Muratsuchi the Moderate -- Meh

 

But Huey's opponent contended his victory played out exactly as advance polling suggested, with South Bay voters from both major parties more willing to embrace a known moderate - Muratsuchi is a Torrance school board member - than an unknown Tea Party Republican.
 

The Beach Reporter
 

Former School Board Member and currently 66th District Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi championed himself as the moderate alternative to his Republican opponent in the 2012 election. In debate and in discussion, he affirmed: "I am not an ideologue." Throughout his excessively negative campaign, Muratsuchi rarely shared his own views yet spent time and advertising shaming the "extreme" position of his opponent, many of which had nothing to do with South Bay or California politics.

Now that Muratsuchi has been in office for nine months, what's the record on "Moderate" Muratsuchi? Muratsuchi has voted 90% of the time with his party: ideological, to say the least.

Here are some of the bills which he has supported in Sacramento:

 

AB 60
 

Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants

-- He has voted to permit illegal immigrants to drive in the state of California. Ten states had toyed with this policy, and eight of them repealed the law. Instead of endorsing illegal immigration, with the flawed premise that those illegal aliens will at least purchase car insurance, the state of California should lobby the federal government to reduce the welfare state, relax naturalization requirements, and resurge a proper immigration policy for all legal immigrants.

Muratsuchi's vote on this issue is hardly a moderate postion. The Hispanic Governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez, has repeatedly fought to repeal licenses for illegal immigrants. Her arguments on this matter deserve more attention, which Muratsuchi failed to consider.

 

AB 154

Authorizes Certain Individuals to Perform Aspiration Abortion Procedures

Muratsuchi has expanded the types of individuals who can perform abortions. This legislation follows the growing decline of available doctors to practice medicine in the state of California, which results from the regulations and fines associated with Obamacare.

The state of California needs legislators who will cut the red tape and approve free market reforms in health care. Why is Muratsuchi making it easier to get an abortion? What kind of message does that send to pro-life and pro-choice constituents in the South Bay?

AB 1266

Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities

This law will permit transgenderes students to enter school bathrooms. Extreme, and extremely disturbing. I have already written about the reaction that his daughter might have to such a policy. What about the other children in Residents in the South Bay? Torrance residents have shared with me their deep concern with a legislator who would permit an individual of decided gender to enter the bathroom of his choosing. The civil liabilities for such a law are incalculable. Why hasn't Muratsuchi advanced policies which would permit school choice, or vouchers, or strengthen the power of Torrance families to establish dependent charter schools in their neighborhoods?

 

AB 1401

Authorizes Non-United States Citizens to Serve on Juries

Jury duty is a solemn service, one which belongs to United States citizens. Why are Sacramento Democratics focused on expanding jury pools when workforce involvement is low, when businesses are leaving the state, and schools are not getting proper control over their funding?

Contrary to his campaign pledges, Al Muratsuchi is too extreme for the South Bay.

Does Al Muratsuchi Have Any Courage?

Whenever a constituent wants to know how their represenative voted on an issue, they can visit "Vote Smart" (votesmart.org), and find out whether their Congressman, Senator, state or federal, vote up, down, or abstained.

The website has another interest feature, one which spotlights the political courage of the candidate.

"The Courage Test"

http://votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/138450/al-muratsuchi/

Just visiting this website, I found a disturbing admission from Vote Smart:

"Al Muratsuchi refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders."

What?!

I wonder if he is willing to tell us why he voted to allow individuals of decided genders to go into any bathroom of their choosing.

I wonder also why he voted to permit non-citizens on juries. While he has celebrated "Surf Day" and stumps for aerospace design, why did not he protect school funding in the South Bay?

Of course, I am not surprised that Muratsuchi failed the political courage test. Instead of stepping up and telling us about his stance on the issues, he ran a slash-and-burn, hate-and-hate some more campaign to drag down his opponent. Instead of focusing on local issues, Muratsuchi talked about Huey's stance on federal policies, abortion, and unemployment.

Where's the courage in smearing a candidate when there is nothing to stand on?

Votesmart.org tells it like it is.

Will voters tell it like it is next November and send Muratsuchi packing?

