It’s tempting to vent my spleen in New Times about the newly elected GOP Congressman from Long Island, “George Santos.” He’s the inveterate liar who somehow won in a newly drawn district in November based on a campaign résumé that we now know to be a complete fabrication. He lied about virtually everything: his ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, academic and work history—his very identity.
The even greater tragedy is that his victory was one of the four New York congressional seats that the GOP flipped from the Democrats in the 2022 election. These take-aways resulted from a court-ordered, nonpartisan redistricting plan imposed on New York state after its Democratic Legislature failed repeatedly to convince a judge that they had done the job properly. Republicans now have only a nine-seat majority in this, the 118th Congress. If New York Democrats had just held on to their 19 seats from 2022, Republicans would only have a one-vote majority now, 218-217.
As tempting as it may be to join virtually every pundit and late-night comedian in ridiculing this character who’s calling himself “George Santos,” I’m going to take a cue from our Scripture reading on Sunday: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
In its first weeks, this 118th Congress is promising almost nothing that is worthy of praise. Let’s consider instead one very young, newly elected member of this Congress: Maxwell Alejandro Frost. At 26, he’s the youngest member of Congress and the first “Gen Z” to be elected. He’s a mixed-race Latino from Orlando, Florida, with a strong background in real work for voting rights and civil liberties. His progressive politics stand in stark contrast to that of “George Santos”—who by now has become little more than a running joke.
Oops, I forgot. I intended to think on things that are true, honorable, just, worthy of praise. “George Santos” is none of those things.
Congressmember Frost has already made waves in the District of Columbia by calling attention to a problem that plagues millions of young people in America: He can’t find a one-bedroom apartment in D.C. because of “bad credit”: He went into debt and maxed out his credit cards in order to win Florida’s 10th Congressional District.
In that respect, Frost shares a dilemma that afflicts about one-third of Americans 18 to 25 years of age: They’re forced to live in deteriorating and unsafe apartments, or with their parents—unable to qualify for better accommodations.
And speaking of high rents—in Washington, D.C., the average rent that Maxwell Frost must pay is “only” $2,580, according to Zillow. In SLO County, it’s $3,575—nearly 40 percent higher.
What can Congress do to address the increasingly distorted housing market that forces so many young families to live in meager circumstances, so many tenants to be evicted, so many people of all ages to live in the streets?
We can be certain of one thing: This Congress is unlikely to do much of anything to resolve any of the nation’s problems, with Republican members like George Santos, or the far-right team of Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Jim Jordan—and Speaker-By-A-Squeaker Kevin McCarthy.
Their main priorities appear to be to haul President Joe Biden over the coals for any number of imaginary offenses and continue to promote the “Big Lie” that his victory in the 2020 election was stolen. They’re already moving to impeach the president and at least one of his cabinet secretaries. If they have their way, they’ll dismantle the excellent work of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the Capitol and defund the FBI.
What can we do locally, here in San Luis Obispo, if we want to think on things that are true, honorable, just, worthy of praise? We can engage with our county Board of Supervisors, with Supervisor Jimmy Paulding of Arroyo Grande replacing Lynn Compton of Nipomo in the 4th District. In his two years on the Arroyo Grande City Council, Paulding distinguished himself as a moderate problem-solver who listens carefully to his constituents and does his homework.
And on Jan. 26: Plan to attend the goal-setting session of the San Luis Obispo City Council at 6 p.m. at the Ludwick Community Center. Let Mayor Erica Stewart and her colleagues know what you want the city to identify as a major city goal. Even if you can’t go, send a message to the council with your preferred goals, and “cc” City Manager Derek Johnson. Maybe your priorities include housing the homeless, improved bicycle facilities, or my personal favorite, historic preservation. Specifically, I’m asking them to help preserve the 1830s La Loma Adobe on Lizzie Street near SLO High School.
And as you advocate for your priorities before the council, or the county, or Congress, remember to think those things that are true, honorable, just, worthy of praise. You might find out that they’re more likely to listen to you if you do. Δ
John Ashbaugh has been involved in local politics since 1977. Respond by emailing letters@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Health & Wellness 2023.
It is amusing to hear criticism of Republican Congressional representatives from the party of AOC and “the Squad” and Maxine Waters. Santos may be a joke, but we’re not the ones who elected a gibbering ruttabaga as president, and a cackling hyena as vice president.
Glad to see John Donegan’s racist obsession with women of color is going strong. How nice of him to refer to Kamala Harris, a Black woman, as a “cackling hyena.” Stay classy, my dude.
Aaron’s fixation on “race” as the answer to everything is revealing. If all you’ve got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. But why no outrage over my slam on Biden based on my slanderous comparison to tuberous vegetables?
Didn’t your mother ever tell you that it’s rude to call people names? Kids these days…
The always loathsome Donegan refers to Joe Biden as a “gibbering rutabaga.” Yet he also supports Trump, a demented orange fool & wannabe dictator with the IQ of a grasshopper who can barely speak in complete sentences.
Just who is responsible for his bad credit? Doesn’t paying your bills on time something that you should be honorable about? There is no reason for a 25 year old to hae bad credit, other than poor choices. Think twice before you sing his virtues.
He maxed out his credit cards to finance his campaign, Tony. All of which was properly disclosed, as required by law. As opposed to the way “George Santos” financed HIS campaign. We still do not know the source of Santos’ campaign funds – when that shoe finally drops, I suspect that Santos will be prosecuted for violating campaign finance laws.