From high-risk gang members to children in Los Angeles, people have a lot of demands for Curren Price, the current city councilmen for the 9th district. Curren Price, who built his campaign on promises to bring more city services, clean up Los Angeles, be a champion of the working class and create new jobs, has started working to solve the issues that plague his district. However, after taking to the streets of Los Angeles, people were not too thrilled with his progress.

“Nothing really has changed,” said Christopher Lopez, father of two.  “Education is still poor, and no new jobs have been created.”  “Yeah, we are all still struggling,” Jessica Shi chimed in.  “But I’m really hoping he follows through with all he said he would do,” she continued.  “I think he needs to try to help those that are unemployed.  The number here is very high and just only growing,” she concluded.

Mariela Sosa, a worker for the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, hopes Price goes in a different direction and directly reaches out to children.  As a receptionist to this health service organization for kids, she hopes that he will create “more outreach programs for kids.  More activities and involvement altogether would be good,” said Sosa.  She continued on that even just “more advertising or just public knowledge of services would be good.”  Her hope was that word of mouth would increase the amount of children that could be helped in the area.

Others like Alison Lass Camacho who works for Homeboy Industries, an organization that focuses on helping high risk, former gang members, are not angry with his progress but hope that Price focuses more on the at-risk community.  “Something like 70-80% of people return to prison within the first 18 months. “  “Our main focus is recidivism and providing jobs and services for those just out of jail. Those that don’t have these jobs and services have a higher chance of going back to jail.”  What needs to be focused on is asking, “how can we help people who have served their sentence be members of Los Angeles.” She feels that Curren Price should “work closely with parole and probation officers and organizations like Homeboy…and Project 180 to help.”  She also feels that he could help to get those that have been released stable housing.  After release, those who don’t have “jobs and services to help them tend to end up back in jail,” Camacho concluded. By integrating these people back into the community this can reduce recidivism, which is Homeboy Industries’ main goal.

With the criticism however, also comes praise from other groups. According to a press release, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor supports Price. “On the issues that matter most to working families and labor, from protecting workers rights to creating new job opportunities and expanding healthcare coverage, Curren Price has built a solid record,” said María Elena Durazno, Executive Secretary-Treasurer.  Many LA county workers were also very pleased to have him join them in their march for higher wages on October 1st.   This act proved true to his platform as a champion of the working class.  

With mixed reviews, Curren Price continues striving to improve the lives of everyone in the 9th district. 

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