Cámara de Representantes del los Estados UnidosCandidato para Distrito 39

  I serve on the State League of California Cities Transportation, Communications & Public Works Policy Committee and understand the very poor conditions of our roads in our tri county area. The 39^th Congressional District is bounded by the 91, 71 and 60 freeways with the 57 fwy. cutting through the middle, our interest in the investments available will be critical especially considering the Imitative being circulated to repeal SB-1, the $50 billion Gas Tax. As a current Civil Engineering Corps Officer, I will have the standing to sit at the table to discuss projects affecting the 39^th. I intend to reactivate the dormant Four Corners Group that was instrumental in bringing $1.2 billion to the 91 expansions through Corona to position us once Congress gets off its duff.

In addition to roads, bridges and tunnels the Infrastructure funding next year should include funding for hardening our schools to make them safe for our children. It should include steadfast match requirements so that States cannot pull money earmarked for local projects because the federal government is coming to the rescue. We need collaborative funding from all sources.

I will work closely with our California Assembly Members and State Senators to prioritize projects we can get in front of the Trump Administration to fund and be your advocate so we are not left behind in Infrastructure spending.

A Key funding mechanism is public - private partnership. My proposal to reprogram Train to Nowhere funding from the bullet train once it is defunded will position the 39^th for a shovel ready project running straight through the district. This 2.92 Billion dollar investment in a raise monorail will be shared by University funds, Federal matching dollars and private funding to connect to new housing developments along the route. Additional savings can be realized by modernizing the Davis-Bacon Act to update prevailing wage requirements.  

Government interventions in health care has driven up the cost of coverage and decreased competition within the market. Citizens need more freedom to choose and insurers need to innovate to make sure our health care system remains the best in the world. What any effective solution must involve, however, is the creation of a true market in health coverage — one that drives efficiency through competition, and places health-care decisions in the hands of consumers and taxpayers, where they belong.

We are going to have to work together on this, simply adding everyone to Medicare is not the answer, we can’t add a bunch to the VA system, that is already about to fall off the rails and a Single payer program will surely be the death knell to our Health Care System. We need some encouragement!

Let’s start with putting every Elected Official in Washington on the same program you and I are expected to live with.

Other options for comprehensive reforms include:

1. Open and maintain Interstate Insurance Markets

2. Pay providers based on care not volume of patience

3. Consider single payer for prescription drugs only

4. Hold doctors liable for over-prescription of Opioid drugs.

5. Allow for varied levels of coverage from emergency to premium plans

6. Eliminate mandates, such as prenatal coverage for a senior citizen

7. Triple the budget for fraud prevention and prosecution of fake doctors or unauthorized health clinics.

If we can get past the infighting, I am sure we can get past the problems to fix this broken system that is failing all citizens.

There is no doubt, America benefits from legal immigration. California, the breadbasket of the world benefits from legal immigration. Our communities are made richer in our culture and diversity. I myself, a descendent of Spanish heritage stand before you as a beneficiary of legal immigration.

For the past 30 years Congress has failed to fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats share equal blame and must come together to solve this humanitarian problem. First, we need to stop using derogatory monikers such as Illegal or criminal to discuss the 1.8 million residences President Trump is taking about. Second, we should know who they are.

It is not only the 800,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who are at risk. There are also approximately 300,000 immigrants granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), some since 1991. Legally allowed to stay due to ongoing armed conflict, such as civil war in El Salvador (195,000) or an environmental disaster such as earthquake in Haiti (50,000) (National Immigration Forum, 2018). Because of lack of Congressional action, these TPS immigrant are granted extensions year after year.

Imagine, living here in California since 1991, legally working, going to school, maybe getting married and having a family. It is now 2018, 27 years have passed, that is two generations of family born here. They went through 9/11 with us; their children have joined the military and defended you and this great country of ours. 88.5% are working and contributing to your social security system and paying taxes because of their temporary legal status.

I support the Four Pillar proposal put forward by President Trump and have aligned then with the Four Pillars of Success; Discipline, Accountability, Standards and Systems.

The first Pillar requires Discipline; to provide a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers, TPS recipients and other asylum seekers, you must have the discipline to work hard, study hard and succeed as an American you profess to become. MS-13 members need not apply; lawbreakers and felons have given up their right for the privilege of citizenship. Those that show good moral character will be able to become full citizens of the United States.

The second pillar requires Accountability, by ending the arcane visa lottery program so that we can move towards a merit-based immigration system — one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society.

The third pillar sets a Standard, by ending chain migration, whereas a lucky lottery winner can bring aunts and uncles generations deep. We should protect the nuclear family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. 

Finally, the Fourth Pillar employs a System of border security including hiring more Homeland Security, ICE and Border Security Agents to provide a three-pronged approach to border enforcement and includes a border wall and methods to secure the southern border.

These four pillars represent a down-the-middle compromise, and one that will provide a successful immigration system and the security we need.

I am supportive of the recent approval of the California WaterFix project recently approved for funding by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. This is the two tunnel approach under the Sacramento Delta which will bring northern California snowpack runoff to southern California instead of allowing it to wash out to sea. This ambitious project is the best long term solution to finally be put forward to actually solve a problem and not simply kick the can down the road.

 I am going to start with just being Nice….My District is made up of 35.5% Republicans, 34.3% Democrats and 30.2% NPP, Independent, Green, P&F party  and others need to be treated with dignity and respect who just want to be heard and not discounted. The breakdown in civility is due to the lack of recognition that civility is an individual trait processed by each person who interacts one on one with others. It is when “group think” captures a group that civility is ignored. A group does not possess the trait of civility without the core mission of its leaders to start from a position of mutual respect and helpfulness.