They’re Perfectly Positioned To Provide Needed Leadership

What do the 1999 Los Angeles election results mean for the Latino community? The election brings to the fore two new Latino council members who are poised to capture the momentum of reform and improve conditions for the city as a whole and the Latino community in particular.

The new members, Nick Pacheco and Alex Padilla, are the only two council members ever put in office by an electorate that overwhelmingly supported city charter reform. They are not invested in the old ways of doing things and in fact are strong supporters of reform as defined by the victorious charter.

Pacheco, who will represent the Eastside’s 14th District, was on the elected charter reform commission that helped draft the new charter and thus by definition becomes one of its primary champions on the council. He, more than any other council member, will be vigilant about the process and the mechanics of implementing the new charter.

As for Padilla, who will represent the northeast San Fernando Valley’s 7th District, he rejected the urge to define reform as an enemy of the Valley. He saw that secession and reform were not opposites but both instead reinforced democratic ideals such as self-determination, inclusion and responsiveness. While his opponent supported breaking up the city, school district and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Padilla supported careful study before making such drastic decisions. Padilla becomes the first Valley council member to come to office since secession started to dominate the political dialogue. He won without having to run a parochial Valley-only campaign. He showed maturity and that he can be a leader for his district and the city as a whole.

Padilla and Pacheco have the potential to influence Los Angeles well into the new century simply by acting on their stated campaign goals. Padilla can help keep the city together with a balanced approach to the drive toward secession. Pacheco can create a true vehicle for democratic inclusion through neighborhood councils that will be organized as a part of charter reform. There is no larger political challenge in Los Angeles today than the fact that one-quarter of the adult population is ineligible to participate in the formal political process because of noncitizenship. Neighborhood councils can provide the opportunity to give a formal voice to residents without violating the state Constitution that prohibits non-citizen voting. Ironically, Pacheco can expect a strong ally on this issue in Councilman Mike Hernandez, although Hernandez supported Pacheco’s opponent and worked against charter reform.

With Pacheco and Padilla, Los Angeles gets two council members who are focused on broader reform, and the Latino community gets two members who can understand and influence the issues they most care about.