LA Mayor's Race

Crime fighters

2005-05-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times discussed new campaign ads that criticize each candidate's failure to protect the city. However, Villarigosa has some ads that are positive rather than negative, while Hahn released an ad in which a mother of a dead toddler criticized Villarigosa for not voting on a bill that would keep child abusers in jail longer.

Criminal Probe

2005-05-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times said Villarigosa and other city council members are calling for a probe into the business dealings of Hahn's Harbor Commissioner President Nicholas Tonsich's law firm. They said theat the fact that Tonsich's firm has recieved $1.25 million in no-bid contracts from the Alameda Corridor and Transpotrtation Authority. They said it's another example of corruption that needs to be changed.

Hahn Gaining

2005-05-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times did a poll and discovered that, although he is still trailing Villrigosa, Hahn is gaining favor among voters. He has improved his standing with the black community but still hasn't gained enough favor to beat Villarigosa in the polls. Only 24 percent of voters think the city should remain on the same path because Hahns policies have made it better, while 67 percent want to see a change of pace.
They also discussed...again...the ad Villarigosa put out against Hahn criticizing his integrity. Articles about this ad are really starting to get old.
The Los Angeles Daily News said the voting procedures fot the runoff election will change slightly. The candidates and the secretary of state will be allowed to monitor the ballot counting procedure due to criticizm over how the March 8 ballot couting was handled.
They also reported that the candidates are now arguing over potholes and education. Villarigosa says he wants to deal more aggeresively with "quality of life issues" and having peole fill potholes quickly and effectively will help the city while Hahn defended his position on hte pothole hotline and its efficiency.

Criticism isn't education

2005-05-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times criticized the candidates for doing little the past week to educate voters. They said the recent campaigning and accusation flinging doesn't help voters understand where they stand on the issues or what they actually plan to do.
This is starting to look like a presidential election: a lot of accusations and little action.

A lot of features...

2005-05-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times put out a cute set of articles about the histories of each candidate during their high school years and their youth titles Early Childhoods, Different Paths, Same Goal. It also did a feature on how the mayors for the past mayors have had personal failings for the past 40 years. It was like a review of the mayors of the past, where they were from and what they did for the city (or didn't do).
Both candidates are agressively campaigning during the last week before voting.

Prescription Drugs and Ethics Issues

2005-05-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Times: The L.A. City Council voted on a new presctpition drug discount program proposed by Villarigosa. They say this is a major political accomplishment for him that could have a positive effect on his campaign. The program is based on an East Coast plan that offers discounts to area residents.
There was also an analysis on how true to their word the candidates have been. They point out that although Villarigosa says education is a key issue he wants to address he "has skipped 46% of the meetings of the council's Education and Neighborhoods Committee since he was appointed to the panel in 2003" and while Hahn says he wants to fix traffic problems "he has missed 36% of the meetings of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Executive Management and Audit Committee since Jan. 1, 2003." They basically say that if they can't even show up for meetings, people question how effective and active they'll be in doing the job.

The LA Daily News talked again about the campaign contribution stuff but also said Hahn wanted to put the likeness of a crime victim on a mural near Los Angeles Valley College, and Villaraigosa wnt to Good Samaritan Hospital to talk about his prescription program.

2005-05-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times talked about Hahn's new ad against Villarigosa, which cites the probe into the campaign contributions from Florida. He accuses Villarigosa of doing special favors for Florida contributors.
Another article discusses the contributions by a private family of $103,000 to Villarigosa's campaign. Richard Murelo used to support Hahn, but his recent change of heart has come under fire and people are questioning Murelo's business dealings. Villarigosa says he wants to focus on education but Murelo recently bought land where the LA Unified School District wanted to build a high school. Villarigosa said he knew nothing about the purchase. Hahn suggested foul play, that Murelo may have alterior motives in donating to Villarigosa's campaign.
The hiring of POLA gardeners is another issue that people are trying to connect to Hahn. The high cost of hiring people to pull weeds is a concern and many thing that there is a conneciton between Hahns ties to the Service Employees International Union, who the workers would be protected by, who are also large supporters of Hahn. Hahn's campaign says there is no tie., he is not alowing the hiring of workers in order to get more money.

The LA Daily News also discussed the recent Hahn ad.

Something old and something new...

2005-05-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times talked about Villarigosas new television ad. The ad attacks Hahns ethics. The article also brings up the probes into both candidates finances...again.
Another article discussed the positions of the candidates on the future of LAX. Hahn wants to put $11 billion into LAX to modernize it, Vilarigosa voted against the plan when it was proposed to the city council in December. This issue could have an effect on whether or not Hahn wins a second term. Opposition to the plan has given Villarigosa support from the airport communites. Villarigosa says he won't completely throw Hahn's plan out the window if he's elevted mayor because he sees the need for "green light" projects, which include moving a runway, and are in the first phase of construction. The fact that he won't create his own plan, however, is of concern to some area residents. Also, lawyers that helped develop the environmental reports and two-phase project say that if he goes ahead with the "green light" projects and does away with the second phase ("yellow light") it would ruin the progress and hard work already accomplished. Nevertheless, the airport could have a signigificant affect on how people will vote.

The LA Daily News also talked about Villarigosa's ad.

www.antonio2005.com

More of the Same Kind of Stuff...

2005-05-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

The LA Business Journal compared the 2004 mayoral elections to the 2001 mayoral elections (Hahn and Villarigosa ran against eachother in 2001 as well) and said that the contest against the two could be closer than people may have originally thought.
They also reported that Hahn is fighting against the release of the IT Audit by Laura Chick, L.A. City Controller. They claim it could turn the campaign into "political football".

The Los Angeles Times reviewed the intentions of each candidate with respect to the issue of traffic in LA. Hahn would continue to build about more left-turn lanes, and expanding Metro transportation. Hahn turned down the opportunity to be chairman of the MTA board and missed many meetings. Villaraigosa,on the other hand, promised to lobby for money to build the Exposition light-rail line, a proposed project, to the Westside and an extension of the Red Line subway to Santa Monica. He has been active with the MTA.
They also said that the candidates have reversed roles, they said Hahn has recently began to portray himself as an outsider while Villarigosa has been efficient in revcieving high name endorsements. They discussed the recent probe into the contributions to Villarigosa's campaign. Sunday, they campaigned accross Los Angeles where they discussed increasing police officers and making schools safer.

The LA Daily News talked about how volatile the attacks between the candidates has been.

Focus on White Voters

2005-05-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times said Hahn and Villarigosa focused on the San Fernando Valley. Hahn is reportedly targeting white voters to "propel his reelection effort". He recently opened up a new police station in Mission Hills and rallied in the valley for voter support. At the same time, Villarigosa rallied in Van Nuys with John Kerry, who expressed his support. Kerry went on to describe Villarigosa as an excellent candidate while Villarigosa talked about his plans to reduce traffic and increase police protection. Villarigosa has a strong hold on the Latino vote so Hahn is fighting the battle for other voters and Valley Republicans. Strategists say it's "do or die" in the valley for Hahn.

The LA Daily News discussed Kerry's endorsment of Villarigosa and the endorsements he has recieved.

2005-04-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times discussed results of polls and reviews of endorsements that suggest ties between black and latino communities backing Villarigosa however, political strategists suggest say that a rivalry could emerge that have the potential to damage the campaign. They say that it's possible for black communities to assume that Villarigosa will support the latino community and ignore the rest.
The Times also went into more detail regarding the recent probe into Villarigosa's campaign contributions. District Attorney Steve Cooley suggested money laundering may be involved. He said an investigation still needed to be conducted. Villarigosa "welcomed the inquiry" citing that he had, in fact returned $47,000 in contributions from gift shop company employees and relatives and said that the difference between him and Hahn is that he "take[s] responsibility for his actions." He stressed that his campaign has been honest and a recent ad adresses the recent money scandals and other shady practices by Hahn:
"Corruption, grand jury investigations, million-dollar settlements. Have you had enough scandal? We have."

The LA Daily News also discussed the probe.

Mismanaged Money for Villarigosa?

2005-04-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Long Beach Business Journal reported a probe into Villarigosa's campaign contributions. Media coverage of contrubutions by two employees from Florida companies led way to a review to see if a "wider probe is warranted."

The LA Daily News discussed Villarigosa's $47,000 in "questionable funds."

Endorsements and Probes

2005-04-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

The LA Daily News discussed City Council President Alex Padilla's endorsement of Villarigosa. He endorsed Hahn in 2001.
Hahn asked the Ethics Commission to investigate campaign contributions for Villarigosa. He questioned the donation of $41,000 by Florida Gift shop employees. Apparantly, when questioned about the contributions, employees didn't know what was going on. They suggested the commission lok into what is behind the circumstances.

A Battleground of Accusations

2005-04-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times reported on the Koreatown forum. The candidates threw accusation back and forth about safety and schools. Hahn accused Villarigosa of not doing enough to help L.A. schools and initially opposing gang injuncitons while Villarigosa accused Hahn of distorting his reputation in Sacramento and noting that he failed to keep a promise to increase the police force. Villarigosa almost dropped out of the forum but the Korean-language media made it so much of an issue that he decided to participate. They also said John Kerry would possibly be endorsing Villarigosa.
The forum became defensive at times and the moderator frequently had to intervene.

Fighting Over Education

2005-04-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Villaraigosa and Hahn blame each other for education problems and argue that each would be the best person to handle these problems. Though, the City Charter does not give the mayor power over the Los Angeles Unified School District.
There are three weeks to go before the May 17 runoff.

