Opinion: Obama Town Hall: Some pols, some protesters, anticipation in the air
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Our colleague Seema Mehta is on the scene at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, where the president is expected to start his town hall appearance at 1 p.m.
She reports that the cavernous gym of the Contreras complex is filling up, as ticket holders file in and take their seats in tidy rows of folding chairs. The president’s backdrop will be massive American and California flags.
Los Angeles City Council members Bernard Parks and Eric Garcetti were among the first local officials to arrive. Garcetti, an early supporter of Obama’s, pronounced himself ‘ecstatic’ over the president’s visit.
‘This is a chance for the president to reconnect with his people,’ said Garcetti. He said the president’s swing through Southern California allowed him to talk with real people experiencing the fallout of the economy -- such as the Pomona students who got a visit earlier today.
Garcetti mentioned that one in five people in Los Angeles is unemployed -- and many more than that are underemployed. ‘The United States will not recover without Los Angeles,’ he said, ‘and the president’s visit recognizes that.’
Parks said he was looking forward to hearing what Obama had to say about small-business assistance. The former L.A. police chief was interested in what Obama would say about community-oriented policing. ‘I’m looking for him to stay the course,’ Parks said. ‘What he has done the last several weeks has shown a great deal of leadership.’
Earlier in the day, as ticket holders waited patiently in line to gain entry to the gymnasium at Miguel Contreras, two groups protested for legalization of undocumented immigrants.
One, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, featured Kevin Prada, 12, who spoke about his life since his father was deported in 2007.
‘I am an American citizen, but right now I don’t feel like one,’ he said. ‘I feel like I am an alien from a different world.’
Prada’s father immigrated from Peru in the 1990s and was denied political asylum. The young man read from a letter he wrote to Obama: ‘Please, I write to you, wishing for what you have promised, change.’
Vicky Marquez said she had not seen her children, who live in El Salvador, in 13 years. ‘I haven’t hugged them, I haven’t kissed them, it’s not right,’ said Marquez, a member of the Service Employees International Union. ‘I’m here to tell the president not to forget about us. We’re anxiously waiting for immigration reform.’
Two groups chanted at two street corners, playing mariachi music and waving signs that said ‘Obama, count on us,’ and ‘Legalizacion! Ahora!’
Nearby residents watched the commotion from their fire escapes, and morning rush-hour commuters honked in support.
Vendors were busy, including one young woman who advertised ‘presidential concessions’ -- water for $1 a bottle.
Meanwhile, yet another group of protesters staked out a street corner near the learning complex. This group, mostly African American, held signs that read ‘Reparations now’ and ‘Black people need to work too.’
-- Robin Abcarian
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