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The 2nd District has Waited Too Long for Safe Neighborhoods, Jobs and Healthcare |
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My Own Words
By Mark Ridley-Thomas
I’m running for Supervisor to represent the people of the 2nd District because county services have declined in the past eight years. 2nd District residents have waited too long for changes that will improve their quality of life.
They don’t want more of the same. They want change. They want safe neighborhoods. They want jobs. They want healthcare.
We must provide families in the 2nd District with access to quality health services. We must give residents access to life-saving emergency medical care that is close-to-home, not across town. I plan to reopen Martin Luther King Hospital as a revitalized and competent medical center by January 2010.
We must launch effective crime prevention and gang intervention programs. I will forge partnerships with communities and law enforcement that will make every 2nd District city, community and neighborhood safer than they are today.
I have a 17-year record of bringing diverse communities together to bring about change in government through solid, forward-looking public policies driven by community empowerment. I bring activism to the job of Supervisor. That is what the people of the 2nd District want. I’m prepared to deliver.
I passed laws to fund educational improvements at our local schools. I created thousands of jobs and brought millions of dollars economic development to our communities. I expanded School Health Centers to provide tens of thousands of uninsured school children with access to preventive health care.
I chaired the Assembly and the Senate Select Committees on the L.A. County Health Care Crisis. I know the problems. I will reopen MLK Hospital. I will make sure that the patient care problems that plagued King/Drew Medical Center never return. I have been the leading advocate for a master plan for health services in L.A. County. I will hold our county health officials accountable.
Our county’s top health experts and healthcare organizations have endorsed me. I have strong support from emergency room nurses and L.A. County firefighters.
With the support of business and labor leaders, I am confident I can repeat the economic development and job creation success I achieved during my years on the L.A. City Council. We will put 2nd District residents to work from South Los Angeles to Lynwood, Compton to Carson, and Culver City to Hawthorne.
I’m the only candidate endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. I’m proud to have the support of Congresswoman Diane Watson, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, L.A. Police Chief William J. Bratton, and L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca. I have the support of teachers, police officers, probation officers and lifeguards. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, National Organization for Women (NOW), League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club endorsed me.
My longstanding working relationship with our county’s religious leadership has been uplifting and critical to my success in public life. More than 40 religious leaders throughout the 2nd District have endorsed me.
My record in public office has been one of constantly delivering services our communities need. I worked with small business advocates to fight for $25 million per year in community development tax credits to provide incentives for financial firms that invest funds in community rebuilding and revitalization projects that create jobs.
My work with senior citizen groups and consumer organizations led to legislation requiring fingerprints and background checks for in-home support services to protect senior citizens against caregivers who have committed serious crimes.
That’s the kind of change we need in L.A. County! That is what the voters of the 2nd District deserve and expect. That’s the kind of leadership and change voters can expect when I am elected to be their L.A. County Supervisor.
Voters can count on me to work to reduce crime and violence. I will support our police officers. I will keep law enforcement accountable. I’ll work with residents to launch effective gang prevention programs in their communities.
Voters can rely on me to make healthcare accessible for hard-working families. I will fight to provide the 2nd District with the quality emergency medical care it deserves. I’ll make sure our hospital has competent medical staff members who put patient care above anything else.
The people of the 2nd District will evaluate my record, experience and assess the results I have delivered. They will also judge the background of my opponent. On November 4th, I’m confident the voters of the 2nd District will select me as their next Supervisor because I am the only candidate who will work for change in our county and deliver results. (State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas is a candidate for the 2nd County Supervisor District. He was invited to provide this statement by CityWatch. His opponent, City Councilman Bernard Parks was also invited to provide a statement but has yet to respond. The election is November 4.) ◘
CityWatch
Vol 6 Issue 86
Pub: Oct 24, 2008
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