(September 1) Dorothy Pineda said she is running for the California Assembly “because I am a small business owner and we need legislators with business sense and business experience. We need lawmakers who have actually experienced the impact of the laws that are being imposed on business operators by Sacramento.”
Pineda is pitted against Democrat Freddie Rodriquez in the 52nd Assembly District, which comprises 114,929 registered voters, 51,155 or 44.5 percent of whom are Democrats and 33,208 or 28.9 percent of whom are Republicans. Pineda said the major issue in the campaign is “the lack of jobs in the state of California. We need more manufacturing businesses in the state. We need to replace the manufacturing businesses we have lost. Those were the ones that employed our blue collar workers, the ones we have lost. They represented our middle class, which is thinning out. It is a shame.”
Pineda continued, “I am for advancing education for our children. My priorities are jobs, education and public safety.”
The solutions she envisages putting into place if she is elected to the legislature, Pineda said, consists of “repealing regulations and taxing that does no good in terms of providing public service, enhancing safety or protecting the environment. I would repeal unnecessary spending on public services that overlap with one another. That would free up money for needed services to our community and education. I am for pulling back regulations on the business sector to make it easier to function.”
With regard to education, Pineda said, she believes the one-size-fits-all, vanilla flavored approach to educational standards misses the mark.
“Common core standardized testing is not good because it focuses more on memorization than on traditional learning and reasoning. Reasoning and learning are always better than memorizing. I think education should be subject to local control where teachers, parents and school officials can set priorities for learning and teaching.”
In general, Pineda said, “California has a spending problem and it extends to the attitudes of our state legislators. They are trying to involve government too much to the point where they are invading every aspect of our lives. They are trying to make the use of plastic bags illegal. They are mandating that employers provide employees with sick days. They are passing bills with no idea of how to fund them or how they will apply or what the long term effect is. I am in favor of a part time legislature so our representatives spend less time in Sacramento and more time in their communities with their constituents.”
Pineda said she represents a better choice for the Assembly than Rodriguez because she represents the private sector and has not been a lifelong government employee. “I think my business sense and experience can be applied in Sacramento,” she said. “I have been involved in this community for 18 years and understand its needs. If voters want to distinguish me from my opponent, they should consider that he has worked for the government most of his career. I am not beholden to any special interests. I am not a career politician. I will do my best to create what I think is best for the state and the district. I am not taking this as a job to support myself and my family but for the common good. This is not my bread and butter. I believe the government has no business telling employers what to do. I do not believe government creates jobs but it can be helpful by removing unnecessary taxing and regulation.
Pineda attended Garfield High School and obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal Poly Pomona. She was a member of the city of Chino’s general plan update committee and the city of Ontario’s sphere of influence steering committee related to the annexation of portions of the Chino Agricultural Preserve. She owns and operates a company that manufactures and services environmental equipment. She is married with three children.