http://www.chicoer.com/Stories/0,1413,135~25088~2771674,00.html 
 

Assemblyman says Sacramento hasn't changed him
By LARRY MITCHELL - Staff Writer 
 

Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 

Has Sacramento destroyed Doug LaMalfa?

No way, the 2nd District assemblyman told a group of Libertarians at a Chico restaurant Thursday evening.

LaMalfa recalled the days not so long ago when he'd be driving a tractor on his Richvale rice farm, listening to conservative talk-radio and loving what he heard.

He thinks he's "still the same guy" he was then, he said. And, in fact, he lines up pretty closely with Libertarian views on most issues.

As soon as he hears the words "this bill will require," he knows to push the "no" button, he told the 15 to 20 people who gathered at the International House of Pancakes to hear him. " Will require' means somebody has just lost the ability to do as they wish," he said.

"I think I'm in the top five of pushing the no' button," he said.

His hero in the Assembly is Ray Haynes, a Southern California Republican, who votes "no" more than anyone.

But he's not quite as hard-nosed as Haynes, LaMalfa said. "I still haven't decided whether it's worth getting in someone's face over Spay Your Pet Day'," he said. "I think, Let 'em have it.' "

The question of whether LaMalfa has maintained his integrity came up when one man at the meeting said, "A lot of us aren't Republicans because there are a lot of Republicans who don't do what they say they're going to do."

LaMalfa said he wasn't in the Assembly to try to build a political career, and he wasn't willing to make deals that would advance causes he didn't believe in.

Still, he said, he's learned sometimes it's necessary to compromise, settling for less than you want, to advance his goals over the long run.

LaMalfa agreed to speak at an open forum organized by local Libertarians. He spent about two hours answering questions on topics ranging from immigration to California's water supply.

Illegal immigration from Mexico is a huge financial drain on the state, he said, suggesting that strenuous measures need to be taken to prevent it.

"We have the right to enforce our laws," he said. "It isn't racist. It isn't hateful."

He was asked about the huge costs of the state's prisons. He said money could be saved by making prison life more austere. [Emphasis added]

LaMalfa said he grew up hearing that prisoners lived on bread and water. Obviously that's not reasonable, he added, but prison life shouldn't be pleasant. The way it is now is "pretty attractive" to many people who lack the training and education to get good jobs, he said.

Libertarians want individuals to have the freedom to do as they please so long as they don't harm others. Many have argued for decriminalization of marijuana and other drugs.

One person at the meeting said he saw government efforts to control gun ownership and drug use as similar usurpations of freedom.

The assemblyman from Richvale didn't see it that way. He's "a proud member of the NRA" and staunch foe of gun control, he said. But drugs need to be banned because "they are so powerful and have such a grip on people they can destroy their lives."

The state budget crisis is frustrating and discouraging, he said. The Democrats seem to have no sense of the reality of the problems, and all Republicans can do is keep trying to bring about reform even though they're outnumbered.

And the water shortage is another morass, he said. The state's need for water will become increasingly desperate as the population grows, but environmental activists are poised to fight new dams.

"There are some days when I ask, What am I doing here?' " he said. "But there are more days when I can say, This is really cool, being able to stand up for the values I was raised with.' "

He called serving in the Legislature "extremely enlightening" and said, "I'm learning a ton."

Staff writer Larry Mitchell can be reached at 896-7759 or  lmitchell@chicoer.com .