Bloomberg hits on gun violence, climate change, education, discrimination in Fresno stop
Mike Bloomberg campaigned in Fresno on Monday on his record as former mayor of New York, saying he will stand up to the “bully” President Donald Trump and work to “get it done.”
Bloomberg stumped on issues such as gun violence, climate change, education and discrimination at his “Ganamos con Mike” (Let’s win with Mike) event.
“Central Valley issues are Latino issues, and Latino issues are American issues,” he said.
Bloomberg is on a three-city California swing, starting in Sacramento and finishing in Compton. He spoke at Fresno City College before noon on a sunny but chilly day to a crowd of a couple hundred people. He was flanked by the mayors of San Jose, Stockton and the former mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa.
His talk touched on many issues that affect Fresno and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley, such as air pollution and access to clean drinking water. He touted his success in New York on such issues, saying he was the right candidate to tackle those issues nationwide, too.
He opened his Fresno talk by referencing the deadly shooting that occurred in the city over the weekend at a pre-Super Bowl barbecue.
“Unfortunately, disagreements in our country seem to end in death all too often, and we’ve just got to do something about it,” he said.” There are some common-sense steps I think we can take to reduce gun violence and save lives, and the president won’t take them. I promise you, if I got elected, I will.”
In an interview with The Fresno Bee, Bloomberg said the Central Valley needs more representation. Bloomberg opened an office in Fresno last week and is the third Democratic presidential candidate to do so, behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and California billionaire Tom Steyer.
“You’re the breadbasket of this country, more so I think than any other place,” he said. “An enormous percentage of produce comes from here that feeds the whole country, and I’m just happy to be here.”
Latino voters
Bloomberg discussed growth in the country’s Latino population and the growing political and economic power of Latinos. He joked that he’s tried to learn Spanish for 12 years with limited success.
“The Latino vote is as important as any other kind of vote,” he said. “…The Latino population, as I said, they’re growing. They’re starting to get a lot more political power if you take a look at who is (in) Congress and who is appointed to the city council.”
Last week in El Paso, Texas, Bloomberg announced a plan designed to help Latinos open small businesses and increase college graduation rates for Latinos. Those plans resonated with 18-year-old Kari Lizarde of Dinuba, who attended Monday’s event.
The College of the Sequoias student said Bloomberg’s plan to help undocumented immigrants also appeals to her.
“It really caught my attention because as a Latin person, I have experienced a lot of the things he’s trying to fix and dealing with people who are illegal or don’t have proper documents, and he wants to help us,” she said.
Pooling local leadership
Bloomberg’s campaign tapped Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez as his political director for the San Joaquin Valley.
Chavez helped hire over 30 staffers and open four campaign offices in Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield.
“Often times the Central Valley is neglected or over(looked) where people don’t really focus resources here, and this is a big message that says, ‘Hey, the Central Valley is a priority for this campaign,’” Chavez said. “I think that’s what’s going to give Bloomberg the edge here in the Central Valley.”
Chavez said he has logged many hours juggling his city council duties with campaign duties, but he said the hard work is worth it because it’s important for the community.
The southeast Fresno councilman met Bloomberg two years ago at a conference where the former mayor spoke on investing in urban and disadvantaged areas. When Bloomberg’s team was putting together a staff in California, they remembered his name, Chavez said.
Chavez recruited a former council colleague as the campaign’s regional organizing director: Oliver Baines, who previously served on the city council representing southwest Fresno.
Baines said he believes Bloomberg is the right candidate to beat Trump because he has a more practical approach compared to other progressive Democratic candidates. Plus, Baines said, Bloomberg will be able to pull Trump supporters to vote for him.
“I think he can win,” Baines said.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 11:41 AM.