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Mike Hernandez (born December 4, 1952) is an American politician and activist, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 1st district from 1991 to 2001, despite an arrest for cocaine possession in 1997 that led to a guilty plea.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, Hernandez became known for his work in the Latino community. He organized students to participate in the Chicano Moratorium, helped register over 25,000 new Latino voters in one year, and was the Founding Chair of Plaza de la Raza Head Start Inc.
Mike Hernandez | |
|---|---|
 Hernandez in 1986 | |
| Member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 1st district | |
| In office August 13, 1991 – June 30, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Gloria Molina |
| Succeeded by | Ed Reyes |
| Assistant President Pro Tempore for the Los Angeles City Council | |
| In office July 1, 1995 – June 30, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Alatorre |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Galanter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 4, 1952 Pleasanton, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Occupation | Latino community activist |
Career
editHernandez was a bail bondsman before entering politics.[2]
Elected in 1991 in a special election to complete the unfinished term of previous Councilmember Gloria Molina who had moved on to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Hernandez became the fourth Latino elected to the Los Angeles City Council since the election of Edward Roybal in 1948. While drawing much of his early electoral support from voters of the Northeast Los Angeles communities that made up much of his district, Hernandez represented some of the poorest areas of the city including MacArthur Park, Westlake and Pico Union.[citation needed]
Hernandez won election three times, but was "not a universally welcome presence" on the council.[3]
Zones of Need
editShortly after his election, Hernandez began to build the argument that his district was people rich and resource poor. In order to do this, Hernandez turned to the most recent census data and created a series of maps he deemed “the Zones of Need” that he released in the fall of 1992.[4] This data acted as a launching point for much of the legislation Hernandez was to champion during his early years as a council member and gave weight to the argument that his district was being short-changed causing one writer to note about Hernandez:[5]
Taylor Yard
editShortly after taking office, Hernandez threatened to file suit against the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) who, during the 5-month hiatus of any representation between the time Gloria Molina moved to the County Board of Supervisors and Hernandez was elected to replace her, constructed a maintenance facility at a nearby rail yard without producing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). As part of the settlement, LACTC agreed to fund a series of community workshops for local residents.Hernandez put a call out to his community to attend critical planning meetings, an announcement which was picked up and published thus in the Los Angeles Times on November 12, 1992:[6]
The workshops were funded by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) who were forced to do so under threat of a lawsuit by the City of Los Angeles which Hernandez initiated.
Personal life
editHernandez was arrested in Pacoima in 1997 for cocaine possession.[2] He posted bail and checked into a rehabilitation facility, which allowed him to avoid a felony conviction and therefore to keep his council seat.[3] The investigation found he had been sued for failure to pay debts and nearly lost his house due to financial troubles from his addiction.[2]
References
edit- ^ Purdum, Todd S. (1997-10-29). "A Politician's Comeback May Take Him Only So Far". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ^ a b c Newton, Jim; Rohrlich, Ted (August 23, 1997). "Hernandez Drug Probe Unfolded Over Months". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Morrison, Patt (October 26, 2021). "In L.A., at least our corrupt officials don't have much power". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ “Hernandez… called for greater attention by city government to ‘zones of need’--neighborhoods that suffer disproportionately from poverty, substandard housing, unemployment and lack of education. Hernandez released demographic studies to more precisely delineate the substandard socioeconomic zones, including much of his own 1st District near downtown. “[Los Angeles Times-CALIFORNIA | LOCAL: LOS ANGELES : More Aid Is Urged for 'Zones of Need' October 15, 1992]
- ^ “What unsettled many of the council members about Hernandez was that he seriously tried to argue that the wealthier neighborhoods took the resources that should be used in the inner city.” [Anything But Mexican, Chicanos In Contemporary Los Angeles by Rodolfo Acuna]
- ^ "Councilman Mike Hernandez has organized a three-day public workshop, beginning Friday, for area residents to discuss development of the 250-acre Taylor Yard. Representatives from the American Institute of Architects will interview participants about what types of projects would best serve the public's needs. The architects will include the comments in a report to Hernandez, which will guide him in discussions with prospective developers…” [Los Angeles Times NEWS -Northeast L.A. : Workshops on Taylor Yard, November 12, 1992]