MAYORAL CALENDAR SHOWS FOCUS ON BUSINESS, LAPD.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

If a politician's appointment calendar is an indication of his priorities, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan's obsessions are the city's economy and crime.

Riordan attended about 150 meetings and events on business issues and 95 meetings on law enforcement in the 15-month period ending March 14, according to an analysis of the mayor's scheduled appointments during that period.

The internal analysis, prepared by the Mayor's Office and obtained by the Daily News, provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Riordan administration.

It categorizes by issue, race, age, sexual orientation and geography each of the 1,089 meetings and events the mayor attended during the period.

Nearly 30 percent of the ``issue'' schedulings were related to Los Angeles business, followed by 19 percent related to police and public safety issues.

Geographically, about 21 percent of his meetings outside City Hall were in the Valley.

The data are broken down that way to make sure the mayor is serving all of his constituents, Deputy Mayor Robin Kramer said.

``We try and look at whether we have met our goals in terms of the mayor being the mayor of the whole city,'' Kramer said.

``The mayor has priorities, and this helps us in our strategies to meet those goals,'' she said. ``We want to know how the mayor has invested his most precious resource - his time.''

The picture that emerges is of a mayor more likely to be conferring with business leaders, entertainment moguls, visiting dignitaries and the press than with homeowner groups and City Council members.

Over the past year, the mayor has had lunch with then-MCA Chairman Lew Wasserman and breakfast with Jeffrey Katzenberg of the Dreamworks/SKG studio.

He's also met with former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca, former Atlantic Richfield Corp. Chairman Lod Cook, venture capitalist Peter Ueberroth and Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael Eisner.

Riordan attended 170 news conferences and interviews with media ranging from local news outlets to the British Broadcasting Corp., Cable News Network, Apparel News and Boxoffice Magazine.

The scheduling report lists 66 protocol meetings attended by the mayor during the last 15 months, including visits with dignitaries from Pakistan, Thailand, Sweden and Egypt.

In comparison, only 34 meetings and events were categorized as neighborhood related. More than one-third of the mayor's neighborhood meetings took place in the San Fernando Valley, in places including Sun Valley, Sherman Oaks and North Hollywood.

Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, said his group met with Riordan in January - but only after six months of making requests.

``We found it very frustrating to get the mayor's ear,'' Close said.

``It's clear the business interests have his ear. But if he wants to get re-elected next year, foreign dignitaries and business leaders who live in Beverly Hills can't vote for him.

``He needs to meet more with the residents of this city,'' Close said.

In addition to the neighborhood category, there were 103 events that the analysis categorizes under such headings as African-Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asians, women, and gays and lesbians.

In a city of diverse and sometimes competing special interest groups, the mayor's effort to track his meeting with ethnic, religious and other groups is an indication that he wants to avoid slighting any group, said Xandra Kayden, acting director of the UCLA Policy Forum.

``He is clearly trying to go out and reach out,'' she said.

The ethnic breakdown provides some surprises.

Riordan has come under criticism from some African-American leaders for ignoring their concerns.

But the report indicates he has attended more African-American related events than for any other ethnic minority - including Latinos, the minority group that provided him with the strongest support in the 1993 election.

In total, Riordan attended 27 events and meetings involving the African-American community, including a Watts community round table and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade and dinner.

Riordan spokeswoman Noelia Rodriguez said the report proves that Riordan has devoted considerable attention to the African-American community.

``For people who have said we haven't been out there, that is just not true,'' Rodriguez said. ``We've always felt those criticisms were unfair.''

The report suggests that a small inner circle of friends and advisers consistently has the mayor's ear.

One name that shows up repeatedly in Riordan meetings is William Wardlaw, the mayor's closest political adviser and a former business partner.

Whether the subject is educational issues, attracting a sports team, running the airport or discussing political strategy, Wardlaw's name seems to pop up.

Wardlaw, who recently underwent surgery for colon cancer and is chairing President Clinton's California campaign this year, acknowledges that he provides his longtime friend with counsel on many issues.

