Year later, party dissident Arambula still plays politics on his own terms

Sacramento Bee ^ | 7/19/9 | Jim Sanders

[SmithL]

Tongue-lash, arm-twist and back-stab, sure, but no other California lawmaker has done this decade what Assemblyman Juan Arambula did last year – dump his own party.

Arambula left the Democratic Party to become the state's first legislator not aligned with a major party since Audie Bock in 2000.

His June 2009 defection has resounded far beyond his Central Valley district, echoing Field Poll findings that fewer than two of every 10 voters approve of the Legislature's performance.

Explaining his decision, Arambula raises the same allegations of legislative game-playing and special-interest influence that critics have leveled for years.

"You have to like the person who's staring you in the mirror every morning – and that I can still do," Arambula said.

The Fresno lawmaker switched parties partly because he felt his vote was counted upon by Democratic leaders but that his views on budget and other issues were given short shrift.

"I felt increasingly frustrated having to follow someone else's direction when my heart and the people I represent felt otherwise," he said.

Arambula said he was disappointed by the Legislature's failure to bite into issues ranging from pensions to school accountability, by its acceptance of gimmicks or deferrals to balance the budget, foot-dragging on expanding water storage, and kowtowing to labor unions and other Capitol interests.

[married21]

confusing.

The article says first that he is not aligned with a major party, then says he “switched parties”. What party did he switch to then? A minor party? If none, then don’t say “switched parties”, say instead “became independent” or unaffiliated, or something.

[Kenny Bunk]

Arambula is an honest California Hispanic politician. every illegal alien who voted for him was alive, and registered. True, many illegals may have voted for him a number of times in the same election, but that was because they moved.

In insisting on support from only live illegal aliens, he proves he is a man of principle. Viva Arámbula de Aztlán!