Los Angeles – The legendary and historic United Farm Workers of America has endorsed Wendy Greuel’s campaign for mayor. The legendary organization called Greuel the most qualified candidate and applauded her commitment to worker’s and immigrant’s rights.

“Wendy Greuel has been a long-time ally of the United Farm Workers. We know she has the experience to lead Los Angeles forward, and more importantly she has the courage to stand up for what is right,” said Arturo S. Rodriguez, President of the United Farm Workers of America.

“We are confident that as mayor, Wendy Greuel will continue fighting for farm worker and immigrants rights, and we are confident she will use her platform to advocate for the needs of our members. Now more than ever, as our nation works to bring comprehensive immigration reform forward, it is absolutely critical that we have a mayor like Wendy Greuel in Los Angeles who will always stand with us.”

“I am very humbled to earn the support of the United Farm Workers. For nearly 50 years, this historic organization has defended the rights of hardworking men and women and advocating for critical issues like comprehensive immigration reform. They are supporting me because they know I am uniquely qualified to lead our city, having worked in my family's small business, at DreamWorks Studios, for Mayor Tom Bradley, President Bill Clinton - and as Councilwoman and Controller. They know that I am a mom who sends her son to public schools and who will fight for every child in Los Angeles.”

The UFW joins a long list of Greuel supporters that includes civil rights icon and UFW co-founder Dolors Huerta, President Bill Clinton, Congresswomen Linda Sanchez & Maxine Waters, and Los Angeles County Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Gloria Molina.

Friends-

I love Los Angeles.

When I was drafted by the Lakers, the people of Los Angeles welcomed me to this city with open arms, and through all my challenges and triumphs, Angelenos have continued to show me their love and incredible support.

Thank you for being a part of so many wonderful moments -- and today, I'd like to invite you to be a part of an important moment for Wendy Greuel's campaign for Los Angeles Mayor.

Chip in with $10 or whatever you can, and you'll be entered for a chance for you and a guest to hang out with me at the House of Blues on May 6.

The next mayor has the opportunity to make a huge impact, and I know that Wendy is the best candidate to create jobs and lift up communities throughout this city.

I would love to talk to you about your vision to move Los Angeles forward and have some fun together, too.

So, please chip in $10 or whatever you can to be automatically entered to meet me at the House of Blues with Wendy: 

http://www.WendyGreuel.org/Meet-Magic-Johnson

See you there,

Magic Johnson

P.S. Don't worry about driving in traffic, the campaign will pick you and your guest up in Los Angeles and drive you to the House of Blues, so chip in $10 or whatever you can to enter today.

The bustling Van Nuys office is staffed by Ann Li and Eddie Mendoza.

In addition to speaking five languages between the two of them, Ann and Eddie have combined their political and cultural knowledge to create a unique workplace atmosphere in the office:

• Tie Tuesday is a staff and volunteer favorite as everyone tries to look their best with ties and other business attire.
• "We wear pink Wednesdays" was inspired by the film Mean Girls and is a fun day where staff and volunteers raid their closets for pink apparel and make phone calls to women voters in the Valley.
• High School Night is when students from Van Nuys High School, Reseda High School, and James Monroe High School come into the office to phone bank. Recently, more than 25 students phone banked to spread the word about Wendy and this campaign.

The office's creativity is also evident in their display of memes posted amidst handmade Wendy posters and official rally signs. Meme highlights include a tie wearing cat who means business, Ryan Gosling offering phone bankers a word of advice and Futurama’s Fry contemplating life as a coffee drinker.

With themed days and internet memes posted all over the walls, the Van Nuys field office is a fun-filled environment for folks of all ages in the Valley to get down to the business of getting out the vote for Wendy Greuel.

Here’s how my Q&A went with the masterminds behind the Van Nuys office:

Q: Where are you from?

Ann: I’m from Diamond Bar.

Eddie: I grew up right here in L.A., in Hollywood.

Q: What is your favorite political movie or TV show?

