Cardenas Launches Broadly Supported Campaign for 29th CD 8.15.2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mike Roth – 916-444-7170
August 15, 2011
CARDENAS LAUNCHES BROADLY- SUPPORTED CAMPAIGN FOR 29th CD
NEW NORTHEAST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY DISTRICT
GIVES LATINOS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HISTORY
(Los Angeles) – Following the California Citizen's Redistricting Commission's final approval of new district maps today, Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas officially declared his candidacy for the predominately Latino Northeast San Fernando Valley congressional seat.
“When I took the oath of office as the first Latino legislator from the Valley, I stood on your shoulders – the hard-working and diverse people who made it possible for me to fulfill my mother’s dreams. Today, I’m humbled to stand before my neighbors and ask you to join me in making history for the Valley once again,” Cardenas said. The maps approved today unite the San Fernando Valley in a single congressional district, after having been split for decades. If elected, Cardenas would be the first Latino to represent the San Fernando Valley in congress.
Cardenas launches his campaign from a strong position, with a broad list of endorsers who have already embraced his candidacy, and Los Angeles City Councilmember’s Eric Garcetti, Jose Huizar and Mitch Englander as well as former Assemblymember Richard Katz, and former Speaker of the California State Assembly Bob Hertzberg announced their endorsement today.
Previous endorsers include:
· Alex Padilla, State Senator
· Felipe Fuentes, Assemblymember
· Nury Martinez, Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member
· Dennis Cardoza, Congressmember and member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
· Cruz Bustamante, former Lt. Governor and Speaker Emeritus
· Art Torres, former California Democratic Party Chairman
· Richard Polanco, former State Senator and chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus
Tony Cardenas was born and raised – and is now raising his family – in what is now the new Northeast San Fernando Valley Congressional district. Cardenas has served the families within the new district in both the State Assembly and City Council. In 1996, Cardenas was elected to the State Assembly with overwhelming community support, becoming the first Latino to represent the San Fernando Valley in the Legislature.
Having championed education, gang intervention and public safety, the environment, economic growth, and balancing the state budget for three terms in the Assembly, Cardenas went on to serve on the Los Angeles City Council beginning in 2003. There he has continued his work as a leader for gang intervention, job creation, and spearheaded efforts to reform and reduce the city’s small business tax code.
In the Legislature and as a City Councilmember, Tony Cardenas has a track record of delivering on San Fernando Valley voters’ priorities:
ü Job Creation – As Chairman of the City’s Committee on Business Tax Reform, Councilman Cardenas cut red tape and lowered taxes on businesses by reforming the Los Angeles business tax code. His tax reforms helped usher in the biggest infusion of new jobs the Valley has seen in five years, bringing new investment and companies like Mission Foods to the valley.
ü Gang Intervention – Cardenas pioneered a new “Community-Based Gang Intervention Model” for Los Angeles that is now recognized as a national model. As a legislator, Cardenas co-authored the Schiff-Cardenas Crime Prevention Act -- groundbreaking gang intervention legislation that keeps at-risk youth off the street giving them alternatives to gangs while increasing community and public safety resources to put more officers on the streets and prosecute gang activity.
ü Public Safety—Cardenas’ leadership has helped make neighborhoods cleaner and safer, bringing new police stations, crime task forces, and officers to our neighborhoods. On the Council, Cardenas created the City’s first Animal Cruelty Task force that has resulted in convictions against animal abusers including known gang members.
ü Education -- Cardenas is a champion for public schools who secured more than $650 million for new school construction in Los Angeles to help relieve over-crowding in classes. He is also the only legislator to reform the state lottery resulting in more than $1 billion to date for textbooks and classroom materials – benefiting school children and teachers without raising taxes.
ü Environment – Cardenas established new safety standards to protect neighborhoods and keep kids safe from toxic school bus emissions, pushed for tough new standards to hold polluters accountable, and has been recognized consistently by the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters for his legislative accomplishments and voting record.
ü Valley’s fair share – Serving the San Fernando Valley for fourteen years in the Assembly and on the City Council, Cardenas has built a long tradition of delivering for Valley families on a breadth of issues from education, roads and infrastructure, health care, services for seniors, parks and open space, and economic development.
“I've delivered on Valley voters' priorities time and again by rising above the political bickering and building consensus. If entrusted by the voters to represent them in our nation's capitol, they look to my record of leadership, knowing I'll protect Social Security and Medicare so they remain strong for our seniors both today and tomorrow. Our communities can count on my experience as an Assembly budget chair who consistently delivered balanced budgets. The infusion of new jobs in the Valley shows that my experience as a city councilmember who built consensus to reform the tax code for small businesses will help me break the stalemate and get the job done," concluded Cardenas.
The open Northeast San Fernando Valley district approved today by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is composed of 56% Democrats, 17% Republicans and represents approximately 69% Latinos. No current Member of Congress resides in this new district.
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