I for one was sold on Bill Bloomfield for the 33rd when I read that he pushed for the following reforms:
Redistricting Reform — since 2005, Bill was pressing to end the unethical and anti-political practice of permitting Congressmen to politick politicians in the statehouse, who then would make deals with the opposition and gerrymander safe districts for incumbents. In the previous decade, only one incumbent Richard Pombo of Northern California, was removed from office by the opposing party.
This trend has created, in the opinions of many, including this writer, unaccountable representatives who spend more time living it up with other people's money in Washington, including Congressman Henry Waxman, who currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland, far away from the slopes of Palos Verdes and the shores of Malibu.
US Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana lost his seat in a contested primary earlier this year. One of the chief complaints from Hoosier voters included the fact that he did not have a home address in the state. Such seeming niceties communicate "out of touch." Now more than ever voters are "touchy" about their representatives, and they are "touched" by the bipartisanship, read collusion, which has routinely raised the debt ceiling and proffered pork and back-scratching.
Waxman is one of the Old Guard, politicians who basically chose their own districts, their own voters, and thus could get away with blunt ignorance of the most basic elements of laws and procedures in Congress.
Open Primaries — since 2010, through the diligence of Santa Maria moderate Abel Maldonado candidates from both parties, along with independent and minority candidates, now have a better chance of winning the Congressional seat or another position in the running.
Prop 32 — If there is one issue specifically which commands respect enough to cast a vote for Bill, Prop 32 is motivation enough. This initiative will protect the workers' paycheck, will prevent unions and corporations from contributing to state political candidates. The control of special interests, specifically public sector unions, has pushed legislators to the wall, preventing them in many cases from enacting necessary reforms which can help balance the budget, cut the spending, stop the taxation and regulation hurting this country, and get Sacramento working on behalf of the voters.
This kind of reform-minded leadership is exactly what we need in Congress. Bill Bloomfield's independence will force Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders to contend with a separate interest, not just the Tea Party movement, not just the disparate caucuses, and certainly not the special interests, since Bill has refused to take any corporate or party donations.
End the labels, end the gridlock, cut the spending, cut the crap — Bill Bloomfield for the 33rd!