EP 86: A Conversation with Chuong Vo CA - 45th Congressional District 2026 Candidate

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Welcome to Chamber Talk, brought to you by North Orange County Chamber,
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where we explore the stories and insights of leaders, business owners and CEOs
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from various sectors who are making a difference in our community and region.
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Whether you're tuning in via podcast or joining us via video,
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we're glad to have you here.
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Today in Chamber Talk, we're sitting down with somebody who has served as a
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police officer and mayor of the community and a community leader,
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and now a candidate for California's 45th congressional district.
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Chung Vo joins us for a conversation that goes beyond headlines and campaign slogans.
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We're exploring his story, his leadership style, and how he approaches the major
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issues facing families and businesses within our region.
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Thank you so very much for joining us today, Chuck. Thank you, Andrew, for having me.
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So I want to sort of like go into one of those first ones and just ask people
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about, could you share a little bit about your journey and your experiences
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that shaped you to who you are today?
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Absolutely. If you have the time, I would love to start from the very beginning. Please do.
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So my family fled Vietnam back when I was one years old.
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I'm the youngest of seven, so there was nine of us. So prior to us fleeing Vietnam,
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we lived in a house that was taken over by the Communist Party back when Saigon fell.
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And in doing so, they pretty much isolated us into a small little room.
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And being a family of nine, that's very difficult. And so my father,
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my parents decided to flee Vietnam.
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And we were one of the first groups that fled Vietnam by boat.
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And so luckily and fortunately for us, that my father had connections with people with boats at the time.
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And so in the, in the cover of darkness, they decided to take everybody,
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the whole family, the seven, seven kids and my parents decided to,
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Sneak out and met one of the boat captain's operators.
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And this, by the way, the story is told to me by my sisters and brothers.
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Obviously, I was two years. Well, you're only one, wasn't you?
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And so interesting story to me, too, as I'm hearing it. And so as we're fleeing,
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me being one years old, the youngest in the family, the operator basically told
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my parents, like, you cannot take that one-year-old with you because we're hiding.
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We're trying to conceal ourselves. And if your baby cries, it'll give us away
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our location because at the time it was a communist party that took over.
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And so my mom said, no, I'm not leaving me back. Thank goodness.
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At the same time, I also asked her, wow, that's a huge risk you took.
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Because the risk that she took was the operator said, well, if the baby comes
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along and if he cries, we're going to have to cut his throat and throw him overboard.
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And this is the story that my mom told me and my sisters and brothers,
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and it was shocking to me, but that was the beginning of the journey here to America.
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And this is why we as immigrants appreciate America so much,
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because we gave up my parents, my family, sacrificed everything,
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including possibly my own life, to bring the family to America by fleeing a
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communist state of Vietnam to see the opportunities of America or whatever country
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we decide that, you know,
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we would land in. And so we fled for three days.
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We were on a boat for three days. Water was completely out after the first 24 hours.
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Luckily for us, my father and the operators were able to land us on an island in Malaysia.
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And at the time, there wasn't much going on in regards to boat people because,
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again, we were the first wave of sorts.
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And so they really couldn't understand what to do with us. And so we ended up
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being in Malaysia for a few years.
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And then we got sponsored over to America by another family that was already
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here in America, sponsored by a church in Washington, the state of Washington.
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And then that family from Vietnam settled in Southern California,
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and they legally sponsored my family over.
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And so that process started back when I was three.
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So I arrived here when I was three years old, back in 78.
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Yeah, 78, 78, around there. And so that journey started. I became,
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you know, obviously a citizen of America.
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My whole family worked really hard. We were on welfare growing up.
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You know, my parents were, you know, a family of immigrant descent,
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no jobs, gave everything, gave everything up.
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And we all worked really hard. And I'm proud to say today, you know,
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my family, including myself, obviously, were contributing back to the government by working hard,
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paying our taxes, and just giving back to a country that gave my family so much.
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And so proud of that. And then from there, I went to UCLA, you know,
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graduated from a school called Lusinger High School out in Lawndale.
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And back then, a lot of Vietnamese folks landed in Lawndale around the same
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time as Little Saigon. And obviously, it's Little Saigon and Westminster grooving bigger.
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But so from there, I went to UCLA, met my wife there.
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And I decided, you know, when I first entered UCLA, I was a biochem major.
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And, uh, you know, chemistry just wasn't for me.
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Um, and, and to back up a little bit, um, my interest when I was young,
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and I don't know if you remember, Andrew, uh, watching Chips,
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you know, Ponch, Poncherello and John. Great show. Yeah.
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Well, that's the show that started my career in law enforcement.
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Wow. And we'll talk about that later.
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But, uh, watching that growing up as a kid, I told myself, Hey,
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I want to be a police officer.
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But of course, my parents had different, you know, goals for me and they wanted
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me to be a doctor and so forth.
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And so when I went to UCLA, I majored in biochemistry, pre-med.
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And for the longest time, you know, I was like, man, I still want to be a police
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officer. This is what I want to do. I want to be of service to the community.
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I want to give back to this country that I love so much. And the way that I
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could do it was to become a police officer. I always thought it was an honorable profession.
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And like the story, you said you wanted to serve. And I, you know,
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and just throughout the whole college experience, I kept on going back to that.
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Right. And then I realized this is what I really want to do in life and I'm going to do what I want.
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And so I decided, you know, when I was done with school, I was going to join the police department.
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And so I did. I put in an application and became a police officer.
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And I actually trained at the Orange County Sheriff's Department Academy.
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And I was in class 131 for all you Sheriff's Academy grads out there.
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And so I became a police officer. And then from there, I transferred over.
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Oh, I started at UCLA Police, by the way.
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That's where I first started. On campus police? On campus police.
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Because I was a student there.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then so I decided I'm going to leave. I had a good paying
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job at the financial aid office.
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And I took about a $3 pay cut.
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I work as a service, we called him a community service officer at the UCLA Police Department. Right.
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And because I wanted just to see how it would be like to work for a police department.
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Makes sense. And at the time I was a student and I, you know,
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I was trying to find a reason why, one, if I really wanted to do police work
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or maybe it would draw me back to what my parents wanted me to do,
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which is pre-med, right?
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Right. But I wanted to make a decision where I would be happy with.
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Right. And so that's my personality. I always made sure that I did the things
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that I want to be happy doing.
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And so I decided, hey, it was a great experience. And then at the time,
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there was a sergeant at the UCLA Police Department who knew that I wanted to be a police officer.
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And he said, hey, why don't you apply to be a police officer at UCLA first before
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you decide to work for her?
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And at the time, I wanted to apply to the LA County Sheriff's Department.
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But they had a hiring freeze.
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And so fortunately or unfortunately, like I said, everything happens for a reason.
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The sergeant said, why don't you just apply for us and work for a couple of
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years? And it made me lateral over to the sheriff's department. So I did that.
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And I worked for two years as a UCLA police officer and decided,
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hey, you know, it's time for me to leave.
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And so I decided to apply for the Torrance Police Department and they picked
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me up and I've been there.
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I worked there for 26 years and I just recently retired this year in June.
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Well, congratulations.
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Well, thank you. Thank you for your service. Yeah. And so, uh,
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during the time of my, uh, my, my career as police officer, I just didn't have
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enough of service, I guess.
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And, uh, in 2015, 2017 and 2020, um, you know, I was appointed as a planning
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commissioner, even backing up even, even further.
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Um, how did I get into politics?
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I'm sure you're, you're, you want to know. So as a police officer,
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I was happy doing my jobs, you know, doing the things I need to do.
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And then I moved to Cerritos, right?
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Became a police officer, bought my first house when I was my mid-20s, I believe.
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That's 21, 22, 23, 24, around 24, 25, I bought my first house in Cerritos.
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And then, you know, married my wife who was, you know, who I met UCLA,
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ended up getting married.
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And then we had our first child. And, you know, and being just a new parent
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with a young boy, we did all the new parent stuff, took him to the parks, the facilities,
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the gyms, you know, the pool.
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And so when I was at the Cerritos Park East swimming pool, I was giving my son
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a shower after he just swam in the swimming pool.
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And then I heard some sounds in the pool.
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A room area, right? And one of the stalls, and that's kind of strange.
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And I noticed, I hear a little kid sound just playing in the water, in the toilet water.
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And so I went back there just being, you know, just who I am.
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I say, and then I looked, it was a little girl. I remember it was a little girl
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in a boy's locker room bathroom.
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And so I looked around, there was no parents or anything. So I walked her back
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out to the front desk and I said, Hey, you have a little girl that's in the,
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and I don't see any parents.
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And plus I had my child still in the locker room. I told him, Hey, I got it.
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So I rushed back there and I gave it to the staff there.
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And then I was done taking care of my son came out and realized the,
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you know, the girl's gone and the staff's working.
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And, and so I just asked him, Hey, what happened to that little girl?
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And the staff told me that, um, well, her 14 year old brother came by and we
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gave her to him. And I was like, well, oh, okay, well, he already lost her once, and he's only 14.
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Like, did you not bother to try and contact a parent or an adult?
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And they're like, well, yeah, well, no, we didn't.
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I said, dude, what is your policy on lost kids? And at the time,
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it's interesting because fast and forward later, I'll tell you why policy is
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so important when I became a council member.
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At the time, they said, well, we don't have any type of policy on that. And I was shocked.
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And so they said, if you have a problem with it, contact the city council.
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And that right there. Spark. And that was the spark, right? And I was like,
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well, so I contacted the city council.
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They ignored me. Cool. Sent to email, ignored me. No response.
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Left a message, the city council ignored me, right? And this is where...
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This is how I am as a counselor. I remember that and I will forever return phone
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calls because of that one experience. That makes total sense.
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Right. And so, um, so nothing happened. And so I decided, hey,
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why don't I just go ahead and instead of being upset about this, help out.
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So I decided to turn in an application. At first I said, I'm going to run for council.
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Right. And so I walked into the city clerk and said, you know what,
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I want to run for city council.
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And I'm like, never involved in my life in city government other than being a police officer.
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And I remember a city clerk just brought a stack this thick.
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And I was like, oh, my gosh, I got to do all that just to run for city council?
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I was like, yeah, you got to fill all these forms. I'm like,
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no, let me think about it.
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So I went back and said, you know what? I don't know if I can be a city council
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right now. Let me look at some other ways.
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And so I started researching. and then I researched that the city council appoints
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commissioners and committee members.
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And at the time, there was this councilwoman, her name is Carol Chen, and I looked it up.
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She had one opening on the safety committee. Oh, wow.
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Which is right up my alley. It was right in your bracket there,
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didn't it? Yeah, so I'm like, hey, I'll turn in an application and I'll put
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her down as the person I want to work for.
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And a couple of weeks go by, and Carol Chen's her name.
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Remember that, because today I blame everything on her, you know,
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because I'm where I'm at because of her.
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Right, right. And then, so she looked at my application and called me and interviewed
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me and appointed me on the safety committee in 2009, I believe. Yeah, 2009.
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And then a year and a half later, I became the vice chair.
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And then she came up to me and says, Chung, I want you to consider being my
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planning commissioner. I'm like, Carol, I'm a police officer.
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I love what I do. I'm on safety committee, completely in my wheel well.
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Yeah. Um, I know what I'm doing.
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You know, and she just said, well, I see something in you that I see potential
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in you. And one day you're going to run for city council. I looked at her,
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I just laughed. I'm like, you're crazy, Carol.
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And, you know, I appreciate her so much today because she saw something in me
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that I didn't see at the time. And that's just from me service,
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my service on the committee at the safety committee.
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She sees, so I remember she said, like, you have leadership roles that I see
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you can fulfill. You're very well spoken.
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And you have the thought process when you make decisions.
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And when she told me that I was like well you know to me it was just all natural,
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and then and so I accepted her appointment and I became a planning commissioner
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just understand a police officer getting appointed as a planning commissioner for development,
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Right. In the community. I mean, there's a huge gap, right? Yeah.
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And, and where she, she, she, she told me that I see that you are somebody that
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will learn and are open to learning new things. Right.
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And so I did, I learned, I learned how to understand projects,
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architectural designs,
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setbacks, codes, and, you know, and then I served on the planning commission
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for ultimately about four years.
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And then she said to Chung, it's time for you to run for city council.
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And I'm like, you're crazy.
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I've just learned to be a planning commissioner. And so, yeah,
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I decided to run in 2015. I lost that election.
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And then decided to do it again in 2017. I lost that election by a small handful
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of votes, less than 30 votes.
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And so it made me realize I got to work harder. Right. Because,
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you know, not that I gave up that second election, but I remember the day of
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the election when the polls were about to close.
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I just remember I worked that morning, and I just, you know,
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it's time to just say, hey, whatever happens, happens. Right.
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And then I lost by, I won less than 30 votes.
00:15:20.295 --> 00:15:24.575
I want to say 23 votes. They're very close when it comes to city elections, isn't it? Yeah.
00:15:24.775 --> 00:15:28.215
So every vote counts. Oh, 100%, yeah. Right. And so 23.
00:15:28.973 --> 00:15:34.933
20 rolls around, I told myself, I'm going to walk all the way into 8 p.m. when the poll closes.
00:15:35.153 --> 00:15:39.913
Right, right. And I'm glad I did because I knocked on the door at 745 and there
00:15:39.913 --> 00:15:44.753
was this family. He was a retired police officer and he had a family of adult
00:15:44.753 --> 00:15:47.393
kids that wasn't even planning on voting.
00:15:47.733 --> 00:15:52.653
And I was able to knock on his door and he said, oh, we didn't even know that you were running.
00:15:52.813 --> 00:15:56.273
We want to support you. And he decided to go out and vote, took his whole family and voted.
00:15:56.833 --> 00:15:59.673
That year, I won by over 70-something votes. Right, right, right.
00:16:00.053 --> 00:16:02.953
And so, I'm glad I worked and I told myself.
00:16:03.113 --> 00:16:08.393
And that's the mentality I have today is that I work until I just can't anymore.
00:16:08.673 --> 00:16:12.433
And so, that's how I got here. And I became a city council member.
00:16:13.253 --> 00:16:14.893
First got elected in 2020.
00:16:16.313 --> 00:16:20.533
I swore in on April Fool's Day. Oh, my best day. Oh, that's your friend.
00:16:21.173 --> 00:16:25.073
Hey, we have a connection. And then also that was the, that was the time when
00:16:25.073 --> 00:16:28.233
COVID struck in the city, just the whole world just stopped.
00:16:29.586 --> 00:16:33.466
And so I joke with folks, I said, you know, I'm a great. Good joke. Yeah.
00:16:34.006 --> 00:16:38.546
On April Fool's Day. And then I remember my swearing in was through Zoom.
00:16:38.746 --> 00:16:41.566
Right, right. And so there was no really contact.
00:16:42.026 --> 00:16:46.726
So I joke with people, though. I say, I'm a really good COVID leader.
00:16:47.026 --> 00:16:50.046
Right, right. Because that's all I learned at the first couple of years. Of course.
00:16:50.466 --> 00:16:55.326
And, you know, and I tell people this all the time that everything happens for a reason.
00:16:55.426 --> 00:16:59.806
I just told you that. And I strongly believe there's a reason why I didn't win
00:16:59.806 --> 00:17:04.226
in 2015 and why I didn't win in 2017 and why I won in 2020,
00:17:04.226 --> 00:17:09.866
because that's when COVID hit and we really started strong leadership and somebody
00:17:09.866 --> 00:17:11.726
that understands public service.
00:17:12.226 --> 00:17:16.886
And, you know, I was only one of many on the council, but I was glad I was part
00:17:16.886 --> 00:17:21.106
of it because things could have been a lot different.
00:17:21.586 --> 00:17:25.246
That first year, everything got shut down. I remember thinking.
00:17:26.166 --> 00:17:29.646
You know, and I'm always constantly thinking of what I can do for the people.
00:17:29.866 --> 00:17:36.066
Like, that is my ultimate goal, is how to service my community and my people that elected me.
00:17:36.226 --> 00:17:41.806
And that truly is what I feel an elected official should think about every single
00:17:41.806 --> 00:17:44.046
moment, is why do they put you there?
00:17:44.206 --> 00:17:49.466
You know, I have a quote that, you know, I say, a politician serves the seat of...
00:17:49.931 --> 00:17:52.691
Whereas a public service serves the people who put you in that seat.
00:17:53.351 --> 00:17:56.991
And to me, that just means, I mean, I'm getting chills just thinking about it
00:17:56.991 --> 00:18:00.511
because I truly believe it. And I just kept on thinking, like, what can I do?
00:18:00.891 --> 00:18:05.311
Because everything is shut down. The community is so sad right now. Yeah, yeah.
00:18:05.531 --> 00:18:08.031
It was tough. And so, and then the holiday seasons were coming.
00:18:08.231 --> 00:18:11.371
Christmas is right around now, actually. It's funny.
00:18:11.731 --> 00:18:16.631
So back in October of 2020, because I was part of the Torrance Police Department,
00:18:16.871 --> 00:18:21.931
the Torrance Police Officers Association, had a Santa float over 50-something
00:18:21.931 --> 00:18:24.811
years tradition. And they just started it up this year again.
00:18:25.331 --> 00:18:30.471
And that Santa float would drive, and I would help, and they would drive down
00:18:30.471 --> 00:18:34.771
almost every street in the city of Torrance and bring Santa to the residents
00:18:34.771 --> 00:18:36.251
instead of them having to come out.
00:18:36.371 --> 00:18:39.671
Because at the time, Surreels, they shut down the Christmas tree lighting.
00:18:40.391 --> 00:18:42.751
Santa Island, they shut everything down. So I'm like, you know what?
00:18:43.071 --> 00:18:46.931
Let's bring Santa to the residents. And because it's COVID, we'll just drive
00:18:46.931 --> 00:18:50.871
down the street. Santa can wave at everybody. Everyone can come out. Cool.
00:18:51.151 --> 00:18:55.311
And so, yeah, in October, I initiated that. I wrote up the plan.
00:18:55.371 --> 00:18:57.691
I asked for sponsorship.
00:18:58.051 --> 00:19:03.491
And it didn't cost us anything that year because I was able to secure donors.
00:19:03.751 --> 00:19:07.951
Nice. And then that was the first year of the Christmas Santa float.
00:19:08.091 --> 00:19:10.111
And it went for the whole time I was on council.
00:19:10.331 --> 00:19:15.691
Oh, okay. Yeah, and we purchased. I remember buying that Santa float from Fiesta
00:19:15.691 --> 00:19:18.011
Floats Because at the time, they were part of the Rose Parade.
00:19:18.191 --> 00:19:21.651
Right. Well, everything shut down. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, they had floats just sitting around.
