Candidate questions sweeps

Alicia Robinson

Democratic congressional candidate Jim Brandt questioned the recent

community sweeps by the U.S. Border Patrol in a statement he issued

Monday.

The border patrol, now under the aegis of the Department of

Homeland Security, began searching the Inland Empire for illegal

immigrants earlier this month.

In Brandt’s statement, the candidate called on the Bush

administration to explain the sweeps, which critics have said are

based on racial profiling. The issue is of special importance in the

46th district, where the population is 17% Latino, the statement

said.

As an alternative policy, Brandt suggested cracking down on

companies that abuse migrant labor, reducing the cost to apply for

citizenship and reducing the bureaucracy in obtaining citizenship.

Brandt will challenge incumbent Republican 46th District Rep. Dana

Rohrabacher in November.

Assemblyman earns bad rap for his performance

Assemblyman Ken Maddox thinks kids under 18 shouldn’t be allowed

to vote, but after his rhymed plea to that effect Monday, his fellow

legislators probably think people over 18 shouldn’t try to rap

either.

A bill introduced by 19th District Assemblyman Gene Mullin would

have amended the state Constitution to allow 17-year-olds who will

turn 18 by the general election to vote in the previous primary. A

simple majority of Assembly members approved the bill, but as a

constitutional amendment, it required a two-thirds vote to pass.

Maddox said he didn’t support the bill because the average

teenager is too busy watching MTV to seek out information on

political issues and candidates.

“We have a lack of willingness in much of the electorate to

research the issues, especially when you’re talking about kids still

in high school,” he said. “I don’t trust your average 17-year-old to

be judicious in the use of the vote.”

By Wednesday, Maddox couldn’t remember the whole rap, but he did

share a verse.

“It was something like, J. Lo and Britney driving policy, that’s

so dope, so on this bill just vote nope, yo,” he said.

After his debut -- and probably final -- rap performance on the

Assembly floor, Maddox said, his colleagues probably hope he sticks

to the mandolin he took up recently.

“They say all the good rappers die young, so I know I’ll live

forever,” he joked. “After the next nuclear war it’ll be me, Vanilla

Ice and cockroaches.”

Democrats get out the breakfast for first time

With the hope of making elected officials more accessible and

calling more attention to local political issues, Orange County

Democrats will hold their inaugural “All Politics is Local” breakfast

at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The event will be the first in a series featuring mayors, city

council and school board members and other officials discussing local

issues, according to information from the Democratic Party of Orange

County.

Officials from Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos,

Seal Beach and Westminster are scheduled to attend Saturday’s

breakfast, which requires a $10 donation. For more information, call

(714) 835-5158.