LAPD Reduction of Misdemeanors and the South Bay GOP

According to internal reports  released by the Associated Press, the LAPD is directing law enforcement to lay off arresting Angelenos for misdemeanors, instead directing police to issue infractions. Ninety-one misdemeanor offenses will be reduced, according to internal memos. These offenses include possessing or purchasing alcohol as a minor, drinking in public, gambling, defecating in public, trespassing and not having one's dog vaccinated for rabies. Harbor-area residents in the 66th Assembly District, which includes the Harbor Gateway, West Caron, and Harbor City, should be concerned about the sudden and subtle changes in police policy.

Moreover, the diminution of criminal penalties can provide Republicans with an opportunity not only to press on the quality of life issues which affect all South Bay residents, but allow the Republican Party organizations to brandish their more libertarian credentials on crime, both prevention and control, in future elections. Republicans in the 66th district can expose a number of problems associated with state-sponsored micromanaging on one hand, yet at the same time hold Los Angeles and Sacramento lawmakers (predominantly Democratic) accountable for arbitrary budget cuts which neglect to enforce key quality of life issues. On the other hand, conservatives can reach out to libertarian elements as well as minorities alienated by excessive police force by championing a reduction in the overcriminalization of California's penal code.

The LAPD's cost-cutting measures emerge in the wake of budget crises gripping Los Angeles, reductions which are hitting the South Bay with greater severity. Over the past few years, such misdemeanors were often reduced to infractions by the Los Angeles city or district attorneys to begin with, so instructing peace officers to back off on arrests and bookings will eliminate wasted time and money. Conservatives should be leading on these issues, and Republicans in the South Bay can play up their support for efficient crime prevention as well as more effective forms of retribution and rehabilitation.

Instead of arresting a minor for alcohol use, a diversion program following an infraction would permit the youth (and his parents) to work on recovery from substance abuse. Drinking in public in and of itself -- should that even be a crime? Some libertarians have even argued for removing drunk-driving checkpoints. Instead of looking for drunk drivers, the police should focus only a stopping dangerous drivers, since they pose the greater, more manifest threat to the well-being of our communities. Other victimless crimes like gambling should not b subject to criminal penalty, anyway.

To reduce certain misdemeanors to infractions will also spare younger voters. College Students are facing crippling cuts in their education, both at the community college level and in statewide universities. Some youth have already engaged in petty crimes, like loitering or breaking curfew. Instead of police officers' impugning their record with misdemeanors, Republicans can applaud the LAPD's decision to reduce such offenses, and thus keep them off a younger person's record.

The blunt instrument of state force should never wield so many penalties in the first place, and Republicans can hammer this point, too. From Governor Jerry Brown's first two terms in Sacramento until the late 1990s, California voters, including South Bay residents, supportedtough-on-crime legislation which instituted mandatory sentencing and enhanced enhancements for criminals. The "Three Strikes" initiative culminated this drive for enforcement. Last year's Prop. Republicans can fault Democratic lawmakers for overcriminalizing and overpenalizing our state penal code, a policy move which can attract libertarians, limited government advocates in general, and even young voters

When commenting on the impact of LAPD's new police of reducing misdemeanors to infractions, Tom Bristow of the Beach Cities Republicans commented:

"[W]here I think they [LAPD] are making a huge mistake is the 'trespassing" penalty. We are dealing with personal property at that point, and if a private citizen does not have any say as to what happens on their personal property, or who is allowed on it - that is the beginning of collectivism."

Granted, police must enforce the sanctity of private property. Republicans in the South Bay should call out the Los Angeles Police Department for enacting their discretionary policies without input from the City Council or Neighborhood Councils in the Harbor region.

On a related note, Republicans campaigning in the Harbor area can also assail Sacramento for closing courthouses, making it harder for residents to enforce their property rights and maintain law and order. In the original charter following consolidation, Los Angeles City Leaders promised San Pedro residents their own courthouse, so that for future litigation they would not have to travel the twenty-two miles to Downtown Los Angeles. The journey was hard enough then, made worse with the traffic congestion which bottles up Harbor Area residents further still. The San Pedro courthouse will be closed, nevertheless.

