MAYORAL HOPEFULS TAKE SHOTS AT HAHN.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Mayor James Hahn's challengers stepped up their attacks Tuesday during the second debate leading to the March 8 primary, picking apart actions on environmental issues as they suggested that his policies contained more politics than solutions to problems.

The debate, sponsored by the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, turned intense at times, with Hahn finding himself on the defensive on topics ranging from traffic and clean water to the harbor and Los Angeles International Airport expansion.

``I've changed the direction of the DWP,'' Hahn said. ``I put forward a plan to deal with what will happen at LAX, while dealing with the problems of pollution and traffic. I have worked to clean up the harbor with a zero-emissions policy even as we have had growth there.''

But Hahn's four major opponents - Councilmen Bernard Parks and Antonio Villaraigosa, former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg and state Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys - said he had failed to provide adequate leadership on the many problems facing the city.

They honed in on his proposal this past year to eliminate the city's Environmental Affairs Department and said there was little substance to his initiatives.

Hahn retaliated by linking Villaraigosa, Hertzberg and Alarcon as part of the failed Democratic Party leadership in Sacramento in recent years and Parks as a failed leader of the Los Angeles Police Department.

``We don't need more of the failed leadership we saw in Sacramento or at the LAPD,'' Hahn said. ``I don't know what was worse: Sacramento taking our money and not paying it back when they had a surplus or spending into a deficit where they couldn't pay us back.''

Hertzberg said he worked hard to get Los Angeles a fair share of state and federal money but that in his years in the Assembly Hahn was invisible.

``In the days I was speaker, I never saw you up there,'' Hertzberg said to the mayor. ``I was speaker when Jim Hahn was elected mayor and we never heard anything. It was radio silence.''

The others criticized Hahn for cutting a deal with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defer local government payments in return for a future promise to no longer take funds.

``I wouldn't have negotiated that away,'' Alarcon said.

Villaraigosa said the mayor was boasting about achievements that were only made as part of settlements of lawsuits over his failed environmental policies or over actions taken by the City Council.

``Once again, the mayor is taking credit for actions the Los Angeles City Council has done,'' Villaraigosa said, citing his efforts to emphasize renewable energy from the DWP.

He noted that he and Parks oppose the mayor's controversial $11 billion LAX expansion plan, but Hahn countered that Villaraigosa also opposed the $500 million community benefits program for cities neighboring LAX.

``That was not an act of courage,'' Hahn said.

The intensity of the debate mirrored the first confrontation among the candidates earlier this month.

The League of Conservation Voters is a key player among environmental groups and, in the 2001 election, had endorsed Villaraigosa.

The councilman reminded them of his close ties to the group and his 100 percent voting record on issues they consider vital.

But the other candidates offered their own credentials for consideration.

Alarcon took a swipe at the ongoing corruption investigations of the Hahn administration on accusations of ``pay-to-play'' abuses in city contracting.

``City Hall won't respond to environmental issues until we clean that up. We need to end the influence of contributors and listen more to people.''

Parks said Hahn has failed to advance an agenda that helps the public and has paid little attention to the serious traffic and transportation problems, missing large numbers of meetings of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, where he controls one-third of the votes.

``We need a mayor who will go to MTA and create a regional plan for traffic - not one who is conflicted out,'' Parks said, referring to the need of Hahn to recuse himself on a variety of issues because of conflicts of interest.

``We need to make sure we are looking to the future when it come to dealing with housing, jobs and transportation.''

Hahn said his programs have been designed to help in the areas where motorists are most affected.

Hertzberg faulted the mayor for failing to deal with traffic that is a major source of pollution as well as frustration for residents.

``We are not going to be able to improve our city until we deal with the traffic,'' Hertzberg said. ``This (Hahn) administration has failed to come up with programs to meet federal guidelines. That has cost us $4 billion in federal grants over the past several years.

``I also have to say that the plan for LAX is absurd. We are spending $11 billion on a plan with one ingress and one egress. It's ridiculous.''

All five said they support the closure of all landfills in the city through increased recycling and going to other areas.

``But we can't be political about this,'' Parks said ``Right now, we are subsidizing single-family residences and we are looking at a $180 million price tag to take it elsewhere. We need a realistic approach to dealing with this on a long-term basis.''

Alarcon cited his efforts when he served on the City Council to close the Lopez Canyon landfill in Lake View Terrace.

``I'm the only one up here who closed an urban landfill,'' Alarcon said. ``We need to expand recycling and look to new technology to turn trash into energy.''

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, left, leaves the podium as his challengers congratulate one another after the debate Tuesday evening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer