Some Say ‘Watchdog’ Wachs Is Playing Games With Arena Deal

Supporters of a plan to build a $300-million sports arena in downtown Los Angeles believe there is more to City Councilman Joel Wachs’ opposition than meets the eye.

Wachs, a veteran San Fernando Valley lawmaker, said he opposes the project because it calls on the city to chip in $70 million in public funds.

The councilman is launching a petition drive that, if successful, would let voters decide if public funds should be used to subsidize any professional sports project.

But supporters of the downtown arena privately say Wachs doesn’t care about the public funding and is simply trying to create an image as a fiscal watchdog so he can run for mayor in 2001.

In addition, arena supporters say Wachs’ decision to hire veteran campaign consultant Rick Taylor to help with the initiative drive is a “marriage of convenience” because Taylor wants to keep the Lakers and the Kings from leaving their current digs at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood.

They point to the fact that Taylor has worked for the campaigns of former Inglewood Mayor Edward Vincent and new Mayor Rosevelt Dorn. Both mayors have worked to keep the Lakers and the Kings in Inglewood.

Arena backers also point to an Aug. 1 letter Taylor wrote to George Mihlsten, an attorney for the developer of the proposed arena. In the letter, Taylor says: “We have no interest in being part of any effort to bring the Lakers and/or Kings to the city of Los Angeles. As you well know, I have always felt that both teams should remain where they are presently located.”

Taylor calls allegations that he is simply trying to block the downtown arena to keep the teams in Inglewood “ridiculous.”

Taylor said he personally opposes moving the Lakers and Kings to downtown Los Angeles because it would mean he’d have a longer drive to the games from his Westside home.

But he said his personal views have nothing to do with Wachs’ initiative drive.

He noted that in the past few years, he has worked for many officials who strongly support the downtown arena deal, including Mayor Richard Riordan and City Council President John Ferraro.

“It’s a phony issue,” he said. “They are trying to divert the attention of the voters from the real issue.”

The Pete Principle

Is the governor getting cold feet on the Valley secession bill? Up to now, he has been thought to be a fan.

But a spokesman said this week that Gov. Pete Wilson has not taken a position because of worrisome amendments in the bill that “broaden its reach and scope.”

The only amendment meeting that criterion is the change in the bill to make it apply statewide, not just to Los Angeles.

“We believe Los Angeles presents a unique challenge with regard to management of such a large area and such a large amount of citizens,” said Wilson Press Secretary Sean Walsh.

The amendment to have the bill apply to all cities in California, added at the suggestion of a foe of the legislation, has sparked opposition from the League of California Cities and individual municipalities, including San Jose and the governor’s hometown, San Diego.

The measure, AB62, could be voted on in the state Senate as early as today.

Its authors, Assemblymen Tom McClintock (R-Northridge) and Bob Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks), are confident they have plenty of votes to pass the measure.

They’re not worried about the governor, either.

“I’m skeptical he personally has problems with it,” McClintock said. “He’s told several people he supports the measure.”

Going for Broke

The troubles continued this week for the problem-plagued elected charter commission.

First of all, the panel’s top choice for the position of executive director--USC’s Associate Dean for Student Affairs Eric Schockman--took himself out of the running, saying he could not devote enough time to the panel and his job at USC.

The commission then decided to hire municipal law specialist C. Edward Dilkes.

But the commission continues to struggle to find money to pay for its expenses, including a salary for Dilkes.

Mayor Richard Riordan helped finance the campaign to create the charter commission and promised to raise private funds for the panel’s operating costs. But so far, the mayor’s supporters have provided a check for only $30,000 from a nonprofit group called the Fund for Better Los Angeles Government.

Under city law, all contributions or gifts of $5,000 or more given to city agencies must be approved by the City Council. But the council would not accept the money for the commission unless the individual contributors of the money were identified by name, as is required of all gifts to city officials.

Without such disclosure, several council members argued, the public would never know if the commission’s work is being funded by criminals, foreign governments or any other number of sources.

“Rules are rules and all elected personnel should follow them,” said Councilman Nate Holden.

As expected, several charter commissioners were miffed by the council’s action, suggesting that it was just another example of the council trying to sabotage the panel’s work.

“We are frustrated,” said Commissioner Rob Glushon. “We haven’t been able to cash this $30,000 check.”

Meanwhile, a measure to contribute city funds to the elected panel continues to be bogged down in a council committee.

Altar Ego

Mike Antonovich must learn to share power, members of the Santa Clarita City Council told the longtime county supervisor Wednesday. They intended to prepare Antonovich for the eventuality that he would no longer be the top dog, the man in charge, el jefe.

The council members threw a “groom’s shower” and told Antonovich, who has announced that he will wed actress Christine Hu next March, that he will have to yield most of the real power in his life to his new bride.

Most of the power? “If you’re lucky,” quipped Santa Clarita Mayor Clyde Smyth at a special meeting between the supervisor and council members Wednesday.

“How well do you wash windows?” Smyth asked the 58-year-old Antonovich.

The council presented Antonovich with several wedding gifts that, if he wanted, could prove effective in his dealings with the rest of the Board of Supervisors.

Antonovich unwrapped a “love and kisses” coupon book that could create a climate of conciliation on the sometimes hostile board. A pair of, uh, handcuffs to promote a strong position on law enforcement and a “weird relatives repellent” to ward off pesky lobbyists.

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QUOTABLE: “He’s been known to do this in the past: take populist issues and bleed them.”

--City Council President John Ferraro, on Joel Wachs’ battle against the proposed downtown sports arena