Guest Opinion | Councilmember Jessica Rivas: Thank You District 5 – Pasadena Now

I wish to begin by thanking my household, particularly my husband Alex and daughter Natalia, for his or her love, assist, and endurance. They’ve put up with quite a bit over time. First my 9 years within the Military Reserve, which meant weekends, weeks, and typically months away from residence. And now my service on the Metropolis Council, which doesn’t require the identical period of time away, however remains to be a really vital dedication.

I used to be in fact very honored and humbled to be appointed by the Council in February of 2021. And after I determined to run to proceed serving, I used to be grateful that I used to be in a position to work with a marketing campaign supervisor who is aware of our Metropolis so nicely. So I wish to thank Jacque Robinson – who as everyone knows served as Vice Mayor and councilmember – for her experience and knowledge by the course of the marketing campaign.

It might have been her best marketing campaign, since I used to be working unopposed, nevertheless it was surprisingly nonetheless plenty of work. So I additionally wish to you’ll want to thank all of my endorsers, donors, and volunteers, who helped us attain neighbors and get out the vote.

And it was crucial to me that I do this although I used to be working unopposed. As a result of I needed to let everybody know who I’m and what my deal is.

I wish to make Pasadena a spot that works for everybody. That’s not only a marketing campaign slogan. It’s a assertion of my strongly held values and guides every part I do as a councilmember.  Pasadena works nicely for many people. In all probability most of us right here as we speak. However so many residents are struggling, and their experiences must be centered in our coverage making.

• That’s why I used to be proud to assist Hero Pay for our important employees in groceries shops and pharmacies. They risked not solely their well being, however their households’ well being, and noticed larger charges of an infection and demise, permitting many people to remain safer at residence through the first yr of the pandemic earlier than the vaccine was out there. As a substitute of sharing their file earnings with their employees, the biggest grocery chain spent a billion {dollars} in inventory purchase backs.

• It’s why I opposed ending our eviction moratorium earlier than our personal native emergency orders lifted and whereas the Council continued to satisfy remotely. In a latest report by our Housing Division, employees defined: “For the reason that sundown of the Metropolis’s eviction moratorium on June 30, 2022, the amount of requests for help from Pasadena tenants acquired by [the Housing Rights Center] and the Housing division has elevated markedly. Current knowledge launched by the Liberty Hill Basis exhibits Los Angeles County eviction filings have surpassed pre-pandemic ranges.”

• It’s why I opposed eradicating marketing campaign contribution limits and assist considerably decrease limits than the present $4,900 quantity. For a lot of causes, however particularly in order that common working people – who don’t have rich private networks that they will faucet into to fundraise – are usually not at such a stark, structural drawback in our elections.

• And it’s why I used to be proud to endorse Measure H, which can forestall excessively giant lease will increase that quantity to de facto eviction notices and supply actual eviction protections for renters, who’re the vast majority of District 5 residents and the Metropolis as a complete.

None of those are radical positions. And so they have extensive assist all through the group.

So I stay up for a brand new time period, with colleagues previous and new. Collectively, I do know that we are going to be aware of the group and work in direction of making Pasadena a spot that actually works for everybody.