Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, spoke with KHTS on air about several topics including illegal marijuana growers around the Santa Clarita Valley, the Congressional Art Competition, and stimulus checks.
Congressman Garcia discussed several important topics on air with KHTS, beginning with his recent surveillance of illegal marijuana grows in the Antelope Valley alongside the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
“These aren’t the legal state-sanctioned operations, these aren’t even small illegal operations in folks’ backyards,” said the Congressman. “These are massive nurseries that are being put up in the middle of the Antelope Valley Desert, Acton and Aqua Dulce, and on a scale you wouldn’t believe.”
According to the LASD, the growth of these illegal marijuana sites across the high desert in the Antelope Valley have led to crackdowns by law enforcement.
“These grows are being staffed by illegal immigrants who are effectively working as indentured servants,” Garcia said. “There’s effectively about 10 to 15 billion dollars being harvested out of our high desert in the form of illegal marijuana, and almost none of that money is actually staying in the United States.”
The Congressman went on to describe why the proliferation of these operations may lead to even greater consequences if it continues.
“This is an industry that’s completely unregulated and is completely untaxed,” Garcia said. “And it’s actually putting the legal industry under the thumb because now it’s impossible to compete with these illegal grows when they effectively have no cost.”
The discussion shifted to the proposed distribution of $600 checks to Californians as part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest stimulus plan.
See Related: Congressman Garcia Announces 2021 Congressional Art Competition Winner
“What this governor is effectively doing at this point, on the verge of being recalled, is that he’s trying to use these $600 checks to garner support and frankly try to avoid being recalled,” Garcia said. “As generous as it sounds that he’s giving these checks out, the reality is that they should be dispersing a lot more. They should be giving us tax rebates at this point, lowering our taxes, and opening up our businesses so that we can get our economy going organically again.”
The discussion then shifted from financial concerns to the Congressional Art Competition, which was recently won by local Hart High School student Olivia Moon.
“This is a fun competition they do every year. I don’t think many people are aware of the program, Garcia said. “What happens is the winner ends up getting flown back (to Washington D.C.). They get a tour of the capitol. And then for a year, we actually display their piece of art in the halls of Congress. These are the things that make this job very rewarding and fun at the same time.”
Hart High junior Olivia Moon’s painting, “Muted: Broken System,” was selected by a panel of five independent judges as the winner of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for California’s 25th District.
Congressman Garcia then completed the interview with a discussion of his overall goals for his constituents as well as his commitment to border security issues.
“As always, our number one priority is taking care of our constituents and any needs they have with the federal government,” Garcia said. “I’ll be going to the border at the end of the month, on May 25th, to see it firsthand.”
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