California DREAMIN': The (Former) Mayor Who Would Be President

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL Larry Agran thought he could leap from the office of mayor to the Oval Office--if only given the chance to present himself and his ideas to the American people.

But Agran has been virtually shut out of the race, as evidenced by this exclusion from a December 19 health care forum in Nashua, N.H.

In what turned out to be a symbolic day in his troubled campaign, Agran rose from the audience while the major candidates for the Democratic nomination were jockeying for position.

While the well-established politicos sat on stage for the debate, Agran let everyone know that he should have received an invitation to join them.

"When I asked the moderator for the criteria used in excluding me from the event, I provoked quite a response," says Agran, who was mayor of Irvine, Calif., from 1982-84 and 1986-90. "Police officers were ordered to my side, who were going to take me out of the building--until people in the crowd stood up for me."

Agran was allowed to enter the debate, but that struggle was a minor victory overwhelmed by a long string of frustrations. He received just more than 300 votes in the crucial New Hampshire primary, and struggles daily to raise sufficient funds to keep him Campaign afloat.

He has struck out in his attempt to ingrain his name in the public mind--something the attributes entirely to his being excluded from key presidential debates and major press coverage.

"I'm a victim of discrimination," says Agran, 46, who questions the press and Democratic National Committee's (DNC) informal selection of major candidates before any primaries are held. He demands that states "pride themselves on procedures that are equal to all serious candidates."

But his complaint about being excluded from debates only goes so far, as Agran only garnered one percent of the ballots in South Dakota--after participating in that state's debate before the election.

James P. Delser, spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, says Agran's complaints do hold some validity.

"He has a legitimate gripe in that he hasn't been included as being one of the major candidates," Desler says. "It's hard to break through. It's a self-perpetuating cycle."

Agran, who advocates a "New American Security" which he says would shift $150 billion from military spending to domestic concerns, believes he can inject a new perspective into the race with his mayoral background. Many others agree, including Desire.

"He has hands-on experience in towns that a lot of candidates coming from statewide offices don't have," Desire said. "He has firsthand knowledge of how cities are suffering through federal budget cuts from the Reagan and Bush administrations."

And Agran believes that federal investment incities is just what the country needs to swing itout of the current recession.

"I'm the only candidate with any experiencerunning a city, and American is a collection ofcities and towns...where the majority live theirlives," Agran says.

Throughout his platform for the presidentialrace, Agran emphasizes the urgency to spark arevival of American cities--starting with defensespending cuts. While some candidates have proposedmilitary cutback over the next 15 years, Agranwould like to see the annual budget of $300billion halved to $150 billion within the next 18months.

If elected, he would shift those funds todirect aid for cities and towns, public education,national health insurance and a reeducation of thedeficit.

Agran's greatest acclaim as mayor came when hethrust Irvine into the national spotlight with aseries of successful environmental conservationprograms.

One of these programs, a ban on all productsthat deplete the ozone layer, earned Irvine theUnited Nations award for environmental achievementin 1990.

"Our ordinance was copied by other cities, andbecame a pioneering standard that acceleratednational action," says Agran, who was named anenvironmental hero in 1990 by Rolling Stonemagazine.

LAWRENCE A. AGRAN, born in 1945 inChicago, moved to Los Angeles with his familybefore he reached the age of one. He lived thereuntil he went to college at the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley--where his interest inpolitics first began.

Throughout his undergraduate years, Agranparticipated in the Free Speech, civil rights andanti-war movements. After graduating from HarvardLaw School in 1969, he worked as a legal counselfor the California legislature and helped writehealth and welfare laws.

Agran moved to Irvine in 1973, and by 1978 hehad won a seat on the city council--where heserved until 1990, six of those years as mayor.

Many find it hard to believe that Agran, aliberal, succeeded politically for so long in "themost conservative bastion of America," says HowardAdler, chair of the Orange County Democratic Partyand Agran's long-time friend.

"Larry made his liberal credentials known earlyand often, and not only was he capable of winningoffice, but he succeeded in bringing in many otherliberal council members," Adler says.

But his liberal views did come back to haunthim, when an anti-discrimination ordinance--whichincluded the protection of gay rights--led to hisdownfall in the June 1990 city council election.

The policy, which outlawed all discriminationin housing, jobs and public accomodations,"provoked a right-wing fundamentalist challenge tome," the candidate says.

According to Adler, "things fell apart on himon the issue of discrimination on the basis ofsexual orientation. He was out of step with thecity."

Many people, including Adler, now say thatAgran has overstepped boundaries in his campaignas well. They say that the candidate, byconstantly complaining about the "unfair system"that strips him of publicity, is only damaging hisown credibility.

Also, they assert such bickering detracts fromAgran's effort to promote his vision of the "NewAmerican Security."

"I told him this (the lack of focus) wouldhappen if he continued to complain that the partywas not allowing him to participate," Adler says."He thought he could overcome it, but now hismessage has gotten lost."

Agran, who is Jewish, even accused DNC ChairRon Brown of being an anti Semite.

"I wrote a letter to Ron Brown a few weeks agosaying that many of my supporters suspected myexclusion from debates might have someanti-Semitic basis," Agran says.

"I have yet to get a response, which furtherfuels the suspicion," he continues. "Ron Brown, aschair of the party, is totally insensitive to thisparticular point. He has opened himself to ananti-Jewish bias--something that ought to beaddressed."

But Desler responds that Brown had "absolutelyno idea that Agran was Jewish" before receivingAgran's letter. "It was an outrageous accusationbuilt upon Agran's frustration," Desler says.

The former mayor has repeatedly cast offsuggestions that he first run for legislativeoffice--to gain more recognition and financialbacking--before setting his sights on thepresidency.

Even Adler questions Agran's run for thepresidency.

"I told Larry he was making a terriblemistake, and most of the people in the party toldhim the same thing," he says.

But Agran argues that serving as a legislatorwould be unnecessary and a waste of crucial timeneeded for improving the nation as a whole.

"I don't have any special respect for those whosit in Congress year after year rubber-stampingthe Cold War," Agran says. "In the past 12 yearswe have limited the pool of candidates togovernors an and sentators, and we have had themost awful, rotten years of presidency. Mycampaign is about changing that system."

And Adler says the former mayor will listen toneither friends nor critics who tell him hispolitical moves are unwise.

"When he believes in something strongly, hewill go against the advice of everyone," Adlersays. "If he believes in his message, he won'tworry about the consequences. That's why he losteverything in Irvine with the sexual orientationissue, and that's why he is having problems now."

"Larry is one of the brightest, most honest,most committed people I've met in my life, "Adlersays. "But common sense would tell you that acongressman has more credibility than any mayorwho lost his last election."

REALIZING THAT HIS chances of winningthe Democratic nomination grow less likely eachday, Agran says he will focus on confronting the"weak field of candidates" with his issues.

Gian G. Neffinger '93, who chairs Harvard'sAssociated Students for Agran for President, saysAgran's waves have already started affecting theother candidates. Neffinger says that when TomHarkin unveiled his "New National Security" planat Harvard unveiled his "New National Security"extended beyond the name.

Harkin's plan, like Agran's, suggests areduction in military spending-but with a slowerwithdrawal of troops overseas.

"It seems to me that other candidates likeHarkin been saying," Neffinger said.

And even if Agran's only mark on the campaignis his influence on others' ideas, he feels hisefforts will have been worth their while.

"If nothing else, I will have had an impact onaccelerating the consideration of totally newnational priorities," Agran says. "If I don't dothat, we're going to see a destructive future forAmerica's cities and towns."