Melissa Toomim

Melissa Toomim's career experience includes working as an investigative journalist.[1]

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Campaign website

Toomim’s campaign website stated the following:

BRING BACK OUR INDUSTRY JOBS

THE 1ST AMENDMENT IS KEY TO ENDING RUNAWAY PRODUCTION AND REINVIGORATING LA AS THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITOL OF THE WORLD, BRINGING BACK AEROSPACE, EXPANDNG TECH AND ATTRACTING OTHER INDUSTRIES

For America to remain a light unto the world, we must protect our First Amendment freedoms to speak, write, worship, assemble and peaceably petition our government. Freedom is not merely a meme. When traveling abroad, it’s easy to spot Americans on the street. We walk with the easy confidence that freedom has instilled in our very DNA. Sadly, political correctness and cancel culture are chipping away at our spirit. We must take the PC braces off our collective brains in order to enhance creativity and our competitive edge, to reinvigorate our entertainment, technology and aerospace industries and to lure other industries to LA.Communist China is notorious for stealing American intellectual property. Why would a country with such enormous wealth need to steal American ingenuity? It’s because their totalitarian system requires adherence to ideological orthodoxy. Such oppression restricts the mind’s natural creative process, thereby limiting China’s ability to compete technologically. If America continues down its current path of political correctness (a term invented by Vladimir Lenin), our own creative strength will undoubtedly diminish.

Runaway production is a real problem. There are 53 shows in production in Georgia. That’s not just thousands of production jobs lost from Los Angeles, it’s also business and jobs lost in related fields, such as craft services, equipment sales and rental, fashion, construction, housing, retail, etc. Jobs and prosperity follow the industry. Georgia’s gain is LA’s loss. Because of high taxation, onerous union contracts, byzantine zoning regulations and the PC culture which is choking creativity, both film and tv production and finance have fled Los Angeles. We must strengthen our creative environment by breaking free from “correct” thought. Liberty is not a jingoistic term. It is the fundamental value that drives American ingenuity. Free speech is critical for our entertainment industry to flourish.

The Democrats may have support from large labor unions, but they relinquished their role as the party of American workers many years ago. They are the party of globalization, and that’s bad for Americans. They want Americans to believe that all those manufacturing jobs that fled to China will never come back. But in the past few years, many manufacturing jobs did come back. In 2018 alone, five steel mills opened in this country. We can provide tax incentives to companies to re-shore production to the U.S. We can make the regulatory environment easier. Maybe Apple doesn’t care if its workers are jumping off the roof to escape Chinese slavery, but most companies want to do right by their employees and the environment. Unfortunately, because of many legislators and bureaucrats — who feel the need to make themselves “useful” through passage of ever and ever more complicated and often contradictory and opaque government regulations — companies are afraid to re-shore. Making regulations streamlined and consistent will help companies make the choice to come home. That’s the how we can support labor by producing more good jobs, while also supporting management.

HOMELESS PROBLEM

END CRONYISM AND CORRUPTION AND EMPLOY A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO SOLVING THE HOMELESS CRISIS

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for solving the crisis of homelessness in Los Angeles.

There are tens of thousands of homeless individuals in LA County, but reentry transitional housing, tiny homes and shelter beds number only in the hundreds. We have thousands of former prisoners, people who are mentally ill, runaway children and adults escaping abuse and thousands of others whose lives have been devastated by the economic effects of Los Angeles County’s overly harsh CoVid19 lockdowns. Obviously, more must be done, but throwing good money after bad will only continue to enrich participants in the “homeless industrial complex,” while doing little to help people in need.

Before Congress appropriates another penny, I propose that full audits of all programs receiving funds to serve the needs of the unhoused be conducted to determine which agencies and contractors are using those funds wisely and which are merely enlarging their bank accounts with taxpayer funds. Before we can solve the problem, we must rid the system of cronyism. Hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds (federal, state, county and city) have been doled out in the form of bonds to a small circle of developers by California’s political elites. These crooks pocket the money and build little to no housing. This must end! We the people demand greater accountability. If corrupt politicians grant millions of dollars to developer pals, who do not use the funds to build safe, low-cost housing for a reasonable price, within a reasonable timeframe, the people have a right to demand a return of those funds to public coffers. No more cronyism!

