Candidates debated at the Lucy Florence Coffeehouse in Leimert
Park on Saturday.(Zach Gale)

Journalist Earl Ofari Hutchinson said the no-show of Los Angeles citywide office candidates Antonio Villaraigosa, Jack Weiss and Wendy Greuel at a Saturday roundtable discussion was a "tremendous disservice" to area residents.

Nine candidates running for various posts in today's election attended the event at the Lucy Florence Coffeehouse in Leimert Park, where event organizer Hutchinson gave Villaraigosa an "F" grade for his first term mayoral work in transportation, gang violence, homelessness, housing affordability and South Los Angeles economic development.

The event provided more public exposure for "alternative candidates," Hutchinson explained, but leading candidates Villaraigosa, Greuel and Weiss also were invited.

"I think it's an embarrassment for [the leading candidates] to do that and get away with it," Hutchinson said. "When they are elected, how are we going to know what's going on?"

About 20 people attended to the event, some with questions for mayoral candidates Walter Moore, David Hernandez and Craig Rubin; city attorney candidates Michael Amerian, David Berger and Noel Weiss; controller candidates Kathleen "Suzy" Evans and Nick Patsaouras; and 11th District councilman candidate Harry "Craig" Wilson.

Although the candidates were asked questions about subjects like illegal immigration and the financial issues affecting the middle class, most of the conversation centered on gang violence and crime.

Does anybody think the gang [prevention] programs are working?" asked controller candidate Kathleen "Suzy" Evans, criticizing Villaraigosa's gang-prevention efforts.

Proposed solutions to reduce gang violence included proactive and reactive measures. More than one candidate suggested introducing water desalination plants as a way to increase jobs -- some, potentially, for gang members -- in Southern California. Others wanted to add more police officers to the streets, specifically officers whose primary job would be to get to know local residents. After a crime has been committed, some stressed the importance of protecting people who have witnessed a crime, encouraging them to share any information they have.

"Statistically speaking, gang crime [in South Los Angeles] is down," said LAPD Lt. Darrell Belthius. For the week ending Feb.21, gang-related crime was down 12.8 percent year-to-date, according to LAPD. 

Local resident Keith Hardine attended the event but, like others asking the candidates questions, did not sense that reduction in gang violence on a daily basis. One speaker mentioned the recent shooting of 6-year-old Ivy Hernandez, who was shot while playing inside a South Los Angeles house, and urged the nine candidates to make the streets safer for children playing inside and outside.

Tut Hayes attended the event and said it is unfair for one local politician, such as Villaraigosa, to take blame or responsibility for the results of gang crime-reduction efforts.

"It's a little bit of a stretch to blame the mayor for conditions in any specific community. [We also have] our own elected representatives called councilpersons," Hayes said.

Hayes, like Hardine, was disappointed in the turnout of the event. Hardine, who helped organize the event, was not sure what could have been done to attract more people to the roundtable discussion.

"I really honestly don't know because we tried," Hardine said.