Democratic leaders focus on allocation and redistribution of state funds and the upcoming national election.
By Nora Fleming / Special to The Malibu Times
Members of Malibu’s Democratic Club gathered Saturday at the home of Dr. A.S. Marwah for a fundraiser dinner he hosts annually. Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, Assemblymember Fran Pavley, State Controller John Chiang and State Board of Equalization Judy Chu were the featured speakers.
Marwah has hosted the annual club event at his house for the past four years, and donates not only the location, but picks up the tab for the party. Approximately 75 club members and guests attended the event Saturday.
Garamendi, who spoke before catching a plane to Sacramento, addressed issues of California’s role as a national and international leader, a role the lieutenant governor said he believes is unfulfilled. California needs to put money into education to improve the economy, Garamendi said.
“Who are we as Californians that we’ve lost our sense of compassion?” Garamendi asked the audience. “We can’t call ourselves the leadership state if we aren’t willing to educate kids,” he said.
Garamendi said a third of today’s students do not graduate from high school and another third do graduate, but are not prepared to work in a modern economy or to attain a higher education degree, leaving only a third to go on to make what he called a “skilled workforce.”
“I wanted to tell him [Garamendi] he moved me,” said Malibu Democratic Club Vice President Leonard Zahn, following the speech. “I’m going to work like hell [to support him].”
Pavley made her speech short, offering thanks for supporters and plans for the campaign. The assemblymember, who represents the 23rd Senate District, won the 23rd State Senate District primary race on June 3, with 66 percent of the Democratic vote. Pavley will be running for Sen. Sheila Kuehl’s seat in the upcoming November election.
“The Republicans are going to play dirty,” Pavley said. “[But] the Democrats are ready to make history.”