Los Angeles Wave
By LEILONI DE GRUY, Staff Writer
It has been a trying time for state legislators in recent years, as they grapple with booming deficits and face angry voters frustrated by draconian cuts to education and health care. But now is not the time to throw in the towel, says Assemblyman Isadore Hall III, who is seeking re-election in the new 64th District crafted by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
With his second two-year term almost complete, the former Compton City Council member spoke to The Wave about the struggles he has faced in the Assembly, how his district has changed and why he bowed out of a hotly-contested congressional race.
Why are you running for re-election?
I am very excited about the run. I think there is still a lot of work that has to be done here in the state, and I think that some of the work that we left off in the last session, we will be able to pick up and continue during this coming session — like focusing on jobs, education, safety net services for our seniors and youth, making sure that we do everything we can to stabilize the economy. Right now, in California, cities are facing unprecedented times — especially with the cutbacks. We have get back to business, get back to work and try to figure out how we can best mitigate those problems that cities are having right now.
How has the 64th Assembly District changed since it was reshaped by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission?
Well, I still have all the cities that I had prior. It is still the majority of my current district, with the exception that I lost Paramount. But I picked up Carson and Wilmington. I still have Compton, Watts, Willowbrook, a portion of South Los Angeles and north Long Beach.
How do you hope to better serve these communities during a time when they too are facing financial deficits and are bearing the brunt of cuts to health care and education — which they tend to rely on more than affluent areas?
The reality is that it’s not just cities in the South Los Angeles area that are dealing with this. We are talking about an economic crisis that California as a whole is facing, and every other state. Unfortunately, all cities in California and throughout the nation are having to go back to the drawing board and figure out what are the most critical services that the residents of these communities need, and making sure that they are there to provide those services. Those services that are less critical, obviously decisions will have to be made by the powers that be; that being those who govern that particular city. The fact of the matter is that California is hurting, just like every other state. We have one of the highest levels of unemployment in the nation. We have the highest rate of foreclosures. We are going to have several thousand people released from prison during this reentry project that is going forward. Our communities are going to be strapped, and this is a time when all policymakers and lawmakers are going to have to come together at the table and really figure out what are the core services that we need in our communities and figure out how we can roll them out. We need to find out what things we can do away with temporarily.
How, then, does the state dig itself out of this hole?
Unfortunately it’s just like at home — when you find yourself strapped, you have to be willing to cut back. For us, that means cutting back services and programs. We have to make adjustments. … Those decisions don’t come easy; they don’t come from the state, the local city decisions come from the mayor and city councils of the respective cities. Of course, we provide assistance when called upon, but we try not to overreach into municipal cities. But, what we will do is provide assistance when called upon.
What have been some of the highlights during your time in the Assembly?
I am really pleased with California as it relates to jumping in front of [President Obama’s] health care initiative. I am also very excited that my colleagues in the Assembly are focusing on health concerns and health issues in this state. Particularly the Legislative Black Caucus and the Latino caucuses are focusing on the epidemic of obesity in our schools and in our communities. In the lower socioeconomic communities, many kids don’t have access to quality foods and healthy choices. If we do not get in front of this issue, this will further be one of the number-one epidemics in our nation, and that is why so many folks throughout the nation are wrapping their hands and arms around this issue and diabetes. Another thing I am proud of is the fact that we are becoming more of what I call a green state. We are becoming more energy efficient and we are getting in front of the mark as it relates to that. We have to make sure that we conserve and preserve our environment and we do everything we can to protect it for our communities and future communities.
I am sure there have been some painstaking moments and various frustrations that you have gone through. Talk to me about that.
The frustration is that the Republicans in the legislature try their best to cripple the work that we can do for our communities and the people of California. They cry all the time, saying we need more cuts but at the end of the day when the vote comes up they are not there to vote. They would much rather not vote than to vote no. It is somewhat hypocritical. They say they want something but then they would rather not vote at all than to vote yay or nay on an issue. It is like throwing a rock and then going to hide. And they are very crafty in how they do that. They leave all the hard work for the Democrats to actually do. It is very frustrating. This has not been a honeymoon at all; I have not had a honeymoon in the Legislature. The fact of the matter is that the day when I was installed, we had to undergo billion cuts on the first day. I have never been a part of the Legislature that had the privilege of having a surplus. I walked into the state of California having a massive deficit with tremendous cutbacks, layoffs and furloughs. All that I have been doing is maintenance and trying to cure this deficit problem that the state has been going through. It has been frustrating trying to navigate through the struggles of the Legislature and navigating through the politics of the Republican party trying to hold hostage the work that regular Californians are trying to do for their community. Now we go back tomorrow and face some more trials. The state of California is still short and we are going to have to readdress this budget crisis. I am quite sure that the Republicans are going to make it quite difficult for us to move programs and to legislate accordingly. But I look forward to the challenge. We will prevail.
At one point you considered running for Congress, what happened?
Earlier this year, I announced my candidacy for Congress after it appeared a new district was drawn that included all of the cities and communities I have so proudly represented for many years. I answered the call from many friends and constituents to take our fight to Washington, D.C. on behalf of the working families, children and older Americans who have suffered from the Republican congressional leadership’s obstructionism and right-wing radicalism. I believed then, as I do now, that our community deserves a representative who will fight cuts to education, job training and social security and Medicare. We need someone who will partner with President Obama to create family wage jobs. Weeks after my announcement, the Redistricting Commission changed the district boundaries, ultimately creating a district that two incumbent Democratic members of Congress are now seeking. The fact is, the race for Congress was never about me. It was never my intention to engage in an expensive intra-party war. It was about my constituents — real people I have been proud to serve and can continue to serve as a member of the State legislature. The Democratic Party needs unity. We need to stand together and stand up to those who threaten our values. … We understand that in 2012, the test of our progress will not be how many millionaires we make richer, but how many millions of Californians we help rise from the depths of poverty and dependency to find jobs for themselves, and a future for their families.
