Right Move by Alatorre

Richard Alatorre did what was best for his family, his own health and the well-being of the people of the 14th Council District when he announced he will retire and not seek a fourth full term on the Los Angeles City Council.

“Together, my wife Angie and I have decided to begin a new chapter in our life, and it is a life that we hope will continue to be blessed by the support and love that we have from so many people,” Alatorre told reporters and supporters. “And all I can say is I am at peace with myself. I am at peace with the decision that I have made. . . . “

It was an emotional moment for the scandal-plagued politician who who has served the same part of East Los Angeles since 1972, 13 of those years as a powerful assemblyman in Sacramento. As much as he might have relished the chance to beat the odds, he rightly spared his district a bitter and divisive campaign. It was past time for him to go. Now the search for a new leader can move forward.

The event bore an uncanny similarity to another January day, in 1985, when another beleaguered and damaged politician, Art Snyder, rightly decided to fold his cards and retire from the same seat. Snyder’s exit opened the way for Alatorre, who at the time was only the second Latino representative on the City Council in this century.

Alatorre ensured that the scarcity of Latinos in politics would not continue. He is directly or indirectly responsible for launching the careers of several elected officials, including Richard G. Polanco, the state Senate majority leader and chairman of the California Latino Caucus. After a legislative career in which Alatorre became a close and influential ally of then-Speaker Willie Brown, his sights came back to Los Angeles and the City Council, where the glare of the press was brighter. That was good for getting attention, except when he didn’t want it.

Alatorre faces continuing federal investigations into alleged tax and banking violations and political corruption. During a bitter child custody case, he was forced to admit cocaine use. Alatorre also admitted receiving a $13,200 loan, with no repayment plan, from a group that he was backing for a $65-million subway contract.

All this meant it was time for him to step aside in favor of new leadership that can focus squarely on the needs of the 14th Council District. In the end, it’s to Alatorre’s credit he realized that.