Villaraigosa's Spanish

2005-04-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Villaraigosa's Spanish is better than Hahn's, but is not the best of the best, as seen on a recent Saturday morning when he stumbled infront of a roomful of campaign volunteers at his South Los Angeles office. Villaraigosa stumbld over which verb tense to use and to his rescue were the people in the room who called out suggestions. He switched back to English and according to an LA Times article said, "You know, I was born here, man. It's hard...it's hard." The room reacted with laughter and applause.
From news conferences, television advertisments, speeches and debates translated in spanish, this campaign has been a bilingual affair. Today the canidates are to engge in a bilingual debate broadcast by Spanish-language network Univision. Questions will be posted in Spanish to both canidates and translated to English by earpiece. Their answers, in turn, will be translated to Spanish.
Hahn does not speak spanish and although of Mexican descent, Villaraigosa learned after graduating from UCLA.
Although a little shakey, Villaraigosa's knowledge of Spanish may help him win more Latino support.

Cap Lifted on Spending

2005-04-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

The cap was lifted on the amount of money that could be spent for the May 17 mayoral runoff election, when two unions with close ties to Hahn reported spending $320,000 to support his reelection.
Hahn has so far benefited from $402,632 in independent spending, mostly from unions, while Villaraigosa has benefited from $121,865.
According to the LA Times, there are no limits on independent expenditures, but spending more than $200,000 for or against a canidate removes the $1.8 million cap on how much canidates can spend.
Hahn and Villaraigosa continue to attack each other's records on crime and education.

Hahn Visits Jefferson High School

2005-04-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Mayor James K. Hahn pays a suprise visit to Jefferson High School, where Monday's racially and gang-motivated brawl took place. He met with students' parents and school leaders around 11 a.m.
He comented outside the school, "We want to let everyone know that this campus is for learning." He acknowledged that there are "turf wars going on...but I am going to be fighting for students who want to learn."

Hahn Addresses the Crenshaw District

2005-04-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Mayor James K. Hahn went to the Crenshaw district on Monday to remind them of his achievements in the past four years, specifically focusing on the decrease in crime. He also re-emphasized the advancements he has made in lowering business taxes, stimulating housing construction and empowering neighborhoods. Though he spoke of past achievements, little of his address was focused on the future.
This will be his last major public address before the May 17 runoff.

LA Mayor's Televised Debate

2005-04-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hahn and Villaraigosa criticize one another agian in the televised hourlong debate on Sunday.
They both argued they would be the better one to serve the public by adding more police men, fixing the schools, and bringing more jobs to the city.
Villaraigosa appears to enjoy a comfortable lead. Last week, a Times poll showed that the councilman, who lost to Hahn by seven percentage points in 2001, leads the mayor by 18 percentage points, and is the favored candidate of likely voters among whites, blacks, Latinos, liberals, moderates, Democrats, Jews and union members.
Although, Hahn has not lost in six citywide elections.

Controversy Inside the City Hall Walls

2005-04-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles mayor's race has caused controversy between city hall members in the past weeks. Some City Hall observers say city business, including major policy initiatives, is taking a backseat to political theatrics.
Hahn has the support of seven of the fifteen members (Tom LaBonge, Cindy Miscikowski, Jan Perry, Ed Reyes, Greig Smith, Eric Garcetti and Dennis Zine), while Villaraigosa has the rest (Martin Ludlow, Jack Weiss and Bernard C. Parks, Wendy Greuel, Alex Padilla and Tony Cardenas).
"We'll all be happy when this mayor's race is over," said Greuel. The council will soon lauch their review of the mayor's proposed city budget.

Hahn Extends LAX Contracts

2005-04-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Villaraigosa and his allies asked the City Council to review two concesion contracts at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, but were denied. The Airport Comission, whose members are appointed by Hahn, voted unanimously last week to extend two contracts. There was no urgency to extend the contracts since both would not have expired until May 31, two weeks following the election.
Villaraigosa and three other councilmen demanded that the council use its authority to vote on the contracts that DFS Group has to run duty-free shops and Airport Management Services has to run newsstands and gift stores at the world's fifth-busiest airport. "There was no discussion," Villaraigosa said at the council hearing Friday. "They were passed through even though it was clear there was not a sense of urgency."
One of the airport contractors has donated to Hahn, and both have hired lobbyists with influence.