There are approximately 4,000 homeless veterans currently suffering and trying to survive on the streets of Los Angeles County. These men and women sacrificed their health and sanity in service to our nation, and they are being treated like garbage, because greedy real estate predators and UCLA, among others, are stealing their home. This is not merely a crime against humanity, it is a threat to national security. No one in his/her right mind is going to volunteer for military service, put life and limb on the line, if such inhumane treatment is the thanks they can expect to receive afterwards.

In 2013, numerous illegal land users were ordered by a federal judge to vacate the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (a/k/a West LA VA), but through back room deals, they contrived to remain in place and expand their thievery operations. We must ensure that all funds for construction and renovation of housing on the property go to actual construction and not into the pockets of political cronies, and that such housing be made available exclusively for veterans, with neither age nor income limitations. The Soldiers Home was created to be a tranquil setting adjacent to the services veterans need to heal, both physically and mentally. This is the quality care our veterans have earned. As your Representative in Congress, I will make housing them in the buildings established for their care on their National Home a top priority.

IMMIGRATION

SECURE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER TO STEM THE TIDE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND TRAFFICKING, SUPPORT MANAGED IMMIGRATION AND ESTABLISH A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR IMMIGRANTS IN LIMBO WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MANY YEARS

Though illegal immigration is generally bad for California and the nation, managed immigration with proper vetting makes us stronger and more culturally diverse.

We absolutely must control our southern border. The Democratic Party has a lot of gall these days pretending to be the party of women’s rights, labor and the working class.

First of all, the current open borders policy is resulting in the wholesale sexual abuse and enslavement of women and children whose lives are in the hands of traffickers. Thousands of these children have been kidnapped from their families in Guatemala and Honduras by drug cartels for use as props to get across the border. It breaks my heart to hear our Customs and Border Patrol officers characterized as brutes, when I have listened to their emotional stories of rescuing toddlers abandoned in the desert, rocking crying children to sleep, treating their wounds and combing the lice from their hair. Thousands of unaccompanied children, many too young to know where home was, have crossed the border and are trapped in a system where love is in short supply. We need tax incentives and a massive media campaign to encourage more people to become foster and/or adoptive parents. Finishing the border wall will reduce human trafficking, as well as trafficking in drugs and weapons and reduce the violence plaguing our border communities.

Secondly, unchecked illegal immigration negatively impacts American workers, particularly unskilled workers in Latino and black communities. As a workforce, illegal immigrants accepting “under the table” jobs reduce the availability of jobs for citizens and legal residents and puts downwards pressure on wages, while increasing the demand and cost of housing. This is economics 101!

However, we also have millions of immigrants who came here illegally, were brought here as children or who overstayed their visas, but who have been living and working in this country for ten, twenty years or more. These are productive members of our society, and we need to help them out of limbo and onto a path towards citizenship. This is not a doors wide open amnesty, but a way to help people who have earned their right to be here over many years.[2]

—Melissa Toomim’s campaign website (2024)[3]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an investigative journalist who spent many years reporting on Afghanistan and Pakistan. I have an MA in International Policy Management - Nonproliferation and Terrorism. I also have a background in entertainment as a writer-producer-actress. I am currently a senior advisor with Operation Freedom Birds, which provides humanitarian relief and evacuation to America's Afghan allies who are being hunted by the Taliban.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Rights of Parents - School ChoiceBorder SanityEnergy Independence

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am a passionate Constitutionalist. I look forward to loudly and proudly taking the oath to defend the United States Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

I support health freedom and have developed a proposal to lift tens of thousands of homeless former foster care kids and former prison inmates off the streets by utilizing excess office space for post-prison halfway houses with supervised living, mental healthcare and life-skills classes; and excess college dormitory space with scholarships to help foster kids obtain the education and skills necessary for them to succeed in life.

Of course, improving our nation's foreign policy is high on my priority list. I know that, were I already serving in Congress, there would be no holocaust in Afghanistan now. I am also very active in advocating for military veterans and protecting the West Los Angeles Soldiers Home from real estate predators.

