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VILLARAIGOSA ANSWERS WITH A FILIBUSTER
Reporter Frank Mottek of KNX NewsRadio referring to Hal Netkin and the MayorNo website at the Museum of Tolerance in the final debate on May 31, 2001, asked Villaraigosa what his current position on MEChA (not named) is. Villaraigosa dodged the question like a veteran spinmaster. By playing the racist card against Hal Netkin to evade this simple "Yes" or "No" to the question, he not only made a fool of himself, but to the observer, it could only be concluded that Villaraigosa still embraces the belief of taking back Aztlán.
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Mottek: It has been reported Mr. Villaraigosa that when you were at UCLA you were active in a Latino rights group (MEChA) which among other things says in its constitution that it is in favor of forming a separate republic (Aztlan) in the Southwest United States. Do you hold the beliefs of that organization as your own and do you still support the group and what do you tell kids that see this kind of stuff on the Internet?
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Villaraigosa: I say that we have to do everything to combat hate and ignorance. I say that we need to do what the Museum of Tolerance has done. I know, because later in June I'm going to be honored by the Museum of Tolerance. I put together over the last six years more than 18 million dollars for this museum. I put money for this museum. That amount of money is unprecedented in the history of this state. I put money together for this museum because I agree with the Rabbis who work here. Rabbi May, Rabbi Cooper. I supported this museum because they have the tools for tolerance program in our schools and in our police department. I'd like to get the person (Hal Netkin) that worked on that Website in one of those programs so that we can teach them the need to come together and not vilify one another. I'm proud of the fact that this is a great country. This is a country of opportunity and this is also a country of free speech. So I honor his right to free speech, I just hope that he (Hal Netkin) works on the tolerance.
Villaraigosa lost the 2001 mayor's race to James Hahn. Hahn turned out to be one of the worst mayors Los Angeles ever had clearing the way for Villaraigosa to succeed against Hahn in 2006. Now it appears that Villaraigosa is one of the worst mayors Los Angeles ever had .
(note unexplained audience laughter at Mottek's question)
