Jonathan Hatami’s Sept. 18 column attacking Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo reveals more about his political motivations than any genuine concern for public safety. His selective outrage over a bill that died without the support of both Schiavo and Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares is hypocritical and misleading. He wants to lecture elected officials about accountability while engaging in the very political gamesmanship he claims to oppose.
Hatami criticizes Schiavo for abstaining on Assembly Bill 1231, conveniently ignoring that she clearly explained her reasoning: She listened to constituent concerns about public safety impacts and did not support the bill. Isn’t that exactly what we want from our representatives, thoughtful consideration of community input rather than partisan voting?
More tellingly, Hatami’s selective criticism exposes his partisan bias. He attacks Schiavo for missing one vote while completely ignoring that her predecessor, and now Republican Sen. Valladares, has had 495 no-show votes in 2025, including on AB 1234.
She is so regularly absent that Valladares has more than five times the missed votes as Schiavo, who has missed just 83 of the more than 2,000 bills introduced this year. (Source: CalMatters, “Digital Democracy.”)
By Hatami’s own logic, shouldn’t he have called for Valladares’ removal, too? Or does accountability only apply to Democrats?
Meanwhile, Schiavo has delivered tangible results for our district, bringing back over $100 million in funding and millions in funding specifically for victims of crime. Her track record of successfully passing meaningful legislation on public safety and to protect crime victims demonstrates her ability to navigate the legislative process effectively, not someone who should be dismissed over a single bill she didn’t support and that failed, partly because she didn’t vote yes.
Hatami claims “public safety has nothing to do with politics,” yet his columns constantly read like a Republican attack ad. If he wants to be a political operative, that’s his prerogative. But he shouldn’t wrap partisan attacks in the flag of community concern.
Our community deserves better than manufactured outrage from someone who appears more interested in scoring political points than engaging in good-faith policy discussions. Especially now, as we are seeing the very real and dangerous consequences of this increased partisan division, we need leaders who can work across the aisle to solve problems rather than increase rage and toxicity.
Schiavo’s willingness to listen to constituents before voting, combined with her proven ability to deliver results, represents exactly the kind of thoughtful leadership our district needs and deserves. Hatami’s attack piece represents nothing more than a partisan political ad.
Aarika Burden
Saugus
