#MEDICAREFORALL

Robbing Peter To Kill Paul

California Assemblywoman Suzette Martinez Valladares uses education funding as a reason to kill universal healthcare. Her reasoning defies logic.

“Northwest Valley voters need to know Republican Assemblymember Suzette Martinez-Valladares would’ve voted NO on AB1400, [the] CalCare Universal Healthcare bill.”

- West Valley People’s Alliance

The glossy mailer that came in the mail looked like part of the first wave of political advertising set to invade our mailboxes as the primary election on June 7, 2022, quickly approaches. Across the front were the words “Protecting California’s Education Funding” along with common education icons. Under Suzette Martinez Valladares’ name (repeated twice for maximum effect) on the back of the mailer, the message continued: “Making sure California can continue its commitment to fully fund education for future generations is a top priority.”

Looking closely at the mailer, it was not actually paid for with the $1,250,00 in campaign funds that Valladares has received since being elected. Instead, you and I paid the postage through the “State of Calif. Assembly.” This would suggest that the costs for printing, creating, and data mining needed to obtain the mailing addresses were also borne by California taxpayers.

It is generally accepted that officeholders may use the mail to update their constituents about issues that are currently before them. As admitted in the text of the mailing, this is not the case. Despite the front of the mailer referencing education, the opening paragraph states that “some in Sacramento pushed forward an effort to create a single-payer healthcare system” but that “this effort had failed.” Unfortunately for those of us who believe that all people should have access to healthcare, even if they cannot afford it, the issue is dead. There is nothing to update.

Instead of explaining her stated intention to vote against the bill, Valladares goes on to use alternative facts to rally against a bill that does not exist. Apparently…