Heidi Cascardo, Ladera Ranch
Many voters in the 49th congressional district have been beseeching Representative Darrell Issa to meet with them in an in-person town hall. Sadly, Mr. Issa has refused so far, ironically, as he sends us mailings in which he claims he wants to do a better job listening to us.
It was refreshing a few weeks ago to see that Colonel Doug Applegate, candidate for the 49th district, held a town hall meeting in San Juan Capistrano. Colonel Applegate met with several hundred voters and answered all questions that were asked. We, the voters of the 49th district, deserve a representative who is willing to listen to us, not one who keeps us at arm’s length. I encourage you to reach out to Rep. Issa to implore him to listen to his constituents. His job is on the line.
While Issa is extremely wealthy, one only has to follow the money to see who he responds to. It certainly isn’t us, his constituents.
Two-hundred thirty years ago, in 1787, “the deliberations of the Constitutional Convention were held in strict secrecy. Consequently, anxious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. The answer was provided immediately. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” (Benjamin Franklin)
I think we have the answer today to Benjamin Franklin’s “A republic, if you can keep it.” We have reached that moment in our history when the truth of Apollo 13’s transmission has become our truth, “Houston, we have a problem.”
Today we have a President who suffers from Acute Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Anti-social Personality Disorder. In simpler terms, President Trump is a psychopath. He didn’t win the election on his own. Extreme gerrymandering of districts, closing of polling places in minority areas, resulting in long waiting lines, and the fraudulent Republican interstate CrossCheck program that disenfranchised hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of voters, guaranteed his election. He didn’t need the popular vote, just the seats on the Electoral College, controlled by the red states.
Heidi Cascardo is quite the letter writer, with letters on a variety of issues but with the same theme – attacking recently re-elected Rep Issa – appearing in the latest issues of the Dana Point Times, San Juan Capistrano Dispatch and the San Clemente Times. It might be more honest if the editors acknowledged that the letters page is now officially sponsored by the campaign to elect Applegate.