Assembly Candidate Speaks Out Against Occupy Movement

Candidate for the California Assembly Phil Paule was appalled to hear the latest news in the ongoing "Occupy Wall Street" movement, according to a statement released by his campaign office.

"A group of 3,000 protesters in Oakland Wednesday completely occupied and shut down the fifth-busiest shipping port in America, causing untold damage to the California economy," the statement read.

"When the Occupy Movement take their side show circus act beyond the city parks and are allowed to shut down a major port in California it is time for the adults in government to take notice. This cannot stand," Paule, a French Valley resident, said in the statement.

"These people are not the 99 percent, they are the 3 percent of anarchists, drug addicts, guilt-ridden youth of wealthy families and plain and simple criminals. They are here to destroy not build. It is time that Gov. Brown, Attorney General Harris and local law enforcement begin to get serious with these thugs.

"The 'Occupy' Movement has plagued the nation for over a month now, and the detriments of the group have not been addressed."

The movement has spread to Temecula in recent weeks, including a demonstration Wednesday in front of three banks.

Paule stands firm in his belief that "creating jobs and a functional economy is priority No. 1 in California--shutting down ports only harms our state."

Paule is seeking the 67th Assembly District seat, which represents the cities of Murrieta, Menifee, Canyon Lake, Wildomar and Lake Elsinore. The seat is also sought by Ken Dickson, a Murrieta Valley Unified School District board member, Lake Elsinore Mayor Pro Tem Bob Magee and Lake Elsinore City Councilwoman Melissa Melendez.

The election is in November 2012.

His campaign is co-chaired by Congressman Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Sen. Ray Haynes (Ret.). Paule was elected twice to the Eastern Municipal Water District Board and has been the district director for Issa for eight years.