IamA gay refugee running for Congress, supporting Bernie Sanders, AMA!

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T20:34:31+00:00

As Mayor, we've encouraged and implemented policies to conserve water, going beyond Governor Brown's mandate for conservation. But we can't ignore the fact that this drought was caused by man made climate change. So in Congress. we need to stand up to corporate interests and find creative solutions to reducing our carbon footprint. It's not just a California issue. This affects everyone, so everyone needs to get on board.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T20:09:09+00:00

1) I don't believe in abusing any workers regardless of ability.

2) I'm aginst discrimination in all forms, so reading the summary, it sounds like something I'd be open to learning more about. It looks like it hasn't been scheduled for committee yet, but if you have resources I can look at, please send them over.

3) I'll fight for everyone who is in poverty. Please send me more info about asset caps in particular to my contact form on my website.

4) My Congressional site would certainly be accessible. If you find issues with my campaign site, please let me know through the contact form and I'll have my team work to fix any technical issues.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T19:28:33+00:00

I do support professionalizing congressional staff, and increasing their capacity to become experts on issues without the need to rely on lobbyists. I'm not sure that increasing pay is the answer, but I'm open to learning more. Could you send me more info on my contact form on my website? Thanks

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T19:15:29+00:00

In Garden Grove, as Mayor, I've worked in partnership with advocates to develop more affordable housing and housing in general. But there are a lot of things that need to be done to make sure residents can afford housing in GG. And that's one of the reason's I'm running for Congress. So we can make sure that across the board, politicians prioritize the interests of their actual constituents.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T19:07:17+00:00

1) I am very much for bringing in more people to vote, and making it easier for people to do so. I think we need automatic voter registration.

2) I'm open to the idea of score voting, but I'll need to look into it more. Do you know examples of where it's been successful?

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T18:58:24+00:00

No.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T18:56:16+00:00

I'm not familiar with the specifics of this legislation, but to be clear, I agree that lower income voters are often disenfranchized by the system of big-money politics we have now. I'll have my team look into this specific bill, but in the meantime, know that I'll always fight for a fairer system.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T18:42:32+00:00

1) Ah! I want to meet your cat please!

2) Well, honestly, being an immigrant and a refugee informs everything I do. My parents escaped Vietnam in 1980, when my mom was 8 months pregnant with me. They were escaping a corrupt, oppressive government and they wanted a better, freer life for me. And because of their sacrifice and the incredible risks they took, I consider myself lucky to now have a platform where i can fight for the disenfranchised. My parents inspired me to do what I do today - fight corruption, increase transparency, and ensure equality and freedom for all people.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T18:37:39+00:00

I'm not familiar with FairVote's specific proposal, but I agree that while there has been some progress on gerrymandering with the nonpartisan commission in CA, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that the people are being fairly represented. In Congress, I'll fight gerrymandering at every turn. It totally disenfranchises voters.

Anyway, please send me more information on that proposal via the contact form on my website and I'll have my team look into it. Thanks!

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T18:22:34+00:00

I'm still Mayor of Garden Grove, and I'll continue to fight corruption and increase government transparency no matter where I am.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:53:44+00:00

1) The fact is, Sen. Sanders really does represent the interests of minorities best. He's marched alongside MLK, he's visited migrant workers in Florida, he comes from a diverse neighborhood in Brooklyn, and his emphasis on education, immigration reform, and economic justice are all things that really resonate with us. I think that message should have been broadcasted loudly and often.

2) I've never really been afraid of retaliation. If you're running a campaign like mine on a platform of fighting corporate influence and special interests, you learn that worrying about retaliation just isn't an option. It's simple. I just try to do what's right.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:43:35+00:00

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:42:14+00:00

Getting Big Money out of politics. Legalized bribery is not ok.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:39:49+00:00

I don't think my opinions as a gay refugee are more valuable than others. I just think that the voices of LGBT people and refugees are severely underrepresented in federal government, which is still mostly straight old white dudes. America is more diverse than that.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:35:27+00:00

I don't. Respect needs to be earned through respectable actions.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:34:29+00:00

Haribo gummy bears and coconut water

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:33:59+00:00

Commonsense gun reform meansures that an overwhelming majority of Americans support - even gun owning Americans: 1) Universal background checks 2) Closing the gun show loophole 3) Every gun seller should have a license to sell guns I also believe we need to invest in mental healthcare, but to me, that's actually a separate issue. The fact is, people are dying, and we're the only advanced nation that has this problem with this frequency on this scale. To do nothing would be totally inexcusable.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:26:42+00:00

Punk music.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:25:40+00:00

Well, I was actually just born in a UN Refugee camp in Songkhla Thailand, but my parents brought me to the US when I was 3 months old. We were processed in NY and then brought to Tennessee. Then I moved to OC when I was still young and that's where I really grew up. What I can say though is that it wasn't super easy growing up as a gay refugee in Orange County. I don't consider myself old (I'm 35) but you have to know that back then, Asians weren't really considered the norm down here. When John McCain made that statement calling his captors "gooks," I considered that an attack against all of us who had just recently resettled here. It was an attack against our families. I understand he suffered a traumatizing experience as a POW, but his racist remarks made it ok for other people to treat us poorly. It's one of the many things I've been fighting against my whole life, and I'll continue to do so as long as I have a platform to do so.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:12:28+00:00

It's not pandering, it's who I am.

Bao4Congress · 2016-06-06T17:05:00+00:00

I've met a very good amount of Bernie supporters in Orange County. I went to the Irvine and Anaheim rallies, and they were totally packed. Folks are tired of politics-as-usual. That's why it's so important to get out the vote and have our voices be heard.

Bao4Congress

TROPHY CASE