Clock in at the WC Blog

LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia hit the nail on the head last week when she called out Meg Whitman for her two-faced approach to courting the Latino vote. As any political observer has been able to deduce Whitman is saying one thing in English and then going on Spanish language TV and saying something else. Thankfully we have trusted public servants like President Garcia who can shine a light on this duplicity. Hats off to you.

Here is the content of her press release:

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Unified School District Board President Mónica García today called upon gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman to explain the apparent inconsistency in her approach to Latino students in our public schools.

“Meg Whitman is running a new TV ad saying she wants to help Latino students,” said President García. “But her campaign is led by Pete Wilson, a man who wanted to kick the Latino children of undocumented parents out of our public schools with Proposition 187.”

“Whitman has also advocated for rounding up and prosecuting ‘illegal aliens’ in every city in the State, for denying state services to the undocumented, and for blocking our undocumented students from attending state and community colleges,” said García.

“I am trying to reconcile Meg Whitman’s terrible record on Latino students with her current rhetoric. It just doesn’t add up,” said García.

“If Meg Whitman truly wants to help our Latino students, she has got to stop attacking immigrant students and start understanding that the best way to help our Latino students, regardless of their parents’ residency status, is to give each and every one of them the opportunity to get a quality education in our schools and become productive members of our society,” she added.

Mónica García was elected to the Board of Education in June 2006, becoming the third Latina to serve on the Board in its 155 year history. As a board member, she gives voice to the hundreds of thousands of children and families that rely on education for access to good jobs, healthcare and a sustainable quality of life. In affirming her commitment to a quality and equitable educational system, Ms. García supports initiatives that provide all students access to a college preparatory curriculum and to career and technology pathways.

Working Californians, an independent expenditure committee, will begin a radio ad campaign on behalf of Jerry Brown today. The campaign is designed to run four weeks and will take place in radio markets across the state. Working Californians represents a coalition that includes the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Service Employees International Union.

“Our research show us that voters are eager to hear more about Jerry Brown and why he is the best choice for governor of our state, “ said Marvin Kropke, Business Manager of IBEW Local 11 and co-chair of Working Californians. “We believe that these radio ads make the case that Jerry Brown is the only candidate with the experience and the values to succeed in this critical time.”
Working Californians was formed in 2006 to support causes and candidates that improved the quality of life for average Californians.

“From our perspective,” said Brian D'Arcy, IBEW Local 18 Business Manager and Working Californians co-chair, “Jerry Brown is the best candidate for Governor. He has a 40-year record of fighting for the average Californian on crime, on consumer protection issues, the environment, and worker’s rights.”

Jerry Brown’s experience is also a key factor in the Governor’s race according to Courtni Pugh, Service Employees International Union. “Jerry Brown has devoted his life to public service and has a proven record of leading successful turnarounds in the face of great challenges,“ said Pugh. “He knows what it takes to get a budget through the legislature and he has a commitment to straight talk and common sense.”

In the 2006 election cycle, Working Californians led a broad coalition of labor and business that supported John Chiang for Controller and played a significant role in his election.