President STEVE ADLER opened the meeting and thanked President Elect GEORGE DEA for conducting ,what he heard was a very well run meeting last week. The pledge was led by BILL WALTERS and with GREGG ELLIOTT at the piano and JACK HARRIS and LENNY FRIEDMAN leading we sang "God Bless America". GREGG ELLIOTT was then called back to give the Invocation. GEORGE COX introduced STANLEY LEFCOURT from Brentwood and our speaker JAMES HAHN from LA 5 . LENORE MULRYAN introduced LEE BROEKMAN an Ambassadorial Scholar for 2001-02.

October Birthdays are celebrated by PP BOB WESSLING on the 8th, BILL EDWARDS on the 11th, STEW GILMAN on the 18th, RUDY ALVAREZ on the 23rd, PP STEVE DAY on the 25th, BOB THOM on the 30th and PETER MORE on the 31st. President STEVE reintroduced STAN LEFCOURT as Poet Laureate of Brentwood who read one of his poems entitled "Celebrate the Children."

Our speaker City Attorney JAMES HAHN was introduced by TED IHNEN. TED pointed out that in 1997 the people of Los Angeles re- elected Jim Hahn to a fourth term as the City's chief prosecutor. He is the son of legendary LA County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. Jim Hahn is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles. He and his wife, Monica have 2 children and reside in San Pedro. He attended Los Angeles city schools and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pepperdine University. He also attended Pepperdine Law School graduating in 1975. That same year he joined the LA City Attorney's Office and was a prosecutor for four years. Hahn was elected City Controller in 1981 in his first run for public office. In 1985 he was elected City Attorney. He is currently serving his fourth and final term as City Attorney and is a candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles.

Jim Hahn Thanked Ted Ihnen for the introduction and stated that he was happy to be speaking once again at the WVRC. He explained the job of the City Attorney is to prosecute non criminal cases. As City Attorney he has made public safety and improving the quality of life in Los Angeles' neighborhoods his mission. He told of his innovative approaches to public safety including programs such as gang injunctions to combat violent street gangs; the citywide nuisance abatement program, which cleans up abandoned structures and nuisance properties that plague many Los Angeles neighborhoods. He is interested in protecting the rights of all citizens including gang members but is also concerned about the victims. He wants to protect their rights and freedom. There are neighborhoods where gang members have taken over - he wants to set up programs to allow the residents to take their neighborhoods back.

Hahn stated that it was only recently that he decided to run for Mayor. With the new charter LA will have a stronger Mayor. The Mayor will have an executive role in city government. If elected he will work against breaking up the city. Under the new charter he feels that he can get government out into the neighborhoods and solve many of the problems that are apparent. Homeowner groups and other community associations will be an important part of government under this charter.

Transportation is a major problem. What planning that was done was done was by Federal, State, County and City agencies and for a smaller city not one with 6 million cars. He wants the city to have a larger say in Los Angeles City transportation. He envisions a public transit system, rail and bus, that would provide a way to get any place in LA in 90 minutes.

He is convinced that the City benefits from our schools and universities. With Pepperdine, USC, UCLA, Loyola and the other universities and colleges graduating an educated work force the quality of life is improved for all and the City is attractive to business and industry.

The meeting was opened for questions after his presentation. He was asked by GEORGE COX about the Consent Decree regarding the Los Angeles Police Force. Hahn thinks that it was the right thing to support the Decree although there are Consent Decrees of long standing against the city this one is due to end in 5 years GREGG ELLIOTT asked about Privatization. He has not found it to work in the City Attorneys Office or in other City Departments where he has knowledge. HE would consider it if elected and decide after he had the facts. RAY ZICKFELD asked if he had any problems with "not in my back yard" HE said a lot and used Cheviot Hills Homeowners as an example of not wanting the old Red Car right of way used. ROY BELOSIC objected and defended the rights of those of us who live in Cheviot Hills. One of the benefits of membership in WVRC is a chance to hear candidates for local and national offices.

"Thought for the Day: Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way." - Booker T. Washington