00:19:21.851 --> 00:19:26.151
Sure. It's taking them space. Right. And I remember we bought that float for $10,000.
00:19:27.030 --> 00:19:30.890
And then it includes the decorations and the Christmas decorations and everything.
00:19:31.190 --> 00:19:34.710
And just mind you, when I started researching this, just to get a plain trailer
00:19:34.710 --> 00:19:38.250
with nothing on it, it was about 15,000. Yeah, that. Brand new, right?
00:19:38.550 --> 00:19:41.710
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this was a real float that was in the Fiesta floats.
00:19:42.010 --> 00:19:45.770
And so, but yeah, so I did that. And then every year after that,
00:19:45.870 --> 00:19:47.790
I was constantly thinking what I can do for the community.
00:19:47.990 --> 00:19:52.790
And I was really proud of my service on the city council and concurrently working as a police officer.
00:19:52.910 --> 00:19:58.950
Sure, sure. You know, and I would work graveyard weekends just so I can serve the community.
00:19:59.130 --> 00:20:01.550
And also on top of that, I was a father of two boys.
00:20:02.330 --> 00:20:06.150
You know, I was fortunate that I had a job that I can pick my schedule.
00:20:06.510 --> 00:20:10.290
And so I worked weekends graveyard so I can make sure I take them to school
00:20:10.290 --> 00:20:12.970
in the morning, pick them up after school. Because my wife's a teacher.
00:20:13.170 --> 00:20:16.090
She leaves early in the morning, comes home late in the afternoon.
00:20:16.410 --> 00:20:19.810
So we were fortunate that I could rearrange my schedule to, you know,
00:20:19.910 --> 00:20:21.010
take care of our two boys.
00:20:21.430 --> 00:20:26.950
And so in doing so, I was available to also run for office. So it all worked out. It's a lot of work.
00:20:27.450 --> 00:20:30.610
I remember people always tell me how you do it, and it's difficult.
00:20:30.850 --> 00:20:34.010
It is. But when you have a passion, though, it pushes you to do it.
00:20:34.474 --> 00:20:37.894
So I'd like to go back a little bit in your story there.
00:20:38.514 --> 00:20:41.774
Um, cause there were a few things that you mentioned. I'm gonna have some tea
00:20:41.774 --> 00:20:42.774
while you're at. Oh, please do.
00:20:43.294 --> 00:20:47.474
Um, you were, you know, you, you came over here. You were like about three,
00:20:47.514 --> 00:20:50.454
you said, and then obviously later on go Bruins.
00:20:50.574 --> 00:20:53.454
Cause I know my wife loves, uh, she went to the same university.
00:20:54.374 --> 00:20:59.354
Yes. Um, so she'll definitely watch this podcast. Um, you moved up.
00:20:59.574 --> 00:21:02.154
Yeah. 100%. Yeah. I definitely married up.
00:21:02.594 --> 00:21:09.174
Um, the, um, You mentioned that, obviously, you know, the struggles your mom
00:21:09.174 --> 00:21:14.154
and dad went to and to get from where you start from three all the way through
00:21:14.154 --> 00:21:16.234
that. Obviously, for you, you were growing up in America.
00:21:16.654 --> 00:21:19.734
What did mom and dad do to support you all? Because, I mean,
00:21:19.874 --> 00:21:22.914
people don't realize this, that they're coming to a country,
00:21:23.114 --> 00:21:24.434
probably didn't really speak the language.
00:21:24.814 --> 00:21:28.354
Everything's new. Like, but they still had to. Yes, I understand.
00:21:28.374 --> 00:21:31.074
You can get food stamps, but you've got to, like, help. No, no.
00:21:31.234 --> 00:21:34.054
It was a lot of work for my dad.
00:21:34.474 --> 00:21:37.694
And even for my mom, actually, and my dad had passed.
00:21:37.934 --> 00:21:41.774
But, yeah, no, my father, I'm sorry, I'm getting emotional because,
00:21:42.114 --> 00:21:45.034
you know, my parents sacrificed a lot for us.
00:21:45.994 --> 00:21:50.354
But, yeah, so my dad, when he came here, he came from a fishing community in Vietnam.
00:21:50.754 --> 00:21:54.974
So he purchased a boat completely run down.
00:21:54.974 --> 00:22:01.414
And he worked day in and day out, night, and just constantly worked on this
00:22:01.414 --> 00:22:06.674
boat at the boatyard in Redondo Beach over there at King Harbor. Oh, wow.
00:22:07.054 --> 00:22:13.974
And he brought this boat back to life all by himself and built a fishing boat,
00:22:14.134 --> 00:22:16.314
got his fishing license, worked, you know.
00:22:16.474 --> 00:22:20.354
And then he became a fisherman out of King Harbor in Redondo Beach.
00:22:21.174 --> 00:22:24.494
My mom was a stay-at-home mom because she had to raise seven kids.
00:22:24.494 --> 00:22:25.574
There were seven kids, right?
00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:32.680
Me being the youngest, so she had to stay home. And then, so, excuse me.
00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:37.220
And so, while he was working, my mom was raising us. And, you know,
00:22:37.260 --> 00:22:40.000
being just a fisherman by himself, he didn't make much money. Sure.
00:22:40.120 --> 00:22:43.180
So, we were also on welfare. Right. Right.
00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:47.540
He, you know, he did what he could, but at the time we were on welfare.
00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:52.580
And I remember the struggles. And, you know, I look back and I remember,
00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:55.340
I appreciate it now, but as a young kid.
00:22:55.520 --> 00:22:59.020
Of course. I remember, like, my mom would take me to a store called Alpha Beta.
00:22:59.220 --> 00:23:00.680
I don't know if you remember that store.
00:23:01.100 --> 00:23:04.680
It's a grocery store, and we had to walk probably about a good 10,
00:23:04.800 --> 00:23:06.260
15 minutes to get to the store.
00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:12.160
And being I was the youngest, she would always take me. And I remember just
00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:16.820
buying stuff. If they're off by one penny, she would be so upset because one
00:23:16.820 --> 00:23:19.140
penny to her was very valuable for us, right?
00:23:19.420 --> 00:23:22.080
And she would have me argue with them because I was the only one.
00:23:22.260 --> 00:23:23.440
She didn't speak English that well.
00:23:24.120 --> 00:23:29.300
And so I remember I had to argue with the cashiers, make sure they ring her up correctly.
00:23:29.520 --> 00:23:32.960
And I remember back then I was thinking, gosh, I was so embarrassed.
00:23:33.340 --> 00:23:37.040
But looking back, because of what she did and what my dad did,
00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:40.720
it instilled in me value, respect. Yeah.
00:23:41.140 --> 00:23:45.980
Respect is the number one thing. And then also it's just, you know,
00:23:46.100 --> 00:23:48.600
looking back, my mom collected aluminum cans.
00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:52.680
She would walk around the neighborhood, pick up aluminum cans, recycle those.
00:23:53.280 --> 00:23:58.220
She did whatever she could as a stay-at-home mom to also bring value to our family.
00:23:58.620 --> 00:24:03.160
And she would just constantly do that. And, uh, you know, she raised seven kids
00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:07.720
in America, you know, uh, in Vietnam would have been a different story because
00:24:07.720 --> 00:24:11.720
the support group, the network of families there, um,
00:24:12.180 --> 00:24:15.840
our uncles and aunts and so forth. But, you know, my dad, my mom just had us.
00:24:16.569 --> 00:24:21.989
And we just had them, and it was a constant struggle. But where I'm proud of
00:24:21.989 --> 00:24:26.569
is that it instilled in me the hard work that I'm passing on to my kids.
00:24:27.229 --> 00:24:33.569
And then the constant, you know, the values, the family values.
00:24:33.909 --> 00:24:36.949
And it's just, that's why when I sit here running for Congress,
00:24:37.309 --> 00:24:40.929
people don't realize that I value America.
00:24:41.749 --> 00:24:45.869
You know, it's not just because this is a great country. this is a country that
00:24:45.869 --> 00:24:47.229
gave my family our future.
00:24:47.649 --> 00:24:54.289
Yeah. We wouldn't be where we're at without America and the veterans that fought in Vietnam.
00:24:54.769 --> 00:24:57.509
You know, and I want to mention that too. It's like when I see veterans,
00:24:58.249 --> 00:25:02.009
especially Vietnam vets, you know, so many people go up and thank them.
00:25:02.269 --> 00:25:06.829
Yeah. But- To you, it really means something. It means something to me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:25:06.949 --> 00:25:10.089
Because when I look at them, you know, it's like they don't even know the impact
00:25:10.089 --> 00:25:11.849
they had on my life. Right, right. You know?
00:25:12.149 --> 00:25:15.069
Yeah. So, and then here I'm running for Congress. because of
00:25:15.069 --> 00:25:18.269
that it's amazing isn't it yes it really is i
00:25:18.269 --> 00:25:21.129
i i don't wish to quote it because i
00:25:21.129 --> 00:25:24.189
don't know from 100 but i do believe and it
00:25:24.189 --> 00:25:27.029
kept coming up in my mind as i was listening to you there
00:25:27.029 --> 00:25:33.209
and i do believe it might have been uh uh president reagan who said it but he
00:25:33.209 --> 00:25:41.369
was talking about how folks who are immigrants they get the opportunity to come
00:25:41.369 --> 00:25:44.509
to america and like you were saying to help.
00:25:44.869 --> 00:25:47.129
I know exactly what, and well, maybe this guy had a lot of quotes,
00:25:47.249 --> 00:25:54.129
yeah. And, but if you're American, you've only got America, you haven't got it somewhere else to go.
00:25:54.289 --> 00:25:57.169
And the idea of it is if you're going to be.
00:25:58.919 --> 00:26:03.599
Working in politics, you really need to make sure that this country is great.
00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:07.159
And I wanted to tie that in because I'm feeling this from you a little bit.
00:26:07.399 --> 00:26:11.459
Well, quite a lot actually, is you serving a purpose here.
00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:16.239
So where does that play what you want to do in Congress?
00:26:16.639 --> 00:26:20.699
Well, you know, to me, because this is such a great country,
00:26:20.779 --> 00:26:27.259
it gave so many opportunities to so many people on this land and land overseas, right? Immigrants.
00:26:27.499 --> 00:26:30.759
And this is a country made of immigrants, right? I mean, you know,
00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:33.739
there's this argument that the first people that came here were colonists,
00:26:34.379 --> 00:26:35.859
settlers, and I'll give you that.
00:26:36.059 --> 00:26:39.559
But after that, this country is built on immigrants, right?
00:26:39.739 --> 00:26:45.179
And these are American immigrants today. And so I'm proud to say I'm one of them.
00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:50.319
And what I like to build on is to make sure that America comes first.
00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:54.179
You know, uh, I know that's not just like this catch all saying, right.
00:26:54.679 --> 00:26:59.059
Right. But truly if, you know, like any, any, any time you, if you have kids
00:26:59.059 --> 00:27:03.199
or, or if you play sports, you tell them, Hey, take care of yourself first. Right.
00:27:03.339 --> 00:27:06.379
Before you take any better care of anyone. It's like in a, in a, in an airplane.
00:27:07.063 --> 00:27:10.323
When oxygen mask comes down, what do they come first before you put your kids?
00:27:10.383 --> 00:27:13.583
Because you can't help the other person. So America should always come first
00:27:13.583 --> 00:27:18.843
because if we want to help anybody else, we have to be strong. We got to be healthy.
00:27:19.123 --> 00:27:22.443
We got to be financially stable. We have to have the resources.
00:27:23.623 --> 00:27:28.683
And we have to be able to provide for ourselves before we can provide for anybody else.
00:27:28.943 --> 00:27:33.683
So that's one big thing for me and how important it is that I want to ensure
00:27:33.683 --> 00:27:37.363
that those people who know that I'm up there, I'm always thinking about the
00:27:37.363 --> 00:27:40.423
people that put me there. And those are Americans.
00:27:40.763 --> 00:27:43.683
And I don't care what ethnicity you are, what background you have.
00:27:43.803 --> 00:27:47.383
You are Americans to me. As long as you have legal rights to vote,
00:27:47.563 --> 00:27:51.183
you're the person I am supporting. And I'm going to work for.
00:27:51.443 --> 00:27:55.483
Now, I want to touch on, that's a great segue into the next bit.
00:27:55.703 --> 00:28:01.663
So, you know, obviously when someone's running for office, there's certain things
00:28:01.663 --> 00:28:03.663
that are more important to them than others.
00:28:03.763 --> 00:28:06.523
And that's why people vote. you've got quite a
00:28:06.523 --> 00:28:09.223
few we're going to touch on those today uh so the first one
00:28:09.223 --> 00:28:12.603
really rules into public safety and
00:28:12.603 --> 00:28:15.583
community trust and public safety
00:28:15.583 --> 00:28:18.663
is obviously a major point on your platform
00:28:18.663 --> 00:28:21.783
but it's also a major point for all of us citizens
00:28:21.783 --> 00:28:25.303
right the country as a whole um rather than
00:28:25.303 --> 00:28:28.323
just ask you different things i know you've got you know
00:28:28.323 --> 00:28:31.383
what you'd like to share about it where do you feel
00:28:31.383 --> 00:28:34.623
this is going to play a big part for the let's start
00:28:34.623 --> 00:28:37.483
at home the 45th district before we
00:28:37.483 --> 00:28:41.683
move on to everything where do you sit with that well the 45th district isn't
00:28:41.683 --> 00:28:46.863
unique in itself on safety i mean crime is you know there's no boundaries for
00:28:46.863 --> 00:28:51.623
crime no there's no safety only for certain areas right um you know there's
00:28:51.623 --> 00:28:55.763
not something we can just also put up a wall in a sense, right? Locally anyways.
00:28:56.183 --> 00:29:01.663
Um, but, uh, but no safety to me is a problem, not just in the 45th,
00:29:01.763 --> 00:29:04.103
like you said, but it's really just throughout.
00:29:04.303 --> 00:29:08.803
And, you know, I, as a police officer, I see it firsthand here locally and in
00:29:08.803 --> 00:29:11.003
statewide, we have a problem.
00:29:11.889 --> 00:29:16.729
Uh, it's gotten a little better, but not to where it should be as a police officer.
00:29:16.829 --> 00:29:21.649
I've seen how many times that when cops do their job, they get basically back
00:29:21.649 --> 00:29:24.889
slapped and saying, Hey, thanks for your doing your job, but we're going to
00:29:24.889 --> 00:29:26.949
release this, this crook. Right. Right.
00:29:27.269 --> 00:29:30.249
Or a, you know, you're out there working your heart, heart out,
00:29:30.429 --> 00:29:32.089
and we're not there to support you.
00:29:32.249 --> 00:29:37.169
So in the 45th, what I've planned on doing is really easy is to be there and
00:29:37.169 --> 00:29:40.849
be present For not just the people that we serve, but the officers,
00:29:41.029 --> 00:29:44.169
the police officers that serve them, and make sure they have the resources.
00:29:44.329 --> 00:29:47.869
Because at the end of the day, public safety to me is a bedrock of communities.
00:29:48.109 --> 00:29:51.849
If you don't have safety, you don't have really anything else, right?
00:29:52.209 --> 00:29:55.689
You have concerned people that don't want to come to your neighborhood to do business.
00:29:55.929 --> 00:29:59.729
You have citizens that don't want to get out of their house because they're
00:29:59.729 --> 00:30:01.749
worried about getting robbed, mugged, or hurt.
00:30:02.554 --> 00:30:06.074
Safety is the bedrock of any civilized community.
00:30:06.294 --> 00:30:10.854
Right. And in order for us to thrive on that, we've got to make sure that the
00:30:10.854 --> 00:30:14.434
people, one, believe that they're safe, because that belief is huge, right?
00:30:14.954 --> 00:30:19.874
And if we don't provide the resources for them to believe it in the efforts
00:30:19.874 --> 00:30:23.854
of helping the law enforcement effort to make sure that they have the resources,
00:30:23.854 --> 00:30:27.394
the training to do what's right for the people they serve.
00:30:27.394 --> 00:30:32.774
And so as the 45th in Congress, I'll make sure that those individuals that need
00:30:32.774 --> 00:30:38.274
the resources get the money from Congress, make sure they get the training from
00:30:38.274 --> 00:30:41.874
Congress passed down through the local levels.
00:30:42.054 --> 00:30:46.874
But ultimately, the money comes from the federal government and, of course, state.
00:30:47.034 --> 00:30:50.114
But to me, we need to provide the resources for them.
00:30:50.114 --> 00:30:58.154
Now, you know, having experience as a police officer and then also having experience
00:30:58.154 --> 00:31:01.774
on city council commission and then obviously being a city council member and
00:31:01.774 --> 00:31:02.654
then even being the mayor,
00:31:03.414 --> 00:31:10.374
how do you see or where do you see the challenges in sort of working?
00:31:10.374 --> 00:31:14.214
I'm not going to say fixed but working on this particular thing because obviously
00:31:14.214 --> 00:31:18.034
as you mentioned then you've got cities you've got states you've got counties
00:31:18.034 --> 00:31:21.154
you've got all these different people deciding what they want to do how do you
00:31:21.154 --> 00:31:23.514
feel you're going to be able to get them all together and.
00:31:24.969 --> 00:31:27.589
You know, what's interesting is that, I'll back up a little bit.
00:31:27.689 --> 00:31:30.869
When I was, you know, first elected during COVID, like I said,
00:31:31.049 --> 00:31:32.809
and then slowly as we were getting
00:31:32.809 --> 00:31:37.449
out of COVID, I attended the mayor's conference, you know, the U.S.
00:31:37.549 --> 00:31:40.909
Mayor's conference and the National League of Conference. And I was part of
00:31:40.909 --> 00:31:44.029
the safety committee appointed on the safety committee for those.
00:31:44.189 --> 00:31:49.529
And I remember sitting there and then during the time when there was that civil
00:31:49.529 --> 00:31:54.409
unrest during the COVID days, me being an active police officer still working.
00:31:54.409 --> 00:31:57.829
And I remember hearing other mayors from other cities throughout the whole country
00:31:57.829 --> 00:32:02.949
say, you know, we need to reimagine police. We need to defund.
00:32:03.109 --> 00:32:05.829
And they used those words. They did. Defund the police.
00:32:06.629 --> 00:32:08.489
And so I was sitting there at this police house. I was like,
00:32:08.589 --> 00:32:10.249
man, I didn't feel appreciated.
00:32:10.689 --> 00:32:16.189
I felt basically pushed aside. All the work that we've done to get to where
00:32:16.189 --> 00:32:20.069
we're at to make sure that our community was safe meant nothing to these folks.
00:32:20.289 --> 00:32:25.769
Yeah. Because all they cared about is talking points that was popular for their base.
