RIORDAN, FLEMING JOIN FORCES TO SUPPORT REFORM INITIATIVE.Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer Despite its shortcomings A shortcoming is a character flaw. Shortcomings may also be:
David Fleming appealed Thursday for support for a proposed new City Charter, saying it will help bring accountability to city government. Riordan and Fleming, a city fire commissioner, told Daily News editors and reporters that Proposition 1 on the June 8 ballot will serve to show the public how City Hall operates and offers an opportunity to change the current culture of city government. ``The present charter has been in effect for 75 years and has meant a total diffusion diffusion, in chemistry, the spontaneous migration of substances from regions where their concentration is high to regions where their concentration is low. Diffusion is important in many life processes. of power and responsibility,'' Riordan said. ``Except for the budget, all the power is in the hands of the City Council. That means no one is held accountable. ``What the new charter will change is that the mayor will be held responsible. All things will come back to the Mayor's Office.'' Fleming, who joined Riordan three years ago in founding the charter reform effort, said there were even more compelling arguments to support the proposal. ``We don't want the rest of the city to say it was the Valley that stopped charter reform when secession secession, in art secession, in art, any of several associations of progressive artists, especially those in Munich, Berlin, and Vienna, who withdrew from the established academic societies or exhibitions. comes to a vote,'' said Fleming, who also has been an active supporter of Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment em·pow·er tr.v. em·pow·ered, em·pow·er·ing, em·pow·ers 1. To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority. See Synonyms at authorize. 2. , the group that qualified a petition to force a study of a separate Valley city. Noting strong City Council opposition to the proposed charter, Fleming said adoption of the new charter will be a litmus test litmus test n. A test for chemical acidity or basicity using litmus paper. for the council. He said he believes the council will fight implementation by delaying or changing the wording in enabling ordinances. ``The City Council will fight this tooth and nail,'' Fleming said. ``They do not want to give up any of their power. If nothing else, the Valley should support this to see what they do and give an argument for Valley secession. ``I would say, give us the rope to hang ourselves.'' Riordan disputed that slightly, saying charter reform and secession are two different issues, and he wants to see the new charter to give clearer lines of authority. ``Secession will go ahead or it won't,'' Riordan said. ``The main thing is if the Valley secedes, it wants to see 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. succeed as well. You don't want a bankrupt BANKRUPT. A person who has done, or suffered some act to be done, which is by law declared an act of bankruptcy; in such case he may be declared a bankrupt. 2. It is proper to notice that there is much difference between a bankrupt and an insolvent. neighbor.'' Riordan said the new charter contains 75 percent of what he wanted when he began the movement, with his only real dispute over the ability of the council to block his efforts to fire general managers of municipal departments. But he said he was pleased with provisions giving him the power to hire general managers and appoint and dismiss commissioners, as well as the elimination of a provision giving the council the power to overturn decisions of commissions. ``Even though I supposedly have the power to fire general managers, I can't (now),'' Riordan said. ``What happens now is general managers work the City Council, going to committee meetings and meeting with them. None of them really report to me.'' The two men disagreed on the influence that neighborhood councils Neighborhood councils are governmental or non-governmental bodies composed of local people who handle neighborhood problems. They can be found in many cities throughout the world. would have on city policy. ``They would have real power,'' Riordan argued. ``I think it would be difficult for any politician to go against their recommendation on any issue.'' But Fleming said he believes the councils could be co-opted by an official who pits one panel against another, creating a situation in which officials could do what they want. |
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