James Hahn
Encyclopedia
James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American
politician
. Hahn was elected the 40th Mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election
. Prior to his term as mayor, Hahn had served in several other positions for the city of Los Angeles, including Deputy City Attorney (1975–1979), City Controller
(1981–1985) and City Attorney
(1985–2001). Hahn is the only individual in the city's history to have been elected to all three citywide offices. He is currently a sitting judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
As Mayor, Hahn appointed Bill Bratton as Police Chief of Los Angeles. The appointment of Bratton as Police Chief is widely seen as leading to the sharp declines in Los Angeles crime rate.. Bratton was one of three candidates recommended to Mayor Hahn by the Los Angeles Police Commission led by Commission President Rick J. Caruso
Hahn is the brother of Congresswoman Janice Hahn
, the nephew of former California State Assembly
man and Los Angeles City Councilman Gordon Hahn
, and the son of former Los Angeles City Councilman and long-time Los Angeles County Supervisor
Kenneth Hahn
.
near South Los Angeles
. Hahn attended Manchester Avenue Elementary School, Daniel Freeman Elementary School, Horace Mann Junior High School, and Los Angeles Lutheran Middle & Senior High School.
He graduated from the Los Angeles campus of Pepperdine University
in California magna cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in English
and a minor in journalism in 1972. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law
in 1975. In 1994, he was selected as the School of Law's Distinguished Alumnus. While at Seaver College, he assisted in the development of a paralegal program for the Family Law Center of the Legal Aid Society
and during law school, he clerked for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.
Upon graduation in 1975 until 1979, Hahn worked as a prosecutor and deputy city attorney in the office of the City Attorney. From 1979-1981, he was in private practice with long time friend Robert Horner.
As City Attorney, Hahn worked to rid LA's neighborhoods of gang activity through the use of gang injunctions. He was involved in crafting state legislation regarding gang enforcement by writing the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act.
During Hahn's tenure as City Attorney, he led the litigation to stop the Joe Camel ad campaign and reached a settlement of 312 million dollars for the city. He then created the Tobacco Enforcement Project to prevent the sale of tobacco to minors.
He re-established a Domestic Violence Unit and personally sponsored over 30 pieces of relevant legislation, ensuring that California has tough domestic violence laws.
Special units in the office included AIDS/HIV Discrimination, Environmental Protection, Housing Enforcement, Consumer Protection, Special Enforcement, and Governmental Law and Enforcement. He also managed a Dispute Resolution Program. Aside from the special units, the office was divided into a criminal branch and a civil branch. Hahn required all of his attorneys to receive ethnic and religious tolerance training from the Museum of Tolerance
.
, defeating Antonio Villaraigosa
to serve as the 40th mayor of Los Angeles.
While Mayor, Hahn created the Mayor's Office of International Trade and led two trade trips, one to Asia
and one to Mexico
.
In his trip to Asia, Mayor Hahn met with South Korea
n President Kim Dae-Jung, Beijing
Mayor Liu Qi
and Shanghai
Mayor Chen Liang Yu. Mayor Hahn received the medal of honorary citizenship from Mayor of Seoul
Lee Myung-bak at Seoul City Hall. In Beijing, Hahn established an agreement concerning the 2008 Olympics, creating trade offices in both cities, designating Los Angeles as gateway to Beijing and allowing Los Angeles firms to be hired to oversee the renovation of the Beijing airport. Mayor Hahn, working with the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, launched a program in Japan
called "See My LA" with Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Los Angeles Dodger
Kazuhisa Ishii
. In Korea, he partnered with Korean soccer star Hong Myung-bo to encourage Koreans to come to Los Angeles to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Koreans in Los Angeles. Both campaigns were aimed to increase tourism from Japan and Korea. In addition, Hahn established an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to exchange rare and exotic animals to be displayed at the Los Angeles Zoo
. To improve regional air service in LA, Hahn convinced EVA airlines to fly out of Ontario International Airport. The most prominent agreement was with the Port of LA and the Ports of Beijing and Shanghai, expanding service to the Port of Los Angeles, ensuring that Asian cargo ships are plugged into natural power, and sharing technology and resources between the ports.
