By Katrina Van Duzee/Garden Grove Journal
Jobs and the sluggish economy are on the minds of both voters and candidates according to state Assemblyman Van Tran and Rep. Loretta Sanchez as they both make stops around central Orange County in an effort to gain voters support.
Congresswoman Sanchez has represented California’s 47th District for 14 years and faces Republican Assemblyman Van Tran in this November’s election.
“It is all about how people vote and a good amount are still undecided,” Sanchez said. “The Republican’s haven’t said what they are going to do, but in the past few weeks they have been saying they want to return back to the Bush years.”
Although candidates represent different parties, they both cited increasing the amount of jobs in central Orange County, keeping people in their homes and relief for small businesses as issues they are working on that directly affect residents of the Garden Grove-Westminster-Stanton area.
Sanchez stopped by Acacia Adult Day Services in Garden Grove last Friday to eat cake and mingle with patients for their 31st anniversary celebration as part of her campaign.
After presenting a certificate to executive director Mallory Vega and some dancing, Sanchez said she is working on passing bills that offer small businesses incentives such as breaks on health issuance costs and compensation for hiring new employees.
Other areas of focus in Sanchez’s campaign include helping draft a new program where people who lose their job can borrow government money to pay their mortgage until they find employment, she said. She also stressed the importance of keeping our money at home and pulling troops out of the Middle East.
“American people have to have their money here because we have to invest in our schools, our infrastructure and in our people moving ahead. I have been getting more people to realize we need to get our troops home and stop spending our money across the world.”
Van Tran’s solution for the hurting economy and job loss involve working with local governments to offer state tax credits and address issues like too much regulation, taxation and mandates on small businesses. His campaign focuses on cutting government overspending and intervention in businesses.
“The government at all levels is burdening the small business community and inhibiting them from reinvesting,” Van Tran said. “We want to make life easier for the small business community so that they do what they do best; grow the economy and hire people.”
The area of Orange County both Sanchez and Van Tran are fighting for has a large Latino and Asian American population. Both candidates do not believe this diversity will result in any sort of ethnic voting block, they said.
“My message of hope and opportunity in this campaign transcends all ethnic voting blocks and it is getting a lot of attraction from everyone. I want to campaign district-wide and address the concerns that affect everyone,” Van Tran said.
Sanchez puts faith in the voters to choose the best person for the job, she said.
“I have been in Washington bringing back money to put into our schools and for the widening of freeways. I have been working for all the communities not just one or the other.”
The election will be held on Nov. 2, 2010. Those who wish to vote must register by Oct. 18 .