Crime: An Issue of Debate

2005-04-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hahn tries to blame Villaraigosa for gang violence, while Villaregosa blames the mayor for not hiring enough officers. Hahn has been criticizing Villaregosa for his previous opposition to gang injunctions, civil court orders that seek to limit the activities of gang members in areas of the city. Hahn tried to win approval for a gang injunction against the Blythe Street gang in Panorama City in 1993, but the American Civil Liberties Union's Southern California chapter oposed his efforts. Villaregosa was the president of the chapters board at the time.
Villaregosa has changed his position on gang injunctions since, and is being ridiculed by Hahn for that inconsistancy. In turn, Villaregosa is blaming Hahn for LA crime because he has not hired enough police men.
The ridiculing continues as the May 17 runoff approaches.

Hertzberg endorses Villaraigosa

2005-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, who ran against both canidates in the March 8 election, endorsed Villaraigosa today. According to the LA Times, Hertzberg believes Villaraigosa has the engergy and ability to have good leadership over Los Angeles: "All of us are standing here today with Antonio Villaraigosa for the very same reason: to change Los Angeles," Hertzberg said. "You know that he has the energy. You know he puts together good people. You know he has what it takes to make it happen." For the last couple of days Villaraigosa has been backed by prominant people who may influence the outcome of the May 17 runoff.

Magic Johnson backs Villaraigosa

2005-04-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Former Laker Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who backd Hahn four years ago, endorses Villaraigosa this time around. In an LA Times article, Johnson credits Villaraigosa with having the energy "to make things happen." One reason why Johnson decided to back the city councilman is because he thought Villaraigosa could bring better jobs to LA than Hahn ever did.
This endorsement is crucial to Villaraigosa's campaign because of Johnson's famous name and popularity. The endorsement may also attract other black voters to vote for Villaraigosa.

Hollywood Help?

2005-04-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

When it comes to local politics, Hollywood actors seem scarce in backing local canidates.
Only Barbra Streisand has contributed the maximum $1,000 to Mayor James K. Hahn in the LA mayor's race. With a little more than five weeks to go until Hahn and City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa face each other in the May 17 runoff, both campaigns agree that the celebrity support is expected to stay low. In an LA Times article, Parke Skelton, strategist for Villaraigosa's campaign said, "They're pretty much focused on national politics."
Despite the support of famous actors, Villaraigosa has received major endorsements from City Councilman Bernard Parks, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles; the L.A. County Democratic Party and state Education Secretary Richard Riordan, according to the LA Business Journal.

Who will win the support of black voters?

2005-04-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hahn and Villaraigosa fought for the support of black voters in Saturday's 8 a.m. debate. The debate, sponsored by the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper, took place in the glass atrium of the California African American Museum in Exposition Park and aired live on KJLH-FM (102.3). Each canidate pledged safer street, better schools and more jobs and housing for South Los Angeles, offering a platform of appeals to African Americans. Although, most of the debate concentrated on undercutting voter confidence in the other.
Villaraigosa tried to raise doubts about the mayor's trustworthiness, while Hahn went on to fault Villaraigosa on sending mixed signals during the 2001 campain on whether Parks should remain police chief.
In the first round of the mayoral election March 8, Villaraigosa won just 15% of the black vote, while Parks captured 54%, and Hahn won 23%, according to a Times exit poll.
Also according to LA Times, most of the city's black political and church leaders have ditched Hahn, whom they backed in 2001, and united behind Villaraigosa. The black vote will play a crucial part in determining the mayor in the May 17 elecetions.

Raising money.

2005-04-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

Antonio Villaraigosa has raised over 650,000 dollars in only three and a half weeks. This money is for his newest campaign for the May 17 runoff for mayor. Hahn has not raised that yet, but his campaign strategist said that he is confident that Hahn will have the resources needed to win a second term. In the runoff matchup in 2001, Villaraigosa raised more money and did it faster than Hahn and we all know how that turned out.
money.

Hahn won't disclose

2005-04-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Mayor Hahn won't disclose his appointment calander to the public even though his opponent, Villaraigosa has done so. In November, a constitutional amendment was passed stating that more openess was encouraged. Public officials have disclosed their calanders. "For security reasons and concerns, we do not release the mayor's schedule," mayoral spokeswoman Shannon Murphy said. Proposition 59 placed the public's right of access to government documents and meetings in the state of California. The Governor disclosed his information in January and most all other officials followed.

No information

2005-04-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

No pertinent information was found.

Parks to back Villaraigosa

2005-04-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

When Mayor Hahn dropped Bernard Parks for Police Chief, people were furious. By getting rid of Parks, Hahn has and will lose many votes. Bernard C. Parks is now backing Hahn's competitor, Villaraigosa. So Villaraigosa is now trying to win over those votes that Hahn is losing. He may just get them if former police chief Parks is backing him and not Hahn.

Making Hahn pay

2005-04-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

When Maxine Waters announced she was backing Villargairosa for Mayor, other black leaders followed her. They were furious when Mayor Hahn dropped Police Chief Bernard C. Parks. These leaders are making Hahn pay for that by dropping him.

Picture of Hahn-No information.

