Mayor’s Pick for Harbor Panel Gets Council Snub

Defying Mayor Richard Riordan, the Los Angeles City Council on Friday rejected his nomination of Rick Caruso for the Harbor Commission.

It was the first time the council blocked a Riordan choice since the new City Charter went into effect last month. Council members said the vote was intended to punish Riordan for using his power to make appointments to further the political goals of Steven Soboroff, his chosen successor for mayor.

“We hoped your [Riordan’s] decisions would be based on a shift of policy, or competence, or something,” said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, who opposed the mayor. “But not pure old-fashioned, revengeful politics.”

After the vote, Riordan was described as “clearly disappointed.” Caruso could not be reached for comment.

In recent weeks, several council members have openly groused that the mayor was retaliating against commissioners who did not back Soboroff. The mayor has denied those charges.

Caruso would have replaced Encino lawyer and developer Ted Stein, whom Riordan abruptly removed last month. Critics said the action was a retaliation against Stein for backing City Atty. James K. Hahn for mayor instead of Soboroff.

Other council members objected to Caruso because, if confirmed, he would have been the third appointee on the five-member Harbor Commission from Cindy Miscikowski’s 11th council district, which covers the Westside, Pacific Palisades and the west San Fernando Valley. Many harbor residents have decried the lack of commissioners from their own area--an issue echoed by councilmen Mike Hernandez and Joel Wachs.

Stein said he viewed Caruso, a well-known developer and former Department of Water and Power board president, as an unlucky pawn in the political bloodletting.

“It’s unfortunate for a decent person like Rick Caruso that the City Council appropriately denied his confirmation to express their dissatisfaction with the mayor politicizing the commissioners and the appointment process,” Stein said.

Stein received a removal letter from Riordan last week and did not attend a Wednesday harbor meeting.

“After serving him for seven years in very difficult assignments, yes, the letter was extraordinarily terse,” Stein said.

Peter Hidalgo, a spokesman for the mayor, said Riordan’s removal of Stein was not about political payback.

“The mayor does not view it that way,” Hidalgo said. “He encounters these kind of issues every time, every year. He has to make 85 appointments, more than he has ever had to make.”

When the council first took up the appointee matter Friday, it deadlocked 6-6 to confirm Caruso. The issue appeared to end there for the day, since a tie vote automatically continued it to the next meeting.

But later, two council members showed up, Hal Bernson, who was at a Metrolink meeting, and Mark Ridley-Thomas, who had left the meeting earlier but returned.

Wachs then called for a new motion to reject Caruso, which won approval with a 9-5 vote.

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Council members Nick Pacheco, Mike Feuer, Ruth Galanter, Cindy Miscikowski and Rudy Svorinich voted to support Caruso.

After Riordan’s removal of Stein and another Hahn supporter, Leland Wong, from the Airport Commission, Goldberg said the council needed to send a strong message to the mayor.

Under the old charter, the mayor needed council approval before canning a commissioner, and a simple council majority could stop a removal. But with the new charter, the mayor can fire any commissioner and the council lacks the power to overturn the decision.

Aside from some council members’ political revenge, one harbor activist hailed Caruso’s denial because it might lead to an appointee from the area.

“We’re going to pop the champagne tonight and celebrate the fact that the council is looking at local representation in the harbor,” said Andrew Mardesich, who heads a harbor area secession group. “[Wachs] agrees that at least three commissioners should be from here.”

Currently, just one local representative sits on the Harbor Commission, but Mardesich said he is eager to see who Riordan will nominate next.