In Mexico, Hahn received an airport security briefing at Mexico City's
Benito Juarez International Airport and held meetings with Mexican business and airlines executives and Mexican President Vicente Fox
. As a result of his Mexico trip, AeroMexico
airlines decided to fly out of Ontario International Airport
, providing a more regional approach to air service in the Los Angeles area. In addition, he secured a deal with Grupo Gigante to open five of their stores in Los Angeles to improve the economy. He also set up a Mexico Trade Desk within the Mayor’s Office of International Trade to increase opportunities.
initiative One Book, One City LA, by picking Fahrenheit 451
as the book and kicking off the program with a news conference with the book's author, Ray Bradbury
.
Each of Hahn's budgets expanded LA's infrastructure of parks and libraries, while simultaneously increasing their hours of operation, and included the funds to manage a summer jobs program for city youth.
and advocated for better public transportation for the county.
Hahn's greatest legacy, perhaps, as Mayor was his leadership of the successful campaigns to defeat secession in the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, and San Pedro, effectively keeping the city together. He then created a ten point program called Teamwork LA to improve city services and constituent affairs, so as not to anger residents ever again to the point where they would want to secede. Among other objectives, it created a one stop shop neighborhood city hall in the seven major geographical areas of the city, employed a Neighborhood Area director in his office to manage each of the areas, and created the city's 24/7 non emergency phone line 311, "your one call to City Hall". He also implemented priority based budgeting to include neighborhood councils in the budget process. When he became Mayor, there were zero neighborhood councils; when he left four years later, there were over 80. He provided each council with $50,000 for any purpose and an additional $100,000 for street and sidewalk improvements. With the assistance of Councilman Eric Garcetti, he created the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs to engage immigrants in civic life.
with great affinity as a staunch supporter of civil rights, had helped to propel Hahn to victory in the 2001 mayoral election. However, in the aftermath of Hahn's rejection of Parks, African-American support fell sharply away from Hahn in his 2005 bid for re-election.
Additionally, many criticized Hahn for not playing a more significant role in helping to solve the city's transportation problems; he passed his turn to chair the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors. There were also ethics questions surrounding his administration, including pay to play
allegations; no evidence has been found linked to him.
In the March 8, 2005 general election
, Hahn placed second to Antonio Villaraigosa
; placing ahead of former Speaker of the Assembly Bob Hertzberg, Councilman Bernard Parks, State Senator Richard Alarcon
, and about seven lesser known challengers. As the top two vote getters, Villaraigosa and Hahn proceeded to the runoff election held on May 17, 2005. In that election, Hahn lost to Villaraigosa.
, served as an LA City Councilman and as an LA County Supervisor for 40 years. Hahn's uncle, Gordon Hahn
, was a state assemblyman and an LA City Councilman and another uncle, John Hahn, was assistant county clerk. His cousin, Dale Hahn, is a Superior Court judge in San Mateo County. His sister, Janice Hahn
, was reelected to a third term in 2009 as an LA City Councilwoman for the 15th District.
Hahn is a member of the Redondo Beach Church of Christ.
Hahn lives in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro
with his two children Karina Natalie and Jackson Kenneth; he was formerly married to Monica Hahn and Joni Hawley.
and Atlanta.
On October 19, 2005, Hahn took part in a discussion entitled "The State of Los Angeles", sponsored by a non-profit organization called "Days of Dialogue". The other panelists were former Mayor Richard Riordan
and current Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
, the only other living mayors of the city of Los Angeles. "Days of Dialogue" was founded after the notorious O.J. Simpson trial in order to encourage discussions on key issues in the Los Angeles region. It is currently chaired by Los Angeles County Supervisor and former Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas
.
On Monday, December 12, 2005, Hahn delivered a eulogy at the funeral of long time city councilman Marvin Braude
. On January 7, 2006, Hahn attended and spoke at a memorial service at Los Angeles City Hall
and at a private residence for former County Federation of Labor leader Bill Robertson. Since leaving office, he has also attended a number of other events of significance.
On March 1, 2006, it was announced that through Chadwick Saylor & Company, Hahn will become CEO of Los Angeles Development Partners, L.P. (LADP). The partnership consists of an $150 million fund managed by Chadwick Saylor & Company with numerous investors. Its goal is to develop affordable housing and other economic development projects around transit lines, including the Metrolink and Metro Rail. The projects will be completed by unionists. Hahn will be in charge of all of the operations of the entire fund. Hahn left the company at the beginning of 2008, according to trade publication Real Estate Alert and joined a prominent mediation firm. The fund's status is unclear.
