The conversation turned then to large-scale proposed projects that might affect the quality of life in Santa Monica.

   Was he in favor of the size and scope of the proposed expansion at LAX? He immediately used one of his favorite words, "mitigate." The key to Soboroff’s approach to problem-solving seems to revolve around "mitigating existing problems before adding new ones".

   He described how the Hong Kong airport handles its heavy air traffic with just two runways. He felt the option of routing the coming century's cargo traffic to Palmdale was unrealistic, as market conditions would prohibit such a detour. LAX will expand, whether we like it or not, he said , so we might as well get on with the planning and mitigate the problems associated with expansion.

   We then asked Soboroff whether the City of Los Angeles should provide the $70 million in tax incentives to the Playa Vista developers it offered to Dreamworks, SKG. He didn’t give a direct answer, but he said that he felt the developers had "done a very good job regarding environmental and traffic concerns" and went on to say he thought the loss of Dreamworks was more of a "trophy loss then an economic loss," as it was a "small part of the overall project"

   Though Soboroff is President of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission, he had no comment on increasing open space via park acquisition associated with the development, but spoke of "mitigating" the problems associated with the size and scope of the project when he said that though Playa Vista will bring a city the size of Century City to the Lincoln-405 corridor, it is on a "larger land area".

   The conversation turned then to the nuts and bolts of running for Mayor.

   Had he ever run for political office before? In 1967, while at the University of Arizona (Bachelor of Science) he ran for Greek Week King. He won with 85% of the vote, while five other candidates split the remaining votes. Even with that resounding victory, he did not run for office again, but chose instead to develop his business career as the founder and Managing Partner of Soboroff Partners, a real estate consulting firm. He is a former Harbor Commissioner and currently acts as a senior advisor to Riordan.

   His relationship with the Mayor has allowed Soboroff to be influential on some major L.A. projects: the Alameda Corridor, The Staples Arena and the conversion of asphalt to greenery in LAUSD schools. He is most proud of his ability to "get things done" He says he is "extremely efficient" and knows how to "work through problems"

   He says by electing him, "the people of Los Angeles can continue the work started by Mayor Riordan." his ascension would be "seamless, the transition smooth," he said. He knows all the players and enjoys working with the Los Angeles City Council. When asked how he and the Mayor have differed, he said they disagreed when "Dick thought Dennis Rodman could be a team player".

   What are his key quality of life issues?

   He responded by declaring that the city was "safer", "more business friendly, though still only a c+" and "culturally better off" citing the Getty Center and the new California Science Center.

   His work on the Alameda Corridor project allowed him to focus on transportation issues. Taking trucks off Alameda Street and adjacent freeways will result in a "major boon to traffic throughout the city"

   Why doe Soboroff want to be Mayor? "I love this city and know what it takes to improve it and make it work"

   Perhaps the next wave of politicians will be Project Managers extraordinaire. Soboroff seems to be betting on people wanting a continuation of life as it is, as he’s offering no major changes in direction.

   Others will challenge him on this front. Antonio Villaraigoisa, Mark Ridley Thomas, Tom Hayden, if he chooses to run again, all have agendas that differ from Riordan-Soboroff.

   The election is nearly two years away, but the race has begun. Two days after we spoke with Soboroff, Villaraigoisa announced a multi-million dollar state allocation to the Alameda corridor project."