Ann: Goodnight and Good Luck.

Eddie: The War Room.

Q: What other political or campaign experience have you had?

Ann: I just graduated college in 2012, but I’ve had experience with Project Vote Smart and Dewey Square Group.

Eddie: Most recently I worked in a field capacity for Yes on Proposition 30 leading up to the election in November. I was also a field organizer for Jerry Brown’s 2010 campaign.

Q: Why do you support Wendy?

Ann: The most important thing for me is that Wendy is a genuine, hard working person dedicated to the idea of service, not power. She’s a proven leader with the best set of skills between the candidates. We need a mayor with a diverse background like Wendy’s to tackle our city's many issues.

Eddie: I have been a huge fan of Wendy’s for years, she was even the speaker for my graduation from CSUN. I’ve followed all her audits and I am proud of the work she's done as Controller, I voted for her in 2009 because I knew she’d follow through for all of Los Angeles.

Additionally, the City will be receiving additional funding in the near future from the passage of Proposition 30 and Measure R -- and it is important for our next mayor to be able to effectively allocate and manage these funds. Wendy has proven she can cut red tape while also bringing people together quickly to get things done. I know Wendy has the skills to move Los Angeles forward.

Like what you've heard?

Find out how YOU can be part of our grassroots efforts in Van Nuys today!

Opposes Deployment Plan to Move
 Firefighters Off of Engines

Los Angeles - Wendy Greuel today joined firefighters outside Fire Station 63 to talk about the importance of fully funding fire and police, outlining specific ideas for saving taxpayer dollars that could go to LA first responders.

Greuel also laid out her concerns about a plan that would shift firefighters off of fire engines.

“At a time when we have new revenues, we must do everything we can do to make funding the fire department a top priority,” said Greuel. “Unfortunately the chief's plan to shift firefighters off of fire trucks is a band-aid solution that doesn't solve the fundamental problem. I agree we need more ambulances, but we should not do that at the price of fire safety and even worse community safety. First responders get up every day knowing it could be their last and we owe it to them to give them every tool, every resource available to do their jobs, save lives and come home to their families, and that’s what I’ll do as Mayor.”

Last year, Greuel released an audit that showed that funding cuts to the fire department had had a negative impact on response times, potentially putting Angelenos’ lives at risk. Today the Controller sent a letter to the Chief asking him to reevaluate his new staffing proposal, asking for additional analysis before implementing the plan.

Greuel has earned the endorsement of Los Angeles police and firefighters.

At the press conference, Greuel outlined just some of her ideas to save money that could be directed to fire funding, including calling on the Council to accept a 25% cut, transferring Council discretionary funds into the General Fund, and implementing her audit of the City’s workers compensation program.

Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, who has endorsed Greuel, also released a statement calling on the City Council to reject the modified deployment plan.

“Last week I wrote a letter to the chief telling him that while I respect the need to increase the number of ambulances, the firefighters at Fire Station 63 and other stations can't afford to have one less firefighter on their engines,” said Rosendahl. “Wendy has put forward clear ideas to find savings in the budget to do that. We have to do everything we can to find money in the budget to backfill those cuts from previous years so our first responders have enough people, the best equipment, and the newest technology.”

“Wendy will fight to keep our communities safe. That's why I'm supporting her, and why LA's police and firefighters support her,” Rosendahl added.

“We are proud to serve the residents of Los Angeles and will continue to do so every day. But when we lose staffing, when no new firefighters are being hired, when millions of dollars are cut out of the department – it’s going to make an impact,” said Station 63 Engineer Julie Wolf. “Already, this is one of the earliest fire seasons on record, and taking firefighters off of trucks reduces our ability to combat fires quickly and effectively.”

Speaks to Hundreds of Woman Supporters Through Google+ Hangout

Los Angeles – Wendy Greuel hosted a Women’s Night of Action, galvanizing hundreds of supporters at house parties across the city to vote and get involved in her campaign.

