[img]985|left|Curren Price||no_popup[/img][Editor’s Note: This letter about state Sen. Curen D. Price Jr. (D-Culver City) was sent to the California Friends of the African American Caucus (cafriendsofaacc@gmail.com)]
I write to you concerning the race for the 9th District of the Los Angeles City Council and the elephant in the room.
The 9th District, mostly black and Latino, composed of downtown Los Angeles and portions of southeast Los Angeles, has been represented by African-Americans for nearly a half-century. Jan Perry, the current Councilwoman for District 9, is being term-limited, and she is now running for Mayor.
The big question for residents of the 9th District and all Angelenos, is, who should hold this office.
The election to determine Ms. Perry's successor is next March. The only current elected official who has stated his intention to run is state Assemblyman Mike Davis (D-Inglewood). A decent man, he has indicated for several months he is running. However, there is a widespread perception that his candidacy is, shall we say, weak, uninspired, and lacking in voter appeal.
This lack of a strong black candidate has created a vacuum and led to various interests, namely the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the United Firefighters of Los Angeles, to put up separate candidates (two longtime Asian public servants) to run for the seat in a district where Asians number less than 2 percent. Also, a relatively unknown young lady who lives in northeast Los Angeles and is a staffer to City Councilman Jose Huizar has just joined the race.
Our weakness is even more evident as few significant interest groups are rushing to support Mr. Davis, leaving African-American representation for District 9 in absolute peril.
We have to support the strongest possible candidate. It's not difficult to determine who has the best qualifications.
The new Councilperson will be a crucial actor to build consensus and provide quality leadership in South Los Angeles. This person likely will be the key to bringing football back to Los Angeles, whether it be at the Coliseum, the downtown area near the Staples Center, or Chavez Ravine at Dodger Stadium. This role requires intelligence, quality leadership, a proven record of success, broad networks across the ethnic landscape, a disciplined staff and a competent public service profile.
The absence of a strong, popular candidate for District 9 is causing concern among black Angelenos. It has led to rampant speculation that state Sen. Curren D. Price Jr. (D-Culver City) needs to consider a run. No stranger to local politics (having soundly defeated Mr. Davis in a special election for the 26th Senate District in 2009), Sen. Price began his work in the public sector on the district staff of former Councilman Robert Farrell in the 1980s.
He has certainly accomplished a great deal as an elected representative from Los Angeles in the state Capitol. As Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus he is a proven leader and consensus builder. A tireless advocate for small businesses, he has a significant list of accomplishments in the Legislature in education, health care and international trade. He has a strong organization along with experienced and responsive staff. Sen. Price has gained the respect of his colleagues and the state Democratic leadership because he has a solutions-oriented approach to governing.
As chair of the Black Caucus, he quietly became the go-to person to save black political power through the state and federal redistricting process. He devoted his entire summer to ensuring that black people across the state were in position to maximize their political influence for the next decade.
Sen. Price is involved in an unprecedented effort in promoting the candidacies of five new candidates for state Assembly across the state. He is attempting to grow the Black Caucus to historic levels with pick-ups in the Pasadena and San Diego area while keeping southeast Los Angeles, Oakland and San Bernardino with quality African-American representation. He has taken the development of these candidates very seriously, hosting them for a Candidate Development Institute earlier this year while holding fundraisers along with meet-and-greets to expose candidates to the intricacies of campaigning.
Sen. Price has expanded his reputation as a bridge-builder across ethnic communities by getting the Asian/Pacific Islander and Latino Caucuses onboard to ensure that the most vulnerable populations in this state are protected during these difficult economic times.
Sen. Price has used his position as Caucus Chair to promote our two statewide elected officials, Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris and Board of Equalization Chairman Jerome Horton, as they pursue legislative and political priorities for Black California and beyond.
The Senate Committee on Business Professions and Economic Development, which Sen. Price also chairs, oversees many of the regulated professions in the state. It is a watchdog for consumer protection laws. Sen. Price has stayed true to his appreciation of the concerns of small businesses and job creators as an elected official who effectively manages the issues faced by consumers and by industry.
Sen. Price chairs the Legislative Joint Committee on the Arts, reviving the long-dormant committee by advancing arts education funding through charitable efforts, public-private partnership, issue advocacy campaigns and community-based-organization awareness efforts. He carried legislation to create a check-off when we file our taxes so we can contribute additional funds for arts programs at the state and local levels.
The Senate Select Committee on Procurement has been the chief vehicle by which Sen. Price advances his deep commitment to opening up public contracting opportunities in California to minority- and women- owned businesses, whether at the state Dept. of General Services, emerging investment money mangers at CalPERS/CalSTRS, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or the California High Speed Rail Authority.
In addition to these current leadership roles, Sen. Price is a key player in the leadership of the state Senate and the Legislature in general. A highly-effective legislator, Sen. Price is embraced by both the labor and business communities as a person with whom they can work to solve problems. Sen. Price has carried major legislation year after year for SEIU-ULTCW & AFSCME/UDW as well as for the California Black Chamber of Commerce. He has a lifetime “A” rating from the labor movement. He is considered a champion for small businesses. Sen. Price is close to rank-and-file public safety (PORAC, CCPOA, CPF) as well as teachers, nurses and tradesmen. Because of his commitment to economic growth, Sen. Price is considered a friend of private sector workers.
A graduate of Stanford University and Santa Clara Law School, he has the unique distinction of formerly holding the chairmanship of two standing committees (Government Organization as well as Elections and Redistricting) while in the Assembly (the first such occurrence in recent memory).
It is no secret that stakeholders from across South Los Angeles and Greater Los Angeles are recruiting Sen. Price for the 9th District race. Chief among them are the clergy and organized labor, who are concerned that the present candidacies threaten the likelihood of retaining three seats held by African- Americans on the Los Angeles City Council.
The people of the cloth and working people are in regular conversation with each other and Sen. Price in trying to attract him to the race. The senator, to this point, has been focused on addressing the state's $17 billion deficit and seeing that those with the greatest need do not take the brunt of Gov. Brown’s proposed cuts.
The big question for residents of District 9 and all Los Angelenos, is:
Who should hold the office?
Voters don't have to look far for the right answer.
I have only a few choice words for the elephant in the room:
The 9th District needs you now more than ever. Let’s get busy.
