Political Quotes

“I rise today to congratulate Congressman Tony Cardenas as he prepares to retire after 12 distinguished years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives and 28 years in public service. My fellow San Fernando High School Tiger, my first boss in politics, and more recently my roommate in Washington, Tony has always been a cherished friend and brother. A champion for the San Fernando Valley for nearly three decades, Tony's story and legacy deserve to be celebrated and remembered. Raised just a few blocks from where I grew up in the proud, working class community of Pacoima, CA, Antonio ``Tony'' Cardenas was born on March 31, 1963--the youngest of Andres and Maria Cardenas' 11 children. And while Tony was a few years ahead of me, our stories followed similar paths. Tony's parents and my father immigrated to the San Fernando Valley from the Mexican state of Jalisco in search of a better life. We both attended Telfair Elementary School and, later, San Fernando High School. And when it came time for college, we both earned degrees in engineering. Yet it is in part because of Tony that I left a promising career in engineering behind in order to serve our community. When Tony first set out to make a difference and run for State assembly in 1996, he took a chance on me as his campaign manager. I didn't know the first thing about managing a campaign. But when Tony reached out, I knew his values. I knew who he was as a person.…”