At ScaleLA, we’ve gotten this question a few times. “Who is my representative at city hall, in Sacramento, and/or in Congress?”
Fortunately, this question is easy to answer, the harder question is the follow up: “Okay, so what is the easiest way to get in touch with my representative?”
The easiest answer is, “Join ScaleLA. That’s what we do. We help entrepreneurs communicate and collaborate with their representatives.”
However, since we are celebrating our Independence Day, a day that truly symbolizes a disconnect between the government and its citizens, we decided to reach out to a few of our local representatives and hear their thoughts.
After you read these quotes, you can use the ScaleLA Advisor Filter to see where your interests align with your representatives. Then you can connect with them directly.
Senator Ben Allen – District 26
If you’re an entrepreneur or working at a tech company on the Westside, Senator Allen is your man in the California Senate. He represents all of the beach cities from Pacific Palisades to Palos Verdes and all the way along the Hills over to Hollywood.
“It is always imperative to build coalitions, at any level to advocate for policy. While meetings with constituents are always valued, the chances of scheduling an in-person meeting with members go significantly up when you join efforts with an established group and other folks that are working in parallel to support or oppose particular legislation.
“Legislators are pulled thousands of directions by constituents and groups, and it is important to remember that they are people. Often times I find that when constituents are very passionate about an issue they focus on the negatives or assume opposition, even when a legislator’s lack of a strong position does not mean they are on the other side. It is always important to ask the legislator for their thoughts on the issue first and go from there. There is always more to learn about the context of why they are abstaining from taking a position, in support, or in opposition” – Fernando Morales, Senior District Representative for Senator Ben Allen.
Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas – District 54
If you remember, Assemblymember Ridley-Thomas spoke at our Healthcare Summit back in March at Movember. He district includes Westwood, Century City, and Culver City. When you ride the metro to Downtown, most of what you see out of the windows will be District 54.
“Local entrepreneurs are seizing opportunities to improve their economic standing, and revitalize their communities, but must not forget their civic responsibility is to educate and engage policymakers. The Legislature votes on nearly 3,000 bills annually, concerning labor and employment, product liability, taxation, and other policies that have broad implication on California’s business climate. Entrepreneurs must account for how the impact of policy on the marketplace and successful entrepreneurs will use the legislative process to improve market conditions.” – Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas.
Assemblymember Richard Bloom – District 50
If you’re in the tech hubs of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, or even up in Agoura Hills, Assemblymember Bloom, is your representative in the California Assembly.
“The best way to engage with your elected officials is too contact them about issues you are concerned about. Engage with your local elected officials through social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook. Come to public meetings and town halls to voice your concerns.” – Tim Harter, Senior Field Representative for Assemblymember Richard Bloom.
In summary, the questions of who is my representative and how I do I contact them can be tricky. Each elected official has their own style of working and their own issues that they are addressing.
We suggest using the tools that we provide on the ScaleLA website or contacting us directly so we can help you productively engage with your representatives. Our job is to make sure that you can continue to do your job of scaling up our LA tech community.
