I have started the steady habit of contacting my representatives over the last few weeks. One Republican Party official told me that I could call like-minded legislators all week, but I would be wasting my breath "preaching to the choir." If I did not contact and comment to my representatives, which I do not like, I might get results.
Congressman Henry Waxman's staff are quite cordial, as are the staff for Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi and State Senator Ted Lieu.
On Feb. 11, I called Sen. Lieu's office to ask when he would be hosting a townhall meeting. Right away, I was informed that Lieu does not hold townhall meetings.
"He does not represent a town", the secretary reported to me when I asked to know when the state senator would be paying a visit to the South Bay. Since Sen. Lieu does not "represent" a town, he is thus not obliged to hold a "townhall" meeting.
I then explained that Congressman Henry Waxman just visited the Hermosa Beach area a little over a week ago. I then mentioned that Presidential candidates often hold town hall meetings, too. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is a YouTube star in part because of his frequent visits with his voters. Not afraid to mix it up with constituents, who two-to-one favor his opposition, Christie still commands a high favorability rating with voters.
I was still amazed that my state senator would not be paying a visit any time soon, since Sen. Lieu must know (as should every voter in the South Bay and the Beach Cities) that he has received new "deferral areas" for a new state senate district, a change in venue resulting from the Citizens Redistricting Commission. No longer overseeing Carson and Long Beach, Lieu is now accountable to voters in the Palos Verdes Peninsula all the way to Beverly Hills.
Lucky (or unlucky) for me, Sen. Lieu still represents me, too.
Of course, I understand why Sen. Lieu may be reluctant to meet face to face with his constituents. He has authored one nanny-state interventionist bill after another, often with no regard for the time wasted or the costs accrued, or even the litigation enacted as a result.
Perhaps Lieu does not want to explain why he cares about shark fins instead of our public schools. Instead of supporting school choice and rescinding the "gun free zone" provisions at our public schools, he wants to add more financial burdens to schools which do not have an adequate disaster preparedness plan.
He has pressed for financial transparency from Super PACs. Perhaps he does not want to explain the extensive amount of campaign support that he receives from unions, the same special interests which resist school reform, which oppose pension reform, and which helped kill SB 1530, law which would expedite removing teachers guilty of gross misconduct in the classroom. No wonder he would resist a "right-to-work" law, which would help create jobs and keep money in workers' wallets.
He wanted to triple our car tax, making it harder for working families to keep their wheels on the road. I wonder how he feels about the bullet train boondoggle, too.
Perhaps Lieu does not want voters to realize that he cares more about bears being chased up a tree instead of California businesses being chased out of the state because of high taxes, excessive regulations, and the unending Sacramento spending spree.
Lieu feels entitled to ban tanning for minors, and he feels qualified to ban gay aversion therapy for adolescents, but he has done nothing for the minors who are burning away their future in sub-standard schools, who receive an underfunded college education, who enter an undemanding and unprofitable workforce.
He banned the private sale of pets, but wants to microchip them for their protection. What good is Fido with a tracking device if the master has to eat dog food because he cannot afford anything else?
Sen. Lieu claimed in one post that the State of California has "only" a billion dollar deficit left following the forced passage of Prop 30. Why does he consider any deficit an improvement? Why has he not pressed for less spending and lower taxes all around? Does he really assume that California voters are going to fall for the same creative accounting gimmicks proffered by Governor Brown in his last "State of the State" address.
Twice I demanded to understand why State Sen. Lieu will not be holding a townhall meeting in the South Bay. A perfect venue for him would be the Redondo Beach Main library, since Redondo Beach belongs to his former and his new state senate district. Right in the middle of the clashes over business, economic recovery, environmental regulations (AES, anyone?), and the struggling public school system, Redondo Beach would be a perfect place. Without a doubt, Mayor Mike Gin and his city council would welcome him.
I am sure that Beach Cities and South Bay residents would love to give him more than a piece of their mind. However, apparently Sen. Lieu does not do "townhall" meetings.
Call State Sen. Ted Lieu. Make him change his mind:
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 4061
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4028
Fax: (916) 323-6056District Office
2512 Artesia Blvd., #320
Redondo Beach, CA 90278-3279
Phone: (310) 318-6994
Fax: (310) 318-6733
