Now Move On, Council

Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla, at 28 the youngest person on the council, must have aged this week as he faced the first crisis of his month-old tenure as president. But face it he did. Owning up to even tactical missteps is hard, especially for a new and young leader still trying to exert his authority. That Padilla put the needs of the city first, particularly the need to ease Los Angeles’ simmering racial tensions, was a sign of strength and growth.

After resisting their demands for a week, Padilla agreed Wednesday to appoint two of the council’s three black members to committees dealing with housing and jobs. What changed his mind, he said, was hearing from the nearly 300 mostly African American community and religious leaders who packed the council chambers the day before.

Padilla had insisted that his earlier appointments were based on interests and experience, not political payback (the three had not supported his bid for the presidency) and not race. But a more seasoned council hand would have known the importance of housing and economic development to the three council members’ South Los Angeles districts, among the city’s poorest. Someone with more experience would have recognized much earlier that a community with a history of disenfranchisement would be especially sensitive to losing hard-fought gains. And a more politically sure-footed leader, after owning up to a mistake, would have delivered the message not by letter but face to face with those who challenged him.

Of the three City Council members involved in the dispute, newcomer Jan Perry accepted her victory with grace. After playing a firm and highly visible role in the disagreement, she told The Times that her constituents would be well served by her assignment to the council’s Economic Development and Employment Committee and that she was looking forward to working with Padilla on citywide needs.

Council veterans Nate Holden, who was reassigned to the Housing and Community Development Committee, and Mark Ridley-Thomas were begrudging. Ridley-Thomas said Padilla’s decision not to reassign him “speaks for itself.” Well, yes, it does. This is still politics, and Padilla is still the council president, with sole discretion to make committee assignments.

It’s time for everyone to let the bad feelings go. Given the challenges ahead, including the overriding threat that secession will break the city apart, the last thing Los Angeles needs is a council fractured by personal animosity.