Monday, 4/7/97
Hayden is best choice for mayor
Los Angeles is a fragmented society. It is a city broken up
along racial and economic lines, and Tom Hayden is proposing
long-term solutions, working to enhance unity by facilitating
dialogue on racial and economic issues.
Hayden is our choice for mayor largely because he looks beyond
current mayor Richard Riordan’s rosy, economically-sound picture of
Los Angeles and sees the problems facing inner-city residents.
Tensions exist in Los Angeles because many local communities
remain underrepresented. The residents of these communities do not
see any outreach from City Hall. Instead, they see a stronger
police presence on their streets and the message which that
presence brings. Hayden has been active in these communities as
both a senator and a mayoral candidate. He is a valuable candidate,
despite his position in the polls, because he is stressing the
issues Riordan would just as soon leave alone. Hayden’s decision to
focus primarily on L.A. urban communities is rare for a mainstream
politician, and we commend him for it.
Hayden also shares our wary approach toward big business
expansion. A sprawling city should be friendly, not only to
businesses, but to the environment as well. He has a proven track
record as a defender of California’s coastal environment and has
looked at ways to improve traffic congestion and emissions within
our city. As mayor, we feel he would continue to do so with verve
and conviction.
From our perspective, Hayden represents a more balanced Los
Angeles. His view of the city is far more comprehensive than
Riordan’s. He is a self-professed idealist with a compassionate,
ideological approach to our diverse communities.
Because the changes Hayden is talking about will not come easy,
he is having difficulty gaining public support. Long-term goals are
much less popular than those which are more close at hand. But they
will have to be addressed sometime. Every day, Los Angeles becomes
more and more diverse. Although diversity works to enrich and
enliven a city, it also gives rise to new concerns. We need a mayor
who recognizes that not all Los Angeles communities are on a roll.
If elected, Hayden will have his work cut out for him, but we would
be willing to pay him more than a dollar a year to do it. Vote for
Hayden for a more balanced, unified Los Angeles.JUSTIN WARREN/Daily
Bruin
Tom Hayden is the challenger for the mayoral candidacy in Los
Angeles. Hayden advocates more long-term solutions for the city,
such as protecting the urban area’s natural environment and
alleviating traffic conditions.