Greuel was joined by County Supervisor Gloria Molina, Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus Assemblymember Holly Mitchell, LAUSD Board President Mónica García, civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, Celinda Vasquez of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project, Kathy Spillar, Vice President of the Feminist Majority and former redistricting commissioner Helen Kim, as well as supporters at more than 30 simultaneous events across the city.

“I am running for Mayor to lead Los Angeles forward, and as your next Mayor will continue to fight for equal pay, women’s health, better education and to end violence against women,” said Greuel. “You heard from all of these inspiring leaders about the importance of engaging women in this race. I won my first race by 225 votes out of 30,000. That’s why it is so important that everyone get out and talk to their friends and neighbors about how important this election is for the future of Los Angeles.”

“It’s not an easy job to break the class ceiling. But I know Wendy has what it takes. With a city council that could be made up of only men, she will bring a strong and needed woman’s voice to city government when she becomes L.A.’s first woman mayor in its 163-year history.” said Supervisor Molina. “Wendy will make sure that women get equal pay for equal work and that women-owned small businesses have equal access to capital.”

“I’ve known Wendy Greuel for decades. As a mother she knows how critically important it is to partner with parents to ensure we have a quality education for all the citizens in Los Angeles,” said Huerta. “We know that the best way to get the best people elected is when we get engaged, when we talk to our neighbors, when we go to our community and say yes, it is so important to vote.”

“As a mother with a child in public school, Wendy Greuel knows we can’t have a world-class city without a world-class education system. She’ll work to improve for school safety and partner with parents and police to keep guns and gangs out of schools,” said García. “I view Wendy as a partner in school reform, someone who will fight to ensure that we have more tax dollars available to keep our libraries open and expand afterschool programs like LA’s BEST.”

The link to view the event is available here.

Los Angeles – Former Hollywood Councilmember Mike Woo today endorsed Wendy Greuel’s campaign for Mayor.

Woo, a civic leader and dedicated educator, was the first and only Asian-American to ever serve on the Los Angeles City Council. He currently serves Dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and previously taught at the University of California, Los Angeles and Harvard.

“I’ve worked with Wendy for decades, going back to her time in Mayor Bradley’s office, and I know for a fact that she’s a strong leader with the experience and common sense to be a great Mayor,” said Woo. “Wendy has always been a dependable supporter of our community and as Mayor she will bring all sides together and get things done. She’s the best candidate to break the paralysis at City Hall and lead Los Angeles forward.”

“I’m proud to have the endorsement of a leader like Mike Woo, who broke barriers and fought for common-sense solutions at City Hall,” said Greuel. “As Mayor I will lead Los Angeles forward, bring strong leadership to deliver real change and break the paralysis at City Hall.”

Greuel has a strong base of support in the Asian-American community, and has also been supported by Congresswoman Judy Chu, Former Assemblymember George Nakano, and Community College Trustee Mike Eng.

1. Victoria from Santa Monica
2. Helen from San Fernando
3. Lorraine from Downtown Los Angeles
4. Liza from Encino
5. Ta-Lecia from South Los Angeles

Announces endorsement from SOHA President Richard Close

Los Angeles – Overlooking the busy 405/101 interchange’s morning rush hour, Wendy Greuel outlined her priorities for reducing Los Angeles traffic and creating a seamless transportation network across the City.

Last year, gridlock cost the City of Los Angeles more than $10 billion in wasted time and fuel. And just last week an annual congestion study showed that that Los Angeles once again has the worst traffic in the country. The 405/101 interchange is also the most congested interchange in the United States.

Greuel also announced the endorsement of Richard Close, President of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association*.

“No matter your zip code, chances are that you also spend your commute stuck in equally bad traffic. This never-ending traffic is not only deeply frustrating – it also undermines the health of our economy and the public,” said Greuel. “We can and must do better to reduce gridlock in Los Angeles. It’s fundamental to our quality of life. That’s why my blueprint to lead Los Angeles forward lays out concrete set of proposals to create a truly multi-modal system that is seamless and efficient, regardless of what mode you travel by.”