South Bay residents should contact their legislators (Al Muratsuchi) on these issues. Crime prevention was a winning issue for Republicans in the 1970s. In 2014, following the mandated release of 10,000 prisoners from California prisons, plus the forced reduction of ninety-one misdemeanors in Los Angeles, South Bay Republicans can expose the present dangers to California residents because a tax-and-spend, regulate-frustrate, regressive-progressive Democratic government has crippled public safety.

Assm Muratsuchi: What Would Your Daughter Say?

Give him a chance? He [Muratsuchi] just voted to reduce funding to PV, Manhattan Beach, and Torrance schools. He also voted to allow boys to go into the girls bathroom with the new "transsexual bathroom bill". This is a dangerous far-left guy. We need mainstream folks to represent the South Bay. Additionally, Muratsuchi raised about $2.7M for his election. Of that, $2.5M came from Unions and other special interests. His opponent Huey was 80% private funded. This guy is as crony as they get. --- Anton Lazzaro

Assemblyman Muratsuchi:

You ran a heated slash-and-burn campaign against your opponent Craig Huey, claiming a number of allegations, many of which were unsubstantiated, and even libelous. Your opponent filed a lawsuit against you because of your distorted attacks.

Your campaign gave the impression that a man can stoop to any level just to win. Is that the message that you want to leave with your children, your grandchildren? What kind of an example are you setting for your daughter?

I heard you repeat during your 2012 campaign: "I am not an ideologue". Does that mean that you do not have any stance on issues? A local city leader shared with me his dismay about your lack of courage. On many bills in committee, you vote "abstain". Former Assemblywoman Betsy Butler voted "abstain" on SB 1530, which would have empowered school districts to remove abusive teachers from the classroom. She lost her reelection the next year.

What kind of example are you setting for your daughter, Assemblyman Muratsuchi?

When I heard your pronouncement "I am not an ideologue", I assumed that you would represent the best interests of your district and the state of California.

However, you supported Governor Jerry Brown's revised public school funding formulas, which will only diminish South Bay public school funding even more. I have spoken with Torrance residents, and they have complained about forty-six students assigned to one classroom, and that was in a middle school! A Palos Verdes parent complained (and justly!) that fourth graders will endure a "lecture" with thirty-six students per classroom. Residents in the South Bay and throughout the state of California did not support Prop 30 so that their children would continue to compete with more students for the attention of their harried and overworked teachers in their classrooms.

What kind of education are you leaving for your daughter. Assemblyman?

You just supported a bill which would permit students of decided genders (individuals who claim one gender as opposed to the one they were born with) to enter any bathroom that he or she (literally) chooses. Such divisions of identity should not be decided, let alone accommodated, at the state level. Would you be comfortable knowing that a child who was a boy, then claims to be a girl, was using the same bathroom as your daughter?

What kind of a public school experience are you giving your daughter?

In a recent press release, you championed green technology as the pathway for the future. Yet under the Obama Administration, nineteen green tech companies went bankrupt (including Solyndra), taking down in their closures billions of taxpayer dollars. Green technology currently does not bring in the green, but rather wastes it, and the state of California cannot afford to lose any more money.

What kind of future?
Get back to me
on that one. . .

What kind of future are you leaving for your daughter, Assemblyman?

By the end of this year, Governor Brown will have to enforce a federal judicial order to release ten thousand prisoners onto California streets because of prison overcrowding. Instead of grandstanding against Republicans and supported public sector unions, when will you place the public safety of all Californians, including the residents of the South Bay, ahead of political concerns?

What kind of communities are you hoping to leave to your daughter, to her children?

Assemblyman Muratsuchi, State Senator Ted Lieu rescinded his abortive attempt to triple California residents' car tax in part because his wife helped him realize the folly of such a move (plus a heated recall waiting in the wings, too). It's time to consider the impact of your decisions in Sacramento on your daughter. If you will not consider the best interests of me, of my generation, or anyone else, at least have enough self-respect to consider the impact of your poor legislative choices on your family and their posterity.

What kind of future are you leaving for your daughter, her children, and all the children in the South Bay?

With your attention to such limited matters as green technology, with a legacy of distorted attacks (in reality, lying) as a campaign strategy, as father who spent more time listening to his party rather than his conscience (if yours still means anything to you), or considerations of your daughter's better interests, I can only ask, Assemblyman Muratsuchi:

"What would your daughter say?"