2005-03-26T23:36:00.000-08:00

Hahn voting for himself.

There was no pertinent information regarding the mayor's race on this day.

Mayor Hahn loses votes.

2005-03-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

Two more African-American community leaders who have supported Mayor Hahn in the past have announced that they are now supporting Councilman Villaraigosa for mayor. One of the changed minds is Maxine Waters, a democrat from L.A. who is a powerful black leader and who has been friends with Hahn and his family for many years. One of her main concerns stated in the paper was Hahn's descision to change the police chief.

Picture of Antonio-No information.

2005-03-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

Antonio Villaraigosa.

No information was published on this day.

Keeping Hollywood Here.

2005-03-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

Mayor Hahn wants to keep "Hollywood in Hollywood." He wants to bring a productions company to Los Angeles to begin shooting a film. He is trying to keep and also bring back money to the city of Los Angeles. But not everyone agrees with his descision. Chairman of the council's entertainment committee, Martin Ludlow, believes his descision is too late. "It's in the 11th hour," Ludlow said when speaking of this. Meaning Hahn is running out of time and ideas. Ludlow supports Hahn's opponent, Villaraigosa.

Hertzberg challanges ballots

2005-03-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

LA Times
Now Hertzberg's attorney wants to inspect the ballots. City Clerk, Frank Martinez, invited Hertzberg's attorney to look at the ballots that were overmarked with highlighter.

LA Daily News
Thousands of ballots were reviewed by Hertzberg's attorney, Fred Woocher, who found no evidence of fraud. Hertzberg said, "I'm not going to challange the election." Hertzberg lost to Mayor Hahn by a very narrow margin.

The Ballot Mishap

2005-03-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

The City Clerk's Office is in hot water with Mayor Hahn, because workers set aside ballots to be re-inked on election night. The ballots, which were hand-sorted were marked too faintly to be counted accurately by machine. "Without informing the candidates or setting up a system of independent observers, City Clerk Frank Martinez had his staff and temporary election workers use blue highlighters to mark Ink-A-Vote ballots they deemed questionable -- a practice that has raised concerns about the integrity of the election process," reported by the L.A. Daily News. Council President Alex Padilla said that the re-inking of the ballots would have top priority. The Council is in the process of reviewing why the count was delayed for hours despite a low turnout.

A School System Showdown

2005-03-16T16:02:00.000-08:00

Education has become the main topic up for debate between Mayor Hahn and Villaraigosa. Both have promised to combat the problems of the Los Angeles Unified School District. On Tuesday, they both claimed that a mayor's job should be in assisting the School District and helping them find sites for new schools. The competitors also said that they would serve as voices for the city "in seeking more funds and demanding better performance from the school system." Hahn's course of action lead him to appear before the Board of Education and urge it to adopt the Small Schools Alliance pledge. This pledge would push for smaller schools throughout the district. Hahn then challenged Villaraigosa to a debate, which would be solely on education issues. "I think this is a good time to have a debate on education and I am asking Mr. Villaraigosa to take this opportunity to discuss where our education system can go," Hahn said. "As mayor, I think we need a unified approach to schools." Villaraigosa responded by saying that Hahn only wants to debate when cameras are around and promised a debate before May 17. This information was gathered from the L.A. Daily News.

Questioning the ballots

2005-03-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

LA Daily News
Mayor Hahn questioned why the City Clerk's office was inking the ballots that might have been too faint for the computer to read. They were using blue highlighters to mark the questionable ballots.

The Support comes Flowing in

2005-03-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

Antonio Villaraigosa gained support from City Controller Laura Chick, who audited the city's airport department in 2003, sparking a federal investigation into the city contracting and sparking an argument with Mayor James K. Hahn. Meanwhile, Hahn picked up support from Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, which praised his crime-fighting efforts. County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, one of the most prominent African American supporters of Bernard C. Parks, endorsed Antonio Villaraigosa. Labor leaders are backing Hahn's reelection and union members are devoted to Villaraigosa, but 27 percent of union members voted for Hahn and Villaraigosa won 35 percent of the labor vote, reported by the Times exit poll. "Union leaders said the results demonstrate the lingering impact of their 2001 campaign on behalf of Villaraigosa and show that they have to do a better job of informing members about Hahn's pro-labor record before the May 17 runoff," reported by the LA Times.

L.A.'s Poor Turnout

2005-03-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Only one-fourth of L.A.'s 1.47 million registered voters came out for Tuesday's mayoral election.
This year's turnout decreased by 100,000 voters from the 2001 election. The L.A. Daily News said that voters were uninspired to go to the polls despite five legitimate candidates who spent millions of dollars arguing over civic issues. "Studies have shown that negative campaigning - such as the ads on television, in mailers and through telephone calls during the final days of the mayoral campaign - further depress voter turnout in general," L.A. Daily News.