00:32:26.563 --> 00:32:30.883
Right. What they didn't know is that there's cops actually working the streets,
00:32:31.363 --> 00:32:33.823
having to deal with the stuff that they're just talking about.
00:32:34.163 --> 00:32:39.023
And so fast forward two years later, three years later, when all that's done.
00:32:39.163 --> 00:32:44.443
And then the same folks that sat in that same committee, now we're asking,
00:32:44.563 --> 00:32:46.583
how come we can't retain police officers?
00:32:46.883 --> 00:32:51.343
How come we can't hire police officers fast enough? What can we do?
00:32:51.563 --> 00:32:54.263
And I remember looking at them. I just shook my head. I was like,
00:32:54.603 --> 00:32:56.763
and I said something. I said, well, there's a reason why.
00:32:57.023 --> 00:33:01.363
You're the same folks that were talking about defunding police. You're the reason.
00:33:01.863 --> 00:33:07.443
And so as an elected is that first off, we need to stop talking for what we
00:33:07.443 --> 00:33:11.163
think is popular at the time or, or, or talking points, right?
00:33:11.403 --> 00:33:17.143
We need to really act the way we truly should act to bring the right services
00:33:17.143 --> 00:33:19.423
to our community is stop playing with politics.
00:33:20.023 --> 00:33:23.203
Police officers have a job to do. Communities expect it from police officers.
00:33:23.463 --> 00:33:27.303
You know, we can continue to, properly train them, give them resources,
00:33:27.303 --> 00:33:32.263
but never, ever, ever puts them on a butcher block, saying they're the reasons
00:33:32.263 --> 00:33:35.443
why that our community is the way it is.
00:33:35.583 --> 00:33:37.923
At the end of the day, it's politics that causes it.
00:33:38.203 --> 00:33:43.803
And we as politicians should recognize that we are the problem when we don't
00:33:43.803 --> 00:33:48.283
recognize the solutions and just constantly talk about talking points that are
00:33:48.283 --> 00:33:50.263
just popular to say, but yet you don't do anything.
00:33:50.403 --> 00:33:54.983
So the same group that said, hey, let's reimagine, defund the police are the
00:33:54.983 --> 00:33:56.443
same group that said, we don't know why.
00:33:57.360 --> 00:34:01.540
And so we need to stop that. There's a huge disconnect.
00:34:01.660 --> 00:34:05.840
And the disconnect is really, we've got to stop being politicians and being public servants.
00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:10.000
And our public service starts with our community and with the law enforcement.
00:34:10.280 --> 00:34:15.480
And since we're talking about safety, to me, that's the number one thing that
00:34:15.480 --> 00:34:20.340
brings in business, families, good schools.
00:34:21.080 --> 00:34:24.720
And, you know, just without safety, you don't have— We've got nothing there,
00:34:24.820 --> 00:34:26.300
really, have you? I mean, I wouldn't say we have nothing.
00:34:26.440 --> 00:34:29.160
We'll just have crime. Right, right. And guess what? We're in California.
00:34:29.660 --> 00:34:32.920
We're in, you know, L.A. Well, you're Orange County, but I'm from L.A. County.
00:34:33.300 --> 00:34:38.520
You know, crime is serious right now, and people don't recognize it because
00:34:38.520 --> 00:34:41.220
they don't want to, even though they know it exists.
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:45.600
So when I was on council, there was a lot of things I did at the city level.
00:34:46.300 --> 00:34:51.440
I just got tired as an elected one, you know, with a background as a police officer.
00:34:51.540 --> 00:34:56.920
I knew what we could do. I just got tired of the same excuses at the federal
00:34:56.920 --> 00:34:58.320
level and even at the state level.
00:34:58.380 --> 00:35:02.640
It's like, oh, we can't do it. We can't do it. We can't do it because of whatever reason.
00:35:03.080 --> 00:35:08.180
So I just said, hey, you know what? What can I do at the city level with the money that we have?
00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:13.500
So with that, I remember one of the biggest complaints was commercial enforcement.
00:35:13.740 --> 00:35:20.200
Our cities didn't have a commercial deputy, which controlled the trucks going up.
00:35:20.340 --> 00:35:23.680
So I started that. We had complaints about commercial enforcement for years,
00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:24.880
but no one really did anything.
00:35:25.528 --> 00:35:30.348
So I said, hey, why don't we hire a deputy, train them, and become a commercial? So I did that.
00:35:30.568 --> 00:35:37.108
I brought drones to the city. Oh, wow. The sheriffs did not have drones for the local stations.
00:35:37.988 --> 00:35:42.588
I was a drone operator as well, you know, and I helped the Torrance Police Department
00:35:42.588 --> 00:35:44.848
start the drone program back in 2016.
00:35:45.228 --> 00:35:48.288
So I brought that. I'm like, we have money. We'll pay for it.
00:35:48.548 --> 00:35:50.768
Right. You know, the sheriff's department didn't really want to pitch in.
00:35:50.968 --> 00:35:52.068
So, hey, we'll pay for it.
00:35:52.628 --> 00:35:56.528
And then I brought outburst cameras, which is the automated license plate readers.
00:35:56.768 --> 00:36:00.288
All right. You know, these are things that I said, what actions can I take to
00:36:00.288 --> 00:36:04.488
actually bring forward some things for our community instead of just talking about it? Right.
00:36:04.688 --> 00:36:09.788
And so I did. I was proud of it. You know, and the thing about being elected,
00:36:10.168 --> 00:36:14.408
what I noticed is most, I wouldn't say most, a lot.
00:36:15.068 --> 00:36:18.888
A lot of electives would do this. They'd say, I want this, I want that,
00:36:18.988 --> 00:36:20.068
and then just forget about it.
00:36:20.228 --> 00:36:26.688
Right. So in my office, I have a list that I put on a drywall race board. Right.
00:36:27.028 --> 00:36:28.808
And I put down. It's going to
00:36:28.808 --> 00:36:33.088
stay there. It's going to stay there until I check it off. Right, right.
00:36:33.268 --> 00:36:38.448
And the reason why is that, one, I was getting older, and I didn't want to forget
00:36:38.448 --> 00:36:41.788
the promises I made during my campaign running for city council,
00:36:41.788 --> 00:36:46.788
but also the promises that I made while I'm on council, the things that we need to do.
00:36:46.788 --> 00:36:49.468
So every, every time there was something new, I would write it down,
00:36:49.568 --> 00:36:53.208
put a checkbox or put a box. And then as it gets complete, I would check it off.
00:36:53.488 --> 00:36:57.148
And so the one thing about electives, they ask for things and they don't follow up with it.
00:36:57.488 --> 00:37:00.508
And then also it gets kind of disappeared, kind of disappeared.
00:37:00.588 --> 00:37:04.908
Unless the community continues to come back and up in arms in it.
00:37:05.008 --> 00:37:08.188
And then now it's a big deal because community got tired of waiting.
00:37:08.766 --> 00:37:12.226
So I didn't want them to have to be tired of waiting. I wanted them to see results.
00:37:12.546 --> 00:37:16.346
And so in order to do that, there was actionable things that I wanted to make
00:37:16.346 --> 00:37:19.946
sure that I carried through and followed through. And so that's what I did.
00:37:20.366 --> 00:37:24.246
And I don't know if I answered your question. Oh, yeah, you certainly did, without a doubt.
00:37:25.366 --> 00:37:28.566
It sort of leads us into, because as you were talking about safety there,
00:37:28.666 --> 00:37:31.466
and of course, you know, if an area is not safe, you're right.
00:37:31.746 --> 00:37:33.286
You know, businesses are going to move out.
00:37:33.846 --> 00:37:36.566
People are going to eventually go, well, I don't really want to live here.
00:37:36.726 --> 00:37:38.506
I'm going to go somewhere else. That's an example of that, San Francisco.
00:37:39.246 --> 00:37:45.386
100%. You know, schools, we hear often about gangs, and, you know,
00:37:45.486 --> 00:37:48.566
that's a prime area for them, or even drugs.
00:37:49.426 --> 00:37:55.706
So, moving on to that sort of moves into the economic presses and the cost of living as well.
00:37:57.006 --> 00:38:00.686
Big, big spit word right now is everybody's going, well, you know,
00:38:00.746 --> 00:38:06.986
we're going to do affordable housing, which really isn't affordable in what we generally would.
00:38:06.986 --> 00:38:10.626
Is anything affordable ask about affordable and you know because they're taking
00:38:10.626 --> 00:38:15.326
it from an average but I know that obviously that's something that's on your
00:38:15.326 --> 00:38:18.926
mind with the cost of living and the pressures about that would you like to
00:38:18.926 --> 00:38:22.406
share a little bit more about where you're looking to sure so affordability
00:38:22.406 --> 00:38:24.166
is huge right because I mean I'm not rich,
00:38:24.853 --> 00:38:30.813
You know, I was a working person. You know, I would like to think that I'm an
00:38:30.813 --> 00:38:36.453
example of probably the average person that has a job, has a family.
00:38:37.213 --> 00:38:41.853
And, you know, we're constantly trying to figure out how to pay the bills.
00:38:42.373 --> 00:38:46.633
I'm not saying that's difficult, but I think I worked hard, like most families work hard.
00:38:46.913 --> 00:38:50.733
And what we're tired of seeing is that our government is constantly taking that
00:38:50.733 --> 00:38:52.633
extra money that worked hard away.
00:38:52.993 --> 00:39:01.133
Right. So affordability, one, is I want to make sure that taxes are reasonable for our country.
00:39:02.213 --> 00:39:06.353
Government constantly over and over again, instead of just trying to find solutions,
00:39:06.613 --> 00:39:09.433
the easiest thing to do is tax, folks. Right.
00:39:09.773 --> 00:39:12.273
It's so easy to ask for more money. Sure.
00:39:13.433 --> 00:39:18.133
What you should do is one, balance your books, find ways to save money.
00:39:18.840 --> 00:39:23.280
Things that are unnecessary. And that's kind of what I did in Cerritos. Right, right.
00:39:23.680 --> 00:39:26.980
It's not really asking for money because it's tax. They just take the money.
00:39:27.660 --> 00:39:30.920
Well, they say there's two things that are sure in your life, death and tax. Right.
00:39:31.380 --> 00:39:34.640
But I understand the tax is, there's a need for it. Sure.
00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:39.260
But there's got to be reasonable. So affordability is giving people back the
00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:41.100
money that they work so hard on.
00:39:41.320 --> 00:39:43.780
There are states out there that don't even have state income tax.
00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:48.700
Yeah, yeah. How are states like that surviving when California here takes so
00:39:48.700 --> 00:39:51.180
much much from us. And do we see the results?
00:39:52.060 --> 00:39:54.520
Let's, let's, let's be honest. Do we see the results? I mean,
00:39:54.940 --> 00:39:58.160
uh, I see roads that are still in just, you know, despair and I see,
00:39:58.240 --> 00:40:02.280
I see buildings that need to be fixed, you know, um, you know,
00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:06.160
and Orange County is unique because you do see some good work in Orange County, right?
00:40:06.600 --> 00:40:10.280
Um, but, uh, but so affordability to me is important. And when you brought up
00:40:10.280 --> 00:40:14.960
affordable housing, it's so, again, it's so easy to say, let's just take money
00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:17.020
and make affordable housing.
00:40:17.260 --> 00:40:21.140
Right, right. How about we take that same money and give the resources to the
00:40:21.140 --> 00:40:26.020
folks that need affordable housing to make them successful, make them earn a
00:40:26.020 --> 00:40:28.860
living, and then make them buy a house. Right, right, right.
00:40:28.980 --> 00:40:29.900
Right? The American dream.
00:40:30.100 --> 00:40:34.300
The American dream that I'm living. Right, right. And so many people can. Yeah.
00:40:34.600 --> 00:40:38.740
But unfortunately to me, government, depending on where you live.
00:40:39.900 --> 00:40:44.600
It really, they put a little pressure point on your life.
00:40:44.720 --> 00:40:46.860
Yeah. And it's difficult for many people.
00:40:47.880 --> 00:40:52.160
It's difficult for those that work hard and earn their money and then realize
00:40:52.160 --> 00:40:56.720
they have to give a third of their money, a quarter of their money to the government.
00:40:57.000 --> 00:41:00.040
I mean, you know, and you understand taxing wise, right?
00:41:00.160 --> 00:41:03.380
And I'm going to go into a little bit is, you know, people think,
00:41:03.480 --> 00:41:05.020
oh, income tax or fair tax.
00:41:05.180 --> 00:41:10.740
It's about 27% or 60%. Depends on your tax bracket, right?
00:41:11.701 --> 00:41:16.641
The income that you make gets taxed, and then that money that you have in your
00:41:16.641 --> 00:41:20.001
bank now has already been taxed. But when you go buy something with the money
00:41:20.001 --> 00:41:22.361
that's already been taxed, you get taxed again. Yeah.
00:41:22.841 --> 00:41:26.081
And then you go buy a house, it gets taxed again.
00:41:26.441 --> 00:41:29.921
Taxed yearly. And it's like taxing over taxing.
00:41:30.261 --> 00:41:34.981
So if you've already been taxed for the money you made, why should you go,
00:41:35.181 --> 00:41:37.641
when you go use that same money that the government already took,
00:41:38.384 --> 00:41:43.524
And they tax you again. So from $10, they say they take $3 already. And now you only have $7.
00:41:44.024 --> 00:41:47.844
And then when you use that $7 to go buy groceries, they tax you on the $7.
00:41:48.364 --> 00:41:52.424
And so really that $7 was only worth $5. And then when you go buy a car,
00:41:52.484 --> 00:41:54.004
you get taxed on that, you know?
00:41:54.104 --> 00:41:59.324
And so I think we really need to look at our tax system and make sure that we're
00:41:59.324 --> 00:42:01.384
doing it for the good of the order.
00:42:01.624 --> 00:42:07.444
Right. But protect the money for the people that give us the money. I feel that's it.
00:42:08.384 --> 00:42:13.724
That's a real breakdown project, isn't it? Because you think about it, it's a system.
00:42:14.064 --> 00:42:18.604
It's not just like you're saying, oh, well, you can take this away or you add that.
00:42:18.744 --> 00:42:23.264
No, you've got to almost go back to the drawing board and really figure it out.
00:42:23.624 --> 00:42:24.364
You've got to work. You've got to work.
00:42:24.944 --> 00:42:26.804
It's so easy to say, give us more money. Yeah.
00:42:27.644 --> 00:42:30.144
But when you have people that are willing to work and sit down,
00:42:30.324 --> 00:42:33.184
and I'm not just talking about staff now. No, no, no, I understand.
00:42:33.184 --> 00:42:34.944
I'm talking about the electeds. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:42:35.424 --> 00:42:38.604
So, the electives have so many staff members. Yeah.
00:42:39.784 --> 00:42:43.484
And time and time again, the staff members do everything. Yeah.
00:42:43.624 --> 00:42:46.384
And the electives just go to meet and greet, to shake hands, right?
00:42:46.744 --> 00:42:51.784
We need our electives to actually work. And I'm not saying they don't. Right.
00:42:51.924 --> 00:42:54.944
But I'm saying that that should be the… Takes all hands on deck,
00:42:55.004 --> 00:42:56.424
something, right? That should be your role.
00:42:56.604 --> 00:43:00.724
Yeah. You know, you shouldn't just get elected and then disappear. Yeah.
00:43:01.284 --> 00:43:03.844
If anything, once you get elected, that's when the work starts.
00:43:04.044 --> 00:43:05.664
Right. And that's when it's even harder.
00:43:05.924 --> 00:43:09.004
Campaigning is hard. Yeah, yeah, it is. But once you get the job,
00:43:09.244 --> 00:43:11.904
now everything you promise, you better deliver.
00:43:12.144 --> 00:43:15.204
Right. Right? And then granted, sometimes you don't know what you're getting
00:43:15.204 --> 00:43:17.104
into, and you learn as you go,
00:43:17.184 --> 00:43:20.864
and you realize, oh, some of those things I promise, it's hard to deliver.
00:43:21.084 --> 00:43:23.224
Right. But it doesn't mean that you don't try.
00:43:23.504 --> 00:43:26.144
Yeah. You have to try. Yeah, that's good. Keep on it.
00:43:26.424 --> 00:43:30.404
Keep it on that board until you've done it, right? so you know moving a little
00:43:30.404 --> 00:43:38.324
bit into again basically the same thing um but part of a part of uh uh.
00:43:39.176 --> 00:43:43.696
Money, the billions that have been invested federally into homeless programs.
00:43:43.976 --> 00:43:49.496
Uh, and they've been, you know, there's lots of mixed results and lots of mixed
00:43:49.496 --> 00:43:53.076
views of whether we're going the right way or we're not together.
00:43:53.676 --> 00:43:58.316
Again, you know, what's your take on all of that? We are definitely not going in the right direction.
00:43:58.696 --> 00:44:03.916
I mean, I mean, when we can't account for billions of dollars that the public
00:44:03.916 --> 00:44:08.696
has given to the state and there's no record keeping of it.
00:44:09.836 --> 00:44:16.016
We're going in the wrong direction. I see it over and over again when we spend money on shelters.
00:44:16.396 --> 00:44:22.056
Those shelters aren't really being used in a way that these people who need it deserve.
00:44:23.276 --> 00:44:29.936
There's no programs in place. It's frustrating to me over and over again when
00:44:29.936 --> 00:44:35.196
we have people who really don't know the business say that they are going to do what's right.
00:44:36.341 --> 00:44:39.081
For example, public safety. How many times would elect officials say,
00:44:39.361 --> 00:44:41.361
oh, no, public safety is my first priority.
00:44:41.601 --> 00:44:44.901
I understand public safety. They've never worked a day in a boot inside a police
00:44:44.901 --> 00:44:47.381
car ever putting handcuffs on anybody, right?
00:44:47.641 --> 00:44:51.801
Same goes with homelessness, right? You have to have the experts that do it
00:44:51.801 --> 00:44:54.821
do it and stop getting in their way.
00:44:55.061 --> 00:44:58.701
But then also you got to make sure the people that are doing it are doing it
00:44:58.701 --> 00:45:01.121
correctly. Right. There's got to be accountability.
00:45:01.681 --> 00:45:06.081
There's got to be supervision. You know, as you know, in Orange County,
00:45:06.341 --> 00:45:12.521
you know, we had an elected county supervisor that swindled money from the people
00:45:12.521 --> 00:45:16.581
to his family, right? And so we can't have that.
00:45:17.401 --> 00:45:20.881
But understand, that's probably still going on. We just need to identify it.
00:45:20.901 --> 00:45:22.461
We need to hold people accountable.
