I really focus on…those basic pothole calls
Excerpts from the L.A. Weekly’s interview with Nick Pacheco, candidate for the 14th Los Angeles City Council District
Well, I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive, but I think in terms of what the competition puts out in terms of what the top priorities are. You can have a citywide vision, for example; you can be successful like I was with the affordable-housing trust fund. But I think when it comes down to rolling up your sleeves, I think I have a splendid track record in what I’m talking about … I really choose to be a public servant. This is my way of giving back.
How has Jimmy Hahn done as mayor?I would say he’s done okay. I think he struggled with what type of mayor he wanted to be. I think he really admires the legacy that his father left in terms of being a sort of roll-up-your-sleeves pothole type of politician and really wouldn’t want to emulate that, but I think he also recognizes that the new Los Angeles has got a brand-new vision coming out of the mayor’s office. So I think he’s still in that middle area of trying to figure out which type of mayor he wants to be.
Did you endorse the right guy in the mayor’s race when you endorsed Hahn instead of Villaraigosa?Oh, yeah.
And why?I got traffic signals in my district. I got great support when it comes to the projects I’m working on.
You’re saying your alliance with Hahn created a debt of gratitude to the benefit of your district?Yeah. And that’s important because ultimately our endorsements are about what’s best for our district. I mean, it’s not what’s best for Pacheco; it’s what’s best for who I represent. So it’s really been a great relationship, been very helpful on a lot of our projects.
So you could say your endorsement was available to the candidate who made the best promises to your district.Sure. But I would say that when you look at the two candidates at the time, it was clear that Jim Hahn [was the right choice] because of his experience, his knowledge of the city, and all of the relationships he has built into the whole network.
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