Et Tu Miguel OR Labor Backstabs Antonio?
In 2001, labor boss Miguel Contreras put his efforts behind former California Assembly Speaker as he sought to defeat then City Attorney James Hahn for the Mayor's seat. Significant labor money and resources went to Villaraigosa because, as Miguel said, "Antonio would understand our issues on a gut level."
What a difference four years makes.
Both Hahn and Villaraigosa are running for Mayor again, but this time Hahn is the incumbent and Villaraigosa is a City Councilman challenging Hahn. And in the name of political expediency, Contreras has done an about face and thrown labor's support to Hahn. "An old labor saying reminds us that labor rewards our friends," Contreras was quoted as saying when announcing the endorsement of Hahn.
To be sure, Jim Hahn has been a good friend to labor. He has raised salaries, given the police union what they wanted in firing Bernard Parks and giving them four days a week off. He's proposed the $11 billion LAX expansion boondoggle (with the work going to union only crews) that includes a $500 million payout to labor groups, among others.
"An old labor saying reminds us that labor rewards our friends."But don't cry for Antonio. Yes, he won't get the ready made door knockers, phone canvassers and money Contreras can give him that will now go to Hahn. But he also won't be stuck with the union albatross around his neck should he be one of the two finishers in the Mayor's race. Like only Nixon could go to China, perhaps Antonio could be the one to break the union's hold on the city and let us move forward.
Presents an interesting opportunity for Antonio.
Posted by Anonymous @ 12/23/2004 08:10:00 PM
9 Comments:
Of course labor is not backstabbing Antonio. He promised labor, as he did his constituents, that he wouldn't run for Mayor. Antonio broke his promise. Antonio seems to care more about promises he (and Hahn) made to Westchester residents than the big one he made to his own constituents. Recall Antonio.
Miguel's comments contained a hidden message to labor that was very positive to Antonio. Miguel first struggled to keep the County Federation 'neutral' for Antonio, then has done nothing to keep the individual groups that make up the County Federation remain loyal to the Federation's support of Hahn.......and one must realize that Miguel, while working for labor's benefit, also has a memory like and elephant. Miguel doesn't forget that Hahn uncerimoniously booted Miguel OFF the Airport Commission for having supported Antonio in the last Mayor's race and to date this insult hasn't been forgotten, despite his being reinstated after what Hahn thought an appropriate time for retribution.
Antonio, fear not.......for Miguel is still your friend. His statement that '.....labor rewards it's friends.', was as much of a positive message to you as it was a 'political' message to Hahn !!
"Hidden message." What nonesense! If that was the case, Miguel could have kept the union neutral. And Antonio and his supporters can't have it both ways - although Antonio tries his best. How is Antonio being a friend to labor by going against their favorite project, LAX expansion? I think Ace Smith and Antonio's staff have infiltrated this site!
Real simple answer to the above poster. Antonio isn't against Union projects or even projects at the airport. If elected there will be plenty of real work to do at the airport for Union members and elsewhere. There just will be a responsible plan and not some 11 billion dollar nonsense that even Hahn has privately admitted he doesn't expect to get completed. Antonio knows this, Miguel knows this.....and Hahn should, but got buried in his own BS and his own campaign advisors. Remember what happened the last time he listened to his advisors, at the Airport, the Port, his deputy Mayors...........the feds are still investigating.
Antonio is against one union project - LAX. He said it himself in the last debate. Of course that doesn't make him against all union projects, nobody said that. Antonio supporters love shooting down arguments nobody has made. And why is Antonio's promise to Westchester residents so important when he can't keep one to his own constiuents? It's about time Antonio answered some questions rather than his hacks.
Oh, to the last poster, your just a crybaby who is jealous of Antonio, his successes and his prominence. You cannot even keep your facts straight as to whether or not he is a Union supporter or not !!! Get over it.
This is all very sad, you people really need to get a life. Most staffers can not nor never will be able to make it in the private sector.
Every single candidate, except for Parks, has a strong record with the Unions and they had a tough choice. It was refreshing to see that they supported the Mayor, since he did everything they asked of him.
This hurts Antonio because he needed thousands of volunteers in 2001 and got thousands of Union volunteers in 2003 to defeat Pacheco.
Where is he going to make up this loss of foot soldiers???
Mark my words, Antonio will get his walkers and they will come from the UNIONS !!!! They are individually already lining up.....................to help Antonio, not Hahn.
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