EL SEGUNDO HERALD March 26, 2015 Page 5 One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion Burkley & Brandlin LLP A T T O R N E Y S A T L A W Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litiga tion 310-540-6000 Lifetime El Segundo Residents *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Brian R. Brandlin • Bruce R. Brandlin • Christopher P. Brandlin By Cristian Vasquez It is official: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is one the many Republicans who will seek to win the White House next year. Sen. Cruz, a tea party sweetheart, announced his intentions to a crowd of supporters at Liberty University and at the same time appealed to the nation’s Christian conservatives for support in his bid for president. Unfortunately, during the upcoming months we will have to put up with the spectacle that will be this campaign, and many others. However, I’m calling it now; not only will Senator Cruz not be our next president, he won’t even win the GOP’s nomination. For one, the senator’s campaign aides have already come out and said [Reuters/Houston Chronicle] that there are no plans to appeal to the “moderate or establishment-minded voters.” So Sen. Cruz’s approach is to cater only to extreme voters. Granted, I have never been elected to office but I have covered my share of local elections and followed every major election since 1996 and even I can figure that appealing to just one segment of the population is a bad idea. If the average American voter is upset at the bipartisan gridlock in Washington D.C. today, it’s not going to be any better if we vote into office a Senator who had no problem shutting down the federal government in the name of political rhetoric. Also, Sen. Cruz is already setting the tone of his campaign to be filled with rhetoric rather than substance as to why he would be the ideal candidate for the job. While addressing the crowd of supporters at the previously mentioned institution, the Senator asked attendees to imagine a president “that finally, finally, finally secures the borders” or to imagine a simple “flat tax” or even abolishing the IRS [Associated Press]. The Senator also El Segundo loves Trees A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors TREE MUSKETEERS PARTNERS make everything happen all year long! 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West Basin Municipal Water District Sandy Heal International Environmental Service Club In Memory of Terry McManamy McCarthy Family Marie Fellhauer BiPro Computers El Segundo Family Chiropractic Eran Egozi Cecilia Rodriquez Devin Paglinawan ARBOR DAY 2015 The Sum of its Parts is Greater than the Whole Senator Cruz Wrong Candidate for President reminded the crowd of his religious credentials by referring to his belief in the sanctity of marriage, as well as his support for the “sanctity of life.” Sadly, these are all talking points with no substance to them. Why is Sen. Cruz asking people to imagine things that a: no other president has delivered [border security], not even the patron saint of the Republican Party, the late President Ronald Reagan, b: a tax policy that would be difficult to implement, without an explanation as to how it would be applied? And c: if he wants voters to imagine a flat tax, then why would he ask the same people to imagine getting rid of the IRS? If he wants any kid of tax, he needs the IRS. As if these contradictions in the same speech weren’t enough, the Senator kept hacking at it with his sanctity of life and marriage comments. I find it hard to believe that the Senator embraces the sanctity of life but is a supporter of the death penalty. It is impossible to reconcile these two ideals, regardless of the situation. If one believes in the sanctity of life, this ideal extends to the people in our prison system. So if the Senator wants to sell his Christian benevolence to voters, he should reevaluate his positions and become more consistent. This is a classic example of an overzealous politician preying on the fears and anxieties, hopes and expectations of a group of concerned Americans. It is irresponsible of Sen. Cruz to put on this dog and pony show when his platform for the presidency is based on imagining solutions that he can’t deliver because his own ideas contradict themselves. Sadly, this patronizing behavior will not just be displayed by Sen. Cruz, but by many of the candidates that will sign up for the political circus that is our presidential election. • By Gerry Chong In the mid-1740s the world was blessed with the birth of two of its greatest political theoreticians, Alexander Fraser Tytler in Scotland, and Thomas Jefferson in Virginia. Both men predicted the rise of Barack Obama, and predicted that America would never again elect a Republican President. Ever the cynic, Tytler said, “The people flatter themselves that they have sovereign power. These are, in fact, words without meaning. A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the public always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by dictatorship.” Following Tytler’s dictum, we have 46 million people at the public teat, receiving free food, costing $200 per month per person. Would they ever vote for a balanced budget? We have 22 million public employees, earning an average of 120% of the amount paid by private employers. Assuming each employee has at least a spouse or other dependent who will vote with him, we have a voting block of nearly 50 million who will never vote to downsize government. In six years, we have seen our public debt explode from $10.6 trillion to $18.2 trillion, with total disregard for the meaning of such debt on the financial foundation of the country. Addressing this debt, Jefferson said, “The democracy will cease to exist when you take from those that are willing to work and give it to those who would not.” To make his point, Jefferson would point to the more than 92 million over the age of 16 who are unemployed. In fact, fewer than 63% of Americans work for a living. He would point to the 47% who pay no income tax and have no skin in the game, while demanding taxpayers “pay their fair share.” Jefferson would continue, “I predict future happiness for Americans who can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Jefferson would illustrate that point by pointing to the VA. Tytler the cynic and Jefferson the idealist constantly point to outsized and invasive government as the source of man’s misery. Yet, it is the millions of government employees and their families, the number on food stamps, the millions who enter the country illegally, and the millions receiving Obamacare, 80% of who receive government subsidies, who will end democracy in America. And Republicans? They stand impotently by, unable to compete in the game of free phones, subsidized car purchases, forgiveness of student debt, restructuring of mortgage debt, and subsidized health care. Jefferson and Tytler would weep. • Traffic Alert SoCalGas® will perform an internal inspection of a transmission gas line in the city of El Segundo. This work could result in traffic delays. Alternate travel routes are recommended. LOCATION — Work area is on El Segundo Boulevard, East of Nash Street. The left and middle eastbound lanes adjacent to the MTA Park and Ride will be closed for approximately 100 feet. Only one east bound lane and right turn lane into the Park and Ride will be open. DURATION — Lane closures will begin approximately April 1, and conclude the middle of May. You may detect an occasional odor of natural gas. Please note, your gas service will not be interrupted. This work is in accordance with the federally mandated Pipeline Safety and Improvement Act. QUESTIONS — (213) 244-4633 ©2015 Southern California Gas Company. All copyright and trademark rights reserved. N15E0059A 0315 socalgas.com
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