To: President Donald Trump
President Obama: Don't Appoint Villaraigosa
Dear President Obama,
Mayor Villaraigosa does not deserve a position in your administration. His record on issues ranging from workers rights to transportation are incredibly disappointing. He's not been there for his constituants when they have reached out to him and he's been willing to cave in on their best interests.
His relationship with corporate interests are of particular concern as well as his poor record on transportation access for underserved communities, his hostility towards unions and his willingness to push corporate education policy. These make him a poor choice for an appointment.
I ask that you remove his name from consideration for a potential appointment in your administration.
Mayor Villaraigosa does not deserve a position in your administration. His record on issues ranging from workers rights to transportation are incredibly disappointing. He's not been there for his constituants when they have reached out to him and he's been willing to cave in on their best interests.
His relationship with corporate interests are of particular concern as well as his poor record on transportation access for underserved communities, his hostility towards unions and his willingness to push corporate education policy. These make him a poor choice for an appointment.
I ask that you remove his name from consideration for a potential appointment in your administration.
Why is this important?
After Mayor Villaraigosa joined "Fix the Debt," I started a petition asking him to leave the group because of their efforts to gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. I received over 22,000 signatures (14,000 on SignOn and the rest through the PCCC). Now the media is discussing Mayor Villaraigosa for a possible appointment in the Obama administration.
Mayor Villaraigosa ignored us. He didn't care what we had to say. He was willing to ignore his constituents to pander to corporate interestes. His disregard for engaged citizens and all working and middle class families make him an unacceptable choice for a position in President Obama's cabinet.
Villaraigosa has ignored the people who helped to get him elected and has presided over budget cuts and service reductions that disproportionately effect the working poor: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority cut nearly 1 million hours of service (citing efficiency) at the expense of working class residents who overwhelming rely on public transportation. African American transit activists fault Villaraigosa for not fighting for a Leimert Park stop, the heart of black culture in Los Angeles, on the Crenshaw Rail line. These are just a few examples of how Villaraigosa has balanced the budget on the backs of hard working Angelenos, and there are many more.
We are asking President Obama to not appoint Villaraigosa to a position in his administration.
Mayor Villaraigosa ignored us. He didn't care what we had to say. He was willing to ignore his constituents to pander to corporate interestes. His disregard for engaged citizens and all working and middle class families make him an unacceptable choice for a position in President Obama's cabinet.
Villaraigosa has ignored the people who helped to get him elected and has presided over budget cuts and service reductions that disproportionately effect the working poor: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority cut nearly 1 million hours of service (citing efficiency) at the expense of working class residents who overwhelming rely on public transportation. African American transit activists fault Villaraigosa for not fighting for a Leimert Park stop, the heart of black culture in Los Angeles, on the Crenshaw Rail line. These are just a few examples of how Villaraigosa has balanced the budget on the backs of hard working Angelenos, and there are many more.
We are asking President Obama to not appoint Villaraigosa to a position in his administration.