Biography
He has secured more than $650 million for new school construction in Los Angeles to help relieve over-crowding in classes. He wrote groundbreaking legislation changing California's juvenile crime prevention system and defended our children by reforming toxic emissions standards on school buses. He changed our state constitution to make sure that lottery monies are spent on textbooks and classroom materials. It is no wonder Tony Cárdenas has served the people for well over a decade, first as a three-term state assemblyman and now as a Los Angeles City Councilman. An engineering graduate, Cárdenas was trained to find practical/realistic solutions to difficult problems. Most recently, Cárdenas spear-headed the most comprehensive gang intervention model in the country. The Community-Based Gang Intervention Model, used by gang intervention workers to help stop violence in some of LA's most dangerous neighborhoods, has become a vital tool in other cities across the nation. Passed unanimously by the Los Angeles City Council, the model provides rehabilitation for those caught in the cycle of gang life and helps strengthen the resources of true gang interventionists.
Born and raised in Pacoima, Cárdenas is bringing his knowledge as the former Chairman of the state's powerful budget committee to the city. His state reforms brought 78,000 new classroom seats to LA and more than 15 universal playgrounds to disabled families. And now, after almost six years on the City Council, you can still see that same momentum of change. More street services are available to families in the San Fernando Valley. In fact, to date, Cárdenas has picked up over 5,000 tons of trash and bulky items from Valley streets. This also means more improvements for Valley business owners. As a matter of fact, in less than two years on the City Council, he overhauled the city's archaic business tax system by cutting through red tape and allowing small business owners to put more money in their pockets for business improvements.
You can see his unprecedented policy work that dates back to 1996 when he began the battle to completely reform the state's gang prevention and intervention programs with the Schiff-Cardenas Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act, legislation still intact and funded by the state. So it's no surprise Cárdenas has taken on one of the city's most difficult tasks - tackling gang violence. As Chairman of the city's Ad-Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development, he's identified millions of dollars overlooked by the city to help keep our kids off the streets. He's now working with Congressman Bobby Scott to pass the Youth PROMISE Act.
His groundbreaking clean-air movement is cracking down on toxic businesses polluting the air in Valley industrial neighborhoods. Cárdenas' Environmental Justice Improvement Zone is ensuring that the people of Sun Valley have a brighter, healthier future. This is the first environmental justice zone of its kind in the country. But "firsts" is what Tony does best. He created Los Angeles' very first Animal Cruelty Task Force and put away dozens of callous animal abusers. One of the task force's first felony convictions put a known gang member away for three years for abusing a family pet. He also co-authored the city's new mandatory spay/neuter ordinance to help curb the thousands of animals born homeless on the streets every year and who ultimately have to be euthanized. He wants Los Angeles to become a "no-kill" city.
What really fuels his love for good policy is his love for the people of the San Fernando Valley. He grew up with a family of eleven brothers and sisters. The San Fernando Valley is still his home. And now, thanks to Tony Cárdenas, it's a community that has a voice.