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| Coffee With Muratsuchi |
I arrived at 2pm, where I met Vic Locicero, who right away was talking with Muratsuchi about the transgendered bathroom law.
While Vic shared his concerns, I also added why he supported a bill which a number of residents in the South Bay do not support.
Muratsuchi claimed that the procedures were already in place in other school districts, and the law just codified it for all the schools in California.
Often, we ended up arguing about issues
"Then I guess we will have to respectfully disagree," Muratsuchi would recite from time to time.
I then asked him about the law which permits illegal immigrants to obtain drivers' licenses. He had told me prior that signed off on the legislation based on the suggestion of law enforcement, that allowing anyone to get a drivers' license, regardless of their citizenship status, would make our streets safer.
I countered: "Do you ask any of the police chiefs in the South Bay?"
He hesitated, then offered that he might have done so. Might have? One would think that the representative for the South Bay would consider the opinion of law enforcement leaders in his own district.
Frankly, Muratsuchi spends more time justifying these votes, when the fact remains that his votes on these issues is merely a rubber stamp for an aggressive, progressive agenda, one more regressive than anything else.
After that, I mentioned the statistics about the most Hispanic state in the Union, New Mexico, where the Hispanic Governor, Susana Martinez, wants to repeal similar legislation in her state because the law has not created safer roads, and has even invited fraud.
He was not aware of those statistics, apparently, either. Over a decade ago, the voters in the state of California forced a repeal of a similar statute. How far the state leadership has fallen.
Muratsuchi justified many of these decisions by pointing out that he took the experts' opinion on these issues.
The experts are often wrong, or often limited in their understanding of key issues. Muratsuchi was elected to represent the best interests of the voters in his district and uphold the state and federal constitution. He already failed to do this when he voted to allow illegal immigrants to get drivers' licenses. Unconstitutional violation of the supremacy clause, which places federal statutes above state laws.
I then pressed Muratsuchi about raising the state minimum wage. I recalled that he had agreed to the raise, provided that the language tagging the increase to the rate of inflation was removed. I asked him once again why he did it.
"It was time for a wage increase."
I told him that many economists resist minimum wage increases, which increase unemployment along with forcing up prices on goods. He told me about reports which he had read, "many, many reports".
His assistance, Melissa Uribe, was at hand, and she agreed to contact me with the information which Muratsuchi appealed to in order to justify voting for legislation which would force up the minimum wage in the state of California.
As of Tuesday, March 18, I contacted Ms. Uribe once again, and she told me that she was meeting with the individuals who offered the information.
Then, another South Bay resident, Mike Shields of Redondo Beach then showed up. He started discussing the negative impacts of the minimum wage increase. He argued at length, and cogently, too, that the minimum wage increase leads to more layoffs.
This kind of discussion is what I was looking for. I wanted to hold the Assemblyman accountable for voting for these bills which have no value, merit, and have caused more harm than good.
I tried to find some things that he did which I agree with -- his proposed legislation which would require transparency for school superintendent salaries, for example:
"Finally, we agree on something!"
I then asked him why he did join with State Senator Fran Pavley (D-Ventura) to block or end the bullet train boondoggle. I also shared that State Senator Ted Lieu voted with the Republicans against referral to expel convicted felon Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood)
At any rate, I was hoping that more people would attend the Muratsuchi coffee in order to hold him accountable for the offensive legislation which he had supported.
On another note, I started talking with a Hermosa Beach resident. On his green shirt was written "Keep Hermosa Hermosa". I started asking him his stance on the E and B oil drilling. His reason for opposition: he was a staunch believer in climate change, and he also feared the potential dangers of an oil spill. He then admitted that of the E and B company demonstrated good faith and planning to deal with oil spills, he would be willing to reconsider whether E and B can drill for oil.
Frankly, my discussion with "Hermosa" was very productive, I just wish that more people could have been there to make their case about the bills which Muratsuchi had voted for, and the bills which need to be considered: school choice: better, simpler tax structure.
I am still waiting to hear from Ms. Uribe regarding the information which justified a state-forced minimum wage increase.
