Tony Cardenas Quotes

It's not up to one individual to decide, 'I'm going to dictate the outcome of what's going to happen legislatively.' That is not a democracy; it's an atrocity.

- Tony Cardenas

My parents didn't speak English. They learned it little by little. They realized that education was the ticket to a better future in their own rudimentary way. They kept the house clean, kept us on the straight and narrow, and none of us ever got into trouble with the law.

- Tony Cardenas

For most of the Latinos in our nation, merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable would mean one company controlling their window to the world of culture and entertainment.

- Tony Cardenas

Every day, opportunities within the hemisphere go untapped, and millions of dollars are lost simply because companies do not know where to begin if they want to expand into new territories and grow their business.

- Tony Cardenas

It is difficult to overstate the importance of media as a tool to encourage civic engagement and participation, and the importance of a diverse and well-informed public.

- Tony Cardenas

California's redistricting process creates a historic opportunity for Valley Latinos to have a strong and unified voice in Congress for the first time. The opportunity to be the Valley's first Latino Congressional representative is humbling, and I'm proud that so many diverse leaders have come together to support this campaign.

- Tony Cardenas

The San Fernando Valley has plenty of manufacturing zones, especially in the 29th Congressional District.

- Tony Cardenas

If recycling is the future, then we must focus our efforts on mitigating negative impacts to our community while protecting our environment.

- Tony Cardenas

Satisfying a profit motive must never be the reason for law enforcement, and it certainly must never be allowed to support the seizure of personal property by those who we trust to protect and defend our nation and our Constitution.

- Tony Cardenas

My father worked with a first-grade education in this country and managed every single day without a hiccup.

- Tony Cardenas

I love chocolate, and I love ice cream. That's a double whammy there. I constantly have to check myself and say, 'I've already had dessert today.'

- Tony Cardenas

BOLD PAC is Hispanic first, Democratic second. And it's a close, close second because we do not engage in endorsing non-Democrats.

- Tony Cardenas

Priests and nuns actually meditated. It's not religious. It's about centering yourself.

- Tony Cardenas

Our kids have to understand that drinking underage is a poor decision that could drastically affect their chances to achieve the goals they've set.

- Tony Cardenas

To truly utilize the full potential of every person in our nation, our laws and representation must track the needs, concerns, and goals of the Latino community.

- Tony Cardenas

When you have 20 nominations - 20 names on the nomination list of best actor, supporting actor and actress, etc., and there's absolutely no representation of color whatsoever, I think that's a subset of perhaps a bigger problem.

- Tony Cardenas

The American people are happy to help small businesses grow, but paying fines for multi-millionaires, subsidizing bad behavior, should not be the responsibility of American taxpayers.

- Tony Cardenas

There is no organic process where you can take a diverse community like America and then distill it down to it only looks monolithic without having some kind of inorganic interplay going on that created that outcome.

- Tony Cardenas

We need to get around a table, have a serious discussion about the holistic problems in our immigration system, and craft a common-sense solution.

- Tony Cardenas

When millions of law-abiding people achieve citizenship, our communities benefit, and the U.S. economy grows and strengthens.

- Tony Cardenas

I don't eat pork or beef. I cut that out when my father passed away about 20 years ago. I wanted to modify my diet because he passed away from diabetes. And, you know, it's very hereditary.

- Tony Cardenas

Who cannot appreciate the smell of bacon? It smells good, but I never want to grab a bite.

- Tony Cardenas

When we fail to include diverse, talented faces, reflecting both today and tomorrow's America, we send a poor message to our youth and the world.

- Tony Cardenas

The FCC was founded in 1934, and their first major action was in 1941 when they broke up NBC. NBC used to be NBC Red and NBC Blue, and they broke them up for the same exact reason: that there wasn't going to be a diversity of voices and because they were vertically integrated.

- Tony Cardenas

Every community needs to get its fair share of services.

- Tony Cardenas

No candidate can become president without the Latino vote.

- Tony Cardenas

I have recently taken on two major challenges: running the CHC BOLD PAC and serving Los Angeles as our voice on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

- Tony Cardenas

I do like the nonpartisan atmosphere here at City Hall where you can talk with the person who opposes you and either get their support or not.

- Tony Cardenas

Bad policy tends to be done in a rush.

- Tony Cardenas

I think it's not up to Congress to dictate what the right amount of diversity is, but I think it's Congress' place to ask the question, to any industry, in talking about what's going on out there. Is there a lack of preparation of the community to be ready to be involved in that industry?

- Tony Cardenas

Being fined for violating the rules of your league is not the same as a shop owner on Main Street paying to have a new sign hung in front of their business. One is a business expense, the other is a punishment.

- Tony Cardenas

I am proud of the fact the community elected a congressman who was born and raised in the community. I am trying my best to be successful for the community.

- Tony Cardenas

My focus has been on being a good congressman, and there is so much other work to do.

- Tony Cardenas

When you see the horrible conditions that these animals live in, you wonder why operators of puppy mills have gone undetected for so long.

- Tony Cardenas

No living being should have to endure conditions that you wouldn't put on your worst enemy.

- Tony Cardenas

If Latinos stay at home, we determine the outcome of an election.

- Tony Cardenas

President Obama helped move this country forward.

- Tony Cardenas

Truancy rates are directly correlated to low graduation rates.

- Tony Cardenas

Nearly one-fifth of our fellow citizens are Latino. They are families who are impacted by our education system, by our economy, by our healthcare delivery, and by every policy we make here in Washington.

- Tony Cardenas

The NCAA is acting like they can or are willing to self-police. It doesn't appear that they are willing to do it to the degree that they should.

- Tony Cardenas

Hollywood and film portray who we are as a people and what we value as a culture.

- Tony Cardenas

Everybody should be defended, and people should be willing to stand with them to let them know that an attack on them is an attack on me.

- Tony Cardenas

Consumers deserve the opportunity to watch their program of choice.

- Tony Cardenas

I meditate, and I try to do that twice a day.

- Tony Cardenas

Every time I got paid, I would give my parents money. I would save some money, and I would have a little money to spend.

- Tony Cardenas

Meditation is about getting to a place where you're approaching things in a more calm, centering place rather than allowing yourself to get caught up in it.

- Tony Cardenas

As an engineer, you learn there is a solution to every problem. It may take you a while, but eventually you're going to find it.

- Tony Cardenas

As someone who has owned a small business in the past, I understand how difficult it can be to get a loan.

- Tony Cardenas

When we act ignorant as a community, we are not doing the right thing.

- Tony Cardenas

All parents want their kids to be on a healthy track to success.

- Tony Cardenas

Comcast is a big voice: they have a tremendous voice across America; they're a tremendous voice in Spanish and English, and they have a tremendous voice in Washington.

- Tony Cardenas

I'm a realist.

- Tony Cardenas

I think, with Wi-Fi, we'll make L.A. a better place for our constituents.

- Tony Cardenas

We must make the masses understand that we have a responsibility to care for our animals and that when things get messed up, it's usually because human hands have caused it.

- Tony Cardenas

I wasn't the student body this, student body that. I was not much into running for office.

- Tony Cardenas