I am passionate to rebuild the economy of Los Angeles County and California by creating a business friendly environment. We need to attract manufacturing and technology industries and restore LA as the Entertainment Capitol of the World. LA was built on creativity, and I believe that freedom of speech is key to a vibrant entertainment industry, and strong industries are key to re-establishing small businesses and rebuilding our middle class.

We have so many serious problems these days, but together we can reinvigorate our bird of paradise, our Los Angeles.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My Congressional role model and mentor is former Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. Not only did he serve his district and the country with devotion and integrity for three decades, but he was also a master of foreign policy, particularly with regard to Afghanistan. "Melissa," he said to me a couple of months ago, "I'm the only Member of Congress who left office with the same amount of money I had when I started." I respect the hell outa that man!

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was five years old and walking up the steps into my kindergarten classroom when someone said President Kennedy had been shot.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was an assistant ballet teacher throughout high school.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think they need knowledge, but not necessarily experience in government or politics. Most importantly, a good representative is someone with a good moral compass.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

In August 2021 our nation abandoned our allies in Afghanistan, and intentionally placed their country into the hands of the very terrorists we went there twenty years earlier to rout. That act of profound betrayal will cost us dearly for years to come. If that is how we treat our friends, we will soon have none. It will take years to restore our national reputation.

Placing DEI policies above professional qualifications and achievements is hurting our ability to compete in the politically incorrect global market. Or as I like to call it, "Divisiveness, Iniquity and Exclusion." The challenge we face as a nation is that a generation of American kids have come of age being indoctrinated to believe we have systemic racism, and therefore, we must oppress the majority - particularly white males - in order to achieve social justice. This is absolutely false. This only serves to divide and weaken us as a nation, which is exactly what our greatest enemies - China and Russia - want. Regardless of how it's marketed, critical race theory = racism. In the words of the great actor, Morgan Freeman, the best way to end racism is to "stop talking about it." In other words, stop evaluating each other based on indelible qualities and return to the values expressed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that we should judge one another by the content of our character.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would like to serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee, the Intelligence Committee and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Two years is a very short time, and the result is that representatives are constantly campaigning.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I used to believe that, as long as someone was doing a good job in their elected office, they should be allowed to continue for as long as their constituents are willing to re-elect them. Now I am not so sure about that. But the problem I see with term limits is they simply create an environment of musical chairs for machine politicians. I think the key is, we absolutely must clean up our electoral processes. Cheating occurs in a head-spinning number of ways. But even without intentional cheating, there is a gross amount of sloppiness in the system that serves to undermine the will of the people. Collecting and counting our ballots with integrity and accuracy must be treated as the most sacred public trust, and only people who embrace it as a sacred duty should be hired for the job.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach, California.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

A couple of weeks ago I spoke with the President of the Malibu Chamber of Commerce. She told me about the struggle of restaurant owners in Malibu. Perhaps this sounds like a rich peoples' problem, but these are not rich people. They are merely middle class business owners operating in a town of uber rich folks. Their problem is exhaustion. Since the lockdowns, they have been having a very hard time recruiting staff to come out to Malibu to work in their restaurants. Los Angeles County provided transportation subsidies to restaurant workers to encourage them to return to work, but Malibu was left out of the program. When the Chamber President called their Congressman to say, 'hey, you forgot about us,' he ignored her calls.

Los Angeles is awash in stories of intentionally bad government policies that are destroying our communities. When I hear them I feel like my head will simply explode off my shoulders. But this is why I decided to step up and run for office. It's not about me. I live in LA, Tinsel Town. I've walked enough red carpets in my life, Washington does not hold any glamourous appeal to me, and I don't need the attention. What I need is a job in which I can utilize my knowledge and skills to make a difference for my city, my state, my country and the world. That's why I am running for Congress. I am driven to serve.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Many times yes, but sometimes no. It just depends on the situation.

