UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO The Rules of Ruling: Charter Reform in Los Angeles, 1850-2008 A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the Requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science by James Warren Ingram III Committee in charge: Professor Steven P. Erie, Chair Professor David G. Gutierrez Professor Samuel H. Kernell Professor Victor V. Magagna Professor Isaac W. Martin 2008 Copyright James Warren Ingram III, 2008 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of James Warren Ingram III is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2008 iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated two women—my mother, Gerri Dack, and my wife Clarissa Ingram. Without their love and patience, it would not have been possible. My wife, Clarissa has endured my obsession with charter reform in specific and Los Angeles in general far longer than I would care to admit. Her own interests are very different, but her tolerance and intelligence has allowed us to stay close as we develop our divergent intellectual interests. By attending long charter reform meetings and discussing the issues with me over a period of years, she has come to understand the field better than many who consider themselves experts. My mother, Gerri has always encouraged me to think of a larger audience in my intellectual pursuits. She has always valued common sense over fancy theories, and I have relied on my understanding of her sensibilities as a test of whether a particular way of looking at a subject made any sense, or would be a mere exercise in mental gymnastics. She taught me that everyone who comes into our lives has something to teach us, and that all are simultaneously teachers and learners. iv EPIGRAPH The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves—in their separate, and individual capacities. In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere. The desirable things which the individuals of a people can not do, or can not well do, for themselves, fall into two classes: those which have relation to wrongs, and those which have not. Each of these branch off into an infinite variety of subdivisions. The first—that in relation to wrongs—embraces all crimes, misdemeanors, and nonperformance of contracts. The other embraces all which, in its nature, and without wrong, requires combined action, as public roads and highways, public schools, charities, pauperism, orphanage, estates of the deceased, and the machinery of government itself. From this it appears that if all men were just, there still would be some, though not so much, need for government. Abraham Lincoln v TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page……………………………………................................................ iii Dedication………………………………………………………………………... iv Epigraph………………………..………………………………………………… v Table of Contents………………………………………………………………… vi List of Tables…………………………………………………….......................... vii Preface………………………………………………………………………….... ix Vita………………………………………………………………………………. xi Abstract………………………………………………………………………….. xvii Chapter One: Bringing the Charter Back In………………………….…………. 1 Chapter Two: Beyond the Night Watchman City—Creating a Political Infrastructure for Economic Growth…………………………………. 72 Chapter Three: A “City Progressive, Pure and Populous”—Charter Amendments. 1889-1924……………………………………………………….. 177 Chapter Four: A Tale of Three Charters—The Making of the 1925 Charter…... 262 Chapter Five: Amending the 1925 Charter, 1925-1999………………………… 373 Chapter Six: Perfecting L.A. on Just One More Take—Another Tale ofThree Charters and the 1999 Charter…………………….………………. 460 Chapter Seven: Building Cities by Building City Charters…………………….. 569 References……………………………………………………………………….. 621 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Support for Structural and Developmental Reforms, 1902.………… 199 Table 3.2: Support for Structural and Developmental Reforms, 1902…………………………………………………………………………….. 200 Table 3.3: Support for Structural and Developmental Reforms, 1909.………… 218 Table 3.4: Support for Developmental, Structural, Moral & Social Reforms, 1911.…………………………………………………………………... 226 Table 3.5: Charter Amendments and New Charters, 1885-1924.………………. 252 Table 4.1: Demography and Support for the 1912 Charter.…………………….. 364 Table 4.2: Support for the 1912 Charter and Candidates in the 1913 Mayoral Elections………………………………………………………………... 364 Table 4.3: Support for the 1912 Charter and the Free Lunches in Saloons Measures………………………………………………………………… 364 Table 4.4: Support for the 1912 Charter by Gender……………………………. 365 Table 4.5: Demography and Support for the 1916 Charter and Alternatives…... 366 Table 4.6: Support for the 1916 Charter by Gender……………………………. 367 Table 4.7: Support for the 1916 Charter and Candidates in the 1913 Mayoral Elections……………………………………………………………….. 367 Table 4.8: Support for the 1912 Charter and the Free Lunches in Saloons Measures………………………………………………………………... 