Turn Tahoe Blue: Rob Haswell: "Our Quality Of Life Is Being Sold Off To The Highest Bidder"

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Rob Haswell: "Our Quality Of Life Is Being Sold Off To The Highest Bidder"

In the coming days I would like to focus on a great campaign which has so far mostly been ignored by the mainstream media, like so many other worthy "down-ticket" campaigns.

Rob Haswell is running for a traditionally Republican seat. Though, like so many seats this year no seat held by Republicans seems all that save, especially since this California Assembly district's current representative is retiring making this an open seat.

California's 4th Assemlby District stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento up to Lake Tahoe. It encompasses most of Placer and El Dorado counties, Alpine County, and a small part of Sacramento County.

Rob has been so kind to grant Turn Tahoe Blue an interview and it will be published in four parts in the coming days. Here's the first part:

Mr. Haswell, let’s start with the easiest question first: Why are you running for office?

Thank you, Sven for the opportunity and I appreciate your interest in Lake Tahoe and local races. I'm running for this open State Assembly seat because I think our political system has walked away from regular people and represents only big money corporate and special interests. This situation is killing representative democracy and we see the results of it in my own district, as our quality of life is being sold off to the highest bidder.

What has been your experience on the campaign trail so far?

I've had a great experience so far on the campaign trail. I find that people of all political stripes are receptive to my message. And I've met a lot of great, committed people who want change. We are in the middle of a very successful Whistle Stop tour of the district and in just under three weeks we'll be hosting the largest political rally and picnic the District's ever seen. However, I do need to acknowledge there is a lot of cynicism and apathy when it comes to politics. And convincing people that, if they want real change, they have to work for it is an ongoing challenge. Nothing ever occurs because people wished it were so. You have to fight and work hard for it and that's what our campaign is about.