Members brave sweltering heat to boost Jose Moreno’s council bid
About three dozen volunteers from Local 324 hit the streets today in support of longtime union supporter Jose Moreno in his bid for a seat on the Anaheim City Council.
This is the first election since the council was divided into five districts, a dramatic change from the previous system which selected City Council members in city-wide at large elections. Local 324 was among the many groups that fought for the new districts on the grounds that it would make it easier for minority candidates to be elected and provide representation to underserved areas of the city.
District 3, where Moreno is seeking his seat, is one in in which the majority of residents are Latino. Activists within the Latino community are hoping that the district’s demographics would favor the election of a Latino candidate such as Moreno.
But with less than a month until election day, Moreno is one of several candidates to qualify for the ballot, threatening to distribute votes among four campaigns seeking change in the way Anaheim conducts business.
In addition, an infusion of money from corporate interests has helped boost the campaign of incumbent City Councilman Jordan Brandman who is seen an ally of, among others, The Walt Disney Corp.
Moreno sought to contrast his brand of leadership with that of Brandman as he spoke with Anaheim residents Saturday. As the city puts the finishing touches on deals that will see the construction of several new large hotels, Moreno has championed the cause of hotel employees who have traditionally earned low wages and received few benefits. Among the solutions Moreno hopes to push if elected is the creation of a “Living Wage “for hotel workers.
His face-to-face meetings with voters appeared fruitful as many took campaign literature and promised to study up before voting Nov. 8. Many residents said that they were not familiar with many of the local issues as much of the media coverage has been overshadowed by this year’s presidential contest.
