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[poll id=”295″]
It’s been quite a week of events for LA/OC’s Latino Mayors.
Let’s start in Los Angeles with Antonio Villaraigosa. An article in today’s edition of the LA Times sums it up pretty well writing, “On Tuesday, he delivered a speech lambasting the Los Angeles teachers union as a major impediment to school reform. On Wednesday, he defended President Obama’s controversial tax compromise, even as other Democrats bayed in opposition. Later that day, he joined other big-city mayors in Chicago to call for the reform of public employee pensions that have hamstrung city budgets.” DAYUM! Attacking the UTLA, supporting Obama’s tax capitulation, and ragging on public pensions in Chicago – all in one week!
Villaraigosa used to be a progressive. He used to be a union organizer. He used to be in MEChA during his days as a student at UCLA. He used to be VP of the ACLU of Southern California. He used to be a lot of things before going to City Hall. After getting there, under his watch the South Central Farm was destroyed, the LAPD went “clubbin” on immigrant rights marchers, Guatemalan day laborer Manuel Jamines got capped and the Mayor was quick to get Chief Charlie Beck’s back!
After all this the Mayor still tells the press “I’m unabashedly progressive, but I’m also unabashedly practical and pragmatic.” LOL!
***
To the south of Villaraigosa is Santa Ana’s very own Mayor Miguel Pulido. His early days contain none of the credentials of his northern counterpart. A creation myth known to all about him exists anyway. Back in the 80’s Pulido’s family muffler shop was subject to be razed by a downtown redevelopment plan thrusting him into politics in a fight against city hall. This soon translated into a successful bid for the City Council. The Latino small business owner vs. the pinche redevelopers! Only as an old LAT write-up noted, “During the waning days of campaigning, Pulido angered some Latino leaders by issuing a mailer urging strict enforcement of laws affecting undocumented workers.” Those original campaign mailers plus others resurfaced this year and could make Allan Mansoor blush! The progressive “origin myth” of his early political career is just that, a myth. Unlike Villaraigosa, Pulido, who rarely talks to the press, has never publicly claimed to be “unabashedly progressive.” That’s a narrative that has been created for him, not by him (you know because in the run up to an election year he supported Harvey Milk day and opposed Arizona’s SB 1070 bill without ever explaining away his past)
As a current proponent of gentrification via re-renaissance, he could also be critiqued as selling out his political genesis myth – if it was indeed motivated by anything other than self-interest. Pulido’s vision extends beyond Santa Ana though. He was recently in the news for his involvement in what OJ Editor Vern Nelson has called “sleasing” – the Governator’s tax-payer ball busting move to sell public buildings and lease them back from private investors at a loss. Pulido was poised to receive compensation for his involvement before his role surfaced in the press and the story changed oh so quickly! Such a “mauve moment” doesn’t belong in the category of “progressive” politics. It’s corporate and that’s all it ever can be! Hell, and we haven’t even arrived to the Mayor’s Tuesday inauguration date yet!
Lastly, Pulido is such a talented sell-out that he makes others do the same. Now that’s gacho!
***
There you have it folks. LA vs. OC. Villaraigosa vs. Pulido. It’s almost like Boxeo Telemundo! In assessing “sell-outs” you can use two criteria. The trajectory of progressive politics to corporatist “moderation” or the extent in which such corporatism is metered out against the people. For me, the former is much more dramatic and tops in theatrical flair. Therefore, my vote goes to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. You win the FTP trophy!
Meanwhile, somewhere in the reaches of our collective historical memory lays the real example of municipal raza progressivism: the lessons of the Cristal experiment…more on that later!
These two were Clintonites during the 2008 primaries.
They’re both centrist, corporatist Democrats. Not progressives.
LOL, speaking of Hillary’s centrism, look how our boy Barack turned out. And the one guy who seemed like a good progressive who stood a chance turned out to be an out-of-control womanizing egotist. We sure had a limited choice in ’08.
Edwards turned out to be a creep in his personal life. Or at the very least, he succumbed to the temptations of the campaign trail.
I did, however, admire his stance against the influence of corporate power in public policy. He claimed that, if elected, insurance companies and big pharma wouldn’t even have a seat at the table when crafting healthcare reform. Barack Obama said he’d televise everyone at the table. Then he didn’t do it.
Whether or not Edwards would have followed up with his promise, we’ll never know.
Barack Obama said, during the campaign, that he’d filibuster and new FISA bill that included retroactive immunity for the telecoms. Then, also during the campaign, when the new bill included just such immunity, he not only failed to filibuster it, he voted FOR it!
I’m not sure why progressives thought President Obama would be particularly progressive. He’s far too calculating to be that.
That said, he’s far and away better than the final alternative.
Well, based on Edwards’ words, and also a lot of good stuff he did publicly from 06-08, me and a lot of others were enthusiastically backing him in the primary (given that Kucinich looked impossible.) Good thing Edwards dropped out when he did because he could never have won the General and we’d be stuck now with Pappy McSame and Bible Spice.
Had they been Obamistas, the same would have been true as is all too painfully clear now. But yes…looking towards the top Villaraigosa hosted Hilary Clinton at King Taco! And when Slick Willie came to Santa Ana a few months ago everyone was trying to position themselves next to him (Pulido -AND- Amezcua)
*shakes head*
“Who is the Biggest Latino Sell-Out Mayor in Sur Califas”……… Hmmmm
Nether!.. They are both Mexicans and have the Sell-Out in their genetic make-up.
In February 1519, accompanied by about 11 ships, 500 men, 13 horses and a small number of cannons Hernándo Cortés defeated 100s of thousands Sell-Out Mexicans.