00:45:22.701 --> 00:45:27.241
And just recently, I believe someone in Beverly Hills just got arrested, indicted.
00:45:27.901 --> 00:45:31.761
Just recently in Beverly Hills, a developer, we're doing the same thing.
00:45:32.021 --> 00:45:36.681
Right. So we need accountability. We need people who say that we're going to
00:45:36.681 --> 00:45:41.121
use this money for the right reasons to be watching it instead of just kind
00:45:41.121 --> 00:45:42.001
of going off on their own.
00:45:42.081 --> 00:45:45.801
Okay, you guys, you have to have professionals. You got to actually understand
00:45:45.801 --> 00:45:47.941
the problem. And then you have to have accountability.
00:45:48.221 --> 00:45:52.261
So it's really difficult for me to say we're going in the right direction when
00:45:52.261 --> 00:45:53.341
we still have homeless people.
00:45:53.481 --> 00:45:56.621
We're actually worse than ever, right? The more money we spend,
00:45:56.701 --> 00:45:58.141
the more homeless people we have, it seems like.
00:45:58.601 --> 00:46:02.921
And then, so where's the money going, right? It's going to developers,
00:46:03.381 --> 00:46:04.401
it's going to nonprofits.
00:46:05.967 --> 00:46:10.407
And I have to say, you know, non-profits are great, but when you have non-profits
00:46:10.407 --> 00:46:15.007
that have individuals that are out there spending money on their own for themselves,
00:46:15.227 --> 00:46:18.247
and a small percentage of it only goes to the people that are supposed to help.
00:46:18.407 --> 00:46:20.487
It's the wrong way around, isn't it? That's the problem.
00:46:20.707 --> 00:46:23.707
Yeah. You know, non-profits, they're only non-profit because they spend the
00:46:23.707 --> 00:46:26.767
money on staff and so forth, and I get it, right?
00:46:27.107 --> 00:46:30.147
But you got to do it for the right reasons. And unfortunately,
00:46:30.347 --> 00:46:34.467
sometimes I feel like the homeless problem, they don't want to solve it because
00:46:34.467 --> 00:46:37.867
if they do, then there goes their income, right?
00:46:38.167 --> 00:46:40.827
So we need people that really want to fix it. And, you know,
00:46:40.907 --> 00:46:45.947
there's people out there that do, and it's unfortunate, but we can't have them
00:46:45.947 --> 00:46:47.547
living on the streets either, right?
00:46:48.087 --> 00:46:54.307
To me, that itself is difficult to see when we, you know, there was laws in
00:46:54.307 --> 00:46:57.247
place before that says that, oh, the police can't touch them unless they have
00:46:57.247 --> 00:46:58.267
a shelter. So we're going to leave them there.
00:46:58.607 --> 00:47:03.107
No, we need to do something to get them off the streets to make sure they do have the resources.
00:47:03.727 --> 00:47:08.467
And we need a lot of law enforcement to be able to deal with that as well. Do you...
00:47:09.208 --> 00:47:13.208
You know, on that side, obviously, you know, being in Congress,
00:47:13.648 --> 00:47:18.228
it's very different to your local electives and everything else.
00:47:18.608 --> 00:47:24.828
And again, you've got all these other entities, let's say, that are deciding
00:47:24.828 --> 00:47:26.328
how they want to play the game.
00:47:26.468 --> 00:47:31.388
How do you feel that Congress could maybe better work with the state, let's say?
00:47:31.468 --> 00:47:34.588
Because it starts at the top, doesn't it? Yeah, let's all get along.
00:47:35.288 --> 00:47:39.088
That's a good one. Let's all get along. You know, at the end of the day,
00:47:39.268 --> 00:47:43.088
if you're in a public office, you're in public service.
00:47:43.428 --> 00:47:47.568
So why are we fighting over who serves who, when we serve them, and with what?
00:47:47.788 --> 00:47:52.028
Let's all work together. Let's work together to provide the money and the resources
00:47:52.028 --> 00:47:57.248
that the taxpayer give us to do the job. And so we need to build relationships.
00:47:57.708 --> 00:48:02.768
You know, we shouldn't be burning bridges. We need to work hand in hand.
00:48:03.788 --> 00:48:08.948
And that's kind of how I roll, is that, hey, if you could help me, I'm going to help you.
00:48:09.068 --> 00:48:12.708
And you mentioned Ryan Reagan. He's actually one of my favorite presidents, by the way.
00:48:13.917 --> 00:48:16.777
Uh, Ronald Reagan, you know, I was younger then when he was president,
00:48:16.917 --> 00:48:19.457
but they, you know, Reagan has a saying, like, when you don't care who gets
00:48:19.457 --> 00:48:21.997
credit, you can get a lot done, you know?
00:48:22.137 --> 00:48:25.637
And I, I, I truly believe that, um, you know, just get the work done.
00:48:25.757 --> 00:48:29.957
Cause I'll tell you as a, as an elected, a lot of them just want the credit,
00:48:30.437 --> 00:48:33.917
especially when they don't even do it, but they're a part of the vote. Right.
00:48:34.137 --> 00:48:37.277
And they'll go out there and say, oh, I was, I'm like, fine, go ahead.
00:48:37.717 --> 00:48:41.177
You know, say all those things, but we got it done. Right. You know,
00:48:41.277 --> 00:48:44.857
and I'm in the background just knowing it was me that helped. Oh, you got it done.
00:48:44.977 --> 00:48:47.537
Yeah. And I'm like, hey, you go out there and announce it. I'm okay.
00:48:47.637 --> 00:48:49.157
I don't really care who gets credit for it.
00:48:49.277 --> 00:48:53.877
Right. But the people now have it, you know, so. Which is most important, really, isn't it? Yeah.
00:48:54.177 --> 00:48:56.977
And so, and your actions always speak louder than your words anyways.
00:48:56.977 --> 00:49:00.957
I really believe that. And the people who do know me, they know what I've done.
00:49:01.497 --> 00:49:03.437
I don't need to go out there and say, hey, look at me.
00:49:04.037 --> 00:49:07.037
I did this for you. They'll feel it, right?
00:49:07.537 --> 00:49:10.997
They either feel it, the fact that they feel safer, lower in crime,
00:49:11.317 --> 00:49:13.437
the money, the cuts and all that stuff.
00:49:13.637 --> 00:49:17.977
But, yeah, I think with all these stakeholders, what we need to do is just make
00:49:17.977 --> 00:49:21.177
sure that we all get along. Because right now it's very divisive. Right.
00:49:21.497 --> 00:49:24.097
From the federal all the way down to the state. All the way down,
00:49:24.197 --> 00:49:25.397
yeah. And politics in general.
00:49:25.917 --> 00:49:29.197
Right, politics in general. And it always has been. But I'll tell you,
00:49:29.317 --> 00:49:31.757
it's just gotten so far left and so far right.
00:49:31.937 --> 00:49:35.777
We just need to figure out how to bring everyone back. Because you don't solve
00:49:35.777 --> 00:49:37.397
anything when you're constantly fighting. Right.
00:49:37.617 --> 00:49:44.177
Um, you know, when you have, um, when you argue with a friend, you can get things done.
00:49:44.297 --> 00:49:49.357
But when you argue with an enemy, you'll never get things done because they're always enemies. Right.
00:49:49.657 --> 00:49:53.257
So, you know, I'd rather befriend you and then disagree than disagree.
00:49:54.751 --> 00:49:58.251
Fight it out. Fight it out. And not get anywhere. Yeah. So to answer your question,
00:49:58.331 --> 00:50:02.711
I think we just all need to figure out how I can help you and you can help me
00:50:02.711 --> 00:50:04.731
to give back to what the people expect.
00:50:05.591 --> 00:50:08.771
We need to stop this bickering. We need to stop.
00:50:09.091 --> 00:50:13.871
It's easy to say, right? But for some reason, politician takes things so personal,
00:50:14.251 --> 00:50:15.991
you know, and it hurts them.
00:50:16.091 --> 00:50:20.071
And they forget that you have to have thick skin, one, for doing this. Trust me, I know.
00:50:20.691 --> 00:50:25.131
And then the other thing is that, you know, if you just do your job, people will love you.
00:50:25.491 --> 00:50:32.871
You know, another thing, part of this is, and you as a serving or past serving
00:50:32.871 --> 00:50:36.731
police officer definitely run into this a lot, whether it's to do with homeless
00:50:36.731 --> 00:50:39.791
or obviously whether it's to do with people with criminal intent.
00:50:41.291 --> 00:50:46.791
What's your stance regarding mental health? Like, it's a big problem.
00:50:46.831 --> 00:50:51.371
It is a big problem. And I see it as it's such a concertina thing because you've
00:50:51.371 --> 00:50:55.191
got mental health from folks who got stuck through COVID and now they've been
00:50:55.191 --> 00:50:56.531
on their own and they're dealing with that.
00:50:56.651 --> 00:51:00.551
And then you've got other types of more very serious mental health issues.
00:51:01.271 --> 00:51:04.051
It's interesting because, like you said, I do have experience in that.
00:51:04.171 --> 00:51:05.311
I've seen the worst of the worst.
00:51:05.831 --> 00:51:11.651
I've taken people for what's called 5150 holds. I've seen folks speak to aliens.
00:51:12.771 --> 00:51:17.211
And I've also responded to families where the kids is just out of hand.
00:51:18.139 --> 00:51:21.479
Um, I saw, I, you know, in the way I say out of hand, it's just cause they're,
00:51:21.639 --> 00:51:23.619
they're just not listening to mom and dad.
00:51:23.799 --> 00:51:28.319
Um, so I see both extremes. I see the ones that speak to aliens, right.
00:51:28.419 --> 00:51:32.799
And they talk to themselves and I see the, the, the family that suffer because
00:51:32.799 --> 00:51:39.319
their child may go, have gone through COVID, um, social media, whatever the reason.
00:51:39.559 --> 00:51:41.659
And they're suffering from mental health because of that.
00:51:42.259 --> 00:51:48.219
And, you know, that gap is huge. Right. And so I do believe there's a place
00:51:48.219 --> 00:51:56.859
for mental health treatment, but then we also have to bring back the family network as well.
00:51:57.919 --> 00:52:04.199
You know, I think as mainstream it is because of social media,
00:52:04.419 --> 00:52:08.919
so easy for folks to look at a cell phone and give it to their kids and so forth.
00:52:09.139 --> 00:52:13.879
I think that we need to bring the family values back. Like, we need to make
00:52:13.879 --> 00:52:17.679
sure that we raise our kids the way we want to raise them, not how social media
00:52:17.679 --> 00:52:18.599
thinks they should be raised.
00:52:18.739 --> 00:52:23.459
And I say this because kids all the time see things on their phone,
00:52:23.619 --> 00:52:26.179
social media, iPad, and think that's real. Right.
00:52:26.539 --> 00:52:31.999
And that's one of the reasons why today there's so many youth that are...
00:52:33.461 --> 00:52:36.701
Against authority, right? Because they really think that, hey,
00:52:36.881 --> 00:52:40.841
this is what's on social media. And so I have rights, you know?
00:52:41.421 --> 00:52:46.681
So I just think we need to treat the mental health with the resources we have.
00:52:46.841 --> 00:52:54.001
But don't forget the family values and the family nucleus that starts at home
00:52:54.001 --> 00:52:57.681
and you build and you hope that, you know,
00:52:57.861 --> 00:53:03.101
the values are bestowed upon these kids and the parents are parenting again
00:53:03.101 --> 00:53:08.041
and the families are being families again to hopefully prevent them to stray.
00:53:08.341 --> 00:53:12.941
And I say this because I see this. It's like, you know, I'll give a good example.
00:53:13.101 --> 00:53:20.441
I responded to a call of a mother that her 14-year-old just wouldn't do his homework.
00:53:21.341 --> 00:53:26.041
So she called the police because he would talk against her and just be just
00:53:26.041 --> 00:53:31.341
rude and obnoxious and just outright just being a terrible child.
00:53:31.841 --> 00:53:35.761
And so she called the police. And so when I got there, I'm like,
00:53:35.901 --> 00:53:40.241
why is this a police matter, right? It should be a family issue, right?
00:53:40.761 --> 00:53:44.301
And so when I spoke to the mom, I remember this is years ago,
00:53:44.301 --> 00:53:48.901
and the mom was concerned because the kid told the mother that,
00:53:48.901 --> 00:53:54.601
you know, that the school taught me that if my parents disciplined me, I can call the police.
00:53:55.401 --> 00:53:58.461
And so the mom didn't want to get in trouble. Didn't want to get arrested.
00:53:58.681 --> 00:54:02.041
Sure. And so I just said, he told you this?
00:54:02.541 --> 00:54:05.101
And she said, yeah. I said, well, what would you like to do?
00:54:05.161 --> 00:54:07.161
I said, I like to discipline him. And I said, well, you go ahead.
00:54:07.281 --> 00:54:11.121
And I told that child, I said, son, you don't have the right to call the police
00:54:11.121 --> 00:54:12.801
when your parents discipline you.
00:54:13.341 --> 00:54:17.741
Beating you is something different. Right. But she's going to discipline, ground you, so forth.
00:54:17.981 --> 00:54:21.361
Don't waste our time. This is not a police matter. This is a family matter.
00:54:21.501 --> 00:54:23.781
And I just gave your mom the authority to be a mother again.
00:54:24.021 --> 00:54:29.001
We never had a call back to that house ever again. And we had calls before that because the mom felt.
00:54:29.689 --> 00:54:32.669
Concerned she didn't have the information right to to
00:54:32.669 --> 00:54:35.729
to be the mom that she wanted to be yeah and
00:54:35.729 --> 00:54:39.009
so and i bring that up because in today's age
00:54:39.009 --> 00:54:42.649
raising family is tough you guys
00:54:42.649 --> 00:54:45.289
like i said social media so many other people are trying
00:54:45.289 --> 00:54:48.269
to raise your kids right and parents sometimes forget
00:54:48.269 --> 00:54:50.909
that's their job how do you you know
00:54:50.909 --> 00:54:53.689
as a parent right because that you've hit a very
00:54:53.689 --> 00:54:56.449
good point then you're not the only one who thinks like that we've
00:54:56.449 --> 00:54:59.229
actually had a local council member who believes very much the same
00:54:59.229 --> 00:55:02.429
that it really starts with home like
00:55:02.429 --> 00:55:05.189
families need to take responsibility with things like
00:55:05.189 --> 00:55:07.969
that but how how do
00:55:07.969 --> 00:55:15.329
we present that how do we allow families to know or share or teach like how
00:55:15.329 --> 00:55:20.169
do we how do we get that motion going so it's interesting because um you know
00:55:20.169 --> 00:55:24.429
and i don't know why it happens with me is that there's lots of families that
00:55:24.429 --> 00:55:26.789
call me maybe because I'm a police officer,
00:55:27.189 --> 00:55:29.229
maybe because, you know.
00:55:30.373 --> 00:55:35.213
We seem to take everyone's calls. So I'll get parents sometimes.
00:55:35.473 --> 00:55:40.133
And I remember like when I lived at my old house, the dad across the street
00:55:40.133 --> 00:55:42.453
would call me, maybe because I was a police officer.
00:55:42.553 --> 00:55:45.153
His son was acting up and I know his son really well.
00:55:45.353 --> 00:55:48.393
And, you know, he would call me and says, you know, Chung, my son,
00:55:48.573 --> 00:55:51.393
he's not listening to me. Can you talk to him? Right.
00:55:51.773 --> 00:55:54.973
And then, so that's, to me, is a problem.
00:55:55.153 --> 00:55:57.933
Right. Yes, of course. So how do we fix it?
00:55:58.033 --> 00:56:03.913
Right. Yeah. We fix it by making sure our parents know how to,
00:56:04.253 --> 00:56:10.713
one, discipline, two, but to raise their child in the way that we believe is
00:56:10.713 --> 00:56:13.553
good for our neighbors, our community.
00:56:13.913 --> 00:56:19.893
And so much time parents are scared to do what's right because they're worried, right?
00:56:19.913 --> 00:56:23.193
They're worried about mental health, that, oh, my child's going to hate me.
00:56:23.653 --> 00:56:27.993
Um, you know, if I do something bad, they may call, you know,
00:56:28.033 --> 00:56:29.233
the police, like that one mom.
00:56:29.593 --> 00:56:34.333
And so I think we need to make it clear that parents can be parents again. Okay.
00:56:34.983 --> 00:56:39.223
Um, you know, how often do you hear this? What? Oh, I don't want to discipline
00:56:39.223 --> 00:56:40.623
that child because I want him to love me.
00:56:40.863 --> 00:56:43.123
I want him to, you know, I want to be happy.
00:56:44.243 --> 00:56:47.123
Well, that's something that you need to understand. You need to fix,
00:56:47.243 --> 00:56:51.963
right? You know, they'll love you, respect you and grow up to be good members of the community.
00:56:52.743 --> 00:56:55.543
But if you don't parent, that's the problem.
00:56:55.643 --> 00:57:00.923
So to answer your question, um, the way I do it is how my parents raised me.
00:57:00.923 --> 00:57:08.483
I can't fix somebody else's way of being raised, right, or family values.
00:57:08.683 --> 00:57:11.903
I just know that this country needs more of it.
00:57:12.023 --> 00:57:17.383
We need to understand that our problems do start at the home if we don't fix it.
00:57:18.303 --> 00:57:26.403
And I just wish that parents can identify these problems early and take initiative
00:57:26.403 --> 00:57:27.863
early. And here's another issue.
00:57:28.023 --> 00:57:31.783
It's like some parents, everything I'm telling you is from experience.
00:57:32.403 --> 00:57:36.403
Experience, right. You know, some parents tell me they don't want to do anything
00:57:36.403 --> 00:57:37.363
because they're too young.
00:57:37.543 --> 00:57:40.863
We don't want to yell at them because they don't understand at age one or two. Sure.
00:57:41.383 --> 00:57:44.003
Let's wait until they're five or ten when they can understand.
00:57:44.003 --> 00:57:46.403
Well, by then, it's too late, right?
00:57:46.623 --> 00:57:51.203
And I share this because, you know, I have a family member that really believed in that.
00:57:51.643 --> 00:57:55.063
And his child was out of control by the time he was like seven.
00:57:55.563 --> 00:57:58.783
And then he went to the next extreme. Now he's disciplining.
00:57:58.883 --> 00:57:59.903
I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:58:00.403 --> 00:58:03.783
You allowed him to act this way. It's really your fault. Yeah.
00:58:04.243 --> 00:58:07.703
And if you had just recognized the problem early, identify, teach him,
00:58:07.863 --> 00:58:09.203
then he would understand.
00:58:09.303 --> 00:58:13.503
But all of a sudden now, you went completely like cold turkey.
