Holden Is Friend Indeed to Colleagues

Re “Holden Hires 2 Casualties of Limits,” July 11: Los Angeles taxpayers should be up in arms about L.A. City Councilman Nate Holden’s rehiring of his former colleagues, Mike Hernandez and Rudy Svorinich Jr., putting them on the public payroll as consultants because “they don’t have jobs.” These gentlemen were termed out of their City Council positions.

When initially interviewed, Svorinich had no idea what Holden had done and wasn’t looking for a job. Both of these councilmen were aware that their term limits expired and had ample time to find new jobs, if that is what they wanted to do. In 1991 I was laid off from the aerospace industry and received $400 per month for unemployment. That is a far cry from the $3,800 each of them are receiving. I had no idea that I was going to lose my position. Where was Holden and all of his generosity with our money when I needed a new job?

Jeff Glenn

Los Angeles

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Under the Holden plan, term limits now becomes another way to fleece us taxpayers. So, for every City Council member we have, we’ll be paying for the one who won and is working for the constituents and for the one who was turned out. One for the price of two--what a deal. What is even more surprising is that City Council members have this power to just hire people without any review. Why wasn’t this addressed in the recent charter reform?

Mark Mazzei

Pacific Palisades

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I am outraged at the hypocrisy of Holden. I lived in this district long before Holden became my councilman. As a public servant who “feels good when he can help someone,” he should first demonstrate concern for not “leaving anyone hungry and neglected” in his district. There are working families on my street who have to struggle to get by on a fraction of what he will pay the two former councilmen for part-time consulting.

Lauren Okayama

Los Angeles

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This is cronyism at its worst! Holden is hiring his former colleagues because they don’t have jobs? This money would be better spent on his constituents for work programs or scholarships. I am a consultant, and no one ever hired me without a defined project goal. Maybe in my next life, as a former L.A. city councilman.

Karen Juarez-Boyd

Monterey Park