07/21/2023
This was 26yr old me, holding up a stack of paperwork to read through as I ran for City Council.
A few weeks later, I would learn about the Hotspot program & a freeway expansion that would take over 500 parcels of land and bulldoze through the park I played in as a kid or my former elementary school. I didn't know what kind of fight I was getting myself into or if we would even win. But I got to be the third generation of Contreras' who stood up to an institutionalized practice of building & expanding highways. And this time I won.
Yesterday, Metro LA announced in an obscure committee meeting that it was going to pursue a no residential demolition alternative for the 605CIP Corridor Project. Three years of sweat, definitely tears, maybe some blood, who knows at this point. While the overall fight isn't quite over - there shouldn't be highway expansions of any kind, anywhere, & we want to make sure Metro LA keeps its promise - I can rest easy knowing that we took on Goliath and won. No homes are going to be taken away. Ever.
I really cannot thank the OG Happy City Campaign team enough for taking a chance and believing in me. We started a campaign to end freeway expansions in California back in 2020 and haven't stopped campaigning since. And to everyone else who joined us in this fight. We moved mountains. In solidarity and all the love I have - a very sincere thank you. This was not possible without you.