Hahn appointee

The mayor has just named Yolanda Fuentes to one of five coveted (translation: high-salaried and full-time) seats on the Board of Public Works. I'm not saying this move is motivated by any desire to help Hahn's popularity among Latinos in the East Valley and solidify his standing with council president Alex Padilla—but Fuentes is Latino, from the Valley and works as the district director for councilman Tony Cardenas, who is close to Padilla. I'm also not saying that the mayor necessarily needs any help with Latino voters in the East Valley, but in 2001 they preferred Antonio Villaraigosa (even though Padilla and Cardenas endorsed Hahn). From the press release:

"Yolanda Fuentes brings her extensive experience with Public Works and her focus on community involvement to the Board of Public Works," said Mayor Hahn. "I expect Yolanda to continue her emphasis on community outreach, from street lights to bridges to new construction, within her role as a Public Works commissioner."

Fuentes ran for the state Assembly in 2002 but lost the Democratic nomination to Cindy Montanez in what was viewed then as a contest between clashing Latino powers in the city. Montanez had the backing of Villaraigosa and State Sen. Richard Alarcon, who is also running for mayor. Fuentes had the support of Padilla, Cardenas and their chief political adviser, James Acevedo, who is now on Hahn's harbor commission (and has been called before at least one of the ethics grand juries I keep mentioning here).

Edited to fix names and add links