Which Way, L.A.?

As Strikes Drag on, Where is Mayor Hahn?

It-s traditional that the Mayor of Los Angeles is the most conspicuous elected official in Southern California, but the current incumbent appears to be keeping his head down. Supporters credit Jim Hahn for beating secession in the San Fernando Valley and for appointing a new police chief, but critics contend that, when it comes to the MTA and grocery strikes, Hahn-s nowhere to be found. We hear two contrasting views of the Mayor's leadership from LA Weekly columnist Harold Meyerson and Tim McCosker, chief-of-staff for Mayor Jim Hahn. Making News: Analysis of Southland Strikes After a month of picket lines at 900 stores in Southern California, grocers and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union have agreed to federal mediation. Meantime, the Metropolitan Transportation Agency is considering a proposal for not-quite-binding arbitration. Daniel Mitchell, professor of economics and public policy at UCLA-s Anderson School, assesses the ongoing pressures and high stakes of the ongoing labor disputes. Reporter's Notebook: Goodbye to Guatemalan Dictator Rios Montt Despite fears of violence, record numbers of Guatemalans went to the polls yesterday in what was regarded internationally as a test of that country's democracy. Efraim Rios Montt, a former dictator accused of genocide, was a presidential candidate. Erick Solares of the Guatemala Unity Information Agency, a which provides social and legal services to LA's Guatemalan immigrant community, interprets the results as a sign of hope.