Villaraigosa works for Angelenos

The people of Los Angeles are looking for a change of leadership
that will improve their lives. I believe this change can be brought
by the leadership of Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, whose
abilities have been proven throughout his political career.

My first encounter with Villaraigosa was after he lost his
mayoral campaign against Mayor James Hahn in 2001. Villaraigosa was
a guest lecturer in one of my classes during my first quarter at
UCLA, and it was during this time that I learned of his obstacles
and accomplishments.

Villaraigosa was raised in a poor immigrant community by a
single parent. His mother had the difficult task of raising him and
his siblings in the dangerous city of Boyle Heights. However,
Villaraigosa overcame these obstacles and went on to graduate from
UCLA.

Villaraigosa eventually became a councilman, where he has had
great success. He has been credited with influential policies to
improve the life of Angelenos.

Throughout his career, he has been able to bring diverse people
together, earning him bipartisan praise. During his tenure as
politician, he’s been an advocate of improving our schools,
protecting the rights of working people, providing health care for
uninsured children, and making neighborhoods safer.

Villaraigosa was elected to the State Assembly in 1994, and
later to Assembly speaker. As speaker, he was credited with writing
policies that include the state’s landmark legislation to
modernize public schools, the toughest assault weapons ban in the
country, the largest urban-neighborhood parks initiative in
America, and the Healthy Families program that provides health care
for over 700,000 California children.

After running for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001, Villaraigosa
returned to public service, representing the East Side and
Northeast Los Angeles.

He authored the Enhanced Overtime Initiative to help the police
deploy patrols to crime hot spots. As chairman of the
Transportation Committee and member of the L.A. County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority board, he has worked to improve
mass-transit service and helped resolve the MTA bus strike in
November 2003.

Villaraigosa and his staff also organized and reinvigorated
neighborhood-watch programs and mobilized thousands of residents to
participate in cleaning up vacant lots and vandalized buildings. He
also authored a motion to provide $1.4 million in the 2004-2005
annual budget for the preservation of the Cultural Affairs
Department.

Once elected, Villaraigosa has a vision to improve the quality
of life for Angelenos. His plan for a safer Los Angeles includes
dedicating $30 million for public safety purposes by eliminating
waste and fraud.

In addition, his plan includes increased citizen oversight and
accountability, more funding for 911 services and paramedics, and
critical prevention and intervention.

Moreover, he has a vision for a greener Los Angeles, which
includes planting a million new trees, encouraging the planting of
drought-tolerant endangered plants, expanding landscaping
requirements for private and public development, and improving the
quality of air, water and beaches.

Villaraigosa’s vision for the future also includes
improvements in parks, traffic and affordable housing.

Los Angeles needs a drastic change in its leadership, and the
2005 mayoral race is the perfect opportunity to implement this
change.

I am volunteering for the Villaraigosa campaign because I
believe he is the best candidate to fit the needs of Angelenos. As
a UCLA student, I have seen his involvement in the UCLA labor
strike and his genuine desire to help the city. I truly believe he
will bring leaders together to further enhance the living standards
of Angelenos.

As mayor, Villaraigosa will restore trust and confidence in the
mayor’s office, bringing new leadership for a safer, cleaner
and more livable city.

Rodriguez is a fifth-year political science and Chicana/o
studies student.