Alex Padilla

Re “First 100 Days Offer Padilla Lessons,” Oct. 11.

Your characterization of Councilman Alex Padilla as having fumbled the opportunity to bring youth job training money to his district was not only unfair to the council member but misleading to his constituents as well.

Regarding the grant process, essentially what occurred was this: Long before Padilla took office (a point certainly worth noting), the City Council directed its Community Development Department to be prepared to apply for job training grant money on behalf of the Eastside. In the meantime, what came back from Washington, D.C., was an application for the expansion of an existing grant in Watts. The expansion into the Eastside had nothing to do with my council district, as I am not the area’s representative, as was noted in your article, but rather it was an effort to develop a citywide system that ultimately will serve all of Los Angeles’ youth.

What I was trying to do is create opportunities in the Eastside that already exist in Watts, South-Central and my district. It is that same approach that I am trying to use to assist Padilla’s constituents. I understand and respect the fact that Padilla was trying to create choices for his district. However, to have included him in this application might have jeopardized the entire process and hence the funding.

We have committed to start a youth job training center in his district by leveraging state and federal funds as well as using city-controlled money. This commitment is something he did not have before. Keep in mind that the grant in question may still be rejected by Washington, but the councilman will still get his youth job training center for his district. I would say that that’s not too shabby an accomplishment for a council member in his first 100 days.

MIKE HERNANDEZ

1st District Councilman