On September 20, 2006, more than a year after leaving office, a Steve Lopez column ran in the Los Angeles Times
explaining Hahn's new life in the private sector. Hahn said that he is now as happy as ever and for the first time in decades, can truly enjoy his city. He gets to spend more time with his son and daughter and has been in a steady relationship with a woman for over a year. He also enjoys his new work getting unions to invest money in local projects around transit lines to relieve traffic and smog http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez20sep20,1,1731509.column?coll=la-headlines-california.
On November 8, 2007, James Hahn's official portrait was displayed in the Hall of Mayors Portrait Gallery on the 26th floor of City Hall. The event was accompanied by ceremonies on the 26th floor as well as before the City Council http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7371607.
In May 2008, Hahn said that he had submitted paperwork requisite for the pursuit of a judicial appointment by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Noting that he found himself missing public service, Hahn said he'd also spoken personally to the governor about his interest in becoming a judge. On November 5, 2008, Schwarzenegger appointed Hahn to fill a vacant judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court
.
Hahn administered the oath of office to his sister, Councilwoman Janice Hahn on June 27, 2009 as she entered her third term in office. The ceremony was conducted at the Banning Residence Museum in Wilmington, California and served as a community swearing-in prior to the official ceremony on July 1, 2009 on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Hahn was elected the 40th Mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election
Los Angeles mayoral election, 2005
The 2005 Los Angeles mayoral election took place on March 8, 2005, with a runoff election on May 17. Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa defeated the sitting mayor, James Hahn, becoming the city’s first Hispanic mayor since the 19th century...
. Prior to his term as mayor, Hahn had served in several other positions for the city of Los Angeles, including Deputy City Attorney (1975–1979), City Controller
Los Angeles City Controller
The Los Angeles City Controller is an official in the government of the city of Los Angeles, California. The City Controller is the auditor and chief accounting officer of the city. Along with the Mayor and the City Attorney, the City Controller is chosen by popular vote every four years.The...
(1981–1985) and City Attorney
Los Angeles City Attorney
The Los Angeles City Attorney is an elected official whose job is to prosecute all of the misdemeanor criminal offenses within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The General Counsel Division of the office provides legal counsel for the city by either defending the city or acting...
(1985–2001). Hahn is the only individual in the city's history to have been elected to all three citywide offices. He is currently a sitting judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court
Superior Court of Los Angeles County
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the Superior Court located in Los Angeles County. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States....
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
As Mayor, Hahn appointed Bill Bratton as Police Chief of Los Angeles. The appointment of Bratton as Police Chief is widely seen as leading to the sharp declines in Los Angeles crime rate.. Bratton was one of three candidates recommended to Mayor Hahn by the Los Angeles Police Commission led by Commission President Rick J. Caruso
Rick J. Caruso
Rick J. Caruso, founder and chief executive officer of Caruso Affiliated, is a developer and retail operator who has designed and built properties in Southern California...
Hahn is the brother of Congresswoman Janice Hahn
Janice Hahn
Janice Kay Hahn is the U.S. Representative from California's 36th congressional district and a member of the Democratic Party. She was previously a Los Angeles City Councilwoman representing the 15th district from 2001 to 2011...
, the nephew of former California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
man and Los Angeles City Councilman Gordon Hahn
Gordon Hahn
Gordon R. Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles City Council and California State Assembly in the mid-20th Century.While on the council, he cast the decisive vote that brought the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles and was instrumental in the appointment of Gilbert Lindsay, who became the first...
, and the son of former Los Angeles City Councilman and long-time Los Angeles County Supervisor
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the five-member nonpartisan governing board of Los Angeles County, California. Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district. They were as of December 2, 2008:*District 1: Gloria Molina...
Kenneth Hahn
Kenneth Hahn
Kenneth "Kenny" Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for forty years, from 1952 to 1992. Hahn was on the Los Angeles City Council from 1947 to 1952. He was an ardent supporter of civil rights throughout the 1960s, and met Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1961.-Biography:Hahn...
.
Early life
Hahn was born on July 3, 1950 in Los Angeles, and raised in the Morningside Park district of InglewoodInglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
near South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
. Hahn attended Manchester Avenue Elementary School, Daniel Freeman Elementary School, Horace Mann Junior High School, and Los Angeles Lutheran Middle & Senior High School.
