HAHN AIDE IN SCUFFLE AT CITY RALLY IN ENCINO.Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer As Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California extolled city programs at a city-sponsored and paid-for rally for senior citizens Saturday at Lake Balboa Balboa, town (1990 pop. 2,751), Colón prov., in the former Panama Canal Zone, on the Gulf of Panama. The port for Panama City, Balboa was the administrative headquarters of the Panama Canal Zone. It was also the site of a U.S. navy base (closed 1999). , his liaison on elderly issues attempted to tear down to demolish violently; to pull or pluck down. - Shak. See also: Tear a pro-secession banner, prompting the police to intervene and question but not arrest her. About 2,000 people attended the ``Walk and Talk'' fair for L.A.'s elderly to hear Hahn and other officials talk about senior services and keeping L.A. united, an event that attracted several dozen activists on both sides of the Valley secession issue. About 9:40 a.m., the mayor was speaking when his aide, Carol Watkins, confronted secession activists unfurling a ``Yes on F'' banner behind the podium podium In architecture, a pedestal on a large scale. It may be any of various elements that form the base of a structure, such as the platform forming the floor and substructure of a Classical temple, a low wall supporting columns, or the structurally or decoratively . Watkins, Hahn's liaison to the Department of Aging - which had advertised and paid for the cost of the event, including lunch for those in attendance - tried to remove the 10-foot-long banner that Valley City Council candidates Glenn Bailey and Shaunn Cartwright were holding up. Bailey claims the mayor's aide grabbed his arm and pushed as she tried to force the banner to the ground. The shouts and the tussling interrupted Hahn. ``Don't pay attention to the man behind me,'' said Hahn, and he continued with his speech, saying, ``We honor you to make sure that your golden years Noun 1. golden years - the time of life after retirement from active work time of life - a period of time during which a person is normally in a particular life state are truly golden.'' Bailey, a 10th District candidate for the proposed new San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. city, filed a battery report with police, but Watkins denied any type of inappropriate activity, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Sgt. Damien Gutierrez of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Police Department's Van Nuys bureau. Bailey called for Watkins' resignation. ``It's totally inappropriate behavior for a city employee to attack a citizen of the city that she works for - she probably didn't know that I'm running for City Council,'' Bailey said. Hahn said he and his staff stand behind Watkins. Detectives will review the case Monday to see if Bailey's allegations have any merit, Gutierrez said. Hahn was not surprised by the politically charged atmosphere so close to the Nov. 5 election, in which Measure F will give voters a chance to vote on cityhood for the San Fernando Valley. ``It's the political season - this is the time when things heat up,'' Hahn said. ``With the election so close, we should have all expected this.'' But secessionists accuse ac·cuse v. ac·cused, ac·cus·ing, ac·cus·es v.tr. 1. To charge with a shortcoming or error. 2. To charge formally with a wrongdoing. v.intr. Hahn of intentionally planned the city-funded senior event as a vehicle for ``L.A. United'' propaganda, claiming he was breaking city ethics rules. ``This was an anti-secession rally at taxpayer expense,'' said Jeff Brain, president of Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment, the group responsible for getting secession on the ballot. Brain said hundreds of L.A. United supporters were bused to the event at the city's expense, and that speakers at the event, such as former U.S. Rep. Bobby Fiedler, a one-time secession supporter who became an opponent, had no reason to be there other than to trash the secession movement. While other speakers praised the city's services to the elderly, Fiedler spoke openly against secession and urged participants to vote against it. ``The mayor is using city funds to bring crowds together and then using that forum to campaign against secession,'' Brain said. Hahn and his staff denied any intention of anti-secession campaigning. ``Mayor Hahn was not campaigning at the event. The purpose of the event was to give elderly people information about services that the city provides,'' said Hahn spokeswoman Julie Wong. ``I don't control what people say,'' Hahn said. When Fiedler started her anti-secession speech outlining the pitfalls of Valley independence, the secessionists got angry. ``They billed this as a senior event and then Fiedler got up and made a huge anti-secession speech,'' said District 12 Valley City Council candidate Frank Sheftel. U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman Bradley J. "Brad" Sherman (born October 24 1954) is an American politician. He has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing California's At-large congressional district. , D-Sherman Oaks, was also taken aback by Fiedler's address. ``I'm surprised that Bobby is talking specifically about secession at a seniors event,'' Sherman said. ``None of this is inappropriate,'' he added. Fiedler said secession would have a negative impact on the lives of seniors in the Valley. ``I talked about the things that people will lose with secession . ... I convinced some of the seniors,'' Fiedler said, adding that there is an obvious advantage to having access to the podium during political campaigns. ``It's part of the political process,'' she said. This is not the first time secessionists have complained about the mayor using unfair campaign tactics to fight secession. In August, secessionists filed complaints against Hahn with the city Ethics Commission In the United States, an Ethics Commission is a commission established by State law to discourage dishonest practices by their public employees and elected officials. Almost all American states have such a commission. , charging that he was improperly using resources for the campaign. Also in attendance Saturday were council members Wendy Greuel Wendy Greuel is President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 2nd District. Greuel was elected in 2002 to fill the remainder of the term of Councilman Joel Wachs. She was elected in her own right in 2003 and reelected in 2007. , Tom LaBonge Tom LaBonge (b. Los Angeles 1953), member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 4th district. He has served since 2001, taking over the position upon the death of John Ferraro. , Dennis Zine and Honorary Mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant Johnny Grant is a radio personality, television producer and the honorary mayor of Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, which is an unpaid and unelected ceremonial position with no legal status, given that Hollywood is not a city, but rather a district within the City of Los Angeles. . CAPTION(S): photo Photo: L.A. Mayor James Hahn greets Lily Lyons of Reseda while walking at Lake Balboa in Encino. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion