Club finds things to be thankful for

REPUBLICAN CLUB

By Brian Harmon

LW contributor

Even though this has been a tough year, LW residents have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We live in the greatest and freest country in the world. We live in relative safety because of our security officers, the Seal Beach police officers and the watchfulness of our neighbors. Most of us will also agree that we have the nicest neighbors anywhere.

Leisure World has been almost completely free of the virus that is plaguing this nation and the world. We also have every reason to believe that a COVID-19 vaccine will be available soon.

LW Republicans have a great deal to be thankful for also. Our candidate did lose the presidential race, but even the election had a few bright spots for us. Three of our local heroes, Michelle Steel, Janet Nguyen and Thomas Moore, won their races.

OC Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Steel won a hard-fought contest to become the Congresswoman-elect. Nationally, nine Congressional districts flipped from blue to red, with a net gain of six for the Republicans, according to the OC Register.

Steel was one of the 35 Republican women elected to Congress this year, a record number, according to a report on NPR.

California State Sen. Janet Nguyen became Assemblywoman elect by defeating cancer scientist and Garden Grove City Councilwoman Diedre Nguyen.

Nguyen has also served on the OC Board of Supervisors.

According to the OC Register, the senator said, “I’m extremely humbled and honored that the voters of the 72nd Assembly District have trusted me to be their voice in Sacramento… Now that the campaign is behind us, I am ready to get to work immediately on behalf of the residents of our district.” •••• The LW GOP club is making Sen. John Moorlach’s bill to temporarily repeal AB5 a top priority. This will involve publicizing the issue and initiating a letter writing campaign.

Club President David Harlow said “AB5 takes away the rights of independent contractors by requiring most of them to be hired as regular employees or laid off.”

Moorlach said, “With an uncertain economic future, this is not the time to separate people from their livelihoods, especially when it can be performed at home.”

“By amending the California Labor Code to temporarily repeal the provisions of AB 5, we can help keep people at work, and further the Governor’s goal of protecting the health and wellbeing of Californians,” he explained.

It will also allow the legislature time to think through serious reforms to independent contractor law that provide up-to-date labor protections as included in SB 806 (Grove, 2020) of which Moorlach is a co-author.

Moorlach has announced his intention to run for the OC Supervisors seat being vacated by Steel.