He graduated from the Los Angeles campus of Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
in California magna cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and a minor in journalism in 1972. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law
Pepperdine University School of Law
The Pepperdine University School of Law is a law school located on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.The school placed 54th among the nation's "Top 100" law schools according to the 2011 U.S. News and World Report rankings and is the third highest ranked law school in...
in 1975. In 1994, he was selected as the School of Law's Distinguished Alumnus. While at Seaver College, he assisted in the development of a paralegal program for the Family Law Center of the Legal Aid Society
Legal Aid Society
The Legal Aid Society in New York City is the United States' oldest and largest provider of legal services to the indigent. It operates both traditional civil and criminal law cases.-History:...
and during law school, he clerked for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.
Upon graduation in 1975 until 1979, Hahn worked as a prosecutor and deputy city attorney in the office of the City Attorney. From 1979-1981, he was in private practice with long time friend Robert Horner.
City Controller
In 1981 he was elected the fifth City Controller of Los Angeles and served until 1985. He was at the time the youngest person ever elected to that position. It has been suggested that Hahn was helped in his election by his father, former County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn .City Attorney
Hahn went on to serve from 1985 to 2001 as Los Angeles City Attorney. With 358 attorneys, and a support staff of 346, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office is one of the largest municipal law offices in the nation and has branch offices in 21 locations citywide.As City Attorney, Hahn worked to rid LA's neighborhoods of gang activity through the use of gang injunctions. He was involved in crafting state legislation regarding gang enforcement by writing the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act.
During Hahn's tenure as City Attorney, he led the litigation to stop the Joe Camel ad campaign and reached a settlement of 312 million dollars for the city. He then created the Tobacco Enforcement Project to prevent the sale of tobacco to minors.
He re-established a Domestic Violence Unit and personally sponsored over 30 pieces of relevant legislation, ensuring that California has tough domestic violence laws.
Special units in the office included AIDS/HIV Discrimination, Environmental Protection, Housing Enforcement, Consumer Protection, Special Enforcement, and Governmental Law and Enforcement. He also managed a Dispute Resolution Program. Aside from the special units, the office was divided into a criminal branch and a civil branch. Hahn required all of his attorneys to receive ethnic and religious tolerance training from the Museum of Tolerance
Museum of Tolerance
The Museum of Tolerance , a multimedia museum in Los Angeles, California, USA, with an associated museum and professional development multi-media training facility in New York City, is designed to examine racism and prejudice in the United States and the world with a strong focus on the history of...
.
Mayor
James Hahn was elected in 2001Los Angeles mayoral election, 2001
In 2001, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan was prevented from running for a third term because of term limits. In the election to replace him, Riordan endorsed his Senior Advisor and Parks Commissioner, the Republican businessman Steve Soboroff.-Primary Election:...
, defeating Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
to serve as the 40th mayor of Los Angeles.
Homeland Security and Public Safety
Hahn rejected Bernard Parks for a second term as Police Chief. He then appointed former NYPD Commissioner William Bratton to the position. Together with Bratton, he reinstated the community policing program, implemented a flexible work week schedule and the COMPSTAT system, and initiated a comprehensive recruitment and retention campaign. The results were impressive; morale significantly rose in the department and there was the first increase in the ranks in ten years. In addition, all areas of crime dropped steadily, making it the second safest large city in the United States. He also ensured for the first time in the city's history that there be at least one ambulance at every fire station. He convened a Homeland Security Cabinet in his office, hosted an annual Homeland Security summit, coordinated Los Angeles' Operation Archangel to protect its infrastructure, and lobbied for state and federal public safety grants. After September 11, the United States Conference of Mayors appointed him to serve as Chair of its Aviation Security Task Force. For these combined efforts, Hahn was endorsed in his re-election campaign by the Police Protective League and United Firefighters of Los Angeles.Housing, Economic Development, and Homelessness
Hahn created a $100 million housing trust fund which constructed thousands of units of affordable housing throughout the city and expanded the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance to convert dilapidated buildings into mixed use residential properties. He identified the funding to keep the city's homeless shelters open year round and met with civic leaders across the county to establish a blue ribbon commission called Bring LA Home to end homelessness in Los Angeles County within a decade. He also worked with Councilmembers Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti to initiate and sign into law over six business tax reforms to make Los Angeles more equitable with its neighboring jurisdictions and attract new business. His Office of Housing, Homelessness, and Economic Development promoted small businesses, women and minority owned businesses, and brought in over ten billion dollars in private construction.While Mayor, Hahn created the Mayor's Office of International Trade and led two trade trips, one to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and one to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
In his trip to Asia, Mayor Hahn met with South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n President Kim Dae-Jung, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
Mayor Liu Qi
Liu Qi
Liu Qi may refer to:* Emperor Jing of Han, personal name Liu Qi, 6th emperor of the Western Han Dynasty* Liu Qi - oldest son of Eastern Han Dynasty warlord Liu Biao...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Mayor Chen Liang Yu. Mayor Hahn received the medal of honorary citizenship from Mayor of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
Lee Myung-bak at Seoul City Hall. In Beijing, Hahn established an agreement concerning the 2008 Olympics, creating trade offices in both cities, designating Los Angeles as gateway to Beijing and allowing Los Angeles firms to be hired to oversee the renovation of the Beijing airport. Mayor Hahn, working with the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, launched a program in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
called "See My LA" with Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and Los Angeles Dodger
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
Kazuhisa Ishii
Kazuhisa Ishii
Kazuhisa Ishii is a Japanese former Major League Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Saitama Seibu Lions....