Greuel said reducing traffic and creating a more seamless and modern transportation network will be a top priority, part of her 36-page policy blueprint, Leading LA Forward.

Greuel called for enforcing bans on rush hour construction, creating additional anti-gridlock zones, adding left-hand turn signals, expediting rail projects like Subway to the Sea and the Regional Connector, prioritizing the City’s bike plan, and focusing on repaving streets and filling potholes.

"Traffic and congestion impact our neighborhoods and our residents every single day, from parents trying to get home to their kids, to employees trying to get to work, to moving valuable goods from the port or the airport to other parts of the region,” said Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, who joined Greuel at the press conference. “Traffic costs us billions of dollars, and we need strong leadership to solve this challenge immediately. Wendy will fight to unclog our roads and highways by implementing common sense reforms and working toward a 21st century transportation network."

“Wendy is a resident, homeowner, parent, small business owner and former Councilmember for the San Fernando Valley, and I know her as a tough fiscal watchdog, someone who will bring the strong leadership we need to lead Los Angeles forward. With Wendy Greuel as Mayor, the San Fernando Valley will never be forgotten at City Hall,” said Close. “Wendy lives in the Valley and so she has a unique appreciation for the challenges the Valley faces, and will make fighting gridlock and building a seamless public transportation system a key priority.”

*Title for identification purposes only.

The Los Angeles News Group editorial board repeats what it said before the primary: Wendy Greuel has the experience, know-how and personal qualities to be a fine mayor.

Greuel's government experience is strong. She is the city controller and a former city councilwoman from the San Fernando Valley. She worked in the Clinton administration in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where her work was vital to getting the Valley back on its feet after the 1994 earthquake. Former President Clinton said in endorsing Greuel: "I think if every voter in Los Angeles saw her the way ... people who know her well do, she would win. "

Greuel also has experience in private business as an entertainment-industry executive.

All of this has made her - since before the primary - the one candidate in the race with seasoning in citywide office, in government beyond L.A. City Hall, and in the business world.

It has earned Greuel a range of endorsements, some of which have actually put her on the defensive. Garcetti has hammered away on the notion that Greuel's backing from public employee unions, including millions of dollars in independent campaign spending by the union representing Department of Water and Power workers, would put her in their pocket as mayor. This is a predictable piece of political jujitsu by Garcetti - or hypocrisy, since the city councilman surely would have taken those endorsements and donations if offered.

Besides, Garcetti has labor backing too, from teacher's unions, including United Teachers Los Angeles, city hall employee unions and trade unions that do business with City Hall.

Crucially, Greuel also has endorsements from business groups such as the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce, L.A. County Business Federation, and Valley Industry and Commerce Association. They wouldn't back Greuel over Garcetti if they thought she'll be a pushed around by unions. Valley residents remember that as a councilwoman, she stood up to the Service Employees International Union on the Providence Holy Cross Hospital expansion.

L.A. doesn't need another smooth talker. It needs a mayor for hard times, to make sometimes unpopular moves to pull the city off the fiscal brink. Wendy Greuel can be that mayor. Voters should elect her on May 21.

Los Angeles – Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi announced today that he is endorsing Wendy Greuel for Mayor of Los Angeles.

Muratsuchi, whose district includes the Harbor Gateway and Harbor City, previously served on the Torrance School Board and as a prosecutor with the California Department of Justice. He is the current Chair of the Assembly Veterans Affairs committee and serves on the Budget committee.

“As a mother with a child in public school, Wendy knows we can’t have a world-class city without a world-class education system,” said Assemblymember Muratsuchi. “She's run a small business and worked as an executive in the entertainment industry, and knows we need to make Los Angeles more business friendly. She will fight to make sure that Los Angeles is more business-friendly and that we invest in our public infrastructure and key engines of economic activity like our ports and airports.”

