Al Muratsuchi Did NOTHING for California Civil Liberties Project

Local Japanese-American leader and businessman John Kaji has exposed Oil Muratsuchi for who is really is.

A greasy, grimy, money-grubbing politico out for himself, with no love or respect for the South Bay.

Kaji had supported Muratsuchi in 2012 and even in 2014.

He soured on him afterwards, learning how little he had actually done for the Japanese community he claimed to love and serve.

For a guy who loves to play off his ethnic status, Muratsuchi did very little for the Japanese community.

Check out this latest FAIL from John Kaji's exposé in Rafu Shimpo:

Not so fast, Al. Let’s take a closer look at Al Muratsuchi the former assemblyman and California Department of Justice deputy attorney general and measure him by HIS own words and acts.

He never really did anything for the Department of Justice. He basically collected a six-figure salary doing nothing.

Here’s one example from Al’s tenure in the Assembly.

Back in 2011, the state budget was diminished due to the Great Recession. A number of state-funded programs were cut. One of these was the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program (CCLPEP), based in the State Library. Former Assemblymember George Nakano was instrumental in creating the program.

George Nakano is the Dean of Torrance politics, specifically for the Asian-American community.

The program was nominally funded with $1 million for the purpose of providing grants to conduct ongoing research into the evacuation of Japanese Americans during World War II. It was an outgrowth of the redress effort of the 1980s with a purpose of informing Californians and America of the dark side of racial discrimination and wartime hysteria.

Scary but true, many young American students know little or nothing about the internment of the Japanese-Americans during World War II. 112,000 were forced to evacuate their homes, farms, and businesses because the government deemed them to be a threat to the United States.

HUH?! Terrible, but true. There were some Japanese conspirators in the United States, but nothing that would justify rounding up over one hundred thousand people in so arbitrary a fashion!

In 2013, members of the CCLPEP Advisory Board asked Al for his support in reinstating and funding the program.

Al refused.

So, Al didn't care about teaching future generations about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Perhaps because he would have to inform everyone that a Democratic President issued Executive Order 9066.

We have another Democratic President today who is issuing abusive, invasive executive orders today. What a disturbing coincidence.

CCLPEP members wondered why. The reason for his refusal was that unless the governor already included CCLPEP in the governor’s budget, he would not make a special request.

Al was in the majority party. He couldn't be bothered to submit a basic reuest for more funding? This is ridiculous. He was merely hoping to collect an easy paycheck for six to twelve years as a legislator doing nothing in Sacramento.

Let us not forget that he tried to jump out of the Assembly seat and run for State Senate in 2014, he was that worried about losing to David Hadley.

And he should be worried about losing this year, too.

Wow. Instead of “embarrassing” the governor by rejecting a simple request on behalf of significant number of former internees who reside in the 66th Assembly District, Al decided to take a pass.

It makes one wonder how Al has the audacity to show up to “Day of Remembrance” events, if only to posture himself as a civil rights “warrior” in solidarity with Aiko Herzig Yoshinaga, Alan Nishio and others in the district who did the heavy lifting to win redress.

What kind of warrior is Al? He wages war on our rights, our money, our sovereignty, and the very dignity which comes with being an American.

But he did nothing to recognize the fight of Japanese-Americans to ensure restoration of all the above.

Who wants this guy in office?