. In Korea, he partnered with Korean soccer star Hong Myung-bo to encourage Koreans to come to Los Angeles to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Koreans in Los Angeles. Both campaigns were aimed to increase tourism from Japan and Korea. In addition, Hahn established an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to exchange rare and exotic animals to be displayed at the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
. To improve regional air service in LA, Hahn convinced EVA airlines to fly out of Ontario International Airport. The most prominent agreement was with the Port of LA and the Ports of Beijing and Shanghai, expanding service to the Port of Los Angeles, ensuring that Asian cargo ships are plugged into natural power, and sharing technology and resources between the ports.
In Mexico, Hahn received an airport security briefing at Mexico City's
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Benito Juarez International Airport and held meetings with Mexican business and airlines executives and Mexican President Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
. As a result of his Mexico trip, AeroMexico
Aeroméxico
Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
airlines decided to fly out of Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport
LA/Ontario International Airport , formerly Ontario International Airport, is a public airport located east of the central business district of Ontario, a city in San Bernardino County, California, USA. This airport is owned and operated by the Los Angeles World Airports , an agency of the city...
, providing a more regional approach to air service in the Los Angeles area. In addition, he secured a deal with Grupo Gigante to open five of their stores in Los Angeles to improve the economy. He also set up a Mexico Trade Desk within the Mayor’s Office of International Trade to increase opportunities.
Education, Workforce Development, Youth, and Families
Hahn partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District to expedite the construction of new campuses to relieve overcrowding, while contracting the construction to Los Angeles firms. He also worked to create joint-use partnerships with the district so that the schools become the central focus of their respective neighborhoods. He expanded the after school program for elementary school students, LA's Best, to an additional 5,500 students, bringing the total to more than 20,000 served, and supported the middle school after school program LA's Bridges. He created the Literacy @ Work program to train LA's workforce, and the Free Cash for College Program to place more low income high school seniors in colleges and universities nationwide. In 2002 he launched the One City One BookOne City One Book
One City One Book is a generic name for a community reading program that attempts to get everyone in a city to read and discuss the same book. The name of the program is often reversed to One Book One City, or is customized to name the city where it occurs...
initiative One Book, One City LA, by picking Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury. The novel presents a future American society where reading is outlawed and firemen start fires to burn books...
as the book and kicking off the program with a news conference with the book's author, Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
.
Each of Hahn's budgets expanded LA's infrastructure of parks and libraries, while simultaneously increasing their hours of operation, and included the funds to manage a summer jobs program for city youth.
Energy and the Environment
Hahn issued an executive order to require that 17% of all of Los Angeles's energy come from "natural" sources by 2017. He began to convert the city's fleet of vehicles to hybrids and prevented the city from investing in a dirty coal plant in Utah. At the Port of Los Angeles, he created the Alternative Maritime Power Program to enable large cruise and cargo ships to plug into clean power while docked at the port, and pledged to make Los Angeles a landfill free city by 2006.Transportation
His Traffic Safety and Congestional Relief Plan made improvements to the 100 worst intersections in the city and his Street Smart Program made improvements to 35 of the busiest thoroughfares. As part of his duties as mayor, Hahn was a member of the Board of the Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
and advocated for better public transportation for the county.
City Services and Community Engagement
He also led mayors statewide in negotiating a successful ballot proposition with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, which prevented the Sacramento legislature from stealing local municipalities' tax dollars to balance their budget.Hahn's greatest legacy, perhaps, as Mayor was his leadership of the successful campaigns to defeat secession in the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, and San Pedro, effectively keeping the city together. He then created a ten point program called Teamwork LA to improve city services and constituent affairs, so as not to anger residents ever again to the point where they would want to secede. Among other objectives, it created a one stop shop neighborhood city hall in the seven major geographical areas of the city, employed a Neighborhood Area director in his office to manage each of the areas, and created the city's 24/7 non emergency phone line 311, "your one call to City Hall". He also implemented priority based budgeting to include neighborhood councils in the budget process. When he became Mayor, there were zero neighborhood councils; when he left four years later, there were over 80. He provided each council with $50,000 for any purpose and an additional $100,000 for street and sidewalk improvements. With the assistance of Councilman Eric Garcetti, he created the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs to engage immigrants in civic life.
Criticism as Mayor and Re-election Campaign
Hahn was unable to deliver on his promise to add 1000 police officers to the Los Angeles Police Department, as the plan was turned down several times by the City Council. Hahn's lack of finesse in handling the ouster of Parks also alienated him from some in Los Angeles' African-American community, which still held Parks in high regard. That community, which remembered Hahn's fatherKenneth Hahn
Kenneth "Kenny" Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for forty years, from 1952 to 1992. Hahn was on the Los Angeles City Council from 1947 to 1952. He was an ardent supporter of civil rights throughout the 1960s, and met Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1961.-Biography:Hahn...
with great affinity as a staunch supporter of civil rights, had helped to propel Hahn to victory in the 2001 mayoral election. However, in the aftermath of Hahn's rejection of Parks, African-American support fell sharply away from Hahn in his 2005 bid for re-election.
Additionally, many criticized Hahn for not playing a more significant role in helping to solve the city's transportation problems; he passed his turn to chair the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors. There were also ethics questions surrounding his administration, including pay to play
Pay to Play
Pay to play, sometimes pay for play, is a phrase used for a variety of situations in which money is exchanged for services or the privilege to engage in certain activities...
allegations; no evidence has been found linked to him.
In the March 8, 2005 general election
Los Angeles mayoral election, 2005
The 2005 Los Angeles mayoral election took place on March 8, 2005, with a runoff election on May 17. Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa defeated the sitting mayor, James Hahn, becoming the city’s first Hispanic mayor since the 19th century...
, Hahn placed second to Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
; placing ahead of former Speaker of the Assembly Bob Hertzberg, Councilman Bernard Parks, State Senator Richard Alarcon
Richard Alarcón
Richard Anthony Alarcón is a California politician who is currently a Los Angeles City Councilman. A Democrat, he has previously served in the California State Senate and, for approximately three months, in the California State Assembly.Alarcón first served as an assistant to Los Angeles Mayor Tom...
, and about seven lesser known challengers. As the top two vote getters, Villaraigosa and Hahn proceeded to the runoff election held on May 17, 2005. In that election, Hahn lost to Villaraigosa.
Family and Faith
Hahn is from a family of public servants. His father, Kenneth HahnKenneth Hahn
Kenneth "Kenny" Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for forty years, from 1952 to 1992. Hahn was on the Los Angeles City Council from 1947 to 1952. He was an ardent supporter of civil rights throughout the 1960s, and met Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1961.-Biography:Hahn...
, served as an LA City Councilman and as an LA County Supervisor for 40 years. Hahn's uncle, Gordon Hahn
Gordon Hahn
Gordon R. Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles City Council and California State Assembly in the mid-20th Century.While on the council, he cast the decisive vote that brought the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles and was instrumental in the appointment of Gilbert Lindsay, who became the first...
, was a state assemblyman and an LA City Councilman and another uncle, John Hahn, was assistant county clerk. His cousin, Dale Hahn, is a Superior Court judge in San Mateo County. His sister, Janice Hahn
Janice Hahn
Janice Kay Hahn is the U.S. Representative from California's 36th congressional district and a member of the Democratic Party. She was previously a Los Angeles City Councilwoman representing the 15th district from 2001 to 2011...
, was reelected to a third term in 2009 as an LA City Councilwoman for the 15th District.
Hahn is a member of the Redondo Beach Church of Christ.
Hahn lives in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
with his two children Karina Natalie and Jackson Kenneth; he was formerly married to Monica Hahn and Joni Hawley.