00:58:13.803 --> 00:58:15.923
Yeah. You allowed him to do whatever you want and all of a sudden you couldn't
00:58:15.923 --> 00:58:18.563
deal with it. And so now you're saying, hey, this is the discipline now.
00:58:18.843 --> 00:58:23.583
So, you know, if it's training for parents, you know, there is no book.
00:58:24.324 --> 00:58:29.184
That you can really teach. Yeah. Right? I think it comes down to family values.
00:58:29.504 --> 00:58:33.344
I think dads need to be dads again. Moms should be allowed to be moms.
00:58:33.864 --> 00:58:38.864
We need to stop letting the exterior world interfere with our belief system.
00:58:39.844 --> 00:58:47.224
You know, time, time again, we do let the public and the mainstream media interfere
00:58:47.224 --> 00:58:50.044
with our home because we let it in.
00:58:50.044 --> 00:58:53.324
We uh we we allow them to
00:58:53.324 --> 00:58:56.564
uh not brainwash our kids but
00:58:56.564 --> 00:58:59.304
let them have access to our
00:58:59.304 --> 00:59:02.804
kids and if your kids are not strong enough to
00:59:02.804 --> 00:59:05.644
know what's the difference between right and wrong is a
00:59:05.644 --> 00:59:08.764
huge influence for them now i you know
00:59:08.764 --> 00:59:11.584
as you as you're mentioning that you know what fell in
00:59:11.584 --> 00:59:17.684
my mind is most folks would you know there's there's a line isn't there where
00:59:17.684 --> 00:59:23.924
government does government things and it steps aside and allows the community
00:59:23.924 --> 00:59:27.844
or the rest of us to do live our lives right because there's there's a there's
00:59:27.844 --> 00:59:30.204
a depends which branch that's true or which but.
00:59:30.504 --> 00:59:33.604
There's but there should be a fight there should be a line there where it's
00:59:33.604 --> 00:59:36.524
not crossed is it you know and and what you're talking about
00:59:36.524 --> 00:59:40.284
there has nothing really to do with government that's to do with community families
00:59:40.284 --> 00:59:43.244
and everything else right yeah but there
00:59:43.244 --> 00:59:46.124
was a big prudent point you touched on there
00:59:46.124 --> 00:59:49.904
which was to do with things like the internet uh online
00:59:49.904 --> 00:59:53.024
services platform social media ai you
00:59:53.024 --> 00:59:56.504
know ai is going to be telling you what to do next so that is
00:59:56.504 --> 01:00:00.604
something that can be sheltered from
01:00:00.604 --> 01:00:05.144
government officials whether it's federal whatever depending on depending on
01:00:05.144 --> 01:00:10.004
because a lot of that's coming from especially if it's coming from on the business
01:00:10.004 --> 01:00:15.964
sector or what have you where do you see that line draws or things that you
01:00:15.964 --> 01:00:19.624
can i mean i'm asking a big question where do you see that.
01:00:20.517 --> 01:00:23.417
We fit in together and we can work together on that.
01:00:23.637 --> 01:00:27.097
With AI, social media. Yeah, with AI, social media, where the government can
01:00:27.097 --> 01:00:32.037
step in because it's not just, you know, not maybe.
01:00:32.277 --> 01:00:35.797
Well, anytime government steps in, it's free speech, it's a problem. Right.
01:00:36.517 --> 01:00:41.777
Where government should explore is how to regulate the safety of that.
01:00:41.897 --> 01:00:44.837
I like that word, explore the safety of it. Explore the safety of it,
01:00:44.897 --> 01:00:51.937
right? So, when you have systems in place that might be hurting our country,
01:00:52.157 --> 01:00:55.037
we need to explore safety issues for that, right?
01:00:55.177 --> 01:00:59.217
But I do not advocate for interfering with free speech at all. Right.
01:00:59.637 --> 01:01:02.237
But I do advocate for...
01:01:03.124 --> 01:01:09.924
A method in place to stop the illegal stuff that do happen on social media.
01:01:10.144 --> 01:01:12.744
Because there's a lot out there. There is. And I'll give you a good example,
01:01:12.884 --> 01:01:18.004
right? When I first got on council in 2020, it was COVID.
01:01:18.424 --> 01:01:25.684
It's the one rest. They used social media to organize groups to go to the local malls, to ransack.
01:01:25.944 --> 01:01:29.144
I don't know if you remember that. Yeah, yeah. And again, I'm always constantly
01:01:29.144 --> 01:01:30.864
thinking, well- That was reported on the news.
01:01:31.104 --> 01:01:36.144
Yeah, that was reported. But so the problem was, right, there was no consequences
01:01:36.144 --> 01:01:40.584
for these folks when they post social media posts and, hey, show up here. Right.
01:01:40.864 --> 01:01:43.984
Because there was nothing really says that you can go after that person.
01:01:44.184 --> 01:01:48.164
Right. And you can't go after the social media platform for allowing them to post. Right.
01:01:48.464 --> 01:01:52.004
So I remember I tried to push a resolution to get the federal government,
01:01:52.144 --> 01:01:53.084
the state government involved.
01:01:53.324 --> 01:01:56.864
And it got shut down because, you know, it was an issue with freedom of speech.
01:01:57.004 --> 01:02:00.824
Sure. I remember people would call me from other places in the country and say,
01:02:01.044 --> 01:02:03.764
how dare you, you know, interfere with social media?
01:02:03.924 --> 01:02:06.784
And I said, I'm not interfering with social media. What I'm interfering with
01:02:06.784 --> 01:02:10.724
is criminal behavior on social media, right? That's not freedom of speech.
01:02:10.984 --> 01:02:16.344
You know, you can't outwardly say criminal things and think that's protected.
01:02:16.344 --> 01:02:21.864
And so, but, so I believe in that, where government needs to come in and make
01:02:21.864 --> 01:02:28.744
sure that we can regulate the criminal aspect of people who use the platform for criminal activity.
01:02:29.004 --> 01:02:33.424
So, but in general, I don't support us, government should be interfering.
01:02:33.644 --> 01:02:39.264
So I guess your question is, how do we balance that with community and social media?
01:02:39.504 --> 01:02:42.984
And it comes right back to the same answer is family values, right?
01:02:43.604 --> 01:02:47.484
If you're, if, so I trust my boys, right? I trust my two boys.
01:02:47.724 --> 01:02:50.224
Do I regulate what they see? No.
01:02:50.791 --> 01:02:56.091
You know why? Because I trust them, right? And I trust that they have a strong
01:02:56.091 --> 01:03:04.031
family grounded in my house and my values, that they're not going to see something
01:03:04.031 --> 01:03:05.311
on social media and say, oh,
01:03:05.471 --> 01:03:08.131
that must be gospel, and I'd better believe it. Right.
01:03:08.291 --> 01:03:10.971
You know, they understand, because I talk to them. Right. Well,
01:03:10.971 --> 01:03:12.331
they're going to come and ask you, potentially.
01:03:12.731 --> 01:03:16.411
Well, I mean, even if they don't, you know, just from conversations I have with
01:03:16.411 --> 01:03:20.611
them, they know the difference between right and wrong, at least I hope so.
01:03:20.791 --> 01:03:26.411
And, you know, and they do know the difference between just,
01:03:26.691 --> 01:03:32.071
I'm trying to stay apolitical here, but, you know, they know the difference
01:03:32.071 --> 01:03:40.151
between those that try to use a platform for certain agendas and versus,
01:03:40.471 --> 01:03:41.231
you know, what's reality.
01:03:41.791 --> 01:03:45.931
And so I just think it really comes back to how you balance this,
01:03:46.051 --> 01:03:49.511
is you have to have families and parents still involved with their kids.
01:03:49.631 --> 01:03:52.551
How often do you see, and I'm guilty of this too, right?
01:03:52.711 --> 01:03:57.491
But I also balance it with parental guidance with them, is how often do you
01:03:57.491 --> 01:04:01.851
see parents, even when kids are, they can't even talk yet, and to keep them
01:04:01.851 --> 01:04:03.491
distracted, give them a cell phone. Right, right.
01:04:04.457 --> 01:04:08.677
And it's an easy way of parenting, right? But, you know, back in the day when
01:04:08.677 --> 01:04:13.537
my boys were young, I would make weird noises, play sounds with them, pick them up, you know.
01:04:13.877 --> 01:04:17.057
And, you know, and if they do say something wrong, I would check them, right?
01:04:17.497 --> 01:04:20.077
Well, that's why restaurants still give you crayons and stuff.
01:04:20.417 --> 01:04:22.177
Yeah, yeah. Well, I don't know. Do they?
01:04:22.517 --> 01:04:25.057
Some do. Because my kids aren't falling more. Some of the fondly ones do.
01:04:25.157 --> 01:04:26.317
Yeah, yeah. We have a six-year-old.
01:04:26.477 --> 01:04:31.697
Oh, okay. They do. They still usually a lot of restaurants, especially more
01:04:31.697 --> 01:04:34.217
the family-orientated restaurants.
01:04:34.457 --> 01:04:36.357
You know, they have a little crayon
01:04:36.357 --> 01:04:39.857
set there and the kid can draw or do tic-tac-toe and things like that.
01:04:40.197 --> 01:04:44.397
And, Andrew, I mean, I'm sorry I keep on going back to, not the same answer,
01:04:44.537 --> 01:04:46.237
but very similar families, right?
01:04:46.357 --> 01:04:52.617
No, it's okay. To me, we've lost a lot in the years, you know, this country.
01:04:53.217 --> 01:04:59.337
My family came here for the opportunities, for the successes of others that we see.
01:04:59.477 --> 01:05:04.317
We wish it upon ourselves and others. And I just feel like in probably the last
01:05:04.317 --> 01:05:09.917
10, 15 years, it's just, I think we lose that value.
01:05:10.597 --> 01:05:14.297
It's almost not a value anymore. It's like so easily just to give it away.
01:05:14.897 --> 01:05:18.937
And, you know, especially after just all that's been happening in the last,
01:05:19.177 --> 01:05:24.297
gosh, three years, four years, I think we need to bring it back.
01:05:24.517 --> 01:05:27.897
I mean, what can we do to do that? I think we need to bring programs back.
01:05:27.897 --> 01:05:32.037
We need to bring resources back for the families. We got to just make sure that
01:05:32.037 --> 01:05:35.217
our families have the authority to be parents again.
01:05:35.517 --> 01:05:39.897
We have to have parents feel comfortable that they can raise their kids.
01:05:40.577 --> 01:05:45.677
And then I just really feel that with that, we're going to make a difference.
01:05:45.917 --> 01:05:49.397
Yeah. With all these other things, the bullet points on my website and all these
01:05:49.397 --> 01:05:52.537
other issues that we, homelessness, mental health.
01:05:53.037 --> 01:05:56.417
Gosh, it all starts with one.
01:05:56.877 --> 01:06:00.657
It all starts with one person. Yeah. And, you know, and then it branches out
01:06:00.657 --> 01:06:02.717
It's all, you know, there's a saying, it all starts with me.
01:06:03.611 --> 01:06:06.391
Right it all starts with you and we forget that and
01:06:06.391 --> 01:06:09.231
we always depend on others to take care
01:06:09.231 --> 01:06:11.891
of our problems you know and we need to stop that and we need
01:06:11.891 --> 01:06:15.391
to bring back the family values again raise our kids um
01:06:15.391 --> 01:06:20.311
make sure they're they're they respect others and that's another thing too at
01:06:20.311 --> 01:06:25.551
truth the respect is just sometimes we lose we lose value of that too yeah yeah
01:06:25.551 --> 01:06:30.771
you know you know even to today i'm 50 years old when i see my elders you know
01:06:30.771 --> 01:06:32.631
i still don't feel like i'm 50 Maybe that's why,
01:06:32.691 --> 01:06:36.251
but when I see someone that's older than me, I give them the respectful title,
01:06:36.611 --> 01:06:41.391
you know, sir, or in my language, we have certain titles we give.
01:06:41.631 --> 01:06:45.911
And I remember just talking to someone that was like about 20 years older than
01:06:45.911 --> 01:06:49.291
me, and there's a saying in Vietnamese, we call them, you know,
01:06:49.491 --> 01:06:53.711
Joe, which is like uncle or back, which is another version of uncle,
01:06:54.051 --> 01:06:59.591
or a more relatable age, closer title, which is Adam, which is like big brother.
01:07:00.131 --> 01:07:03.171
But generally speaking, I've always tried to give respect to my elders.
01:07:03.331 --> 01:07:06.331
And he was 20 years older and I called him Joe, which is uncle, right?
01:07:06.571 --> 01:07:09.891
And he looked at me, he said, hey, how old are you? And I'm like,
01:07:09.931 --> 01:07:12.971
I'm 50. He said, well, I'm only 70 and you're making me feel old.
01:07:13.171 --> 01:07:17.811
I'm just so used to being respectful, you know? And he told me to call him big brother.
01:07:19.151 --> 01:07:23.931
But that's how I'm raised, right? And, you know, my kids, I keep on coming back
01:07:23.931 --> 01:07:25.411
to my boys. I'm very proud of them.
01:07:25.951 --> 01:07:31.051
Um, you know, my oldest, I remember, uh, he just, I just picked him up from
01:07:31.051 --> 01:07:32.711
college and this was about three years ago.
01:07:33.071 --> 01:07:37.011
And these are things that one, as a, when parents do something for the kids,
01:07:37.131 --> 01:07:39.091
you hope that it triggers something, they'll remember it.
01:07:39.291 --> 01:07:43.011
This is something where my kid did something and I still to this day remember it.
01:07:43.271 --> 01:07:46.831
This is something where my kid did something and I still to this day remember
01:07:46.831 --> 01:07:50.031
it. I took him to Costco to load him up with, you know, food.
01:07:50.211 --> 01:07:53.191
I was walking, not really paying attention to him. He's to my side.
01:07:53.191 --> 01:07:58.031
And as I'm talking, I hear him like, I hear his voice being a distance saying
01:07:58.031 --> 01:07:58.731
something, something else.
01:07:58.811 --> 01:08:03.591
So I turn real quick and I see him helping this elderly lady with groceries.
01:08:04.171 --> 01:08:07.331
And, you know, shame on me for just walking on by, right?
01:08:08.599 --> 01:08:12.939
And so I thought, oh, my God, because maybe in my mind, she didn't look like she needed help. Right.
01:08:13.199 --> 01:08:17.959
But he took it upon himself to stop and said, would you need help? And she said, sure.
01:08:18.319 --> 01:08:23.179
And he was putting, and without saying a word to me or asking me,
01:08:23.339 --> 01:08:26.199
he just did it. And this was his, I want to say, first year in college.
01:08:26.359 --> 01:08:28.999
Oh, that's cool. And I looked at him like, I just left him alone.
01:08:29.199 --> 01:08:34.639
Yeah. I didn't, I just looked at him and I just remember thinking, wow, I did all right.
01:08:34.859 --> 01:08:38.859
Yeah. You know, and, you know, he's, so. It's a proud dad moment.
01:08:38.999 --> 01:08:43.719
Yeah, family values to me is, to me, is the most important thing.
01:08:43.879 --> 01:08:47.779
Um, because again, we've lost, I mean, so much is going on with family values.
01:08:48.776 --> 01:08:51.756
If they want our kids to believe certain things, they want, you know,
01:08:51.896 --> 01:08:54.576
just leave it alone. Let the family deal with it. Yeah.
01:08:54.756 --> 01:08:58.776
Let us be independent of all the crazy things that are going around us and let
01:08:58.776 --> 01:09:00.276
us be families and parents again.
01:09:00.476 --> 01:09:06.176
As we move along and you were talking about family values and obviously some
01:09:06.176 --> 01:09:09.336
type of programs to help families get back on track with this,
01:09:09.656 --> 01:09:11.236
you know, this leads us into education.
01:09:11.556 --> 01:09:13.896
Yeah. Education is a big point. Big.
01:09:15.676 --> 01:09:19.856
And, you know, I'm sure you have quite a bit to say about that too.
01:09:20.156 --> 01:09:23.996
So how do you feel that education is going?
01:09:24.176 --> 01:09:29.676
Do you feel that they're losing out on funding now? Is that a problem?
01:09:29.796 --> 01:09:31.816
Is it not? I mean, where do you sit with it?
01:09:33.576 --> 01:09:36.936
This is a hot topic. My wife's a teacher, by the way.
01:09:37.296 --> 01:09:39.616
You mentioned that earlier. I thought there would be a little bit of that.
01:09:39.616 --> 01:09:44.196
My wife's a teacher, um, and I see the struggle she has.
01:09:44.356 --> 01:09:47.896
Right. I mean, just recently we just, you know, I, um, we went to buy,
01:09:47.916 --> 01:09:51.836
um, some stockings for her classroom and for her coworker.
01:09:52.216 --> 01:09:55.416
She's going to kill me for me telling you this. But, uh, so we went to what,
01:09:55.496 --> 01:09:58.036
Walmart, I believe. I think it was Walmart. Yeah. Or Target.
01:09:58.756 --> 01:10:02.336
And we bought 44, 50 stockings.
01:10:02.496 --> 01:10:05.716
And I was like, what's this for? It's like, it's for my classroom.
01:10:05.716 --> 01:10:07.976
And I'm just thinking, all right. The whole time I was thinking,
01:10:08.236 --> 01:10:15.416
teachers do so much on their own time with their own money for the kids,
01:10:15.416 --> 01:10:22.456
while school districts waste money and spend things on programs that don't help
01:10:22.456 --> 01:10:26.796
teachers to do the things that the teachers want to do for their kids, right?
01:10:26.796 --> 01:10:37.556
And I say that, and it's because, to me, schools have to focus on education. Kids come first.
01:10:38.156 --> 01:10:41.156
And, you know, the teachers' union is not going to like this,
01:10:41.256 --> 01:10:45.076
but my wife's a teacher, so I feel comfortable saying it. Yeah.
01:10:45.850 --> 01:10:52.090
Students come first, not teachers. And, you know, time, time again, we forget that.
01:10:52.370 --> 01:10:57.330
And so unions and folks always focus on the teachers' unions.
01:10:57.950 --> 01:11:02.610
I'm sorry I'm getting a little political here, but we lose track of why the
01:11:02.610 --> 01:11:09.030
teachers are there and it's for the kids. and going back again, family values.
01:11:09.210 --> 01:11:14.730
I'm sorry to say, but our schools sometimes fail in helping our families teach
01:11:14.730 --> 01:11:17.150
family values. Instead, they do the complete opposite.
01:11:17.450 --> 01:11:20.390
They indoctrinate things that they shouldn't.
