It was a political morning fit for Veteran's Day. I met Republican Assemblywoman Diane Harkey of the 73rd District at a “Town Hall Meeting” she hosted in Aliso Viejo. The discussion ranged from the problems of water shortage to the budget deficit in Sacramento and other issues that I was surprisingly uninformed about. There were some very passionate people in the crowd who were quite vocal about their concerns. That seems to be the norm these days, though. People are on the edge worrying about the future. Those who have jobs are worried they might get laid off. Those who are unemployed are worried that their unemployment checks would stop. Things seem gloomy considering the national unemployment rate is at 10.6%, a 26 year high.
After the meeting, I shook her hands and pointed to her where I slept last night which was within view of the meeting hall. I also explained to her that I am homeless and that my “Department of Real Estate License” and “California Drivers License” have been revoked because of my failure to pay child support payments. I also told her that the car I used to sleep in was towed away the OC Sheriff’s Department. “That’s really bad”, she replied. Before we parted, I told her that I was going to email her. A link to the email is attached. My purpose for writing her is to enlist her help in crafting legislation that are more sensible than the ones we currently have in the books. At the present time, the state has the power to punish anyone who fails to pay child support payments by revoking the individual’s professional and drivers licenses. Any thoughtful person would be of the opinion that such ill-considered legislation is counter-productive specially in SoCal where driving is almost a must.
After the meeting, I shook her hands and pointed to her where I slept last night which was within view of the meeting hall. I also explained to her that I am homeless and that my “Department of Real Estate License” and “California Drivers License” have been revoked because of my failure to pay child support payments. I also told her that the car I used to sleep in was towed away the OC Sheriff’s Department. “That’s really bad”, she replied. Before we parted, I told her that I was going to email her. A link to the email is attached. My purpose for writing her is to enlist her help in crafting legislation that are more sensible than the ones we currently have in the books. At the present time, the state has the power to punish anyone who fails to pay child support payments by revoking the individual’s professional and drivers licenses. Any thoughtful person would be of the opinion that such ill-considered legislation is counter-productive specially in SoCal where driving is almost a must.
I hate to say this but that's the kind of thinkers we have in Sacramento. Since when is the government the one who tells us what profession we should get into? How can a constituent contribute to society if the government takes away the means of livelihood and the way in which the person gets to work? Is there really any wonder why California has a $42 Billion budget deficit?
