In a strange political alliance, both big business and big labor joined together in defense of the small industrial city. Citing the increased costs of energy, taxes, fees, and regulation, both groups have expressed concern that should the city be disincorporated, businesses and jobs will flee.
Throughout all of the conversation, Speaker Perez has remained steadfast in his determination to see the city dissolved.
From the Los Angeles Times:
Assembly Speaker John Pérez began his career working for a local painters union, then spent more than a decade as a political director of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which recently named him Person of the Year.
As one of Sacramento’s top Democrats, he’s considered a key advocate of organized labor.
But as he pushes a plan to disband the troubled city of Vernon, he’s finding himself suddenly at odds with those traditional allies. Maria Elena Durazo, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, is siding with labor groups who argue that disincorporating the heavily industrial city south of downtown could result in major job losses as businesses flee higher taxes and more regulation under another government entity.
Read the full article here.