01:11:20.530 --> 01:11:26.430
They should focus on education, math, English, history, and so forth,
01:11:26.450 --> 01:11:32.730
and let the families teach the values, the social issues, right?
01:11:32.730 --> 01:11:39.310
And so, to me, when you talk about money, when you talk about funding,
01:11:39.650 --> 01:11:42.590
I don't believe that teachers get enough.
01:11:43.170 --> 01:11:47.570
It's because the district doesn't pass it down to them. Okay.
01:11:47.850 --> 01:11:50.650
Teachers are where the money needs to go. Right. Right?
01:11:51.650 --> 01:11:57.550
Teachers, I mean, when you see my wife and her co-workers going out there spending
01:11:57.550 --> 01:12:01.810
their own money just so their kids can experience Christmas. Right.
01:12:02.110 --> 01:12:07.530
Right? And we're more than happy to do it, but it brings up the bigger question.
01:12:08.070 --> 01:12:12.950
So why are teachers who I feel are underpaid for the things that they're expected
01:12:12.950 --> 01:12:15.930
to do, why are they doing it when the district leaves?
01:12:17.079 --> 01:12:22.939
Some of these highly, you know, ranking district members are getting hundreds
01:12:22.939 --> 01:12:24.479
and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
01:12:25.079 --> 01:12:28.599
Um, why are the teachers going out there spending their own money?
01:12:28.819 --> 01:12:32.579
Now, do you think, cause you mentioned this earlier about when, uh,
01:12:32.919 --> 01:12:35.959
folks do things for their own like political gain, let's say,
01:12:35.999 --> 01:12:43.059
do you feel that maybe some of that has to do with districts are playing the
01:12:43.059 --> 01:12:45.379
political game and that's where they're spending money somewhere?
01:12:45.379 --> 01:12:48.839
Or because they became more like a corporation and they're looking like,
01:12:48.939 --> 01:12:53.279
well, I need to make reserves or, you know, what do you see? It's both.
01:12:53.579 --> 01:12:56.439
I mean, a school, to me, school is a business. Yeah. Because,
01:12:56.439 --> 01:12:59.059
yeah, because each kid, there's a dollar sign on each kid, right?
01:12:59.179 --> 01:13:00.139
And the state gives funding.
01:13:00.339 --> 01:13:04.739
The state gives funding to like kids that are present and who are absent and so forth.
01:13:06.159 --> 01:13:09.439
And then there's a political thing. You know, what's interesting is school district
01:13:09.439 --> 01:13:14.899
to me is some of the most political boards out there. sometimes even more political
01:13:14.899 --> 01:13:18.799
than city councils, you know, or county supervisor seats.
01:13:18.939 --> 01:13:22.399
The school boards are very political, and it shouldn't be.
01:13:22.579 --> 01:13:25.659
It should all be about the education of the kids, right?
01:13:26.219 --> 01:13:31.359
But yet they focus on social issues instead of just the simple educating our
01:13:31.359 --> 01:13:33.579
kids. And why do you think it swayed that way?
01:13:34.228 --> 01:13:36.948
It's because of where you live. You know, we're in California.
01:13:37.328 --> 01:13:40.728
And unfortunately, I don't want to get political, but I guess I should. You should do.
01:13:41.828 --> 01:13:44.428
It's okay. It's okay. Because you were telling me you're trying to stay neutral,
01:13:44.548 --> 01:13:46.388
but at the same time. It's okay. You don't have to be.
01:13:46.668 --> 01:13:53.168
Yeah. No, I think that the teachers, the unions have lost sight of what they're
01:13:53.168 --> 01:13:54.908
there for. And it's for the kids.
01:13:55.188 --> 01:13:58.968
And you provide the resources to the teachers for the kids. And so the unions
01:13:58.968 --> 01:14:03.668
nowadays are more involved in political issues than just bringing,
01:14:03.888 --> 01:14:07.408
just making it simple, basic funding for the kids. Right.
01:14:07.588 --> 01:14:13.988
And I say that, I'll say this, for example, Prop 50, the CTA spent how many,
01:14:14.028 --> 01:14:15.328
how many millions for Prop 50?
01:14:15.528 --> 01:14:18.308
I mean, what does that have to do with kids? Right.
01:14:18.788 --> 01:14:22.008
Right. You could, I mean, you can argue all, you know, the representatives.
01:14:22.028 --> 01:14:25.968
Well, where the money's coming for districts, I suppose that's what an argument could be, right?
01:14:26.468 --> 01:14:29.548
But really, the money's coming from the state of California. Sure.
01:14:29.988 --> 01:14:33.088
Right? It's one big pot, right? Right. It was supposed to come from the state of California, right?
01:14:33.288 --> 01:14:37.928
And so, but they're gerrymandering a congressional district,
01:14:37.928 --> 01:14:42.128
right? And I get that in Congress, there's some things going on with the educational
01:14:42.128 --> 01:14:44.208
department as well. I get that.
01:14:46.388 --> 01:14:49.328
I really look at, like, how is that helping our kids?
01:14:49.828 --> 01:14:53.408
You know, and to me, it really should be just simple. Life is a lot simpler
01:14:53.408 --> 01:14:56.768
if you just kind of just narrow down what your purpose is in life, right?
01:14:56.908 --> 01:15:00.488
And what you need to do instead of worrying about all these bigger things.
01:15:00.508 --> 01:15:03.868
Because when you just focus on what your job is, it actually makes it a lot
01:15:03.868 --> 01:15:05.168
easier and simple, right?
01:15:05.208 --> 01:15:10.748
And to me, the funding that the teachers unions use are for things that shouldn't
01:15:10.748 --> 01:15:13.348
necessarily be for political.
01:15:13.448 --> 01:15:16.268
It should always be for the kids. And, of course, they'll argue that,
01:15:16.408 --> 01:15:18.848
right? They'll argue that. And it's interesting because, like I said, my wife's a teacher.
01:15:19.808 --> 01:15:23.128
And, you know, her union, you know, is part of it as well.
01:15:24.048 --> 01:15:32.088
And, you know, teachers, I get that they want to support this. Not all, by the way.
01:15:32.508 --> 01:15:37.708
The unions, I should say. But at the same time, the same teacher, like, what about us?
01:15:38.208 --> 01:15:39.788
You know, and what about our kids?
01:15:40.368 --> 01:15:45.088
And to me, the teachers' union is so strong. But if they're so strong,
01:15:45.548 --> 01:15:49.488
one teacher shouldn't have to go out there and spend their own personal money
01:15:49.488 --> 01:15:53.988
to support their classroom. They should all be funded for that.
01:15:54.268 --> 01:16:01.888
So do you feel in Congress, do you feel that that is something that you would
01:16:01.888 --> 01:16:06.488
look at changing through legislation where if there were funds coming,
01:16:06.668 --> 01:16:09.728
there would be sort of like stipulations or where those funds should go?
01:16:09.988 --> 01:16:14.388
Where do you sit with that? Again, so me being a Republican,
01:16:14.748 --> 01:16:18.128
less government is my policy, right? Right.
01:16:18.368 --> 01:16:22.648
So I can't just all of a sudden say, oh, when it benefits me or it benefits,
01:16:22.668 --> 01:16:27.088
you know, anti-union that we should interfere and write legislation to interfere that, right?
01:16:27.248 --> 01:16:30.368
And I think that's the problem sometimes. It's like it's...
01:16:31.429 --> 01:16:36.309
We're one party, but we forget what our tenets are, our policies are.
01:16:36.809 --> 01:16:40.629
And then, so, and I'm just talking about the Republican Party on both sides. Sure.
01:16:41.569 --> 01:16:48.569
But what we can do is allow resources and an opportunity to make it legal for
01:16:48.569 --> 01:16:52.589
teachers, one, if they want to pull out of their unions, to do so.
01:16:52.709 --> 01:17:01.129
Oh, okay. And to also be a part of another program where they won't get penalized
01:17:01.129 --> 01:17:06.789
or get covered or covered for benefits moving forward, right?
01:17:07.209 --> 01:17:11.089
And so it should be independent. It should be—and again, this is part of me
01:17:11.089 --> 01:17:15.809
being a conservative and Republicans, I believe, in independency, right?
01:17:15.969 --> 01:17:19.529
And so teachers should be allowed to pick and choose what union they want to
01:17:19.529 --> 01:17:23.509
be in, not the only one that's there at their school. Okay. or the school district.
01:17:24.129 --> 01:17:27.369
And in doing so, that really creates competition. And so they're going to say,
01:17:27.389 --> 01:17:30.289
well, we just lost a few of our members because they didn't believe in what we do.
01:17:30.449 --> 01:17:35.689
We should stay out of politics and just make sure we just support the very essence
01:17:35.689 --> 01:17:38.029
why we exist is our students and our teachers.
01:17:38.329 --> 01:17:42.349
Same thing with the Chamber of Commerce. You stay out of politics because your
01:17:42.349 --> 01:17:46.589
existence is to help businesses and those who are elected into office to work
01:17:46.589 --> 01:17:49.049
with them regardless of their party.
01:17:49.549 --> 01:17:53.329
So when you're allowed to be independent And then all of a sudden,
01:17:53.529 --> 01:17:57.229
because I believe, you know, there's a program out there that allows teachers
01:17:57.229 --> 01:18:04.009
to join a different union or a different group, but it's not widely accepted.
01:18:04.009 --> 01:18:06.749
And so how do unions really control education?
01:18:08.446 --> 01:18:14.186
Their members is where their union dues go. It covers their benefits, legal defense.
01:18:14.446 --> 01:18:17.606
You know, I know this because I'm a police officer. I was part of the association.
01:18:18.006 --> 01:18:20.846
It's very important, um, that, uh, we get represented, right?
01:18:20.926 --> 01:18:22.006
So that's how they control it.
01:18:22.366 --> 01:18:26.866
But when it's free market, eventually these units will start losing members
01:18:26.866 --> 01:18:27.966
and they're going to, and that's
01:18:27.966 --> 01:18:30.806
why they don't want it because they can control their members. Right.
01:18:31.106 --> 01:18:34.466
And so I just think it needs to be a free market. There's a purpose for everything. Right.
01:18:34.666 --> 01:18:38.006
You just got to compete for it. And then so legally I would,
01:18:38.446 --> 01:18:43.826
I was looking to how we can allow these, uh, union members to join whatever they want.
01:18:44.206 --> 01:18:47.906
Uh, if it's another unit somewhere that gives better benefits or because they
01:18:47.906 --> 01:18:49.286
believe their cause is stronger.
01:18:49.606 --> 01:18:53.226
Um, right now there's a stronghold. If you work for this company or this group,
01:18:53.346 --> 01:18:54.426
you have to be stuck there.
01:18:54.546 --> 01:18:58.586
You gotta, you gotta pay your member dues and your, and then our board tells
01:18:58.586 --> 01:19:00.506
directs what, what happens. Wow.
01:19:00.946 --> 01:19:04.406
You know, and, and, and I, and I use this, and again, from experience is that,
01:19:05.006 --> 01:19:07.906
you know, uh, when I was a police officer and as a president of the, the, i
01:19:07.906 --> 01:19:11.066
was actually the president of the police officer association okay uh which
01:19:11.066 --> 01:19:14.986
in the essence you can call it a union but we believe it's not just because
01:19:14.986 --> 01:19:19.226
we're an association one thing that separates us from unions is we don't have
01:19:19.226 --> 01:19:24.546
the right to strike no exactly there's no work right yeah well if there's there's
01:19:24.546 --> 01:19:28.166
a good reason for it right we and we take an oath to serve so regardless of
01:19:28.166 --> 01:19:29.566
what our benefits are what our.
01:19:30.313 --> 01:19:34.053
What we believe, how much we should get paid. Ultimately, we took an oath to
01:19:34.053 --> 01:19:35.753
protect our community. Sure.
01:19:35.973 --> 01:19:39.133
And we're not going to just stop just because our benefits aren't there, right? Right.
01:19:40.133 --> 01:19:46.173
And so, you know, when I was president, we moved from one group into another
01:19:46.173 --> 01:19:49.493
group because that group allowed for independency.
01:19:50.473 --> 01:19:53.493
And it just worked better for us. It was a lot cheaper, too.
01:19:53.873 --> 01:19:57.973
And it's just, it's been great for our members. And when I was the president
01:19:57.973 --> 01:20:03.493
of the association, I remember, um, and I was a safety committee member at the time in Cerrito.
01:20:03.613 --> 01:20:07.793
So I had like the experience of being in a public sector as a,
01:20:07.893 --> 01:20:09.333
you know, not an elected, but as appointed.
01:20:09.513 --> 01:20:12.513
So I was dealing with politics a little bit and I became the president of the
01:20:12.513 --> 01:20:15.413
association. I remember going to the city council of Torrance and I just introduced
01:20:15.413 --> 01:20:17.733
myself kind of like what you're planning on doing tonight, right?
01:20:17.753 --> 01:20:20.333
Just going to say, Hey, I'm the new president.
01:20:20.633 --> 01:20:25.113
And, uh, and this is the time of their negotiating our, um, our, our package, I believe.
01:20:25.513 --> 01:20:28.713
And I just told him, look, you know, I just want to be very clear with you here.
01:20:29.053 --> 01:20:32.513
And me, first time a president just showed up at a council meeting just to speak.
01:20:32.973 --> 01:20:36.053
I just, I want to be very clear with the council. First, I want to introduce
01:20:36.053 --> 01:20:37.633
myself. You know, I'm the new president.
01:20:38.193 --> 01:20:42.133
And I want you to know that no matter what happens at the table,
01:20:42.133 --> 01:20:47.313
I promise you basically that our members will continue to serve this city regardless.
01:20:48.193 --> 01:20:51.793
And, you know, and I walked away. And, you know, because, you know,
01:20:51.853 --> 01:20:54.653
we took an oath. We believed in it. And we're going to continue to work.
01:20:55.113 --> 01:20:59.173
You know so so that's why we're different and we're not really a union in a
01:20:59.173 --> 01:21:01.373
sense because we don't have the right to to strike.
01:21:02.280 --> 01:21:05.380
You know, the way you mention it there, all I'm thinking is what you'd mentioned
01:21:05.380 --> 01:21:09.660
very early on about freedom and freedom of, you know, the speech,
01:21:09.840 --> 01:21:12.540
freedom of, you know, doing, doing what you'd like to do.
01:21:12.660 --> 01:21:16.820
And it's almost like your freedom's taken away if you're told you can only join
01:21:16.820 --> 01:21:19.620
that one group. Oh yeah, no, that's. It's not really.
01:21:20.280 --> 01:21:26.040
Well, yeah, I mean, it's, I mean, I technically, it's a choice when you apply to work there.
01:21:26.280 --> 01:21:30.120
Well, sure. Well, you do have an option sometimes. It's completely not be a
01:21:30.120 --> 01:21:34.360
member at all and not pay your member dues. Oh, okay. But then you don't have any coverage.
01:21:34.640 --> 01:21:37.920
I see. You lose benefits that the union promises.
01:21:38.280 --> 01:21:44.380
So they give you a reason why you should join, and they definitely punish you
01:21:44.380 --> 01:21:47.280
if you don't in the sense that they don't, you know, everything that you deserve,
01:21:47.300 --> 01:21:48.400
they'll take away. Right.
01:21:49.400 --> 01:21:55.520
But, yeah, no, to me, you know, it's all about allowing the folks to decide
01:21:55.520 --> 01:21:57.400
on their own in everything, though.
01:21:57.820 --> 01:22:02.720
Right. And, you know, in life, I'm big on that. It's like, hey,
01:22:03.220 --> 01:22:04.940
less government intrusion.
01:22:05.840 --> 01:22:10.460
Let government be there to protect us. You know, government shouldn't tell us
01:22:10.460 --> 01:22:13.080
what our rights are. They should be there to protect our rights.
01:22:13.480 --> 01:22:18.360
You know, that's a really great at segueing without even knowing.
01:22:18.880 --> 01:22:26.140
So another part is, so a couple of weeks ago, we interviewed Lisa Ramirez,
01:22:26.340 --> 01:22:28.960
who's also running for Congress in a different district.
01:22:29.440 --> 01:22:32.640
And she's an immigration lawyer. and one
01:22:32.640 --> 01:22:35.440
of the topics she mentioned is that there needs to
01:22:35.440 --> 01:22:42.020
be immigration reform as in they need to go back the 40 years that they've had
01:22:42.020 --> 01:22:45.080
it they haven't re-looked at it and they need to go back and it's funny you
01:22:45.080 --> 01:22:48.900
said something very similar to that about the system with taxes we need to go
01:22:48.900 --> 01:22:54.580
all the way back and figure it out where do you stand and what do you see uh politically even,
01:22:54.820 --> 01:22:57.600
regarding immigration,
01:22:58.260 --> 01:23:00.760
border management, legal pathways?
01:23:01.280 --> 01:23:03.080
Yeah, so first off, nothing's ever.
01:23:04.225 --> 01:23:08.525
Cut and dry. Cut and dry, but nothing is ever fixed. No.
01:23:08.825 --> 01:23:12.505
So when you say, let's go back and look at things, we should always go back
01:23:12.505 --> 01:23:15.965
and re-examine things. We can't just say, hey, this is the way it is forever.
01:23:16.225 --> 01:23:20.585
Right. Everything should be evolving, you know, policies, laws,
01:23:20.885 --> 01:23:21.965
procedures, and so forth.
01:23:22.105 --> 01:23:28.185
We should always make sure that we look at it and see, is it evolving in a way
01:23:28.185 --> 01:23:31.105
that makes sense for our time, right?
01:23:31.165 --> 01:23:34.645
Because America today is different than 1776. Sure.
01:23:35.405 --> 01:23:39.445
So we have to constantly evolve, right? So for someone to say,
01:23:39.625 --> 01:23:41.865
yeah, we need to go back and fix it, I agree.
01:23:42.585 --> 01:23:47.685
But not just fix it, just to fix it, to make it better, to make it current for
01:23:47.685 --> 01:23:50.205
what- Fit in today's lives. Today's lives, right?
01:23:50.565 --> 01:23:53.905
That the impacts on our lives today are different than 30, 40 years ago,
01:23:53.985 --> 01:23:57.865
right? Right. And so I agree that we should always look back.
01:23:58.785 --> 01:24:03.825
Immigration, what I see today is, well, first off, I believe in immigration laws, right?
01:24:04.225 --> 01:24:08.305
Uh, we're not a country if we don't enforce our immigration laws,
01:24:08.825 --> 01:24:13.545
not a lot of countries out there have, well, before Trump had borders that are
01:24:13.545 --> 01:24:15.325
so wide open that anyone just crossed.
01:24:15.525 --> 01:24:18.265
Gosh, when I go to other countries, I'm scared to death of their laws.
