate of the Los Angeles mayoral race was an effective kickoff to three months of campaigning, allowing Mayor James Hahn and his four major challengers to stake their turf.

But, even though it was lively, it didn't come close to answering the big question that no one in power wants to confront: How do we end the culture of corruption in City Hall?

Hahn himself brushed off the pay-to-play investigations and abuse of power linked to his administration by saying he wished it would ``fade away so we can focus on real issues.'' You bet he does, since the charges that hang over his administration threaten his re-election.

That's obviously what's important to Hahn. But what's important to others is that the corrupt culture keeps the city from moving forward. Sooner or later, Hahn will have to take responsibility for what's gone wrong if he is to have any chance of restoring public trust in City Hall.

To be fair, Hahn's administration didn't invent the dirty politics at City Hall, though under his watch the abuses seem to have reached an unprecedented level. Backroom dealing with favors going to political donors and powerful people is how L.A. has been run for decades.

Putting his fund-raiser in charge of the city's three cash-rich departments - Harbor, Airport and Water and Power - set the stage for scandal. Using the city P.R. contract with Fleishman-Hillard for personal self-promotion - instead of terminating it - was dead wrong. Squeezing every dollar out of contractors, consultants and unions to crush secession of the San Fernando Valley was morally indefensible.

Now there are county and federal investigations of wrongdoing and criminal charges against prominent figures for laundering campaign contributions to Hahn and others.

Hahn says he's an honest man, although no one's accused him of putting the money in his pocket. The question he didn't answer was whether he wittingly or unwittingly allowed top aides and close allies to abuse the public trust.

By evading that question, he left the issue of City Hall corruption standing like a big pink elephant in the evolving mayoral debate. And unless Hahn confronts the beast, it could easily trample him.

Los Angeles is a city on the edge of crisis, its future in doubt. And nothing good can happen unless the very culture of city politics is transformed from one of insiders and special interests feeding at the public trough to one where ordinary people in every neighborhood can fully participate in the political life of the city.

Let real democracy come to L.A. and see what a shining light of hope this city could be.