Mccarthy mobile office: Taxes, Sexual harassment dominates conversation
Meetings held first Friday of each month
Nearly 20 Tulare County residents gathered Friday morning in Porterville’s Centennial Plaza multi-purpose room to voice their questions and concerns on not only what’s going on around the world, but also where House Majority Leader Kevin Mccarthy (Rbakersfield) stands on certain issues.
The first Friday of each month Mccarthy’s mobile office is in Porterville. A staff member from Mccarthy’s office hosts each mobile office held throughout California’s 23rd Congressional District.
The hour-long discussion revolved mostly on the sexual harassment and assault issues that have been going on lately, and on the Trump Administration’s non-transparent tax bill.
With regard to the growing number of sexual harassment and assault cases in the media today, Porterville resident Ellen Nichols said the bad behavior is unacceptable and needs to stop as it is costing taxpayers money.
“The really infuriating part to me is these settlements that are paid out to people involved in these incidents,” Nichols said, adding, “That money comes out of our taxes. Our legislatures, lobbyists, legislative staff and so forth should all take out individual insurance policies or something.”
Porterville resident John Coffee believes those who engage in such inappropriate behavior should pay for the consequences themselves.
“You hit people in the pocket book and they start paying attention,” Coffee said, adding, “Maybe then some of this interesting behavior would start coming to a screeching halt.”
The way Porterville resident John Duran sees it, anyone sexually harassing or sexually assaulting someone should just be fired. He added that training to prevent such behavior is simply a waste of taxpayer dollars.
“I have heard some of the commentators talk about supporting training for these congressmen so that they won’t engage in this kind of activity, and I think it is ridiculous,” Duran said, adding that this issue should be of concern to everyone because it affects every individual. “Everybody has to be responsible for their own actions, and I think it is just a waste of money. Congressman Mccarthy needs to step up and tell these people involved that they need to leave.”
Julie Allen, who said she has been a victim of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace, said such behavior has been a problem for a long time and believes training to correct the behavior is absolutely necessary.
“Serious sexual harassment training started in agencies 30 years ago, so for this just to be discovered as being a problem is silly,” Allen said. “I am glad Congress is getting with it and figuring out that sexual harassment training is something that has to happen.”
Allen said, however, that the idea of zero tolerance needs to be nuanced.
“I don’t believe that somebody has to lose a job over the odd pat on the butt that happens,” Allen said. “Now, there are some obvious things that are completely unacceptable, but you don’t lose your job for every infraction.”
However, Cole Karr, Mccarthy’s field representative, said when it comes to sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, the congressman has a zero tolerance for it.
“The congressman does find that abhorrent and believes there is no room for that at any place, anywhere, no matter who you are or what you are,” Karr said.
In terms of President Donald Trump’s proposed tax bill, many were not in favor of it.
Allen said there needs to be some transparency.
“The process by which this tax reform has happened is inexcusable,” said Allen, adding, “The thought that, to date, nobody has even seen the bill, not even all members of Congress, is just not OK.”
Allen said she also has a hard time wrapping around her head the idea that everything has to be done by the end of this calendar year.
“This is a false deadline,” Allen said. “There is no reason to do that other than the president wants to give everybody a big Christmas present.”
The reason the Trump Administration is rushing to get a tax bill out by the end of the year, according to Porterville resident Brock Neeley, is because tax donors such as the Koch brothers are threatening to cut back on donations if it isn’t passed.
“Without the cash cow they can’t win,” Neeley said, adding that a lot of the issues going on right now with the Senate and Congress could be eliminated if comprehensive election funding laws were changed. “Get corporate money out of elections.”
Porterville resident Josh Sulier said although he doesn’t have a problem with tax cuts per se, he does have a problem with the process.
“I have a problem with how this is getting done and with where this money is getting broken down and redistributed,” Sulier said. “It is not OK.”
Duran said, nevertheless, that he is happy the Trump Administration at least has something going and believes it will all work out in the end.
“I am optimistic that it will work in spite of the fact that they say we have another trillion dollars added to the deficit,” Duran said.