Campaign website

Toomim's campaign website stated the following:

BRING BACK OUR INDUSTRY JOBS

THE 1ST AMENDMENT IS KEY TO ENDING RUNAWAY PRODUCTION AND REINVIGORATING LA AS THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITOL OF THE WORLD, BRINGING BACK AEROSPACE, EXPANDING TECH AND ATTRACTING OTHER INDUSTRIES

For America to remain a light unto the world, we must protect our First Amendment freedoms to speak, write, worship, assemble and peaceably petition our government. Freedom is not merely a meme. When traveling abroad, it’s easy to spot Americans on the street. We walk with the easy confidence that freedom has instilled in our very DNA. Sadly, political correctness and cancel culture are chipping away at our spirit. We must take the PC braces off our collective brains in order to enhance creativity and our competitive edge, to reinvigorate our entertainment, technology and aerospace industries and to lure other industries to LA.Communist China is notorious for stealing American intellectual property. Why would a country with such enormous wealth need to steal American ingenuity? It’s because their totalitarian system requires adherence to ideological orthodoxy. Such oppression restricts the mind’s natural creative process, thereby limiting China’s ability to compete technologically. If America continues down its current path of political correctness (a term invented by Vladimir Lenin), our own creative strength will undoubtedly diminish.

Runaway production is a real problem. There are 53 shows in production in Georgia. That’s not just thousands of production jobs lost from Los Angeles, it’s also business and jobs lost in related fields, such as craft services, equipment sales and rental, fashion, construction, housing, retail, etc. Jobs and prosperity follow the industry. Georgia’s gain is LA’s loss. Because of high taxation, onerous union contracts, byzantine zoning regulations and the PC culture which is choking creativity, both film and tv production and finance have fled Los Angeles. We must strengthen our creative environment by breaking free from “correct” thought. Liberty is not a jingoistic term. It is the fundamental value that drives American ingenuity. Free speech is critical for our entertainment industry to flourish.

The Democrats may have support from large labor unions, but they relinquished their role as the party of American workers many years ago. They are the party of globalization, and that’s bad for Americans. They want Americans to believe that all those manufacturing jobs that fled to China will never come back. But in the past few years, many manufacturing jobs did come back. In 2018 alone, five steel mills opened in this country. We can provide tax incentives to companies to re-shore production to the U.S. We can make the regulatory environment easier. Maybe Apple doesn’t care if its workers are jumping off the roof to escape Chinese slavery, but most companies want to do right by their employees and the environment. Unfortunately, because of many legislators and bureaucrats — who feel the need to make themselves “useful” through passage of ever and ever more complicated and often contradictory and opaque government regulations — companies are afraid to re-shore. Making regulations streamlined and consistent will help companies make the choice to come home. That’s the how we can support labor by producing more good jobs, while also supporting management.

HOMELESS PROBLEM

END CRONYISM AND CORRUPTION AND EMPLOY A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO SOLVING THE HOMELESS CRISIS

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for solving the crisis of homelessness in Los Angeles. There are tens of thousands of homeless individuals in LA County, but reentry transitional housing, tiny homes and shelter beds number only in the hundreds. We have thousands of former prisoners, people who are mentally ill, runaway children and adults escaping abuse and thousands of others whose lives have been devastated by the economic effects of Los Angeles County’s overly harsh CoVid19 lockdowns. Obviously, more must be done, but throwing good money after bad will only continue to enrich participants in the “homeless industrial complex,” while doing little to help people in need. Before Congress appropriates another penny, I propose that full audits of all programs receiving funds to serve the needs of the unhoused be conducted to determine which agencies and contractors are using those funds wisely and which are merely enlarging their bank accounts with taxpayer funds. Before we can solve the problem, we must rid the system of cronyism. Hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds (federal, state, county and city) have been doled out in the form of bonds to a small circle of developers by California’s political elites. These crooks pocket the money and build little to no housing. This must end! We the people demand greater accountability. If corrupt politicians grant millions of dollars to developer pals, who do not use the funds to build safe, low-cost housing for a reasonable price, within a reasonable timeframe, the people have a right to demand a return of those funds to public coffers. No more cronyism!

