Fresh off his endorsement that morning by the Los Angeles Times, City Council member Eric Garcetti brought his surging momentum to Eagle Rock on Saturday, Feb. 16, with a boisterous ceremony/pep rally celebrating the opening of his Eagle Rock campaign office at 5015 Eagle Rock Blvd., Suite 100 (inside the Citibank building.)
Smooth jazz from the Eagle Rock High School Jazz Combo provided a musical backdrop as the man who would be mayor greeted supporters surrounded by a diverse crowd of volunteers signing up, taking yard signs, and preparing a grassroots campaign to energize and get out the vote.
It was a homecoming of sorts for the onetime Occidental College professor who has generations of family ties to Eagle Rock and our surrounding neighborhoods. By the time CD 1 City Council member Ed Reyes introduced the man whom the L.A. Times called “the best choice for mayor” to the high energy SRO crowd, the buzz was palpable. Garcetti promised that, "This city can once again be a great city, a just city, a place of economic opportunity, a place where people can find a decent school, a decent place to live, find a good job.”
The enthusiastic reception to his words showed why the Times noted “voters should be inspired by Garcetti’s stewardship of Council District 13.” Regarding the revival of Hollywood, the Times stated that “Garcetti closed the deal with creative land-use decisions and community outreach to the neighborhood while attracting new business and providing new housing for families living on the margin.
"Under his guidance, Atwater Village has blossomed, Silver Lake and Echo Park are cultural touchstones, East Hollywood neighborhoods have claimed their identity. He added many acres of badly needed park space. He brought to his job a deft mixture of community organization, development, outreach, and leadership. Along the way he championed programs in his district to deter gang violence and fight quality-of-life crimes such as graffiti—and they became models for citywide successes.”
I love L.A. And I left the Garcetti event excited about the future of our great city. With vision, leadership, and a proven track record of success as a City Council member for the past 12 years (serving as President for six), Garcetti understands how the city works and how to fix the things that don’t. As the Times noted, “Successful mayors of Los Angeles—like Tom Bradley—must be experts in the art of finesse. Garcetti is such an expert.”
