Holden’s Job Offers to 2 Ex-Councilmen

Recently you published a series of news articles, an editorial and a column regarding my plans to hire former City Council members Mike Hernandez and Rudy Svorinich [who declined the job]. I believe a response is imperative at this time.

Svorinich served eight years as a councilman. He was a member of the council’s Transportation Committee and later the chairperson. He also headed up the multibillion-dollar Alameda Corridor project. That’s an awesome responsibility in anybody’s book.

Hernandez spent nearly 10 years here at City Hall learning the ins and outs of the federal block grant funding process. He also served as a chairman of the Community and Economic Development Committee. In my opinion, there is no one at City Hall who possesses Hernandez’s knowledge on acquiring federal funding for community development projects.

Rather than allow the know-how and expertise that both Svorinich and Hernandez possess to walk away from City Hall, I asked them to stay and assist my staff and others with various projects and complicated funding issues.

I had no idea that a simple offer to two experts to work for the city would receive the spin it did in your paper,which gave the impression that something underhanded, illegal or unethical was being done.

Hernandez’s advice is valuable and necessary, and I am proud to have him on my staff.

Nate Holden

Los Angeles City Council