367 Table 4.9: Support for the 1916 Charter and Other Measures in the Election….. 367 Table 4.10: Demography and Support for the 1925 Charter and District Council………………………………………………………………………….. 371 Table 4.11: Support for the 1916 Charter by Gender…………………………... 372 Table 4.12: Support for the 1925 Charter and Candidates in the 1913 Mayoral Elections………………………………………………………………………….. 372 vii Table 5.1: Charter Amendments and New Charters, 1925-1999……………….. 429 Table 5.2: Charter Amendments by Subject, 1926-1999……………………….. 433 viii PREFACE This dissertation has been a long journey and its author has accumulated many intellectual and personal debts along the way. Like all human endeavors, this has been a collective enterprise. Authors carry the illusion of methodological individualism because they suffer through facing the blank page, but they are rarely alone. I am certain to forget to mention someone in the process of rushing this work in under time pressures, but my negligence should not be taken as a signal of lack of appreciation. Dr. Steven P. Erie’s work on behalf of my intellectual development began long before his service as my dissertation adviser, when he taught my first class in Urban Politics. His guidance of both this dissertation and its author has continued through many years. Without his patience, this project would not have come to fruition. I hope that I can be as tolerant a mentor as he has been if I have a student like myself. Dr. Samuel H. Kernell has been monitoring my progress ever since I took my first introductory class in Political Science with him many years ago. His passion for the study of the American Presidency was infectious, and I developed such an interest in the area that I would ultimately be able to teach the class. It gives me great pride to be able to teach both the Urban Politics and presidency classes that Professors Kernell and Erie taught me when I was an undergraduate. Dr. Victor V. Magagna has provided me with a model for integrating my teaching and research interests rather than perceiving them as conflicting priorities. His ability to bring cutting-edge research and thought into the classroom and demonstrate to students their ability to understand it never fails to amaze. He understands that a true teacher is one who shows students how smart they are rather than how smart he truly is. I keep his example in mind when I enter the classroom. Recently, I have begun working with Dr. David Gutierrez and Dr. Isaac W. Martin. It is not always the case that outside members of a dissertation committee are so well matched to the project on which a doctoral candidate is working. I was able to see how my work dovetailed with theirs, even though they are from different disciplines. Professor Gutierrez’s expertise in the history of American racial and ethnic relations, and Professor Martin’s research in living wage and anti-tax movements, were both a perfect match for my dissertation’s focus. The Los Angeles City Archives and the University of California, Los Angeles’ Special Collections have served as headquarters for a great deal of the primary research materials used herein. The former stores the records of the city, the latter the Haynes Papers. The fine people working at both institutions have been of tremendous assistance over the years. Hynda L. Rudd’s support at the Archives must be singled out for special mention. She has believed in this work for many years. Jeff and Octavio helped me for years in accessing the Haynes treasure trove. Both the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University have been great places to teach. The students continue to challenge me to communicate my ideas, and to teach me as well as being taught. Their enthusiasm keeps one excited about the relevance of research done in the library and in the field ix when one is outside those settings. The colleagues, students and librarians who have helped me at both institutions are far too numerous too name, but far too important to forget. I have not, although I may not have room for all of the names here. There are debts, however, that go a-b-c-d-e-f: that is, that go “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty of Eternal Friendship.” I have been blessed with two such friends, who have let their own work languish in order to assist me in getting this project completed. My friends Shoon Lio and Trevor Nakagawa have lost so many hours of sleep staying up with me into the watches of the night. There were many days when I would get off the phone with one of them only to speak about improvements to this thesis to the other. Trevor and I have gone over the whole manuscript together so many times that we have started to converge on thoughts as to how things should be written and organized. Shoon has been sending me marked up copies to suggest corrections, and areas where the manuscript could be clearer.