Columnist Makes His Election Choices

I can hardly wait the two years until our Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is term-limited out of office. Perhaps before 2018 comes Mark will try to have the voters pass legislation to extend his “contract” with the people by four years.

Folks, we have the very best candidate for 2nd District Board of Supervisors warming up in the bullpen. It’s our very own State Senator Holly Mitchell. She is tough, she is honest, she is for the people and, don’t forget, it was her bill that Governor Brown recently signed preventing law enforcement officers from going to a grand jury after allegedly killing unarmed citizens.

In June we return to the voting booth where, among other offices, Superior Court Judges will be elected. Cyndy Zuzga is running for Superior Court Judge Office 42 and has Theodorsia’s and my vote, because Cyndy Zuzga has been a court commissioner for 10 years, a former Deputy District Attorney, a national expert on elder abuse, and is endorsed by more than 80 Superior Court Judges, Commissioners and community leaders, plus has 21 years’ prosecutorial experience.

On June 7th we will have the opportunity to elect Susan Jung Townsend to Superior Court Judge Office 84. Susan Jung Townsend has been a Deputy District Attorney prosecuting serious crimes for over 17 years. During her career she has tried over 50 jury trials, including murders and thousands of preliminary hearings. As a trial deputy assigned to the Central Felony Trials Unit, she tries serious and violent felonies involving gang crimes and domestic violence. In her current assignment in the Bureau of Fraud and Corruption she prosecutes white collar fraud committed by a wide variety of criminal scammers. Susan Jung Townsend was born, raised and educated in Los Angeles County.

Kim Nugyen is the best choice for Superior Court Judge Office 158. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA in 1997 and received her law degree from Harvard Law School in 2000. Over the past 16 years Kim Nguyen has practiced with two major firms, taught law at Loyola, was a law clerk to Judge Goodwin of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, a Senior Court Attorney with the California Court of Appeals, Second Appellate District and currently Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice.

For the best choices, Theodorsia and I recommend:

Cyndy Zuzga Office 42

Susan Jung Townsend Office 84

Kim Nguyen Office 158

Guess what, folks – I have heard the “gotcha” wing nuts at city hall want to put their hand in your wallet or purse again. They thought the red light camera scam would be so profitable it would easily cover the increases due on pension and health costs. Even though city hall needs a Brinks truck to take the city’s cut of roughly $110 per ticket to the bank, upper management didn’t figure CalPERS would raise our contribution so aggressively. Rumor has it there were several what-to-do meetings and I just bet it was determined speed cameras were the way to go. After all, nobody likes a motorist driving excessively. Today in our great nation roughly 139 communities have the speed camera programs. There is no doubt the city’s speed king czar will claim this will reduce accidents and deaths, but when was the last time you saw a serious accident on our streets? Rather, the speed camera will snap your picture doing over 30 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone. Maybe not in 2016 or in 2017, but soon it will be part of the landscape.

For all you members of the American Legion, the Department of California Convention will be in Fresno June 23-26.

The 43rd Annual Newport Big Boat and Yacht Show will be May 12-15. Beautiful Newport Beach is the ultimate location for big boats. Spend the day touring some of the finest yachts in the West at Lido Marina Village, where there’s free offsite parking and shuttle service. Visit newportbeachboatshow.com.

The New Harriet Tubman Museum of African American Art, History and Culture is a stellar showcase that elevates the collection and is worthy of repeat visits. Tubman was a conductor of the Underground Railroad and led hundreds of slaves to freedom. We can hardly wait to stop in Macon, Georgia and view Africa through the 19th Century, Africans in the Americas, from Slavery to the Black Renaissance, the Struggle for Equality and Civil Rights. Call (478) 743-8544 or visit tubmanmuseum.com.

Can it be? Sacramento now wants to put a tax on candy and snacks. Well, it’s true. The Assembly member from Bell Gardens, Cristina Garcia, says our health problems caused by sugar were her main reason, and not the $900 million the state expects to collect. Who is she kidding?!? I know $900 million is small potatoes to those spending fools, but to me, $900 million here and $900 million there will soon add up to big money, and all from your piggy bank.

For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com by placing Rubenstein in the website’s search box.

 

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