The Coronavirus aka COVID-19 is the topic of the day and there is no wondering why. The fear has escalated to serious interruption of everyday life that the populace took for granted until a few weeks ago. But for the unnecessary politics injected into the virus problem, many people are not even thinking of the upcoming May 12 special election for the California 25th Congressional District seat that offers Republican Mike Garcia vs. Democrat Christy Smith.
While this election is on the back burner of many, it is of utmost importance. Our district has not had any true representation for a long time and I am not referring just to the time period of the disgraced Katie Hill’s departure in October 2019. Arguably, many feel like the district was lacking any sound representation since late 2018 and it’s not a leap to assert that various facts support that contention.
That history aside, most assuredly there are immense differences in beliefs, policies and independence of the two present candidates.
Mike Garcia has not wavered from his own tenets of being committed to the U. S. Constitution, capitalism, competition and charity. The four creeds fall under the umbrella of all levels of governments as well as community.
Candidate Garcia has been an executive with a worldwide corporation but has also owned and operated a small business.
Christy Smith, as a present Assemblywoman, has clearly shown her anti-business position. She proved it in 2019 by inciting a boycott, for personal reasons, of a small business in her own district. Moreover she displayed the same disdain for businesses overall in the state of California with her vote for Assembly Bill 5, which has caused a storm of mayhem in an already-squeezed segment of the state.
About three and a half months after AB5 passed, Christy Smith and a fellow Democrat brazenly asked for a budget allocation of $20 million to fund (only) “nonprofit arts groups” to meet the AB5 compliance demands.
It’s noteworthy to disclose that Gov. Gavin Newsom already budgeted another $20 million to fund enforcing and investigating businesses to determine their AB5 compliance. The natural course is that California’s Big Brother will have their unwelcome nose into all businesses. In turn, businesses will be burdened with more costs like hiring lawyers and “experts” to keep them out of hot water, plus staff to document every word, act, dot every “I” and cross every “T.”
Not noticeably disclosed is that this creates the need of another government department; fully staffed, accompanied by all of the appurtenant day-to-day expenses and of course the employee perks of health care and retirement pensions.
Christy Smith received the “proud” endorsement of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi within a few short weeks of Hill’s departure. There’s no doubt that Smith has, is and will be the beneficiary of big money like that which fell at the feet of Hill.
Mike Garcia, on the other hand, is far more grass-roots with more than 13,000 individual donors and more than 400 volunteers.
Campaigns are inherently contentious and nearly always malevolent, irrespective of better intentions at the onset. It was no different with Mike Garcia and former congressman and candidate Steve Knight before the March 3 election. Out of that, Garcia was the victor and a few days later he and Knight broke bread, with Knight endorsing Garcia for the seat. Knight said, “I believe Mike will be successful in his run against Christy Smith in May….Mike worked hard in this campaign and will continue to do so until the final votes are cast.”
That was respectful and courteous and would certainly have been the same act had the outcome been reversed. Garcia responded with appreciation, stating, “As a veteran, law enforcement officer, and elected official, Steve Knight and his family have served our community well for many years, and I’m honored to have his support. With Nancy Pelosi and her liberal special interests already spending nearly $1 million against me in the primary, now more than ever we need to come together to reject the radical policies coming from Washington and Sacramento, which career politician Christy Smith represents.”
It is worthy of note that many mayors within the 25th Congressional District have endorsed and are supporting Mike Garcia.
Voting May 12 is very important. There is a world of difference between the two candidates; one is for the working man and woman, America and her Constitution, while the other is pro-big government, its interference in business and personal lives and extremely pro-union; unions that serve themselves over people and keep those like her elected.
Betty Arenson is a Santa Clarita resident. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays, and rotates among local Republicans.
