MAPA Endorses Tonia Reyes Uranga

RELEASE

The Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) has endorsed Tonia Reyes Uranga for the State Assembly District 54, which encompasses in whole or part the cities of Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington, Palos Verdes, and adjacent areas.

Tonia Reyes Uranga has the longest record of public service on behalf of working people in this district. She currently serves on the Long Beach City Council, 7th Council District.

We are convinced that she has the character and strength to stand up to the special interests in Sacramento who continue to oppose the greening and aggressive pollution reduction and clean-up of the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports. Pollution in the ports, trucks, airports, and the highways is devastating the health and well-being of all residents, but especially the most vulnerable, our children and elders. Tonia Reyes Uranga understands the problem and has the courage to address it.

The looming state budget crisis has given the governor the pretext to seek education and healthcare service cutbacks – to resolve the budget deficit on the backs of working people, the poor, elderly, disabled, immigrants, and children. These are most vital services to our community. Tonia Reyes Uranga has the strength of character to stand up to the governator and demand NO cuts in education and healthcare services.

It is for these reasons that MAPA endorses Tonia Reyes Uranga for State Assembly District 54 and urges you to vote for her on June 3rd, or much before by mail if you vote-by-mail.

Lastly, MAPA also ask you to VOTE NO on Prop. 98, and VOTE YES on Prop. 99. Prop. 98 is an initiative sponsored by landlords and property management companies to eliminate rent control and has been fraudulently presented to the public as an effort to protect private property rights.

On the other hand, Prop. 99 is truly an initiative to prevent government abuse in the use of eminent domain to take private property (homes, for example) for private development, and not necessarily for public use – schools, highways, and others. Prop. 99 is designed to protect the homeowner from government abuse. VOTE YES ON PROP. 99.

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Nativo V. Lopez is currently the National President of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana (HML), which requires of him full-time advocacy for the civil, human, labor, and immigrant rights of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latinos throughout the United States. He has dedicated his life to these causes since his years as a high school student where he founded the first student movement organization, United Mexican American Students (UMAS). He was born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles in 1951 to Mexican American parents, and is of both eighth-generation native U.S. born and immigrant stock. Nativo met the legendary immigrant organizer, leader, and advocate, Humberto “Bert” Corona, in 1971 and worked with him in various capacities for thirty years with the organizations Center for Autonomous Social Action (CASA), Hermandad Mexicana, and MAPA. He was a lead organizer in the 2006 pro-immigrant marches and was part of the creation of the National Alliance for Immigrant’s Rights (NAIR) in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, go to http://nativolopez.blogspot.com/.

The Mexican American Political Association, an advocacy organization, was founded in Fresno, California in 1963 and has chapters throughout California. It is dedicated to the constitutional and democratic principles of political freedom and representation for the Mexican, Mexican-American and Latino people in the United States. For more information, visit the MAPA website at http://www.mapa.org/.