Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage every Member of this Chamber to support my legislation honoring the legacy and service of one of the favorite sons of Santa Maria, California, former mayor and veteran, Larry Lavagnino. My bill would name the post office in Santa Maria in recognition of Larry Lavagnino's steadfast love and service for Santa Maria, including 10 years as its mayor from 2002 to 2012. Larry's story is homegrown. He started as a local kid, attending Santa Maria schools, including Santa Maria Union High School and Allan Hancock College. After earning his degree, he served in the United States Navy for 4 years. After the Navy, he returned home and began his service to Santa Maria as a supervisor's staff member in county government. Later, after an extensive career in the private sector, he continued his public service as a city council member, then as mayor. During his time as mayor, Santa Maria saw a new library, transit center, three new fire stations, a new police department building, the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant, and much more. He also secured more than $46 million in Federal funding for improvements to the Santa Maria River Levee, which protects thousands of homes and businesses. Thanks to his service as mayor, his leadership in Santa Maria Valley Beautiful and the Elks Lodge, and his work in many other roles, Santa Maria would not be the same place without him.…”