It's Deja Vu for Hahn

2005-03-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

Antonio Villaraigosa has knocked Mayor Hahn right back in the same position he was in four years ago. Only this time, Villaraigosa has more than a fighting chance. In a Times exit poll on Tuesday, 78 percent of Hertzberg supporters and 68 percent of Parks supporters have an unfavorable impression of the mayor. Taken from a 99 percent vote, Villaraigosa won 33 percent of the vote, which is up from the 30 percent vote he won in the 2001 election. Hahn had 24 percent of the vote, which was down from his 25 percent vote. Hertzberg was close on Hahn's heels with a 22 percent vote, coming within about 5,800 votes of taking the mayor's place in second position. Parks was placed in forth with a 13 percent vote and Alarcon had a 4 percent vote. Information gathered from the L.A. Times.

Hitting the Pavement on Election Day

2005-03-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

The candidates have placed their votes and now they're off to campaign. All the major candidates are planning to visit numerous areas today, trying to rope in as many votes as possible. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Because of the last L.A. Times poll, candidates are prepared to hear that there will be a May 17 runoff between the top two winners from today. A candidate needs more than 50% of the vote in the mayoral election to win.

Few signs, but lots of parties

2005-03-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

With very few signs lining the roads and hills of L.A., it is hard to tell that an election will be held tomorrow. There have been less volunteers to plaster L.A. with signs in this election, perhaps because democrats are burnt out from the presidential campaigning. So here's a reminder of how interesting this election should be; Bernard C. Parks is an ex-police chief, who was fired by Mayor Hahn, who is sharing Valley votes with Bob Hertzberg, and Antonio Villaraigosa and Richard Alarcon may cause their own defeat by splitting the Latin vote. So with the candidates wound up and running through L.A. to collect votes, the next logical question would be, where will the candidates spend Tuesday evening? "Mayor Hahn will be at the Conga Room in the Miracle Mile area, Villaraigosa will be at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood, Bob Hertzberg will be at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys, state Sen. Richard Alarcon will be at Cha Cha Cha restaurant in Encino, and City Councilman Bernard C. Parks has scheduled his election-night party for downtown, renting a ballroom at the Biltmore." Kam Kuwata, a Hahn spokesman, said that Hahn's location was chosen for convenience, the Conga Room is right by Hahn's campaign office. "'It's going to be a lot more fun having it at a club,' Kuwata said, promising a conga line after the returns come in," L.A. Times.

An Uninterested L.A.

2005-03-07T18:35:00.000-08:00

Only two-thirds of Los Angeles' 1.4 million registered voters are expected to vote on election day. Voters said that they are either undecided or uninterested. Many of the voters agreed that none of the candidates stand out because none of them have made clearly compelling cases. The city clerk only expects one-third of the city's registered voters to turn out Tuesday. So instead of the mayoral candidates fighting for their own votes, with only one day left, they are fighting for people to go to the polls. "'Everything's about getting the votes out,' Alarcon said, speaking for all five of the main contestants in Tuesday's vote." The election is still not expected to produce a winner; the top two candidates will probably advance to a May 17 runoff. Though information is only being reported on the five main candidates, there will be seven others on the ballot, this information was gathered from the L.A. Times.

The election charges on

2005-03-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

Hahn is hard at work trying not to become the first L.A. mayor to be denied reelection in 30 years. In 1973, voters chose Tom Bradley over Sam Yorty. Hahn would also be the first to lose reelection after serving only one term, since John Porter in 1933. With the three top runners competing for two slots in a likely May 17 runoff, Hahn had this to say, "Bob, you can run, but you can't hide!" Hahn is working on the multi-ethnic electorate, while Councilman Bernard C. Parks has cut into Hahn's black support, and many of the mayor's former Valley backers have been snatched up by Bob Hertzberg. With such a narrow gap between the three top runners, new polls have shown that about 45% of them back Villaraigosa. In the last election, Latinos made up about 22% of all voters. "So, if Hahn and Hertzberg emerge as the candidates after Tuesday's vote, 75% of Latinos could cast a vote in the runoff for a candidate they did not support in the primary," LA Times.

Mayor Hahn won't go down without a fight

2005-03-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

Mayor Hahn blamed Bob Hertzberg and Antonio Villaraigosa for the California energy crisis, Wednesday. Villaraigosa was blamed for voting to deregulate the state's energy market, and Hertzberg was linked to the notorious Texas energy company that was accused of milking California for millions of dollars during the 2001 energy crisis. "Hahn is expected to begin a new television ad today that criticizes both Hertzberg and Villaraigosa for their records as state assemblymen, sources said Wednesday," this information was gathered from the LA Times. On March 1, four candidates met in Korea town for a bilingual televised debate.