“Assemblymember Muratsuchi has been a leader who delivers real results for his constituents throughout his whole career, from improving schools to protecting the public as a prosecutor. I’m proud to have his endorsement,” said Greuel. “As Mayor, I will get our economy going again and create good-paying jobs by bringing business and labor together, making Los Angeles more business friendly and investing in key infrastructure, especially our ports and airports. I will be the strong leader we need to lead Los Angeles forward.”

Greuel has a strong base of support in the Asian Pacific Islander community, and has also been supported by Congresswoman Judy Chu, former Hollywood Councilmember Mike Woo, former Assemblymember George Nakano, and Community College Trustee Mike Eng.

Los Angeles – Wendy Greuel announced today that USC College Democrats has endorsed her campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles.

USC College Democrats joins Bruin Democrats, California State University, Northridge Young Democrats, San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, Young Latino Democrats of the San Fernando Valley, and Black Los Angeles Young Democrats in endorsing Greuel for Mayor.

“Wendy has a true gift for bringing people together, and this endorsement is reflective of that. This is truly a unique event in our history – not only are we agreeing with UCLA Democrats, but we’re supporting a UCLA graduate!” said Catherine Shieh, President of USC Democrats. “For college graduates, the prospect of finding a job in these tough economic times is a major concern, and we are confident that Wendy brings the leadership to lead Los Angeles forward and create new opportunities for all students.”

“I am proud to have earned the endorsement of USC College Democrats, and young people across the city,” said Greuel. “As Mayor, I will leverage my experience in the public and private sector to create technology zones around our local schools and universities, to help Los Angeles capture the jobs of tomorrow. I will fight to make LA a destination for the movie and animation industries, and make sure Los Angeles workers and businesses are hired first for city jobs and contracts.”

Not since Mayor Jim Hahn did the Slauson Shuffle at Tolliver's in 2005 have I seen a politician as comfortable there as Greuel. She didn't do the shuffle, but she settled into one of the barber chairs and held court late Friday afternoon, apologizing for not bringing her 9-year-old son along as she had on her previous visit.

"When I've discussed it with my friends who are into politics, they all say, 'I've known her for a long time and I trust her,'" Tolliver told me.

Los Angeles – Wendy Greuel was joined by civil rights leader and mother Dolores Huerta and LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia today, to commemorate Mother’s Day and highlight the importance for women to get involved in this critical and historic election. Celebrating the holiday on the day when most Latinos celebrate, the women also met with community leaders and volunteers to thank them for their involvement and remind them to get out the vote with just 11 days left until the May 21st election.

The leaders met with reporters at the Placita Olvera, and then enjoyed Arroz con leche (rice pudding) and Mariachi music with community members and volunteers at Greuel’s Boyle Heights office. Greuel stressed that she is the most qualified candidate in this race, with public and private sector experience. She also said that, with recent polls showing she has the momentum in this election, she looks forward to making history and becoming the first “Mom-in-Charge” to lead Los Angeles as Mayor.

“One of the things that makes mothers so special is that they are fighters, and that is what I want to do for Los Angeles as Mayor - I want to fight for all of you. So if you want to make sure we have better schools, more good paying jobs and safer streets - put a Mom in charge. Watch what happens,” Greuel said.

“Wendy Greuel has the experience and the commitment to lead Los Angeles forward, having worked at her family's small business, at DreamWorks Studios, for Mayor Tom Bradley and President Bill Clinton, and as the taxpayer’s watchdog as City Controller. But she also brings the passion and dedication of a Mom to the job of Mayor, a focus on key issues that impact our families and the honesty and integrity to bring people together to lift up our communities,” said Huerta.

“As an advocate for kids and families in Los Angeles, I know Wendy will work tirelessly to improve our city. She is both a leader and mother, who will advocate for school reform, and for more tax dollars to keep libraries and parks open, and to expand successful programs like LA’s Best, that keep our kids safe. That’s why Wendy has the momentum in this race - because we know she will be a voice for change,” Garcia said.