``I care deeply about Dick Riordan and therefore I try to be helpful to him when I can,'' Wardlaw said. ``I view myself as a friend who offers advice every

once in a while.''

The report indicates a handful of other business leaders also has easy access to the mayor's inner circle, including:

Police Commissioner and Galpin Ford owner Bert Boeckmann, who met with Riordan on a variety of business and police-related issues.

Parks Commission President Steve Soboroff, a developer and consultant, who recently was named as an unpaid senior policy adviser to Riordan.

Airport Commission President Dan Garcia, a counsel for Warner Brothers who during much of the reporting period headed the Redevelopment Agency Board.

Another frequent visitor to the Mayor's Office is Metropolitan Transit Authority Board Chairman Larry Zarian, whose six meetings with Riordan standout among the 93 meeting and events Riordan attended on transportation issues.

The scheduling report also provides a picture of where Riordan is headed when he leaves City Hall for meetings and events.

Of 328 events and meetings noted as geographically specific away from the office, 101 schedulings (30 percent) were in the downtown area.

Seventy, or 21 percent, were in the San Fernando Valley and 28, or 8.5 percent, were in South Los Angeles.

Riordan said during an all-day visit to the Valley last week that although he sees the Valley as key to his re-election and the city's future, he does not favor it over any other part of the city.

``I don't think you can forget any part of the city,'' he said.

The report shows Riordan has devoted a substantial amount of his schedule to ``political'' discussions - 100 meetings and events ranging from a breakfast with county Supervisor Gloria Molina to a session with President Clinton held in the lobby of the Sheraton Miramar Hotel last August.

Some City Council members, however, believe the mayor doesn't pay enough attention to them.

The mayor, for instance, met more often during the last 15 months with home builder and former business associate Eli Broad than with eight of the members of the City Council, including Councilwoman Rita Walters.

Walters, who met with Riordan twice during the period, said the former venture capitalist seems more comfortable in his old element of corporate relationships than in his new career as a political leader.

``I don't think he's yet that comfortable interacting with council people or sees the necessity for it,'' Walters said. ``He needs to meet more frequently with council members.''

Riordan met at least once during the last year with every council member, not counting a dinner he held with the council in October, but the mayor is listed by his scheduling office as having met more with some than others.

Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg was the most frequent council visitor to the Mayor's Office. As chairwoman of the council's Personnel Committee, she is a key player in personnel issues - including police recruitment and pay.

Councilman Hal Bernson, who chairs the council's Planning Committee, and Council President John Ferraro were also frequent visitors to Riordan's office, while the report shows just one meeting each with council members Ruth Galanter, Nate Holden and Mike Hernandez.

Kramer said the report on formal meetings and events does not present the whole picture.

``I don't think the calendar shows every time he picks up the phone and calls a council member,'' she said.

The report also provides strong evidence that Riordan has exercised a hands-on management approach to the LAPD.

Riordan attended 95 meetings and events involving the LAPD - after businesses, the second-highest number for any issue categorized in the report.

The mayor's time devoted to the LAPD included 13 meetings with Police Chief Willie L. Williams in which the two discussed such issues as police deployment, attrition and hiring, the report shows.

Riordan also met four times during the period with Police Commission President Deirdre Hill.

The report also indicates other priorities for the mayor. Riordan attended 93 meetings and events on transportation issues and 27 on education issues, but only eight on housing issues and four on environmental issues.

Kramer said it should be no surprise that most of the mayor's meetings and events involve economic development and public safety.

``Those are his two big priorities,'' she said.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Chart

Photo: (1) Mayor Richard Riordan attends a law en forcement meeting Wednesday with LAPD Capt. Ron Bergmann.

Gus Ruelas/Daily News

(2--color) Richard Riordan

1,089 meetings in 15 months

Chart: HOW THE MAYOR SPENDS HIS TIME

Source: The Mayor's Office