Building Trades News

November Election Campaign Kicks Off

Angelides Emphasizes His Proven Commitment to Working Families click to enlarge State Treasurer Phil Angelides has revved up efforts in his race for the governor’s seat Nov. 7, building momentum over Labor Day weekend, the traditional kickoff to the fall campaigns.  The labor-endorsed Angelides reached out to thousands of voters in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Oakland at Labor Day breakfasts and other working family events. At each stop, he emphasized his vision for a better California, including plans to cut taxes for middle-income Californians and roll back college tuition increases. Angelides has a long history of support for working families – marking a stark contrast with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has only recently come to support any working family issues. Political analysts say that Angelides’s record speaks for itself, while Schwarzenegger is simply turning with the political winds. “Don’t forget, Arnold’s recent change of heart – agreeing to raise the minimum wage legislation and sign other bills working families care about – follows a battle he waged against us in declaring a Special Election last year,” noted Richard Slawson, Executive Secretary of the LA/OC Building Trades Council. “Thanks to union members coming together and voting ‘no,’ Arnold lost big time in that election. Now that he’s behaving, we can’t be fooled.”  But because of Schwarzenegger’s effort to mend fences with Democratic lawmakers, political analysts say Angelides faces a tougher challenge to distinguish himself with voters. But labor made the winning difference in the last two elections – the Special Election and the June primary – and we can do it again. Following the June primary, a Capitol Weekly headline proclaimed: “Labor carries Angelides to victory, setting up special-election rematch.” KTLA TV agreed.. They reported that on Election Day, unions were able to put 5,000 volunteers on the street urging voters to go to the polls and support labor’s friend, Phil Angelides. “We had a good showing in the June 6 election,” Slawson. “Many of our locals played a key role in victories in a number of hard fought races. Now we have to do it again. The building trades union members can help send Schwarzenegger back to Hollywood and make Phil Angelides the next governor of California.” Angelides has proven commitment In speeches around the state, Angelides underscored his long commitment to working families. He faulted Schwarzenegger for putting the interests of oil companies, health insurers and other donors over the needs of middle-class, who are struggling to keep up with the cost of living. Tax breaks should go to “people living paycheck by paycheck, not corporations who can put 10 lobbyists on their payroll,” Angelides said. “We didn’t become the richest nation in human history because we lavished more on those who have the most.” Schwarzenegger’s effort to reinvent himself as a friend of the middle class was a “first-class fraud” and a “death bed conversion” to win over voters, Angelides said. “He wants you to believe he’s a new man,” Angelides said in San Bernardino. “The new Arnold Schwarzenegger is as fraudulent as George Bush’s claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.” Angelides drew a strong show of commitment from union members who turned out to the Labor Day Breakfast organized by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. A crowd of working families waved blue and orange signs, reading “Labor United for Angelides.” At the Labor Day breakfast, California Labor Federation leader Art Pulaski reminded the crowd that Schwarzenegger had twice turned down a minimum wage hike in 2004 and 2005  before signing off on it Sept. 12.  Schwarzenegger’s support ends a long battle with Democratic lawmakers and labor leaders. The law will raise the minimum wage by $1.25 per hours to $8 per hour by January, 2008. “It was Arnold Schwarzenegger who twice vetoed the minimum wage, remember that?” Pulaski said to a cheering crowd. “It was Arnold Schwarzenegger who tried to take away our education funding. Do you remember that?” he said. Angelides has also garnered the support of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who endorsed him Sept. 5. “This is a man with courage and conviction,” Villaraigosa said. “You know, my mother raised me as a young boy,” he said. “I remember her telling me, people want to know what you’re for, not what you’re against. “I’m for Angelides.” “I will work day and night to get this man elected as the next governor,” Villaraigosa said.

 

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