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Nine LB Residents (Incl. Assemblywoman Oropeza & Former Harbor Comm'r Perez) Are Members of CA Delegation To Democrat Convention...And Cong.
(July 24, 2004) -- Nine LB residents, including LB area Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza and former LB Harbor Commissioner Carmen Perez, are among the And LB area Congresswoman Juanita As indicated (as of July 24) on the convention web site's Prime Time Speaker Schedule, speakers for July 29 (whose theme is "Stronger at Home, Respected in the World") will include [web site order indicated is alphabetical]:
As previously reported by LBReport.com, Congresswoman During the New Hampshire primary race, the Kerry campaign listed Cong. The Democratic National Committee says its party convention will be attended by a total of 4,353 delegates and 611 alternates, plus "15,000 members of the media, 15,000 other guests including elected officials and foreign dignitaries [and] 35,000 total attendees." Other members of the CA delegation that we found noteworthy (not a complete list) are CA's U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer; former CA Governor Gray Davis; former Assembly speaker and former SF Mayor Willie Brown; L.A. Supervisors Yvonne Burke, Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina (the latter, a DNC Vice Chair); L.A. City Councilmembers Bernard Parks and Antonio Villaraigosa (both possible L.A. Mayoral contenders) and a number of area Congressmembers including Maxine Waters, Loretta Sanchez and Linda Sanchez. "Over 80 percent of the delegates [are] selected based on the results of the vote for Democratic presidential candidates in the 2004 primaries and caucuses, while the balance will include Democratic members of the Unites States Senate and House of Representatives, Democratic Governors and Democratic National Committee members," says the Democrats' convention web page. It adds, "The delegation itself is comprised of a cross-section of America's diverse population with equal parts men and women and members from traditionally under-represented groups. These delegates will select the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees." There may be other Californians and others from LB attending the Democrats' convention...but below are members of the CA delegation as listed as of July 24 on the convention web site: Steven Alari
Celine Cordero
Jay Day
Lorelai Kude
Hon. Jenny Oropeza
Carmen Perez
Audrena Redmond
Silissa Uriarte-Smith
Chester Wasko
LB Mayor Beverly O'Neill was a delegate to the 1996 Democrats' Convention that renominated Pres. Bill Clinton...but will not be attending this year's event. Senior Advisor Diane Jacobus told LBReport.com that Mayor O'Neill's "schedule is extremely busy."
Eight years ago, Mayor Beverly O'Neill made news locally over remarks during a breakfast meeting of the California delegation in what has since become known as her "CAVE People Address." At the time, LB was in the midst of major controversies over City Hall-backed plans to demolish the LB Naval Station to accommodate a COSCO shipping terminal and a separate controversy over a proposed "sports complex" in El Dorado Park.
Mayor O'Neill was one of several big city mayors (in a row) to speak to California delegates. Her remarks are reprinted below:
"We needed help. We needed change. What do you do when you can no longer rely on your economic generators. We looked at our assets: waterfront, beautiful climate, but we needed help and I must tell you that this administration helped the City of Long Beach. We remembered, they have three words: we had the opportunity, we accepted the responsibility and we are believing in community.
"HUD helped us with a loan. Thank God for HUD. EDA helped us. The COPS grant gave us safer streets. Today we are emphasizing international trade, we are international tourism and technology. We are turning our city around. Our President knows the strength of our nation comes from the strength of our cities, and he does something about it. We will no more have the good old days, we will have better new days.
"And don't listen to the CAVE people, those are Citizens Against Virtually Everything. [some applause]
"We will be part of the new generation in our city and remember, Mr. President, we thank you for your foresight, your compassion, your leadership, but also to Mr. President and Mr. Vice President, please remember that the Golden State will elect the Golden Slate." [cheers] When a local brouhaha ensued following her remarks, the Mayor responded by letter to the Press-Telegram and stated that her "CAVE People" reference was "intended to be a parenthetical reference that was intended to describe a very small segment [emphasis in original] of people in any metropolitan area. I did not address this comment to anyone or any specific group...Certain opponents of some of the city's proposed projects took these remarks personally, and I apologize if these remarks offended anyone."
[LBReport.com note: The Port of LB's plan to put the COSCO terminal on the former Naval Station property was stopped by Congress. The El Dorado Park "sports complex" was stopped by a successful legal action brought by "Save the Park" founder Ann Cantrell, after which the City Council found an alternative site.]
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