People Powered
Governement
May 7, 2022 10:04 am PST
Protect Our Democracy and Vote
Peter Mathews for Congress
Staff Reports
There's a Congressional election going on this year, and it will be decided not in November, but on June 3rd in the democratic Primary.
For the first time in its 170-year history, California has seen its population growth stall and is losing a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives creating a rare opportunity for would-be successors. Unfortunately, it has also shook loose one of our own as Congressman Alan Lowenthal will retire this year. This will leave an important seat open in Los Angeles county's newly redistricted 42nd Congressional District. But does this mean our population will have better representation? That will depend on voters who must decide on or before the June 7th Primary election. We have a choice: We can elect a representative with passion, integrity, vision, and intelligence, or we can vote for the status quo. Enter our choice, Peter Mathews.
Peter Mathews is not the only contestant in this race, there are others that have many of the same attributes he has. On any other day, we may have supported any one of them. But then there are two career politicians in particular who have some notoriety with the public. Or should I use the term Notorious instead?
Before I launch into my rousing endorsement of Peter Mathews, I'm afraid I have to knock down a couple of stubborn pins both of which are attempting to cloud your vision. Those two pins are Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, and California Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia.
Aside from sharing the same last name, they both have something in common which I find distasteful: They both take money from wealthy special interests and corporate PACs. That's not too surprising as most political candidates do. The fact is that the both of them are either lying directly or indirectly about it for the purpose of concealing their true identities and thus true intentions. They both claim to be Progressive democrats. I find that doubtful.
Robert Garcia?
Robert Garcia says on his website, "I am refusing corporate PAC checks in my campaign." Yet we easily found information to the contrary by checking the website OpenSecrets.org.
So we ask, why would Robert tell us something that was not true? Come on, guess! What I think: Because it's popular, and because he Can. I think he thinks voters are not going to bother to look, because 95% of the time they don't.
But wait, there's more to support my theory. Just before Robert Garcia ran for city council in Long Beach and later Mayor, he switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. Robert might tell you he was young and impetuous, but his political zealousness within the Republican party tells us more.
Garcia was a founding member of the Young Republican Club at Cal State Long Beach and he campaigned for George Bush during the election of 2000 where he his role was the coordinator for the California Youth Coalition. He was also the Communications Director of the Nixon Presidential Library. Then after graduating college, he founded The Long Beach Young Republicans. Garcia told LBReport.com in Bill Pearl's story, "It's going to be huge. I honestly believe that within a year or two, this is going to be the most influential Republican organization in the city."
Joshua Stuart wrote in the OC Register an article titled, "In a liberal city, candidates don't want to be a Republican" which I recommend for the adventurous. He observed, "He (Robert Garcia) stayed in the (Republican) party as it championed other causes that he said he now opposes. There were repeated anti-same-sex marriage efforts, the repeated anti-abortion efforts, and repeated voter identification efforts."
Maybe Robert had a change of heart, and if so, God bless. It does happen. And what better time to switch to the Democratic party when you decide it's time to run for Long Beach City councilman, and eventually mayor, in an immensely democratic city in an immensely democratic state. And so, now when he has decided to run for federal office, he is now proclaiming he is a Progressive. After all, it is popular to say you are. You can grab some of Bernie Sanders' supporters in the process. As a Democrat, I hope he's for real. But I still have my doubts. I'm just doing the math.
Cristina Garcia! The Other Side of the Same Coin!
Did Cristina Garcia say she was also a Non-Corporate Candidate? Well not exactly. And good for her because, like Robert, she does take corporate PAC money. And she doesn't have to say it. Not only because it wouldn't be true, but because she can just get others to say it for her. But that's on them, isn't it?
Marriane Williamson endorsed the California Assemblywoman for Congress. Williamson is a respected American author, spiritual leader, and political activist who lives in Houston Texas. She not only endorsed Cristina, she Facebooked others with the message, "Supporting NON CORPORATE BACKED CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES is the most important thing we can do right now to support fundamental change. ..."
Really?!? Didn't this New York Times bestseller author do her homework? Did she think no one would? I wasn't looking for it exactly, but since I had been told otherwise, I had to look. And for your sake, here it is. And the same location as I discovered Robert's:
Do I need to say more? No. But why should that stop me now? Especially when there is more juicy stuff ahead.
Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia disciplined for sexual harassment
Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia used vulgar language
Groping incident by Bell Gardens Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia
California Lawmaker Accused of Racist Comments
Quote from news Downey/Norwalk Patriot
Robert is Pro-Charter, Anti-Union. Flip Flops on abortion ...
** LA Times - "Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia disciplined for sexual harassment as investigation comes to a close" - May 7, 2008 <https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-cristina-garcia-investigation-complete-20180517-story.html>
https://www.opensecrets.org/candidates-officeholders
https://www.opensecrets.org/races/contributors?cycle=2022&id=CA42&spec=N
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Both claim they are walking in the light of redemption ... . Both claim they are immune from corporate influence ... . Both... ... ... For more enlightenment about them, of which this article is not intended, I recommend you click here.
[GO TO ARTICLE IN The Dirt "The Lying Garcias"]
Fortunately for you there is a stunning alternative to this non-sense. This is of course, Peter Mathews, a professor of American Government and International Relations. He has run for office before, he knows how things work, or doesn't work in politics. HISTORY
Judging his history, he has the perseverance and courage to challenge the best and the worst of them.
Peter is a True Progressive. And like Senator Bernie Sanders whom he greatly admires by the way, he refuses corporate money so he can put all his effort representing the 99% in Washington D.C. He is a highly intelligent advocate and believer in the power of democracy who can't wait to shake up the status-quo. And he is anxious to join other progressives like Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the others in restoring power through democracy to the American People.
Working Texans deserve an inclusive democracy that respects the right to vote, the right to reproductive care, the right to be safe in your neighborhood, and the right to live free from discrimination. Officials like Gov. Greg Abbott are wreaking havoc on the lives of Texas families.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Texas is ground zero for the Republican attack on reproductive rights. When the State Legislature tried to close Planned Parenthood in East Austin, Greg led the effort that successfully kept it open.
Greg also passed budget amendments to help Texans access abortion care with funding for travel, childcare, and more, delivering support to hundreds of people targeted by state officials.
Greg is dedicated to increasing access to reproductive health care, repealing the Hyde Amendment, and codifying Roe v. Wade through the Women’s Health Act.
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He will move us forward on the environment, on foreign policy, and on education.
Protect Our Democracy
Our democracy is under attack, even here in California. Whether those in power are rigging the game through gerrymandering, suppressing our voting rights, XXXXXX, We must pass federal legislation to build a truly inclusive and fair democracy. Protect rights.
Quickly approaching the June 7 Primary, you truthfully have only two choices: The stellar choice - Peter Mathews, or you can vote for the Same Old, Same Old.
He opposed the war when it was unpopular to do so, and in that showed a prescience our current representative sorely lacks. He will move us forward on the environment, on foreign policy, on issues of social justice. Mathews is sure to make headlines and make waves.
Mathews has not held elected office. But these days, as mayors, governors, and Senators fall victim to their own dalliances and corruption, is that really a disadvantage? As a teacher of American government, Mathews knows the ins and outs of Washington as well as anyone. And as a long-time activist-citizen, he is sure to do what representatives are really supposed to do – defend the interests of constituents. He is a person of integrity who has always run a positive campaign, and he takes no money from corporate donors and PAC’s – unlike our Congresswoman, who consistently does. While Ms. Richardson is certainly on the side of the Democratic Party leadership, Mathews is on our side – on the side of the people in this district.
Vote for him. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. There is no Republican threatening to take the center from the Democrats if the Democratic candidate is too progressive for the Reaganites. And what, really, has Ms. Richardson done for us in the six months of her service, other than vote the party line?
There’s a third candidate in this race – Lee Davis. Davis is a good person, a passionate, intelligent activist, and one hopes she stays in politics. She has lately been single-minded in her pursuit of a lawsuit against Richardson; Davis claims Richardson rigged votes throughout the district, somehow delivering to several districts ballots bearing only her name. It is doubtful this suit will go anywhere, but even if it doesn’t, you have to give Lee Davis credit. With so many in our district willing to accept a representative who, as reported in the District Weekly, brought Kool and the Gang to Long Beach on 35 thousand dollars of taxpayer money while framing herself as a working class sympathizer, and who doesn’t always play nice, it takes courage and perseverance to stick your neck out for justice. That’s something Richardson hasn’t done enough of; it’s something Peter Mathews will undoubtedly do.
Let’s give him the chance on June 3rd.