Wednesday, April 04, 2001
Initiate change, vote Hayden for City Council
<http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/articles.asp?ID=3510>
ELECTIONS: Make difference with support for progressive leader in booth on
April 10
By Jennifer Colamonico
If you do nothing else productive this quarter - and after all, it is
spring quarter -
be sure to vote for Tom Hayden for Los Angeles City Council on April 10.
Did you even know there was an election next week? You might have seen some
ads on TV, and you might have even gotten some campaign mail. But by and
large you probably haven't really been paying attention. After all, who
really cares about L.A.?
You should.
As students, we often forget that we live in a community made up of
neighborhoods and families, in which urban crises can affect the lives of
people all around us.
We are often so caught up in our campus life that we don't feel a part of
Los Angeles as a city. Many of us are not even registered to vote here
because we still think "home"is where we came from, where we grew up.
But as residents of Los Angeles even temporary ones we have a lot at stake
in who controls this city.
Over the past eight years we have seen a city dominated by corporate
developer interests, a city that cannot manage its own bureaucracies. What
does that mean? It means that we are losing affordable housing and that
police are often unaccountable for their unjust actions.
Are you frustrated by the lack of public transportation? The city makes
appointments to the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which controls the buses.
Are you frustrated that Westwood Village does not meet the real needs of
students, like not having a bookstore or a large grocery store? The city
planning agencies could exert leadership to bring the right kind of
businesses to the campus community.
You can make a difference. If you vote on April 10.
Are you frustrated that so many Los Angeles youths are caught up in gangs
and violence and do not have opportunities for higher education? The city
could play a proactive role in bringing UCLA volunteers into the classrooms
to impact young lives.
Are you frustrated that you sit in classrooms and learn about things that
often have little to do with the reality that you read about in the papers?
Hayden has thought about these things, and he has done something about
them. For more than 40 years he has been an activist for social justice,
civil rights, peace and opportunity. He was a state legislator for 18 years
doing real things for real people in Los Angeles. He is a world-famous
author, speaker and "do-er," a committed public servant who really does
make the world a better place for the average person.
How much luckier could we be than to have Hayden running for Los Angeles
City Council?
Hayden continues to be a tireless watchdog for the environment, working to
restore parks and protect rivers and open space. He has been endorsed by
the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and by environmentalists
all over the district.
Hayden is a feminist, 100 percent pro-choice and a champion of equal rights
for women, gays and lesbians. He has been endorsed by the Los Angeles
National Organization for Women, Women For, Stonewall Democratic Club and
many others.
Hayden has always been a defender of civil rights, marching in the South
with the Freedom Riders and enduring beatings and jail for his commitments
to justice.
As former chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, Hayden worked
to protect affirmative action, to promote ethnic and gender studies
throughout the UC system and to make higher education more affordable and
accessible to all California residents.
Hayden has brought millions of dollars for UCLA public service programs in
the community, and throughout his legislative career he used the resources
of UCLA to inform his policy advocacy. He will work to further integrate
the campus with the rest of L.A., serving as a bridge and a catalyst for
even better partnerships.
Hayden is the best representative students could hope for to leverage our
voices to make a better Los Angeles. He will work with us on a wide range
of issues, from affordable housing to globalization working to solve both
little problems and big ones.
But it all comes down to your vote. Hayden has done more to earn the
respect and support of students like you than just about anyone running for
any office in this city except maybe Antonio Villaraigosa for mayor, but
that deserves a submission of its own.
So vote on April 10 and add your voice to those who demand more from their
government. Vote on April 10 to elect a true progressive activist to the
city council. Or just vote on April 10 to get the cool sticker. Whatever,
just vote.
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