CA: Villaraigosa calls on nation's mayors to address poverty

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 1/25/06 | AP - Washington

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called on the nation's local leaders to address the growing problem of poverty, saying Hurricane Katrina exposed the chasm between rich and poor.

"Katrina exposed the deepening gulf in our political discourse," Villaraigosa told the U.S. Conference of Mayors at its winter meeting. He was referring to the Aug. 29 devastation of New Orleans, most of whose residents are poor and black. "It's about restoring our sense of community."

Villaraigosa, who is chairing a mayor's task force on battling poverty, criticized current federal and local aid to the poor as inadequate. He pointed in particular to housing aid, tax cuts for the wealthy and a minimum wage that often make it impossible for families to "get by."

He said he will be working with both public and private-sector leaders to devise bipartisan proposals, and hopes to see President Bush devote additional money for education in his State of the Union address next week.

"Fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, one-third of African-American children still live in poverty," said Villaraigosa, who will give the Spanish-language response to President Bush's State of the Union address. "Eleven million American's can't read a bus schedule or fill out a job application."

"We need your voice and your vision," he said.

[45Auto]

Surely the problem could be solved if we double the income tax.........

[NormsRevenge]

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa addresses fellow mayors attending the 74th Winter meeting of the The United States Conference of Mayors, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

[45Auto]

The guy is a lying scumbag with an agenda. The last 50 years have demonstrated just how much of a failure throwing money around is when it comes to "poverty". Who the heck wants to work if they can get in line and get a free check courtesy of the American taxpayer every month? Welfare as it is practiced in the US breeds poverty. And crime.

[D_Idaho]

Maybe we shouldn't be allowing a million destitute, low-skilled people into the country every year. It doesn't seem that hard to figure out.

[Clock King]

criticized current federal and local aid to the poor as inadequate

In other words, give me money. The LEFT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE POOR OR BLACK PEOPLE!!!!

[Redcloak]

The only "chasm" I see is between Villaraigosa's ears.

[NormsRevenge]

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) smiles with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa before signing a bill which will speed up construction of a carpool lane on the San Diego 405 freeway at a construction site in Los Angeles January 13, 2006. The bill, SB 1026, allocates 90 million dollars and paves the way for an accelerated construction schedule for the lane to be built up to six years sooner than originally planned. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

[atomicpossum]

So, what is he advocating? That the government

a)make poverty more comfortable by funding it more, or

b)somehow force people to improve themselves?

Seems like either way, it's been shown not to work.

[DumpsterDiver]

"We need your voice cash and your vision money," he said.

[45Auto]

The 11 million "Americans" he is referring to are Americans in the sense that they were born in America, i.e., Mexico and points south, all of which are considered "The Americas". They are by and large illegal aliens in California.

[ClaireSolt]

It's been a long time since any of these ideologues have been in a poor neighborhood.

[RexBeach]

You know how you address poverty, don't you?

Ahem.

"Hello dere, poverty!"

[King Moonracer]

Doesn't La Raza have a plan beyond stealing all of the land from those damnable Euro-Americans?

[yoe]

"Eleven million American's can't read a bus schedule or fill out a job application."

Whose fault is that? We spend nearly twice as much on education now than we do for the military. The problem lies in the college/university systems that educates the teachers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. These teachers are poorly equipped to teach our children; their own education was and is dumbed down. Educate the teacher first, really educate them then watch what happens in the next ten years. Remove the unions and the NEA from any meaningful contact with our schools. Both are more than damaging to education - I am speaking of the basic education, not one based on Social Engineering.

[NormsRevenge]

Aztlan?

[NormsRevenge]

posted earlier


L.A. Mayor to Give Response to Bush Speech (in Spanish)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1564781/posts

[Travis McGee]

Mayor Villareconquista is setting himself up to be the Hugo Chavez of Aztlan, if the economy tanks and poverty becomes topic numero uno.

"Mayor MEChA:"

Read about how a pro-communist, ultra radical "MEChista" named Tony Villar cut his hair, changed his name, put on a tie, and became the mayor of America's second largest city.

[cinives]

I just wish someone would ask this idiot when, at any time, at any place in history, has giving money to layabouts been effective ?

It always amazes me when people advocate something with no facts to back it up. Prescription for curing poverty in this country: no more welfare, privatize education, close the borders to illegals, and lower taxes across the board.

That'll do for a start.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

His vision will probably involve more "War on Poverty" programs that not only failed to eliminate poverty, but created harm by extending that culture of entitlement and dependency that started with FDR.