Just like every other morning, Shane Luncinski, 46, of Van Nuys starts his Saturday by getting up early and spending the entire day sitting at a Starbucks in his city and applying for jobs on his laptop computer. Today, he was at the Starbucks in a shopping center known as “The Plant” in a nicer part of the city with the likes of In ‘N Out Burger, Walmart and other franchise stores. 

Shane Luncinski struggles to find work, but has not lost hope

Luncinski sat with his dog, sipping coffee while frantically going through Craigslist, Monster and other job searching sites with no luck. He’s done that the whole day, every day before returning home for the day for well over two years. Luncinski couldn't care less who was running for councilman for his district. “Cardenas, yeah I’ve seen his name around town on signs before but that’s about it. I didn’t even know there was an election and no, I’m not going to vote. I have other things on my mind.”

According to the 6th District Deputy of Chief of Staff, Emily Williams, Councilman Cardenas’ track record is impressive. He initiated neighborhood clean-up programs that have removed over 5,000 tons of trash in the community, secured $650 million for new school construction to relieve over-crowding and reformed the city's complicated business tax system to make it more business friendly. The website goes on to say that Cardenas, launched a gang prevention program that reduced crime and aggressively sought to fine or shut down corporate polluters and businesses that failed to follow pollution laws.

Cardenas, who is running for a third and final four-year term in the San Fernando Valley is vying for reelection to represent the 6th District, which includes Panorama City and Van Nuys in the March 8 election. But despite his achievements throughout the years as councilman, many of the people he represents did not know who he was or that there was an upcoming election.

“I’ve been out of a job for two-plus years. The last job I had was a long time ago at Coco’s for a month, but then the bosses decided there were too many employees and not enough business, so I got laid off,” said Luncinski.

On the other side of District 6 is Panorama City. According to the last census, over 70 percent of the residents were of Hispanic or Latino descent. The streets are filled with run-down laundromats and “cash your check now” shops. Even to someone unfamiliar with the area, it is apparent where Van Nuys ends and Panorama City begins.

Nick Gomez, 19, is a barber in his mother’s mom-and-pop barbershop and echoed Luncinski’s sentiments. “Cardenas? I don’t know who that is but our streets are very dirty. This area is pretty ghetto.”

When asked what was most important for a resident like himself he answered, “Jobs are important I guess, but over here it’s really about dirty streets. This place is really dirty."

Gomez’s client Antonio Jauregui, 40, who was getting his haircut, also chimed in. “Potholes and dirty streets. It’s a big issue here. When it rains our streets don’t drain. What’s the point? Nothing gets done. I’m not going to vote. I’ve never even heard of this Cardenas guy.”

A few streets down from Gomez’s barbershop is the San Fernando Gardens, a low income housing area where the residents predominantly speak Spanish. A woman who declined to give her name was walking from the complex began screaming at bystanders to be careful of cars. She had been hit in the last month by a gray car that parked in the lot next to hers.

“I don’t vote,” she said. “I don’t know who is running. [Voting] doesn’t have anything to do with me. Safety is the issue for me. I got hit by that car! Yeah, jobs are important, but I got hit. I sued that bastard and I won. Yeah, I won!”

She mumbled to herself as she speed-walked away.

A man on parole who was washing his clothes at the Lavandería Laudromat summed a opinion on the upcoming election and its candidates. “Man, I don’t care. I don’t know who he is or who those other people running against him are. I don’t vote. I don’t give a shit.”

Back on the other side of town, Luncinski continued to send out his resume to any website he could find. His family and his EBT card for the Food Stamp program are the only form of financial support for him right now.

“They give me $100 and $100 for my kids so together we have $200 for groceries, which is not even close to being enough. I guess its better than nothing.”

This story is part of our March 8 election preview series Irked and Inspired: Los Angeles Residents Speak On The Issues. 

Reach Kristie Hang here.