Sadder Bluer Harbor Area (Not So Much)

In a late 2012 cover piece, San Pedro based Progressive rag Random Lengths News claimed that the Harbor area is getting "bluer".

If "bluer" means "sadder", that would be a just assessment. Mr. Jerricks, the Managing Editor who wrote the article, is micromanaging an entire legacy out of one election cycle, assuming like the Democratic surrogate James Carville that the his party would reign for the next forty years. Then came 2010, the great shellacking, and the unnerving revelation for President "I AM" Barack Obama, who was both surprised and dismayed that the majority of Americans opposed his new entitlement, ironically entitled "ObamaCare."

I cannot think of a "bluer" outcome than for the Harbor Area Voters, who continue to vote Democrat but think Republican, who cast their vote for the Democratic candidates, and get elitist outcomes which favor the political class instead of every class of voter. The Republican Platform, without all the vitriol of marginal elements, advances a program which enhances individual liberty and communal responsibility, better than the state ever could. The notion that taxing rich people will solve all our problems is just the classic "class-warfare" propaganda which hurts all classes, especially the middle.

After reviewing the lackluster ascendancy of flip-flop "Mitt", I am not surprised that a larger number of voters simply chose not to vote. One stunning statistic informed me that 24 million Evangelical voters did not go to the polls in November. The GOP standard-bearer was substandard to too many, and the low-turnout hurt Huey and helped Muratsuchi, who will in turn help no one and hurt this state along as part of the crass and overblown supermajority in Sacramento.

That's what really happened in the South Bay: a depressed turnout, and thus a majority percentage of Torrance voters supported the Torrance School Board Members who has overseen one of the most impoverished periods of Torrance Unified, where pensions and benefits remain unreformed, where large bureaucrats still rule the roost at the Plaza Del Amo central office. Obama hit hard with one last surge, plus a horde of paid-door knockers relying on donations from outside of the district.

　

Al Muratsuchi, bought and paid for by union interests, carried a district where his left-leaning policies are more extreme than "perennial" Republican candidate Craig Huey's views on free markets and individual liberty. The Republican Party has been playing from the old "Mad Men" playbook, using old means to reach an older population. That stops from this time forward. I spoke with many Democratic voters who supported Huey because they like not paying high taxes and doling out tax payer dollars to public sector unions who have created a colluded cartel with the political class at the expense of the voters, the workers, the youth, and even the poor in our communities. The poor suffer considerably under union policies, which favor minimum wage increases, which automatically shuts out poor and minorities looking for entry level work.

The GOP consultants failed to reach out to the eastern sections of the South Bay. One Sacramento pol claimed that Bloomfield did not have a chance of taking the 33rd, yet he only lost by six points. Quite impressive. Recriminations from Establishment types about Democratic voters never stopped me from visiting Venice and Santa Monica, where I surprisingly ran into Republicans, along with disaffected Democrats and independents who are tired of everyone, including Big Government, not respecting the "Little Guy." The Old Guard have to throw out the old ideas for outreach. Free markets work. More government does not. Make the case, and the Harbor Area will be red with life once again.

Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 right now, but what about the growing number of independents who are dissatisfied with both parties? I understand the upset that many voters have with the Republican Brand -- George W. Bush contributed to that, running a Democrat-lite administration of "compassionate conservatism" which was neither.

No one should count their chickens before they are hatched. After two years of pushing tax increases and spending more money that the state coffers do not have, the Democratic supermajority may endure the same shellacking that shook Obama off his roost for two years and bring back to our state a real Golden gleam based on individual liberty and free enterprise, as opposed to the "soft bigotry of low expectations and dependence".

　

Muratsuchi Supports Unions, Not Students

"I want to thank all the unions, who stepped on you
to help me get here. . ."

