A FAREWELL FROM DARIO FROMMER
California State Assembly Majority Leader,
Forty-Third Assembly District
As my time in the California State Assembly comes to a close, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the residents of Atwater Village for giving me the chance to represent you in Sacramento. It’s been an honor.
Although it was nearly 7 years ago, it seems like yesterday that I met leaders like Barbara Lass, Jim Omahen, Michael Cathey, and so many others while walking door to door in Atwater Village. They talked with me about health care, public safety, the environment, and quality of life. I never forgot those conversations, and the hundreds like them I had with voters throughout the 43rd Assembly District. They became the basis of my work in Sacramento, and I am very pleased with what we were able to accomplish.
Many of the things I’ve worked on came in direct response to issues that have come up in Atwater Village. After a gang related shooting occurred in Atwater Village in 2002, I worked with the LAPD to draft and pass a law to crack down on juveniles who carry guns on their persons or in their cars. Previously, there were no penalty enhancements for kids under 18 carrying illegal weapons. The police determined that older gang members knew this and would give guns to juveniles in an attempt to evade prosecution.
Atwater Village was the sight of my first Women’s Self Defense Workshop. Since 2000, I’ve held these workshops all over the District several times a year. In 2002, I was touched by a phone call I received from a constituent who attended that first workshop in Atwater Village. She told me that the training she received in the workshop had helped her successfully escape an attacker and wanted to thank me. If those workshops saved even one person from becoming a victim of violence, they were worth the effort.
When Atwater Village became the site of the worst commuter train accident in 50 years, I began working to examine California’s dismal record on rail safety. We have America’s 5th worst record in terms of deaths and accidents, in part because we have so many at grade crossings in heavily populated areas. I chaired a Special Committee on Rail Safety that made dozens of recommendations for improving rail safety, and I secured $300 million dollars in transportation bond 1A to eliminate dangerous crossings. I also introduced legislation to stop the inherently dangerous practice of pushing commuter trains instead of pulling them.
I know many of you care about our environment and want to preserve resources like Griffith Park and the Los Angeles River. That’s why I created California’s first Urban Parks program which allocated $130 million to create new parks. Nearly half of the money went to projects in Los Angeles. I was also pleased to co-author Prop. 40, which provided funds for the restoration of the LA River and over $6 million for the renovation and expansion of the Griffith Observatory. If you haven’t seen the renovated Griffith Observatory, go check it out! It’s amazing!
Since 28% of my constituents have no health insurance, health care has been a major issue for me in Sacramento. In 2003, I worked with Senator John Burton to pass SB 2 which required major employers to provide health care for their workers. I also wrote laws to stop hospitals from price gouging and prohibiting HMO’s from forcing cancer patients and new mothers to change doctors. And in September, after three years of hard negotiations with the governor, we created a program to make prescription drugs more affordable for working families who have no insurance. Californians making up to three times the federal poverty level will now be able to get discounts of up to 40-60% on their essential prescription drugs. In addition, Californians will be able to go on a website and find the lowest cost for prescriptions drugs at pharmacies in their neighborhoods.
I worked with nursing homes and organized labor to create a new state program that enabled us to collect $500 million in federal funds and disburse it back to nursing homes to increase staffing, renovate facilities, and improve overall patient care. I also passed the nation’s first law outlawing cigarette sales to kids over the internet.
When the economy turned down, and the state found itself in debt, I went to work looking for ways to get more money from Washington, D.C. and to crack down on wealthy tax cheaters who were literally robbing billions of dollars from our schools, fire stations, and hospitals. My bill AB 1601 brought in $1.4 billion from wealthy tax cheaters, and helped balance the budget without raising taxes. And when many elderly constituents, including my Mom, lost their retirement savings in the Enron scandal, I authored the nation’s toughest law to crack down on accountants and consultants who cook the books and then destroy documents.
This year, I was pleased to work with local law enforcement to combat another crime epidemic: identity theft. California now ranks third in the nation in new identity theft crimes, and unfortunately our area is a hotbed for organized criminals in this activity. AB 2886 gives local police new tools to fight criminals who steal our mail or rummage through our trash, and it makes it a felony to possess documents with personal information.
This November, I will be hosting our annual “Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway” for needy families. Last year we helped over 200 families, and we hope to top that this year with the help of friends like Marie Delgado at Cristo Rey Chuch and the Atwater/Los Feliz COSTCO.
As your Assemblyman, I strived to work hard every day because you deserved nothing less. I was able to meet and learn from so many truly dedicated and inspiring people here in Atwater Village. I thank you all for your support and the trust you placed in me.
I hope I served you well.
Dario Frommer