Hahn Fights Back

2005-03-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

More police are to come and taxes won't be raised. Hahn found money to hire 370 extra police officers by July 1, the new fiscal year. The recent approval of 278 will be hired using $63 million in state funds that are still owed to the city. The city's general fund will help pay for the remaining 92 cops, with about $50 million a year more in state funds available for police in fiscal year 2007 to further increase Los Angeles Police Department staffing. Hahn released this information "just hours after Villaraigosa and other council members said they had identified enough money from city lease consolidations to hire about 90 new cops within three years," information gathered from the LA Daily News.

March of the Mayor's Race

2005-03-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Hertzberg met with the governor to ensure Schwarzenegger's support for his plan to break up the Los Angeles Unified School District. While all of the candidates are running from city to city, trying to rake in more votes, a new candidate has voiced his opinion on one of Mayor Hahn's plans, "having someone tell you it's going to cost $9 billion to remodel one structure set off all my B.S. detectors," Westchester lawyer Walter Moore said. Moore became angry in July 2003, when he read that Hahn wanted to spend $9 billion to modernize Los Angeles International Airport. This information was gathered from the L.A. Times.
A new poll has been released by the L.A. Times. City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa is in led with 24%, former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg is close behind with 21%, and Mayor James K. Hahn has 20%. Since the pole show the candidates so close, the top two will probably head for a May 17 runoff. The Times also wrote that, "Just 36% of likely voters polled say Los Angeles is on the right track, with 49% deciding it's on the wrong track. And just 26% say they want the city to continue the policies of the Hahn administration, while 65% say they want a new direction."

Villaraigosa Makes a Vow to the Valley

2005-02-24T17:12:00.000-08:00

Counting down to the election, Antonio Villaraigosa closes in on the Valley. His main objective is to capture the 45 percent vote that the Valley holds. Villaraigosa said he will appoint a deputy mayor to Van Nuys City Hall. He also said that he will go to the Valley twice a week, to make sure that the voices are heard. Mayor Hahn may have lost the Valley's support because his promise three years ago of "stress-free living, solid middle-class jobs that could support a family, great schools and friendly neighborhoods drew people to the San Fernando Valley," but people claim the promises were never kept. This information was taken from the "LA Daily News." It was printed on Feb. 23, 2005.

Candidates get their fingers wet...

2005-02-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

The rainy weather didn't stop Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn from coming outside. Hahn had his day filled with four media events at three mud and water ravaged locations. With the freeways flooding, mudslides occurring and an airport runway that was lost, Hahn urged Governor Arnold Swarchenegger to ask for federal assistance. But Hahn wasn't the only one getting his fingers wet. Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa had already spent much of the morning at the different sites by helping residents rescue their pets and valuable papers from their homes. Former Assembly speaker Bob Hertzberg decided to use the destructive rainy season by noting that "the infrastructure is suffering under the Hahn administration."

Minorities

2005-02-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles mayoral candidates reached out to different minority groups this past Sunday. The election is two week away and the candidates are campaigning full throttle. Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, who won little African-American support during his campaign against Mayor James K. Hahn four years ago, visited two popular African-American churches. Former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg's wife, who is Latina, introduced her husband to a predominately Latino audience. Mayor Hahn continues to reach the African American community who helped him win the last mayoral election.

hahn in the hot seat

2005-02-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

The L.A. TIMES reported that during this past year there have been criminal investigation on Hahn's appointees. These appointees are accused with laundering money dealing with city contracts and campaign fundraiser. Prosecutors have called at least 16 current and former Hahn appointees and city employees before two grand juries. Though Hahn has denied of knowing and wrong doing, the four mayoral candidates continue to question him. The LA times have reported that more than a third of those likely to vote on March 8 say they believe "Hahn lacks integrity and honesty."

Hertzberg/Parks

2005-02-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

Former Mayor of Los Angeles, Richard Riordan, has publicly announced his endorsement for running mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg, said the LA Times. Also showing support for Hertzberg is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He supports Hertzberg's plan about separating Los Angeles Unified School District. Also reported from the LA TIMES was councilman Bernard C. Parks who has showed support to the community after the killing of 13-year-old- Devin Brown. Parks, former Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Police Department, was once criticized for defending officers involved in controversial shootings. But since his current role as a councilman, his "sensitivity has shined, "said a community member.

Summary

2005-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

State Sen. Francisco Alarcon vowed to appoint a disabled person to the county transit board to help expand transportation services for the disabled. Sponsored by Communities Actively Living Independent and Free, Alarcon told the audience of 40 his plans in making Los Angeles "a model city for the disabled." Also, on the L.A. Times, they spoke about Hahns task force, which he created for the L.A./Long Beach port. The task force is creating a proposal on how to decrease pollution in one of the fastest growing ports of increased pollution.

