A nonpartisan coalition of community organizations asked the candidates for mayor, comptroller and attorney of the city of Los Angeles to commit to advancing equity and inclusion of Latinos.
The Los Angeles Latino Equity and Diversity Initiative (LALEADI) is asking all City of Los Angeles applicants to sign equity plans with practical steps to bring more resources to underserved communities in Los Angeles, including Latino and immigrant communities.
To date, the candidates who have committed to creating equity for Latinos are: for Los Angeles City Comptroller, those who have given their support are Sean I Enright , Kevin De León, Jessica Lall and Jemiss Nazar.
The primary elections will be held on June 7; and the general ones on November 8.
Angélica Salas, leader of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants (CHIRLA), said that once again we are in an election year, which promises opportunities for communities.
“We have 10 candidates for the campaign for mayor. My question is what are you doing to ensure that our local government pays attention to the Latino immigrant community? We want to know what the plan is that they bring to the communities that contribute to Los Angeles, but that are forgotten by the representatives in the mayor’s office.”
He gave as an example that the city of Los Angeles grants hundreds of millions of dollars each year in construction and service contracts, but no one at City Hall can see how much goes to Latino-owned businesses.
Said that the Department of Public Works, with a budget of more than $150 million, allocated last year only 1.3 million or two tenths of 1% to Latino-owned businesses.
“In a city with almost half of the Latino population, is a notorious inequality. In fact, it is the pattern of disinvestment that has reduced the participation of Latinos in a city whose rich history has been given by the Latino identity.
He added that the Los Angeles Latino Equity and Diversity Initiative has a plan to hold candidates accountable and provide more equity to candidates. Latinos in the city, asking them to sign equity plans with practical steps.
Nilza Serrano, founder of the Initiative for Diversity and Latino Equity of Los Angeles, said that in every corner of the Los Angeles economy, Latinos are an integral component of a healthy and sustainable foundation.
“We cover the majority of the workforce. We started and are business leaders. We are a young population that will be the future of the City. We deserve to be given equal services and to be given the opportunity to advance and prosper.”
Noted that they applaud candidates seeking represent and serve Los Angeles, a largely Latino city, in the highest-ranking offices of government; and who signed a five-point plan for Latino equity, which comprehensively outlines how candidates will be scored based on how well they uphold the principles that will seek proportional representation for Latinos.
The main elements of this plan are:
- Senior Appointments: Commit to supporting an administration that values diversity, equity, and inclusion through the appointment of underrepresented populations, particularly Latinos, in leadership positions.
- Procurement and Contracting: Commit to support the creation of a financial framework that promotes equity in awards in all city departments.
- City Services: Commit to supporting investment for equity in City projects, programs, and services, including but not limited to public works, recreation and parks, housing, transportation, planning, library, cultural affairs, and public safety, including police and fire.
- Workforce: Commit to supporting the creation of e a financial framework that promotes equal pay, proportional representation in the municipal workforce, and a review/audit of hiring, recruitment, and workforce development practices within the City of Los Angeles.
- Latino Partnership: Commit to working with LALEADI to assess conditions affecting Latinos, identify challenges , shape policies, monitor the implementation and evaluation of policies and their impacts on Latino residents, and publicly report results and progress on established metrics.
“LALEADI celebrates that the city of Los Angeles was formed and is now sustained by the working hands of Latinos, and we look forward to may city leaders and those who seek to serve us celebrate with us,” said Ron Herrera, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
Regarding the candidates who have not yet signed the 5-Point Plan for Latino Equity, he implored them to collaborate in the objective of building an equitable flow of resources and services for the largest ethnic group in Los Angeles.
He made it clear that as the majority in this City, Latinos deserve to be adequately served by elected officials and public servants, which is something that has not yet been achieved.
“The local economy relies heavily on Latino labor, purchasing power, and Latino-led businesses. Therefore, the Latino community in Los Angeles deserves a government where representation and services reflect our numbers and our importance to the prosperity of our City.”