01:24:18.485 --> 01:24:22.285
I make sure I follow the rules because the last thing I want to do is get in
01:24:22.285 --> 01:24:23.505
trouble in a foreign country.
01:24:23.685 --> 01:24:29.045
Right. But I don't think we have that level of concern when foreigners come
01:24:29.045 --> 01:24:30.745
to our country illegally.
01:24:31.925 --> 01:24:37.065
And so we definitely need to enforce our laws. We need to make sure that our
01:24:37.065 --> 01:24:38.745
borders are definitely secure.
01:24:39.305 --> 01:24:43.645
We are not safe when we don't have a secure border. And the way we're located
01:24:43.645 --> 01:24:48.745
geographically, it's easy to cross our borders illegally.
01:24:48.845 --> 01:24:51.485
And so we need to make sure we protect it.
01:24:52.595 --> 01:24:57.895
Immigration today, the way it's being enforced, you know, one of the things that I've said,
01:24:58.115 --> 01:25:04.595
and I think Lisa brought it up to you, is that my approach as a law enforcement
01:25:04.595 --> 01:25:10.735
officer is what I'm seeing is that we need our immigration agents to get more
01:25:10.735 --> 01:25:12.575
resources, more training,
01:25:12.835 --> 01:25:18.095
and the hiring behind it to make sure we're hiring the best of the best.
01:25:18.095 --> 01:25:24.935
When it comes to individuals that are giving guns and badges to enforce federal laws, right?
01:25:25.195 --> 01:25:28.095
We should not cut corners when it comes to background checks.
01:25:28.535 --> 01:25:32.755
We should not cut corners when it comes to training to let our agents,
01:25:32.915 --> 01:25:35.335
one, make sure they have the training to protect themselves,
01:25:35.335 --> 01:25:39.635
but also protect the folks that they have to enforce, right?
01:25:39.815 --> 01:25:41.275
And then protect the community.
01:25:41.595 --> 01:25:48.355
And then three, give them the resources that they need to follow through on
01:25:48.355 --> 01:25:49.655
the enforcement side of it, right?
01:25:50.015 --> 01:25:52.435
And I say this, and I'll use this as an example.
01:25:52.895 --> 01:25:54.895
And, you know, it depends how you take it.
01:25:56.635 --> 01:26:00.415
But, you know, you have, when you see on TV, the media, right?
01:26:00.635 --> 01:26:04.635
You see these agents going out there, enforcement law, they work hard,
01:26:04.855 --> 01:26:05.795
their lives are threatened.
01:26:06.375 --> 01:26:10.315
They have to, to a point where they have to protect their identity, right?
01:26:11.675 --> 01:26:14.315
People keep on saying like, oh, you know, why are they doing that?
01:26:14.595 --> 01:26:21.415
People forget that they're in danger as well because of the far left that are going out there.
01:26:21.515 --> 01:26:25.455
I mean far left, far, far left, right? They're going out there purposely trying to.
01:26:26.560 --> 01:26:30.580
Reveal who they are, where they live, their families. As a police officer,
01:26:30.760 --> 01:26:35.320
that was our one biggest concern from the day I started the academy to the day
01:26:35.320 --> 01:26:41.380
I retired, still to this day, is that you hope people don't know that you're a police officer.
01:26:41.560 --> 01:26:44.840
It's hard for me now because I'm running for office, right? But the one thing
01:26:44.840 --> 01:26:49.040
they trained us early on is do whatever you can so you don't identify yourself
01:26:49.040 --> 01:26:50.560
as a police officer off-duty.
01:26:51.120 --> 01:26:55.340
And when you're working, just make sure some of us, like at some point they
01:26:55.340 --> 01:26:59.080
even said, hey, you might not even want them to know that you have a family.
01:26:59.320 --> 01:27:02.100
Right. Right? So a lot of police officers, what they do is when they're working,
01:27:02.200 --> 01:27:03.840
they'll take the ring and they'll wear it as a necklace.
01:27:04.000 --> 01:27:07.700
Sure. So that way, when the people they deal with don't know that they're married
01:27:07.700 --> 01:27:09.740
and have families and stuff and so forth, right?
01:27:10.380 --> 01:27:16.580
So this is something new where law enforcement officers are placed in danger because of what they do.
01:27:17.000 --> 01:27:19.160
So people don't even talk about that. They're just constantly,
01:27:19.280 --> 01:27:21.540
oh, you need to identify yourself. You need to do that.
01:27:21.640 --> 01:27:25.260
And I get that. And we're a land of laws, and as government,
01:27:25.280 --> 01:27:28.760
we should be able to identify ourselves, right?
01:27:28.820 --> 01:27:31.380
Because we're the government coming, right?
01:27:31.760 --> 01:27:33.820
But uniforms, they wear.
01:27:34.780 --> 01:27:37.740
There's no secret in who they are, right?
01:27:38.420 --> 01:27:42.560
Clearly identified what agencies they are. Now, can you also say that,
01:27:42.740 --> 01:27:45.860
oh, anyone can just go buy that stuff? Well, anyone can today buy anything.
01:27:46.040 --> 01:27:50.160
That's true. Right? But at the end of the day, when you see things on the media,
01:27:50.820 --> 01:27:53.200
The hardest thing for me to see as a law enforcement officer is this.
01:27:54.197 --> 01:27:58.057
These agents are putting themselves in danger and putting the folks that they
01:27:58.057 --> 01:28:00.877
have to enforce these laws also at risk, right?
01:28:01.057 --> 01:28:05.837
And I say this because I really believe that they would appreciate more training.
01:28:06.477 --> 01:28:09.477
Because when you talk to law enforcement officers, police officers,
01:28:09.977 --> 01:28:13.717
they'll tell you, like, we don't approach a car and just open up the door and you ain't be, wow.
01:28:14.397 --> 01:28:20.337
You know, that's dangerous, right? Yeah. So, I mean, it's not just dangerous
01:28:20.337 --> 01:28:23.277
for the person that they're dealing with, but for themselves.
01:28:23.277 --> 01:28:26.857
Because you don't know who's that person in the car. You don't know they got guns.
01:28:27.457 --> 01:28:31.297
So we approach very cautiously, but we always get the job done.
01:28:31.457 --> 01:28:34.017
It may take a little longer, and maybe that might be the issue,
01:28:34.077 --> 01:28:36.597
is that they don't have that luxury of time.
01:28:37.277 --> 01:28:42.237
But I'll tell you right now, there's no time in the world that you can bring
01:28:42.237 --> 01:28:43.957
back if an agent gets hurt or killed.
01:28:44.397 --> 01:28:49.017
So safety is utmost importance when it comes to enforcing laws, right?
01:28:49.017 --> 01:28:54.797
And so as a, you know, the whole immigration thing is, and I've said this many,
01:28:54.957 --> 01:28:59.217
many places, is that I want to make sure that the agents get the resources they need,
01:28:59.497 --> 01:29:03.537
the training that they need, and we don't cut corners and backgrounds when we
01:29:03.537 --> 01:29:04.557
come to hiring some of these.
01:29:05.037 --> 01:29:11.717
And I'm not questioning these agents. I think they're outstanding when it comes to the work they do.
01:29:11.797 --> 01:29:16.877
And you only see a small percentage of this on TV, right? All the good stuff,
01:29:17.517 --> 01:29:20.037
they don't mention all the self-deportation.
01:29:20.337 --> 01:29:24.417
They don't mention just the simple arrest that these agents make where there's
01:29:24.417 --> 01:29:26.197
no issues, no use of force.
01:29:26.837 --> 01:29:29.777
The media is only going to show the ones that they want to show.
01:29:30.017 --> 01:29:35.637
So that's maybe 10% of it. But unfortunately, that 10%, everyone sees, and now it's magnified.
01:29:35.817 --> 01:29:39.677
And we always, as law enforcement, always make sure that we do it right.
01:29:40.568 --> 01:29:46.588
But also do it right when there's people around because we don't want the public
01:29:46.588 --> 01:29:49.708
to say that, hey, you guys are bad guys.
01:29:50.148 --> 01:29:53.428
We do everything we can to make sure that we are the good guys.
01:29:53.548 --> 01:29:57.008
And I mean, it's looking good also when it comes to the media.
01:29:57.828 --> 01:30:03.268
And so unfortunately, when we see things like officers going out there and doing
01:30:03.268 --> 01:30:06.668
things, sometimes I cringe because I'm like, oh my God, that's just not safe.
01:30:06.668 --> 01:30:12.128
And so at the level of where I'm going, I want to make sure that our agents
01:30:12.128 --> 01:30:15.088
get the training they need and definitely the resources.
01:30:15.468 --> 01:30:20.808
And then I would like to look into, you know, the hiring because I was a background
01:30:20.808 --> 01:30:24.688
investigator for six years. I hired a lot of police officers.
01:30:25.768 --> 01:30:29.628
And I'll tell you, we turned away a lot. I bet. We turned away a lot.
01:30:29.628 --> 01:30:32.668
And so and to to for me
01:30:32.668 --> 01:30:36.288
uh one out of a thousand is a
01:30:36.288 --> 01:30:40.288
lot better than hiring a thousand because even
01:30:40.288 --> 01:30:43.408
though you may need a thousand that thousand is
01:30:43.408 --> 01:30:46.688
going to bring in more problems um than
01:30:46.688 --> 01:30:49.588
that one person that you you you've vetted you
01:30:49.588 --> 01:30:52.628
made sure that they they have a great background they're here for good reasons
01:30:52.628 --> 01:30:55.468
you know and now i don't i don't wish to put you on the spot here
01:30:55.468 --> 01:30:58.568
because i am by the question yeah um and and believe
01:30:58.568 --> 01:31:01.488
you me it's not loaded it's you you
01:31:01.488 --> 01:31:04.428
mentioned there obviously which is very important i totally understand
01:31:04.428 --> 01:31:08.708
that from from being a veteran is that training is very important the right
01:31:08.708 --> 01:31:14.128
type of people are important and you're also talking about timing so in your
01:31:14.128 --> 01:31:20.668
in in what you're seeing as an individual do is it And it just happened too
01:31:20.668 --> 01:31:23.168
quick, pushing it through too fast. I got you.
01:31:23.308 --> 01:31:25.868
It wasn't really strategically thought
01:31:25.868 --> 01:31:29.228
out because there's a lot more that needed to go into the planning.
01:31:29.368 --> 01:31:33.968
Do you feel that that's also part of this? So the problem is it's gone on so
01:31:33.968 --> 01:31:38.368
long without enforcement that we do need enforcement today, right?
01:31:38.608 --> 01:31:41.368
Okay. And so part of it is that we need to do something today.
01:31:41.548 --> 01:31:43.308
If we continue to just...
01:31:44.880 --> 01:31:47.780
Wait on it, then you have a problem that you continue.
01:31:48.000 --> 01:31:53.880
So I get your question to say, hey, is the Trump administration doing this too
01:31:53.880 --> 01:31:57.120
fast, too much, and right now, right?
01:31:57.400 --> 01:32:00.460
And it needed to be done, for one.
01:32:00.600 --> 01:32:04.000
It needed to be done. And it needed to be done because it's gone on so long
01:32:04.000 --> 01:32:05.460
without the enforcement.
01:32:06.420 --> 01:32:10.140
And the message was sent early on, right? Right.
01:32:11.220 --> 01:32:15.160
But once you start enforcing and the word's out, then, you know,
01:32:15.240 --> 01:32:19.520
you kind of maybe slow it down a little bit and say, hey, let's make sure because
01:32:19.520 --> 01:32:23.180
we don't want our agents getting hurt. We don't want our agents getting shot. We don't want, you know.
01:32:23.420 --> 01:32:27.660
And so we need to continue to reevaluate as we move on.
01:32:27.800 --> 01:32:33.540
It shouldn't just be one clear mission and then you just kind of just keep on going with it.
01:32:33.540 --> 01:32:36.720
Keep running with it, right. It evolves like anything else, and you see how
01:32:36.720 --> 01:32:41.040
you can evolve it and evaluate it to make it serve the purpose for the time
01:32:41.040 --> 01:32:42.980
and for the resources you have.
01:32:43.160 --> 01:32:47.400
Right. And that's police work in general, though. We constantly always have to reevaluate.
01:32:48.240 --> 01:32:51.240
And so, to answer your question, is it happening too fast?
01:32:52.320 --> 01:32:53.380
You know, I—.
01:32:54.720 --> 01:32:57.940
I think it needed to be done now instead of waiting.
01:32:58.480 --> 01:33:02.380
But then we have to keep on evaluating as we go. And, you know,
01:33:02.500 --> 01:33:04.680
the message is out there. It's getting enforced.
01:33:05.620 --> 01:33:09.380
And it's just, we just need to make sure that we continue to do it in a manner
01:33:09.380 --> 01:33:13.100
that protects the agents and also sends a clear message.
01:33:13.600 --> 01:33:17.200
So I hope that answers the question. No, it does. Because it seems like that.
01:33:17.300 --> 01:33:19.860
It seems to me like it's just, it's keep like rushing, rushing,
01:33:19.940 --> 01:33:25.040
rushing. And as you mentioned, you know, I think it lands on both sides.
01:33:25.760 --> 01:33:31.080
More importantly, one thing you touched there is, you know, training on,
01:33:31.280 --> 01:33:33.980
you know, how people approach a situation.
01:33:34.120 --> 01:33:40.600
But you are also putting those other people in a danger zone because if you're
01:33:40.600 --> 01:33:45.540
not trained properly as to also how to protect them as they're in your care,
01:33:45.660 --> 01:33:47.840
your trust, whatever you want to call it.
01:33:48.800 --> 01:33:54.500
There is a sense of problems there Because many people If you're hitting a crowd
01:33:54.500 --> 01:33:58.500
An angry crowd You don't know how they're going to respond And if you're unable
01:33:58.500 --> 01:34:03.700
to Get through that situation And at the same time You're now.
01:34:05.887 --> 01:34:10.327
And you're in charge to protect those people you're actually also going after. We're Americans.
01:34:10.587 --> 01:34:14.147
We protect people. Yeah, you know. We are Americans.
01:34:14.307 --> 01:34:18.847
And regardless of what our job is, we're there to serve America with the mentality,
01:34:19.307 --> 01:34:22.367
with the values of Americans, right?
01:34:22.507 --> 01:34:25.707
And we don't just go up there haphazardly just to do things,
01:34:25.827 --> 01:34:29.287
right? Sure. We protect those we serve. We protect those we have to enforce.
01:34:29.487 --> 01:34:33.287
And we protect those who have to do the enforcement, right? So,
01:34:33.427 --> 01:34:35.487
yeah, it's very important. It's very important that, you know,
01:34:35.547 --> 01:34:36.887
to me, those are American values.
01:34:37.047 --> 01:34:39.747
Right, right. When we go to other countries and we, you know,
01:34:40.107 --> 01:34:42.767
at war, we still follow certain guidelines, right? Yeah, yeah,
01:34:42.867 --> 01:34:44.187
set of rules. Right, set of rules.
01:34:44.347 --> 01:34:48.447
And those are American rules, right? We should be proud Americans for doing that.
01:34:49.307 --> 01:34:53.507
So moving on with that, because it sort of lives with it as well.
01:34:54.667 --> 01:35:00.247
And it's, you know, we're seeing a lot with the sending, well,
01:35:00.247 --> 01:35:01.587
it's not U.S. troops, is it?
01:35:01.807 --> 01:35:06.027
Well, they are, but they're sort of home guards. So it's not like the overall
01:35:06.027 --> 01:35:08.087
military that we're seeing. It's another part.
01:35:09.027 --> 01:35:14.667
And obviously, you also mentioned briefly before about San Francisco and how
01:35:14.667 --> 01:35:19.167
that was a bit of a mess and that needs cleaning up and things like that.
01:35:19.347 --> 01:35:21.827
So where do you see this politically?
01:35:22.687 --> 01:35:26.807
You know, you're a congressman, let's say now, and these are things that are
01:35:26.807 --> 01:35:29.327
going on. These are things that are on your desk.
01:35:29.667 --> 01:35:34.047
You know, where do you see you're going to go? What are things you'd like to suggest?
01:35:34.587 --> 01:35:37.787
How do you feel? For public safety? Yeah, for public safety,
01:35:38.147 --> 01:35:46.547
for engagement with what's going on right now with immigration or even local,
01:35:46.867 --> 01:35:51.867
call it local because it's not like our overall U.S. military landing on the doorstep of people.
01:35:52.747 --> 01:35:57.947
Where do you see that going? Well, I mean, if it was up to me,
01:35:58.708 --> 01:36:02.528
It was all up to me. That's a good way of looking at it. It was all up to me.
01:36:02.988 --> 01:36:09.048
Yeah. We need to look at the policies and procedures that we are implementing right now.
01:36:10.008 --> 01:36:13.708
And if you're talking, I mean, I think you're talking about immigration in general,
01:36:13.888 --> 01:36:19.208
such safety is that we need to make sure, again, it's going back to the same
01:36:19.208 --> 01:36:23.488
thing, is that our officers are gatekeepers, right?
01:36:24.028 --> 01:36:27.808
We need to give them the resources and the training that they need.
01:36:27.808 --> 01:36:33.208
And so it was up to me what I've done as a, you know, a hiring guy or as a police
01:36:33.208 --> 01:36:38.188
officer is that we give the authority to those who serve us,
01:36:38.388 --> 01:36:44.648
the authority to do it the way legally to do it, but to stop second guessing
01:36:44.648 --> 01:36:48.588
them and to make sure that they're out there doing their job that they're supposed to do.
01:36:48.808 --> 01:36:52.088
And if, if for one second, if they decide to break those rules,
01:36:52.168 --> 01:36:53.448
then there's consequences, right?
01:36:54.748 --> 01:37:00.128
Being a leader is about leading with examples And that's how I've always been
01:37:00.128 --> 01:37:03.968
If I'm not willing to do it myself I'm not going to tell someone else to do it,
01:37:04.677 --> 01:37:07.457
Um, so I think it's important that you have to show leadership.
01:37:07.457 --> 01:37:12.517
You have to show, um, that you're willing to, uh, back those that support you
01:37:12.517 --> 01:37:18.117
and those that you ask to do a job that is difficult, um, to always be present.
01:37:18.137 --> 01:37:21.877
Um, and to, you know, so it was all up to me.
01:37:22.197 --> 01:37:24.237
I would definitely be there.
01:37:24.677 --> 01:37:30.017
Um, I'm not a guy that sits behind a desk. Um, God, that's the last thing I want to do.
01:37:31.377 --> 01:37:36.657
Is I will be there, and I'll be up there with everybody, and I just don't like
01:37:36.657 --> 01:37:37.597
to stand behind the scenes.