Thank you. It was a great team effort. I I had the best volunteers and the best campaign team in California working on my race. -- @AMuratsuchi November 21

Attending SEIU ULTCW's awards gala and holiday celebration. Thank you for all that you do. I stand with you in your struggle. -- @AMuratsuchi December 8 (A date that lives in infamy. . . for 66th Assembly voters)

Torrance School Board Member Al Muratsuchi ran a slash and burn, hate and berate campaign to denigrate his opponent for the 66th Assembly District seat, a constituency which runs from Manhattan Beach to Palos Verdes, from Redondo Beach to West Carson. He had union money, and Democratic intimidation in the statehouse, with mouth-piece Head Hog John Perez intimidating local businesses to donate to Muratsuchi, or else. One of his biggest contributors, incidentally, was GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who helped depress the GOP vote by three million. He should have stayed at Bain Capital.

Huey ran a credible campaign with incredible help from volunteers all over the South Bay. He did it without union handouts, by the way, but the spirit of the times, and the inspiration of the Republican Party. Now the GOP must coalesce Tea Party enthusiasm with down-to-earth Establishment pragmatism. Instead of waiting for top-down party leadership, grassroots from the root to the rest of the South Bay must flourish. Local GOP candidates are taking back city hallsthrough Los Angeles Country, and any one leader can rise up and take down Muratsuchi, with or without "Big Money" backing the candidate.

Local Republican clubs are bringing in new members. Independents are returning to the Republican fold, now purged of the "Big Government" dispassionate "(un)compassionate conservatism" of the Bush-Romney age. President Obama has a more troubling legacy on his hands, as the Democratic leader who will do to his party what George W. Bush nearly did to the Republican brand: make it unpalatable to even the most interested swing-voters.

No longer will outsider status and wealth alone persuade, let alone purchase, a political office; yet Democratic leaders still clamor for a Constitutional Amendment to overturnCitizens United. Unbelievable. Huey represented the grassroots that is sprouting about. Local leaders are now stepping in to take off where his ground game has laid new opportunities.

One union, or association, deserves praise and respect from South Bay residents. Kudos to the Torrance Police Officers Association, for their bold and brave stance to endorse Craig Huey. Let us hope that future public sector associations will recognize that the Democratic plan of "do nothing about pensions and spending" will only ensure that no one collects a pension, and that no one will be able to live in the state of California without enduring high taxes, higher spending, and the height of regulatory burdens.

Back to the current 66th Assembly representative, Muratsuchi claims that "volunteers" helped him win his race for the Assembly. I do not see how "union interests" resemble, let alone represent volunteers, considering that Muratsuchi had "four-to-one" hundreds of thousands of dollars more to spend from interests outside of the district, in the first place. Today, Muratsuchi is a warm body in a bought seat, and no one can really trust that he can or will represent the interests of the South Bay, let alone every taxpaying resident in the State of California. With so many lies about one candidate just to win, what has the man really won, besides a political office and polarizing infamy?

Muratsuchi's last tweet, following his attendance at a gala celebration for the SEIU, represents this priceless and laughable dilemma. He claims to stand with the "SEIU", as if the Service Employees International Union needs anyone to stand with them. In the past few months, the SEIU has stood in the way of Americans purchasing Christmas gifts (widespread demonstrations at Wal-Mart) or standing in the way of international travelers and trade (disruptive yet abortive strikes across LAX). One group of employees no longer stands with the SEIU, the Aviation Safeguards Assocation, which now receives more take-home pay since they broke away from the SEIU. Fewer are standing with the SEIU, since fewer people should stand for the choke-hold of union money, power, and imperium in Sacramento, represented infamously by Democratic State Assembly Speaker, John Perez.

By the way, when will Muratsuchi stand with the struggles of South Bay residents? Why does Redondo Beach only keeps eighteen cents of every dollar sent raised from property taxes? Why do workers have to spend part of their salary joining a union just to get a job, then witness union leaders take advantage of this immoral power grab and kill the very jobs they claim to protect? How much longer will students, in Torrance and throughout the state, have to suffer in substandard schools? Republican State Senate minority leader Bob Huff has introduced legislation which would extend the deadline for teacher layoff notices and save millions. Muratsuchi should endorse this bill.

Then again, perhaps Al should sign the Prop 13 pledge, give back all that union cash, and apologize for the lies before anyone can believe that he stands with "us".

Edited Assessment of 2012 Race for the 66th

In the 2012 66^th Assembly Seat election, Torrance School Board Member Al Muratsuchi won every South Bay city North of PCH. The South Bay has often been known as a socially moderate, fiscally conservative constituency, so why would 53% of voters support a Democrat who ensured a tax-and-spend Democratic supermajority in Sacramento?
 