There are approximately 4,000 homeless veterans currently suffering and trying to survive on the streets of Los Angeles County. These men and women sacrificed their health and sanity in service to our nation, and they are being treated like garbage, because greedy real estate predators and UCLA, among others, are stealing their home. This is not merely a crime against humanity, it is a threat to national security. No one in his/her right mind is going to volunteer for military service, put life and limb on the line, if such inhumane treatment is the thanks they can expect to receive afterwards. In 2013, numerous illegal land users were ordered by a federal judge to vacate the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (a/k/a West LA VA), but through back room deals, they contrived to remain in place and expand their thievery operations. We must ensure that all funds for construction and renovation of housing on the property go to actual construction and not into the pockets of political cronies, and that such housing be made available exclusively for veterans, with neither age nor income limitations. The Soldiers Home was created to be a tranquil setting adjacent to the services veterans need to heal, both physically and mentally. This is the quality care our veterans have earned. As your Representative in Congress, I will make housing them in the buildings established for their care on their National Home a top priority.

I will use the power of the purse to promote actual solutions to the problem of over 80,000 homeless people living on the streets of Los Angeles. Through research, I have learned that LA County has a severe shortage of housing for former prison inmates (over half of our homeless population). Upon release, they receive $200 and a ride into town, where they are dumped on the street. They commit crimes for survival, and often intentionally to be arrested and returned to the safety of prison.

The “housing first” policy is just a scam whereby developers receive taxpayer funds for apartment buildings to provide “low-income housing,” which they convert to private ownership.

I propose leasing empty office buildings to create halfway houses for former prisoners, with private bedrooms, but common kitchens and bathrooms, on-site supervision, mental health services and life skills classes. This is the way to lift tens of thousands of homeless off the streets, while assisting former inmates in rebuilding their lives outside of prison walls. CoVid accelerated the trend of remote work, which has left commercial landlords struggling to fill empty offices. My plan will help property owners, while reducing costs associated with the correctional system, law enforcement and sanitation. We will have safer, cleaner streets and neighborhoods. Everybody wins!

I STAND WITH ISRAEL

I STAND WITH ISRAEL

There is a chant frequently shouted during Quds Day marches around the world: “Khybar Khybar ya Yahud, Jaish Muhammad sa Yahud!” It means “Khybar Khybar oh Jews, Muhammad’s army will return for you.” This chant refers to the single day massacre committed in 628 A.D. of approximately 900 Jewish men and boys from the village of Khybar in Saudi Arabia. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is the more socially acceptable expression of the same sentiment. These are blantantly antisemitic chants by people who believe there should be no Jews living in Israel.

There’s a common misperception about the meaning of the term “Israeli occupation.” Most people believe it means the presence of IDF soldiers patrolling and oppressing Arabs on the streets of Gaza. In fact, since 2005, there have not been any Jews living in Gaza, nor Israeli soldiers patrolling the streets. That year, the Israeli government forced every Jew to evacuate the coastal enclave, many at gunpoint. A few months after achieving its goal of a Jew-free zone, HAMAS launched some 1,200 rockets over the border into Southern Israel. What occupation were they fighting?

Any territory formerly under Islamic rule, which is currently not under Islamic rule is considered occupied. Therefore, HAMAS, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups continually launch attacks at Israel because they are fighting Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish Homeland.

Israel has a right and duty to defend itself from militants and nations committed to its destruction. It cannot be expected to idly allow missiles to rain down on Israeli civilians without taking military measures to eliminate its enemies’ weapons stockpiles.

No nation under attack takes greater measures to prevent harming civilians. Before every airstrike, the Israelis telephone civilians in the strike zone with 2-3 hours advance notice to evacuate. “Knock-knocks” (rockets without warheads) are then dropped, to give another 3-15 minutes advance warning. After military actions, Israel immediately sends trucks into Gaza laden with recovery supplies.

Israel has the right to defend itself, and there is no nation on earth that conducts its military defense in a more humane fashion. I stand with Israel.

IMMIGRATION

SECURE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER TO STEM THE TIDE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND TRAFFICKING, SUPPORT MANAGED IMMIGRATION AND ESTABLISH A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR IMMIGRANTS IN LIMBO WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MANY YEARS

Though illegal immigration is generally bad for California and the nation, managed immigration with proper vetting makes us stronger and more culturally diverse.

We absolutely must control our southern border. The Democratic Party has a lot of gall these days pretending to be the party of women’s rights, labor and the working class.

First of all, the current open borders policy is resulting in the wholesale sexual abuse and enslavement of women and children whose lives are in the hands of traffickers. Thousands of these children have been kidnapped from their families i