01:37:38.437 --> 01:37:45.337
I think for selfish reasons, when those who serve you feel like you serve them
01:37:45.337 --> 01:37:49.257
and they feel proud to be with you, it makes me feel good.
01:37:50.477 --> 01:37:55.297
For selfish reasons, it makes me feel good. Right. Because when I look out there
01:37:55.297 --> 01:37:59.237
and my constituents in Cerritos, when they tell me, gosh, we miss you.
01:37:59.457 --> 01:38:02.417
We need you back. It just feels good, right?
01:38:03.157 --> 01:38:08.217
Because it tells me I did a good job. Good job, right. And the ones that were
01:38:08.217 --> 01:38:13.777
second-guessing me, the ones that were anti-Chung Bo, and then when I got into office,
01:38:14.317 --> 01:38:19.077
and I did what I did, regardless of how they felt or what they thought I was
01:38:19.077 --> 01:38:22.137
going to do, and time and time again, I always did what was right.
01:38:22.157 --> 01:38:24.917
And then they realized, my gosh, we were wrong about you.
01:38:25.137 --> 01:38:29.357
Right. And so, so that, that to me is very valuable to me.
01:38:30.577 --> 01:38:34.197
And it just, so to answer your question, if it was up to me,
01:38:34.417 --> 01:38:36.817
I think we need to value people again.
01:38:37.257 --> 01:38:40.657
We need to make sure that our job is about the people.
01:38:40.857 --> 01:38:43.677
And I kind of mentioned earlier before we got on camera, it's like there's,
01:38:43.757 --> 01:38:48.097
you know, there's politics, policy. And to me, people should be on top of the list.
01:38:48.537 --> 01:38:51.317
And then from there, it goes right down to policies and politics.
01:38:51.317 --> 01:38:54.917
And so it's important that we serve the people and,
01:38:55.773 --> 01:39:03.653
Yeah, I'm a people guy. And so, you know, moving through that and coming back
01:39:03.653 --> 01:39:08.693
to really what we're here today. And we've learned an awful lot about you.
01:39:08.813 --> 01:39:11.373
And I really appreciate everything you've shared because, you know,
01:39:11.933 --> 01:39:14.113
we've covered quite a lot. Yeah.
01:39:14.993 --> 01:39:19.933
You're the first. Oh, thank you. Oh, I'm so great. That's pretty cool. Yeah.
01:39:22.106 --> 01:39:27.946
With this candidacy and all the work that has to go into it,
01:39:28.026 --> 01:39:32.526
because, you know, it's hard work. People don't see that.
01:39:32.966 --> 01:39:38.466
You're giving up an awful lot. Your family are going to be giving up a lot.
01:39:38.886 --> 01:39:43.486
You are as well. You're basically giving yourself in service.
01:39:43.666 --> 01:39:45.766
Again, it's just a continuation, isn't it?
01:39:46.066 --> 01:39:53.246
You know, checking in, how is your campaign going? How, what are you seeing out there?
01:39:53.586 --> 01:39:56.286
You know, what's... Well, I appreciate you checking in. It's always nice when
01:39:56.286 --> 01:39:57.946
people check in and see how I'm doing.
01:39:59.046 --> 01:40:03.326
It's hard running a campaign. You know, I started running a campaign locally as a city council.
01:40:03.906 --> 01:40:07.086
At this level, it's completely a different monster. You know,
01:40:07.146 --> 01:40:08.186
it's congressional, it's federal.
01:40:08.906 --> 01:40:14.126
And, you know, and it's just, we touch on this real quick, what it means to
01:40:14.126 --> 01:40:17.126
me that I was even asked to run for Congress, right?
01:40:17.566 --> 01:40:22.906
You have a guy named Chungbo that just came from Vietnam and just decided one
01:40:22.906 --> 01:40:26.186
day that, you know, not serving as a police officer wasn't enough.
01:40:26.466 --> 01:40:31.066
And then, and so I said, I'm going to go into politics, right?
01:40:31.506 --> 01:40:35.966
And then all of a sudden I served and then I got recognized or recognition that,
01:40:36.026 --> 01:40:41.746
hey, I did a decent job, you know, a refugee from Vietnam and then was asked to run for Congress.
01:40:41.966 --> 01:40:46.026
To me, I feel like if you ask me checking in, I feel like I'm a winner already.
01:40:46.206 --> 01:40:52.086
Yeah. You know, how often do you have the opportunity to be recognized as somebody
01:40:52.086 --> 01:40:56.006
that is of service and then also be asked to run for an even bigger office, right?
01:40:56.326 --> 01:40:59.846
So to me, I feel like I'm already a winner. And so for that, I thank everybody.
01:41:01.286 --> 01:41:10.266
This campaign is a lot of work. You know, this is something that came out of a retirement that.
01:41:10.844 --> 01:41:15.564
You know, I retired from the council in March and then retired as a police officer in June.
01:41:16.144 --> 01:41:19.144
And then one month later, I get phone calls.
01:41:19.724 --> 01:41:24.784
And I'm very flattered, very appreciative. And after months of thought and consideration
01:41:24.784 --> 01:41:29.344
with my family, we decided, hey, let's do it, you know.
01:41:30.664 --> 01:41:35.684
And since then, it's just been just go, go, go, go. Sure. It's just been nonstop
01:41:35.684 --> 01:41:37.084
meeting people like you, Andrew.
01:41:37.724 --> 01:41:42.604
And the best part, and again, I'm a people person. The best part is meeting people. Right.
01:41:43.162 --> 01:41:46.482
Um, and I tell people, if you just put me in front of somebody,
01:41:46.742 --> 01:41:50.942
I surely believe I can, I can win the hearts and the minds of those folks once
01:41:50.942 --> 01:41:51.982
they get to know me. Right.
01:41:52.502 --> 01:41:54.922
Because, uh, you know, I'm not someone out here that's just going to,
01:41:55.142 --> 01:41:56.662
you know, BS you to death.
01:41:57.042 --> 01:41:59.602
Um, I'm going to tell you how I really feel. If you like it,
01:41:59.662 --> 01:42:01.942
you like it. If you don't, then vote for the other person. Sure.
01:42:02.122 --> 01:42:05.362
I mean, that's, that's democracy, right? That's, that's the whole election process.
01:42:05.562 --> 01:42:08.942
Yeah. And so why am I going to lie to you so you can vote for me and then I
01:42:08.942 --> 01:42:11.682
just do something completely different. Right, right. So at the end of the day,
01:42:11.802 --> 01:42:12.822
if I'm the best candidate.
01:42:13.162 --> 01:42:17.282
I want you to believe that I am and you'll vote for me. If I'm not in your eyes,
01:42:17.422 --> 01:42:20.242
then vote for the other person, right? And that's, that's just the way it works.
01:42:20.382 --> 01:42:22.642
I won't get offended. I won't, it won't be personal.
01:42:23.182 --> 01:42:26.182
So it's just go, go, go meeting great people.
01:42:28.002 --> 01:42:32.522
What I really enjoy is meeting those that disagree with me. So we have a conversation
01:42:32.522 --> 01:42:35.022
and I learn a lot from those folks as well.
01:42:35.782 --> 01:42:39.382
But yeah, it's been a go, go thing. You know, fundraising is,
01:42:39.442 --> 01:42:42.302
is one of those things that as a congressional candidate, it.
01:42:42.462 --> 01:42:44.682
It's nonstop. You run every two years.
01:42:44.942 --> 01:42:49.062
And that's what I'm learning as well is that, you know, fundraising, you just got to do it.
01:42:49.382 --> 01:42:52.762
Um, the hardest thing I've always, you know, just the way I was raised,
01:42:52.942 --> 01:42:56.722
the hardest thing is you earn your own money and you, you, you do what you need to do.
01:42:57.182 --> 01:42:59.882
The hardest thing for me, except when I started running for office was asking
01:42:59.882 --> 01:43:03.302
other people's money, you know, and I've gotten good at it now.
01:43:04.202 --> 01:43:07.502
I've gotten good at it. You could learn something from me because I have a terrible time asking.
01:43:07.802 --> 01:43:11.522
I'm good at earning, but not as asking you know i've always said but you know
01:43:11.522 --> 01:43:15.162
i can't do it myself i don't tell other people do it right and so in that instance
01:43:15.162 --> 01:43:19.742
though where i've changed a little bit is that i see those folks that don't
01:43:19.742 --> 01:43:25.962
have the opportunity to serve like me um that see those folks uh that uh may feel um.
01:43:28.499 --> 01:43:31.559
Lack of a better term, like shy about being in politics.
01:43:31.839 --> 01:43:37.559
You know, the quiet majority type of folks that you really don't want to put
01:43:37.559 --> 01:43:38.899
themselves out there, right?
01:43:39.199 --> 01:43:44.039
And I said, hey, that's me. I will do it for you. You know, I'll hopefully speak
01:43:44.419 --> 01:43:47.559
what you believe in. I hopefully have the vision that you see.
01:43:47.939 --> 01:43:51.519
I hope that I have the, you know, the actions that you would do.
01:43:52.699 --> 01:43:56.039
But yet you don't have to do it. Let me do it. And in doing so,
01:43:56.039 --> 01:43:56.919
though, I need your help.
01:43:57.039 --> 01:43:59.859
I need your support i need your you know i need
01:43:59.859 --> 01:44:02.759
your money um and the only reason why
01:44:02.759 --> 01:44:07.779
is i can't do any of this without that because i can be the greatest candidate
01:44:07.779 --> 01:44:12.039
in the world but without the funding without the support without the donations
01:44:12.039 --> 01:44:17.379
my voice doesn't get heard at all right unfortunately in today's time like like
01:44:17.379 --> 01:44:20.659
here in media you know and thank you for doing this for free by the way.
01:44:21.719 --> 01:44:25.579
But at the end of the day it is spending money to get my voice out there to
01:44:25.579 --> 01:44:28.239
let people know that i I am the candidate that will serve you.
01:44:28.599 --> 01:44:32.979
And so it's been exciting.
01:44:33.279 --> 01:44:36.519
I've met really, I can't say enough about meeting great people because,
01:44:36.679 --> 01:44:38.059
you know, being from LA County,
01:44:39.111 --> 01:44:44.331
Um, you know, being in LA County politics, I, uh, it's hard sometimes to cross
01:44:44.331 --> 01:44:46.231
the, they call it the orange curtain, right? Sure.
01:44:46.611 --> 01:44:50.631
Right. And so, um, so I'm able to now cross the orange curtain.
01:44:50.811 --> 01:44:53.951
So, and, and meet so many good people from Orange County, um,
01:44:54.391 --> 01:44:56.651
being it's a very conservative county as well.
01:44:57.091 --> 01:45:01.611
It's, it's, it's nice to meet, um, like-minded people, but also,
01:45:01.691 --> 01:45:04.751
like I said, I also am very interested in meeting those who may disagree,
01:45:04.751 --> 01:45:06.871
but have a, a civil conversation.
01:45:07.311 --> 01:45:09.071
And so we can both learn from each other.
01:45:09.691 --> 01:45:15.051
I actually enjoy those conversations sometimes more because there's perspectives
01:45:15.051 --> 01:45:18.791
that I've never understood before and that's just who I am.
01:45:18.911 --> 01:45:23.371
So campaign-wise, I've been working hard, meeting greets, doing fundraisers
01:45:23.371 --> 01:45:26.171
where I can. It's hard right now because of the holidays.
01:45:26.771 --> 01:45:30.371
So in our respect of the holidays, I'm trying to step back a little bit,
01:45:30.871 --> 01:45:33.791
but starting at the beginning of next year, it's going to be go, go, go again.
01:45:34.691 --> 01:45:36.991
And if you'd like, you can donate to my campaign. too.
01:45:38.231 --> 01:45:41.231
But at the end of the day, though, it's a privilege for me, though.
01:45:41.611 --> 01:45:45.891
It's not really, it is a lot of work, but to me, I look at it as a privilege, as an honor.
01:45:47.351 --> 01:45:49.871
I mean, I can't believe I've been sitting here talking to you about my life.
01:45:51.611 --> 01:45:55.511
I never thought I would do this when I was young. I just wanted to be a cop.
01:45:56.189 --> 01:46:01.589
That's all I want to be. So how do people learn more about you or are able to
01:46:01.589 --> 01:46:03.089
donate? What's the process?
01:46:03.709 --> 01:46:09.109
Yeah, so it's very easy. You can go to my website, which is vo4congress.com,
01:46:09.189 --> 01:46:13.289
spelled V as in Victor, O as in Ocean, and number 4, congress.com.
01:46:13.409 --> 01:46:14.969
And obviously, Vo is my last name.
01:46:15.649 --> 01:46:21.089
And then you can go on there. You can read about me. You can also call me if
01:46:21.089 --> 01:46:21.829
you want to give me a call.
01:46:21.909 --> 01:46:24.809
My number is 562-267-9911.
01:46:25.409 --> 01:46:29.629
And my email, you can also email. My email is also there on my website.
01:46:29.849 --> 01:46:35.109
Email me at C as in Charles, V as in Victor, at Vo, number four, congress.com.
01:46:35.349 --> 01:46:38.369
And so, yeah, you can always reach out to me. I love answering questions.
01:46:39.269 --> 01:46:43.009
And if anyone wants to reach out to me and leave their number and you want me
01:46:43.009 --> 01:46:43.889
to call them, I'll give them a call.
01:46:44.648 --> 01:46:49.548
Now, we always give our guests some time to free mic time because you've answered
01:46:49.548 --> 01:46:51.308
a lot of questions. Thank you so very much.
01:46:52.548 --> 01:46:59.388
And basically, this could be a pitch in your instance, or it might just be some
01:46:59.388 --> 01:47:03.848
final words. But we want to give you that time where you can just free mic it
01:47:03.848 --> 01:47:06.448
for a few moments there and share whatever you like.
01:47:06.628 --> 01:47:09.308
Well, first off, thank you, Andrew, for inviting me here. Like I said,
01:47:09.388 --> 01:47:12.968
this is the first time I've actually done a podcast in my whole entire career,
01:47:12.988 --> 01:47:16.768
actually. Yeah, so you're the first, and it's been really, really fun.
01:47:17.108 --> 01:47:19.968
I had a great time. And just for those that are watching out there,
01:47:20.448 --> 01:47:23.708
again, you know, hopefully I've given you some insight in who I am.
01:47:24.028 --> 01:47:27.068
I am who I am. What you see is what you get.
01:47:27.988 --> 01:47:31.428
You know, I'll work. I'm a service-oriented person.
01:47:31.628 --> 01:47:35.148
I believe in public service. Like I said, you know, politicians are the ones
01:47:35.148 --> 01:47:36.908
that, you know, just fill the seat.
01:47:37.148 --> 01:47:41.088
And public service is all about serving the people that put you in that seat.
01:47:41.548 --> 01:47:45.228
And I'm all about people. I love to serve. I love people.
01:47:45.808 --> 01:47:50.148
I'm out there all the time trying to find reasons how I can make things better. I'm a fixer.
01:47:50.488 --> 01:47:53.508
You know, people tell me sometimes it's hard for me to say no,
01:47:53.528 --> 01:47:55.388
because when people need something, I try to fix it.
01:47:56.148 --> 01:48:01.028
It's just at the end of the day, you're going to get a true public servant that's
01:48:01.028 --> 01:48:04.428
out there to really work for the right reasons. And I'll tell you why.
01:48:04.948 --> 01:48:08.528
And I'll tell you why I truly believe in this. It's because,
01:48:08.528 --> 01:48:11.368
and I've said it before, this is a great country.
01:48:12.148 --> 01:48:17.828
This is, you know, Ronald Reagan had a speech where if you go to Japan, you can't be Japanese.
01:48:18.188 --> 01:48:22.228
You go to, you know, Germany, you can't be a German.
01:48:22.548 --> 01:48:26.028
But everyone that comes to America can be American. That's true.
01:48:26.348 --> 01:48:29.828
Right? And so this is why I believe so much in this country.
01:48:30.128 --> 01:48:34.808
This is a country that, you know, and my dad had an opportunity when we were
01:48:34.808 --> 01:48:40.008
sponsored to different countries. He picked America for.
01:48:40.930 --> 01:48:46.790
For the values that he believed. And I'm glad he did. This is the greatest nation in the world.
01:48:47.190 --> 01:48:51.850
And he gave me the opportunity to raise my family, gave me a lifestyle that,
01:48:51.890 --> 01:48:53.770
you know, I will always love and appreciate.
01:48:54.310 --> 01:48:59.170
And this is a country where I want to die in. And so my service to this country,
01:48:59.190 --> 01:49:02.730
it's not just because I want to do it.
01:49:02.790 --> 01:49:07.170
I feel like it's an obligation for me because I don't know what my life would
01:49:07.170 --> 01:49:11.390
be if I was in Vietnam right now. I wouldn't know what my life would be or what
01:49:11.390 --> 01:49:15.190
my family would be if I didn't have the opportunities that this country gave me and my family.
01:49:15.370 --> 01:49:17.390
So because of that, I truly believe in service.
01:49:17.670 --> 01:49:22.730
I believe in doing what's right. And that's, I think that separates me a lot
01:49:22.730 --> 01:49:27.450
from some other candidates is that, you know, all my life I've served.
01:49:27.710 --> 01:49:29.470
Right. You know, I've served.
01:49:30.510 --> 01:49:34.390
And this is, I'm talking about my adult life, right? You know,
01:49:34.610 --> 01:49:41.670
and I don't think any candidate can say that they served for 28 years,
01:49:42.450 --> 01:49:47.010
26 at my past job, but 28 total law enforcement served.
01:49:47.670 --> 01:49:51.970
And on top of that, I ran for city council, you know, and it just wasn't enough
01:49:51.970 --> 01:49:53.210
for me. And now I'm running for Congress.
01:49:53.510 --> 01:49:58.590
It just wasn't enough for me. And so, you know, I just want to get the opportunity
01:49:58.590 --> 01:50:04.450
to let the people see that I will prove those who are in disagreeing with me
01:50:04.450 --> 01:50:08.170
wrong and those that believe in me, I'll make them proud.
01:50:08.710 --> 01:50:11.950
Well, Chung, thank you so very much for your time today. Thank you.
01:50:12.090 --> 01:50:15.310
I really, really appreciate it. It's been an honor and a privilege listening
01:50:15.310 --> 01:50:17.030
to you and learning more about you.
01:50:17.430 --> 01:50:20.570
And no matter what, I wish you all the very, very best of luck.
01:50:20.950 --> 01:50:24.570
Thank you, listeners, for tuning in to Chamber Talk. Until next time,
01:50:24.770 --> 01:50:29.830
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