Some charge that the Republican candidate Craig Huey was too extreme for the South Bay. The Daily Breeze repeated this falsehood in their editorial endorsing Muratsuchi. Of course, to save face and staunch their diminishing influence in South Bay politics, The Daily Breeze editorial board stood by likely winners with losing views and values. Muratsuchi remains to the Left of South Bay voters, and now he has left for Sacramento. Who knows what his record will force on the state and our district during his term in office.
 
Following his unexpected loss, Craig Huey staged a post-mortem meeting to review what went wrong, what went right, and the unexpected which went awry.
 
Was it money that bought the race?
 
California's public sector unions and Muratsuchi's own campaign dumped $3-4 million dollars into this Assembly race. With $6 billion dumped on the losing Republican nationwide campaign, with $7 million coming out of Bill Bloomfield's losing bid for the 33^rd Congressional District, money does not ensure a win, and likely contributed little to Huey's loss.
 
Ideas matter.
 
Not advertisements, but outreach makes all the difference. Craig Huey was a credible candidate, with incredible integrity that tailored his message all kinds of South Bay voters. His message did not reach enough people, nor was his campaign strategy prepared for the Obama-juggernaut to bring out the vote for the incumbent against a lukewarm Republican challenger. Despite former House Speaker Tip O'Neill's assertion that all politics is local, the nation race had a devastating impact on the 66th Assembly race.
 
How did the national race affect the 66^th Assembly race?
 
In two words, Romney sucked. He sucked the life out of winnable races, and the interest from conservative voters, who did not vote (three million did not bother, and now they will be bothered with four more years of Obama). The larger national trends created greater problems for the Huey campaign. No matter how much party leaders insist otherwise, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was a weak candidate. Byron York ran the numbers on Romney’s poor showing with Hispanics. Even if he had won George W. Bush margins (44%) or Obama’s 2012 showing (71%), he still would have lost! The GOP turnout out was low, low, low; and the top party brass, which has made winning elections more important than promoting a winning vision to the voting public, trumped their own chances.
 
What about campaign strategy in the South Bay?
 
A stronger Republican operation must engage previous candidates and their efforts. The 2010 Republican candidate for the 36th Congressional District, Mattie Fein,  shared very little interest or support for Craig Huey's 2011 run for Congress, and there was still less for the Huey team to work with for the 66th Assembly District run. This lack of networking among Republicans is unacceptable, a trend which the Beach Cities Republicans and sister groups are combating for the better. No matter how much we differ or disagree with certain candidates, we need to support our man or woman as much as we can.
 
What about the targeted demographics?
 
Too much of Huey’s campaigning focused on older, more propertied voters. Protecting Prop 13 is an admirable platform, but I heard very little about what the Republican candidate or the statewide party were offering for struggling high school and college-age students, many of whom were convinced that without Prop 30’s tax hikes, their education would be more impoverished than ever. I also received very little which touched on the concerns of Hispanic voters -- immigration, the DREAM Act -- or other issues which would invite more inquiry from African-American voters, like school vouchers.
 
Then there’s Gardena. . .
 
According to previous election statistic, the turnout in the Eastern sections of the South Bay has been minimal. This year, those expectations were all wrong. Republican consultants are losing touch with voting trends. One Sacramento Republican commented that Waxman was a shoo-in (he won reelection by five points). Internet, mass media, and intensive word-of-mouth information decimated the previous projections.

Future South Bay campaigns cannot rest on empty assumptions about key demographics. More outreach is needed in Gardena, West Carson, and Harbor City. Republican Party leaders in the South Bay should set up an office in that region, perhaps along Western Ave. (Craig Huey’s business is located there).

Other suggestions

The Republican Party needs to reach out to Michelle Rhee's "Students First" Organization, as well. Stressing school choice would appeal to minority voters. This district still has a fiscally conservative heart beat, and should emphasize fiscal issues for young and older voters. A plan for revitalizing higher education, for localizing spending issues, and a focus on job creation would also help.

With more outreach, and no flailing standard-bearers, the Republicans should do well in 2014 to regain the 66^th Assembly District.