Post-mayoral career
After leaving office, Hahn accepted the position of a managing director and partner at the firm Chadwick Saylor & Company, which has offices in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Atlanta.
On October 19, 2005, Hahn took part in a discussion entitled "The State of Los Angeles", sponsored by a non-profit organization called "Days of Dialogue". The other panelists were former Mayor Richard Riordan
Richard Riordan
Richard J. Riordan is a Republican politician from California, U.S.A. who served as the California Secretary for Education from 2003–2005 and as the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1993–2001...
and current Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, the only other living mayors of the city of Los Angeles. "Days of Dialogue" was founded after the notorious O.J. Simpson trial in order to encourage discussions on key issues in the Los Angeles region. It is currently chaired by Los Angeles County Supervisor and former Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas
Mark Ridley-Thomas
Mark Ridley-Thomas , often referred to by his initials, MRT, is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for District 2, who succeeded Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke...
.
On Monday, December 12, 2005, Hahn delivered a eulogy at the funeral of long time city councilman Marvin Braude
Marvin Braude
Marvin Braude was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 32 years, between 1965 and 1997—the third-longest-serving council member in the history of the city...
. On January 7, 2006, Hahn attended and spoke at a memorial service at Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council...
and at a private residence for former County Federation of Labor leader Bill Robertson. Since leaving office, he has also attended a number of other events of significance.
On March 1, 2006, it was announced that through Chadwick Saylor & Company, Hahn will become CEO of Los Angeles Development Partners, L.P. (LADP). The partnership consists of an $150 million fund managed by Chadwick Saylor & Company with numerous investors. Its goal is to develop affordable housing and other economic development projects around transit lines, including the Metrolink and Metro Rail. The projects will be completed by unionists. Hahn will be in charge of all of the operations of the entire fund. Hahn left the company at the beginning of 2008, according to trade publication Real Estate Alert and joined a prominent mediation firm. The fund's status is unclear.
On September 20, 2006, more than a year after leaving office, a Steve Lopez column ran in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
explaining Hahn's new life in the private sector. Hahn said that he is now as happy as ever and for the first time in decades, can truly enjoy his city. He gets to spend more time with his son and daughter and has been in a steady relationship with a woman for over a year. He also enjoys his new work getting unions to invest money in local projects around transit lines to relieve traffic and smog http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez20sep20,1,1731509.column?coll=la-headlines-california.
On November 8, 2007, James Hahn's official portrait was displayed in the Hall of Mayors Portrait Gallery on the 26th floor of City Hall. The event was accompanied by ceremonies on the 26th floor as well as before the City Council http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7371607.
In May 2008, Hahn said that he had submitted paperwork requisite for the pursuit of a judicial appointment by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Noting that he found himself missing public service, Hahn said he'd also spoken personally to the governor about his interest in becoming a judge. On November 5, 2008, Schwarzenegger appointed Hahn to fill a vacant judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court
Superior Court of Los Angeles County
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the Superior Court located in Los Angeles County. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States....
.
Hahn administered the oath of office to his sister, Councilwoman Janice Hahn on June 27, 2009 as she entered her third term in office. The ceremony was conducted at the Banning Residence Museum in Wilmington, California and served as a community swearing-in prior to the official ceremony on July 1, 2009 on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall.
Life highlights
- Pepperdine University, B.A. English (minor- Journalism), 1972
- Pepperdine University School of Law, J.D., 1975
- Deputy City Attorney, Los Angeles City Attorney, 1975–1979
- Private Practice (with Robert Horner), 1979–1981
- Los Angeles City Controller, 1981–1985
- Los Angeles City Attorney, 1985–2001
- Mayor of Los Angeles, 2001–2005
- Managing Director, Chadwick Saylor & Company, 2005–2008
- CEO, Los Angeles Development Partners, 2006–2008
- Judge, Los Angeles County Superior Court, 2008–present
External links
- Hahn for Mayor 2001
- Hahn for Mayor 2005
- Chadwick Saylor & Company James Hahn, Managing Director
- League of Women Voters of California, 2001 Election
- League of Women Voters of California, 2005 Election
- Portrait of James K. Hahn by Margaret Holland SargentMargaret Holland SargentMargaret Holland Sargent also known as Meg Sargent is a portrait artist based in Los Angeles, California. She has painted over three hundred oil portraits, including portraits of Tennessee Williams, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Margaret Thatcher.Sargent has frequently painted portraits of...