First-ever ‘People’s State of the City’ address draws full house at local church

Former Long Beach 7th District Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga spoke to a full house at the first-ever “People’s State of the City” address hosted by Antioch Church at 1535 Gundry Ave. on Wednesday night. The event focused on poverty in Long Beach and what can be done to improve the lives of people who are barely able to pay their rent and put food on the table. “Some people in this city will never have to work two jobs to make ends meet, or worry about filing for bankruptcy, or going for public subsidy just to get health insurance for their children,” Reyes Uranga told the audience. “Yet those of us who do have to worry about such things have never before in the history of this city been under attack. Working families and immigrants have been portrayed as the culprits and blamed for the bad economy, yet we are not responsible for the greed of the corporations.” Next week, the Signal Tribune will publish an article with more information about the event.