Many of my era remember Sheila Kuehl as Zelda, the nerdish girl forever chasing the terminally lame Dobie Gillis on a sitcom or as the first openly gay in the California State Assembly and Senate. I have met Sheila before she became a politician and she was a pleasant well-intentioned person.  There is little or no doubt that Kuehl is one of smartest people in California policy.

However, Sheila Kuehl appears to be a clear and present danger to the residents of Los Angeles County with her uber-liberal ways and sometimes imperious ways. Refusing to discuss issues that are not important to her and blowing off opponents.

  Kuehl says she would bring additional diversity to those who govern Los Angeles County. I don’t care that Kuehl is a woman or a lesbian. I care that she is not about pursuing an agenda that does not serve all of her potential constituents. Somehow, with progressives, they tend to ignore the United States Constitution and the concept of equal protection under the law. Balkanizing politically important constituencies and then promising to redress their grievances by providing special privileges and perks. The idea that the assault of a woman or a gay individual should somehow be treated differently than an assault on any other person.

In 2004, Senator Kuehl authored Senate Bill 1234, an omnibus act intended to protect Californians from hate crimes, which it defined as criminal acts committed in whole or in part because of the victims' actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with persons with any of those characteristics. Her bill targeted crimes, not First Amendment-protected speech. It also protected illegal immigrants from deportation due to reporting hate crimes, increased civil protections from discrimination, and provided for law enforcement training concerning crimes against homeless persons and law enforcement response to homelessness.

It should be noted that RINO (Republican In Name Only) Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law – at the urging of his lesbian Chief of Staff, not so coincidently a life-long democrat and former Chief of Staff to Gray Davis who was recalled.

  Kuehl, as part of the California State Senate, was complicit in promoting the very public employee unions who have crippled our formerly golden state with their thuggery. Demanding unsustainable pensions that promise to bankrupt the state. With work rules that demand that the work of an individual be divided and performed by multiple people. With a policy of rewarding seniority rather than merit; the status quo instead of innovation. Increasing costs without corresponding increases in productivity. Not to mention those special defined benefit deals that obligate California citizens to make-up pension shortfalls caused by market conditions or mismanagement – instead of using defined contributions that are common in private enterprise.

  Kuehl, as part of the California Senate, was complicit in providing benefits for illegal aliens and decimating the social safety nets paid for by legal citizens and meant for legal citizens.

  Kuehl was a supporter of California’s version of Obamacare. 

Throughout her career as a legislator, Kuehl took a leadership role on health care policy. Her foremost objective was securing passage of legislation to establish a single-payer health care system in California.

  Kuehl was and continues to be an obstacle of paternity reforms that would allow men to be treated more fairly by the system that no demands that a man who does not father a child remain responsible for their welfare and care until maturity or a determination by the law.

"Senator Kuehl’s Testimony on AB2240 August 6, 2002:

"I think that paternity law has been constructed not so that it's fair to the parents, but rather that it most likely guarantees that a child will have a designated father. That doesn’t sound fair to people. Because biology, has been the thing that most men have pointed to as saying, 'okay I did this now I’ll take responsibility for the child.'

But the law, rather, on its own made some decisions about the security of children in saying for instance; where there is a marriage we will declare that the husband of the mother is the father of the child. We don’t care whether he was nor not. We don’t want to hear about that. We will just declare it.

And there have been other instances where the law has made the decision, this will be the father, and that has not been necessarily (she smiles at the default paternity fraud victims in the audience) fair, as we heard from many of your witnesses (speaking to Assemblyman Wright).

But I’m disturbed by the breadth of the ability to unravel that. Where, we’re not saying, rather than you sir, this gentleman is the appropriate father for this child

 But for me this bill goes way too far in unraveling what 'may be' an unfair situation. Such that there would be many more children who would not legally have fathers, and I do not think that would be in the best interest of society as a whole."

Positions …

Legislative Priorities …

1. Establishing a single payer health care system providing universal care to all California residents and a benefit package that include inpatient and outpatient care, prescription drugs, dentistry, and optometry. Savings which would pay for the universal care would come through administrative efficiencies and state purchase of drugs and medical equipment.

2. Establishing and enhancing services to children who themselves are, or whose parents are, in the criminal justice system or the foster care system.

Gun Control

• Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
• Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
• Require background checks on gun sales between citizens at gun shows.

Crime 

• Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
• Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
• Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
• Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.

More positions on global warming, etc. go to Project Vote Smart  

Bottom line …

I firmly believe that Sheila Kuehl will represent the wealthy socialists in the People’s Republic of Santa Monica and the gay activists in West Hollywood. As for the rest of us … prepare for finger-wagging and another crack at the nanny state. I do not need an enlightened mommy to tell me how to behave … I need a competent honest representative to help reform the cesspool of county politics. To reduce the size of county government and his greasy regulatory footprint on our necks.

I have little use for a progressive ideologue who wants to turn Los Angeles County into the new capital of Northern Mexico. Especially one who will govern approximately 10 million people and be responsible for county welfare, social programs, jails, and other infrastructure.

But, most of all, I do not want a progressive to enlarge the pool of potential victims of gang-related violence by disarming me and my fellow citizens – leaving us at the mercy of crazies and criminals.

-- steve