Wendy Greuel Offends Local Latinos
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| Did Cesar Chavez Really Endorse Wendy Greuel? |
Of recent note has been Greuel's pandering to African-Americans. Key to this strategy is the former Councilwoman turned City Controller's previous career as a young aide to former Mayor Tom Bradley (during which tenure she was reprimanded by the Mayor for using city resources for political campaigns). Greuel's references to Bradley on the campaign trail has been so excessive that opponents Kevin James and Jan Perry took to keeping track of every time she mentioned the name of the long time and very popular mayor.
Now the Greuel campaign, seeking to grab Latino voters away from Eric Garcetti and Emanuel Pleitez, has issued a mailer prominently featuring civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez, founder fo the United Farm Workers and a hero to many Hispanics.
The pandering apparently so intense that it raised the ire of San Fernando Valley community leader Monica Rodriguez, previously Community Affairs Manager for former Mayor Richard Riordan and Chief Deputy to former LAUSD Board of Education President Caprice Young. Rodriguez, who was a candidate for City Council in CD7 in 2009 posted the following on her Facebook page:
"I'm sorry, but I find it completely offensive to have an image of Cesar Chavez for Wendy Greuel when this incredible civil rights leader or anyone directly related (as far as I can see) or the UFW has NOT endorsed Wendy. Dolores Huerta endorsement is not Cesar Chavez endorsement. Dolores should be prominently displayed and not in a small caption on the back side."
Rodriguez further stated that Greuel has a:
"...warped sense of the Latino community - that if you put Cesar Chavez' picture and associate with Wendy we'll all just vote that way. Ignorante!"
Disgust with Greuel's near-stereotypical pandering to Latino audiences is not limited to the San Fernando Valley. Earlier in February, when Greuel joined with City Councilman Jose Huizar and Assembly Speaker/Mayoral Primo John Perez to open a Greuel campaign office in Boyle Heights. Community activist Luz Montoya took great offense at the presentation saying:
"I feel like they're mocking us. It was deceitful for Jose Huizar to tell the residents of Boyle Heights that it was a reunion for him and out of no where comes a lady I have never seen in come near this neighborhood before. They come here and think they can win our support with some sweet bread and mariachi. They want to ridicule us."
Let's not even begin to speculate on the entertainment and food at the LGBT with Wendy event.
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| Wendy Greuel campaign staffer? |
Labels: 2013 mayoral election, boyle heights, john perez, Jose Huizar, luz montoya, monica rodriguez, pandering, wendy greuel
Posted by Anonymous @ 2/27/2013 10:54:00 PM
5 Comments:
Hating on Wendy won't stop her. She bought up all the bulk slate mailers, and has billboards all over town. She will be in the runoff.
Phil, you've said that before. I've spoken with political consultants, not tied to any Mayoral candidate, who have said a) that's not true (Eric is on just as many slate mailers and has billboards) b) it doesn't matter.
Just because you got lucky and bought up some slate mailers while you were running against two whackos and won the GOP primary in a super majority Dem district doesn't mean that's always a winning strategy.
This story is that she's pissed off a lot Latinos and is tied into Latino pols a lot of people (including Latinos) such as Felipe Fuentes, Villaraigosa, etc. Those folks are going to be voting for Eric and Pleitez. Wendy thinks she can have gorditas with Huizar and John Perez and get some LAT-TEE-NO votes - not going to happen.
The race is very close. What you should be doing Phil is get out there and turn out GOP voters for Kevin James. Besides, he has lots of cute young girls working for him, maybe you'll finally meet your wife. ;)
Going back to the story, I think your point was a little weak. Many candidates have used pictures of famous people in their mail (Kennedy, Roosevelt for Dems, Reagan for Reps, etc.) In this case, you have Wendy Greul saying that she represents the same things that Cesar Chavez stood for and on top of that, Chavez's maybe closest political ally and his behind the scenes partner in working the political process openly endorses Greul and says she stands for the same things Cesar did. What's wrong with that?
It's my understanding that Dolores does not represent the Chavez family. It may be common to use a photo of Reagan, JFK, FDR, etc. but that is not done for racial pandering. Check out the back side of the mailer, it's chock full of pictures of Brown people and (one not so brown Latino guy) smiling away for Wendy! Clearly, this is a piece designed to pander to Latino voters. No wonder so many are offended.
She may or may not represent the Chavez family, but she clearly represents the United Farm Workers and was called by Cesar on several occasions, his top political strategist. As for it being racial pandering, I don't see it, except in the sense that Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta were both considered icons in the Latino community, so naturally that is where a mailer like the one you are describing would have the most influence. I think you are reaching and if someone is offended, I doubt they know the history of Wendy's work to help the UFW.
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