Since the end of this most recent election there have been a number of letters bemoaning the loss of Steve Knight, most of them commenting on what a good man he was. And I have no doubt that Congressman Knight is a good and decent man, who loves his family and is a man of honor and integrity.
Having said that, Knight committed the cardinal sin of putting party before district. For all his efforts to commemorate the St. Francis Dam and money for the Interstate 5, what he will be known for most are his repeated votes to abolish the Affordable Care Act, and his vote for the tax package that severely harms his constituents. A congressman is there to represent his district. The bill, whatever its merits, was clearly bad for many of the taxpayers of this state, a recognition that will be even more apparent when we file next year.
California’s Republican representatives provided the critical votes for this law’s passage, including Knight’s. It is therefore fitting and proper that this vote was significant in his electoral defeat, as it was for the other Republicans who lost their re-election bids. Knight lost sight of whom he represents, and now he will be a private citizen. This is what democracy looks like.
Lynn Wright, Valencia
