[Editor’s Note: Rabbi Nachum Shifren is the Republican candidate for the state Senate on Nov. 2 against incumbent Sen. Curren D. Price Jr. (D-Culver City).]
I joined the Sierra Club in the early 1970s, idealistic and full of vigor, inspired by my family's hikes in the high mountain passes and glacial lakes of the Sierra Nevada.
From the day that my father drove through the Wawona Tunnel in 1958, securing our spacious campsite right in the middle of the presently most coveted and crowded park in the world, Yosemite, I have been actively engaged in our natural resources.
Now, after nearly 46 years of surfing and life-guarding at our Southland beaches, I have learned to respect and admire the grandeur and beauty of our state from the perspective of an adult, balancing kids' tuitions, family responsibilities, and work.
With this in mind, I was astounded that the Sierra Club endorsed Democrat Reggie Sawyer-Jones for state Assembly (District 47). Nowhere in the accolades showered upon him is there anything mentioned about how he will “create” jobs, any jobs, let alone “green” jobs.
Folks, we are in a depression here in L.A. County and throughout the state. While a recital of environmental ethos at this time may seem praiseworthy to some, their overblown concerns are hardly relevant to the rest of us. We are some of the most overtaxed, over-regulated servants of the political class in the country, all of which adds to the misery of a nearly 20 percent unemployment rate.
But there's something more disturbing than just liberalism at play here. There is anarchy. Candidate Jones boasted of endorsements from Jesse Jackson and Maxine Waters. Is this something you boast about? Or is this something best kept a closely guarded secret?
Why are these endorsements telling? Because for most decent, thinking Americans, Jackson is synonymous with the most banal type of race-baiting and mudslinging. Extortion of Toyota and Coca-Cola are notches in his belt from previous race trafficking, coercing companies to payola, lest they prefer to deal with accusations of “racial issues.”
Waters? She unabashedly came out for Soviet-style regulation of our oil industry. There's a brilliant thought: put unaccountable, incompetent, politically-connected government bureaucrats in charge of an industry which is vital to the economic survival of our nation.
The press? No problem there. After all, we have freedom of the investigative press within a democracy, don't we? Or is the press subjectively supportive of everyone except those who advocate upholding the law, like Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona.
Look at Her Record
In any country with a free press that was doing its job, Waters would be sacked. Waters is a corrupt politician who has done diddly-squat for her Black constituents. She's done little or nothing to improve the market for jobs; to stop the obvious and continuing dumbing down of inner city schools; or to resist and reverse the ethnic cleansing of Blacks by Latino gangs. Waters' incompetence and corruption is bad enough, but what is really sinister is that not only is she given a pass by the press and the political class, her type of political anarchy further emboldens candidates such as Democrat Jones to further the misdeeds, corruption, and fleecing of the taxpayers — all with the encouragement of the king-makers and politicos who are assured that he is following the “democratic” mold.
Finally, just what planet does the Sierra Club live on? Must one necessarily be a radical, tax-and- spend liberal to appreciate the natural beauty of California? Are we not dependent on the fundamentals of prudent economic policy, insuring high-quality jobs that are balanced by the sober stewardship of our environment?
Where is the balance here on the part of the Democrats and their choke-hold on the environmental movement in our state?
My father, an ardent environmentalist, once taught me:
“The unemployed make poor guardians of our natural resources.”
With jobs in hand, children fed, and taxes low enough to leave something left over, the natural instinct of most people is to care for their own environment first, and then take time to be good stewards of the public lands — if government mis-leaders haven't choked off individual altruism with high taxes and overpaid government bureaucrats.
Our latest embarrassing voter turnout indicates that the majority of Californians are fed up with politics as usual. The corruption and waste in our state is so endemic, so completely transparent, that many voters have simply gone underground, seeing no relief from our governmental institutions. I urge all those disaffected voters who are beyond outrage to support me.
I pledge to work for a part-time government. My opponent, Curren Price, insists on making it his full-time job to continue to rip off the public, and waste your money.
I pledge to work to pass Jamiel's Law. (deportation of illegal alien gangbangers)
I pledge to work tirelessly to make English our state language.
I pledge to support a “tent city” instead of paying to expand our brick and mortar prisons. No more country clubs with free exercise and sports for those that rape and kill our loved ones.
What has worked well for Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio will also work for California (Arizona has the lowest recidivism rate of any state in the union). For this reason alone, I expect to be opposed and viciously attacked by the prison guards' union. Pay attention to who opposes me, and you will know who is for the costly, counterproductive status-quo, and who wants to achieve fiscal and social responsibility.
I pledge to break up too-large, unwieldy, costly school districts, to give power back to local communities, where they can help direct their children's education, and hold administrators and teachers accountable for results! For this reason alone, I expect to be opposed by the teachers' union. I consider this a badge of honor. The teacher's union supports more of the same: more costs, more taxes, more failed students and more failed schools. Don't be fooled by the rhetoric they will trot out against me.
I pledge to oppose sharia law. The plan for the Muslim conversion of America is underway, and few legislators have the courage to call it what it is: a fifth column invasion which is designed to topple our Constitution, destroy our Bill of Rights, and replace our churches and synagogues with mosques. Sharia law is the opposite of freedom, and must be resisted.
I pledge to close the border. Period. Gangbangers and felons from across the border will be made to pay for their acts, and this will serve as a deterrent to the wannabes – as will a crack-down on the employers of illegals.
I pledge to never vote to raise taxes, rather, I will seek a 10 percent reduction for starters. The same applies to government spending.
Finally: I pledge to do what is necessary to bring back all those businesses that left our state due to the counterproductive attitude the Democrat-controlled Legislature has toward entrepreneurs and investors. They are the ones who create small businesses and work hard to provide jobs that enrich out communities and provide taxes to the state.
Rabbi Shifren may be contacted at rabbishifren@gmail.com and through his website, RabbiForSenate.com