The Mexicans are genetically cowards and will attack only as a gang…… Every Mexican is Sell-Out!
DON PAPI!
The only difference between these two slimy weasels is which one’s dwarfier.
Of course, YOU only say that because they’re Latino.
Villaraigosa after watching “Waiting for Superman” — “If your blood is not boiling by the end of this film, then there is no blood pumping through your heart” — well, he didn’t say WHY it should make your blood boil, but we know HOW it got to him!
Complain complain complain.
You complain about the mayors, president, and candidates, all democrats.
Apparently you, (liberal / progressive) will not be happy until you get yourself a Adolf Hitler.
yeah that’s it cook! *rolls eyes*
Hey genius, it’s actually conservatives who have expressed grudging respect for Hitler and his authoritarian regime…it fits with their worldview. Read some history!
My Anonymous friend, maybe some conservatives have expressed begrudging respect for Hitler’s ways, but it is the progressives who are walking in his foot steps, demanding that the government take over all aspects of our lives.
Cook, you have been watching a lot of Glenn Beck lately, haven’t you?
Admit it.
Liberals (aka progressives) have always believed in diversity, democracy, freedom of expression, equal rights, personal freedom and privacy, all kinds of things that Hitler was utterly opposed to.
I guess people have the right to engage in rhetoric that is completely divorced from reality, let alone fact…but MAN do they look ridiculous doing it or WHAT? LOL
Maybe you meant Libertarians?
“Progressives” are forever telling people how they should (and must) live. And taxing us for the privilege of following their worldview.
Well, if and when progressives tell people how they should and must live, we need Libertarians to keep us in line, and remind me to side with you if you see that happening.
Taxes though – the price of civilization – are voted on democratically by us or our representatives, and sorry if you don’t like them sometimes, but we can’t very well have a society without ’em.
Name me ONE politician…just ONE…who is “demanding that the government take over ALL aspects of our lives” (emphasis mine)
Just one.
A Gore, even out of office.
Nope, not in office, not a politician, and doesn’t want to take over all aspects of your life, Cook. You may disagree that climate change is a problem, especially if you’ve been listening to as much FOX as I think you have, but there is absolutely nothing Hitler-like about private citizen Gore raising the alarm about something he really believes to be a crisis and trying to encourage all of us to act to improve the situation.
Try again?
See, it’s that lazy, irresponsible use of the word “all” that has you in a bind. Well, that, plus the fact that there is literally no politician that is demanding that government take over all aspects of our lives.
Would you care to enlighten us on where you heard that, or where you read that? Or did you just make it up?
Let’s go farther, anon, and suggest there are no American politicians who even want to take over MOST aspects of our lives.
Is Al Gore (who’s not even a politician any more) the best example Cook can come up with? If so, let’s see WHAT aspects of our lives he wants the government to take over, and which ones he doesn’t.
And then I would counter with your TYPICAL right wing politician who wants to take over what a woman can do with her body, who can and can’t get married, what drugs you can take; who has no problem with the government eavesdropping on you or imprisoning you indefinitely just on suspicion you might be a terrorist… I’m sure I could go on.
Ha Ha, you got me on that one.
You can’t name “One” cause they work as a group.
Then show us the group…show us the lecture, the article, the manifesto, list the people in this group who are “demanding that the government take over all aspects of our lives”…show us the PROOF, genius.
The mayor of Los Angeles is a cad and a diletante and it will prove eventually to be his downfall. He can’t keep his pants zipped and he isn’t far enough up the political ladder for folks to feel they HAVE to overlook and ignore his lack of any moral fiber. As for John Edwards he was a glorified ambulance chaser that made his fortune on malpractice suits. Nuts to all of them.
Merle
… And Merle is a progressive Democrat!
Can a Hillary supporter really be a progressive? I mean, just on foreign policy, she’s so hawkish that she gets blown out of progressive water.
hmm… got me stumped there, anon. Maybe I shoulda just said Democrat.
Actually, John Edwards made his fortune, largely, protecting the average Joe from the deep pockets and strong-arm tactics of big business. If it means he got rich in the process, that’s a small price to pay for giving at least SOME voice to the little guy.
Politics at the best LATINO way!!!!!!!!!!. Long life to the PRI!!!!!!!!.
Translate into English please?
The PRI – long standing corrupt political party that ruled Mexico for far too many decades. It indeed still holds some offices and positions and meters out its nonsense. Sure, we can call Tony and Mike “Priistas” or we can better yet say that they have just assimilated into American-style political corruption.
I know what the PRI is, I’m just making fun of the commenter – who I know as an anti-Latino bigot – for her horrible English. It seems like they’re all afflicted that way – Quinn, Grate One, Fiala, Dead White Male, and this commenter who usually calls herself Mary or Rosary.
The arms of the “little guy” are easily and readily twisted. And NO……..I am not willing to give Edwards and attorneys of his kind anything at all. He duped the public and the party for far too long. Sucked in a lot of well intentioned people along the way. Not me tho, I supported Hillary to the bitter end.
Merle
How a about a poll with Pulido vs Carlos Bustamonte?
Because this is a LA vs. OC Mayor showdown, that’s why!
“How a about a poll with Pulido vs Carlos Bustamonte?”
You HAVE to be kidding – right??
Carlos is a worthless POS, – Pulido … no better.
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Antonio is a realist. He realizes he can’t seek higher office if the second largest City in the country is bankrupt. He may not like pension reform, but his City is going bankruptcy and needs some solutions.
Realism =/= shiny new half a billion dollar LAPD HQ.
Pulido pulled into the lead by one-vote! I’m amused at how neck and neck this poll has been throughout. No run away winners!