Villaraigosa

2005-02-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

The L.A. Times has given their reader an inside look into the lives of Antonio Villaraigosa. Villaraigosa grew up in Los Angeles and lived with his mother and two younger sisters. He was noted as a bright student but who held some anger due to the absence of his father. He dropped out of high school but was encouraged back. In order to graduate he had to take day and night classes. He later attended UCLA. He's been in the state assembly and a councilman. Four Year ago he ran for mayor and lost to Hahn. In the L.A. Times he states, "I'm more determined than ever. I'm made for this job."

Debate Live on Air

2005-02-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

The four major mayoral candidates and current mayor James Hahn, debated live on television. They spoke in front of 600 people in city hall and answering important questions and expressing their views. The four runner-ups for the mayoral position attacked Hahn and the job he has done as mayor for the past four years. One of the most consistent attacks on Hahn was that the Los Angeles police force is still understaffed. Hahn fired back by stating that crime has dropped and unfortunately he took office during Californian budget crisis. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that Mayor James Hahn says he's reduced violent crime by more than 16 percent since taking office, though he fell short of the 1,000 officers he pledged during his 2001 campaign.

who really is Hahn

2005-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

As the mayoral race gets closer, people in Los Angeles County should ask themselves, "who really are these candidates?"
The LA times gave an in depth perspective on current Mayor James k. Hahn. Hahn's story begins with his late father Kenneth Hahn, who engaged and succeded in local politics for nearly 50 years, shaping Los Angeles. His father was a pioneer for easing racial tension in LA. Mayor Hahn grew up in what was then a middle-class, mixed-race neighborhood near Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue. He learned first hand the politics of LA through his father, whom he was very close to. He later attended Pepperdine University where he earned a bachelor's degree in English. He then received a law degree in 1975 at Pepperdine University Law School. He was city controller from 1981-1985 and was later a city attorney for 16 years, leaving four years ago and entering the LA mayoral race.

Hahn...

2005-02-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

The LA Times reported that Pierce O'Donnell, a prominent lawyer, was charged with laundering political contributions to Mayor James K. Hahn. He appeared in court Tuesday to argue that the charges should be dismissed. Meanwhile Hahn has denied any knowledge that O'Donnell reimbursed contributions made to his 2001 campaign by other donors. Hahn is busy with the mayoral race.
In the L.A. Daily news, they spoke about how city Controller Laura Chick said she had briefed the four leading mayoral candidates: Hahn, Villaraigosa, Alarcon, and Parks, on audits her office is conducting. She offer her insights from the past four years as controller and her eight years on the council. Chick stated that she will not publicly back any candidate in the primary election but was impress with each of them.

Commercial Time

2005-02-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

Five weeks away from the Los Angeles mayoral election, candidates are starting to advertise on commercials. Bob Hertzberg is the first to have a commercial. It is estimated that the candidates will spend millions on commercial ads. Hertzberg is one of the least known of the well-financed candidates. LA Times explains that its a strategic move to get his views in before any of the other candidate. The commercial highlights his goal to break up the Los Angeles Unified School District, ease traffic by banning rush-hour road work and hire new police officers without raising taxes.
Meanwhile, in the L.A. daily news, Mayor James Hahn begins lobbying this week to convince the City Council to place a half-percent sales tax to hire more cops.
Antonio Villaraigoisa's campaign is waiting to advertise closer to election day while City Councilman Bernard Parks and state Sen. Richard Alarcon have not raised enough money to run extensive television advertising.

2005-01-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

The Mayoral candidates are making their rounds for public support. Mayoral candidate Bob Hertberg spoke to several hundred people at his new campaign headquarter in Encino, encouraging his volunteers to knock on doors and call voters. Meanwhile, Bernard Parks, another mayoral candidate, visited six churches in Wilmington and San Pedro. Antonio Villaraigosa, another major candidate visited two churches in South Los Angeles. Mayor James Hahn attended a rally against suicide bombings at the Museum of Tolerance and a ceremony to light the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which links San Pedro with Long Beach.
Each candidate continues to make their rounds around the Los Angeles area and extending themselves to all.

Mayorial Campaigns Get A Boost

2005-01-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

As the mayoral race thickens, so does their campaign funding. Money is being quickly spent for their campaign as well as being raised. Current Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn remains the front runner, raising as much as 2.46 million dollars. But Los Angeles Councilman Bernard C. Parks and Antonio Villaraigosa each raised twice as much as the other candidates in the first three weeks of January. Yet Parks and state Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sun Valley) have limited resources that would help them gain the publicity needed for this race.They won't have much access for a full city-wide commercial spree such as the other candidates who have more money and political access. The L.A. Times interviewed Steven P. Erie, director of the urban studies and planning program at UC San Diego, who expressed that the latest reports show Hahn is the candidate to beat while Villaraigosa and former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg remain "the most formidable challengers." The race continues and the heat is on.