Primary Election Date: 06/01/2010
General Election Date: 11/01/2010

Who Am I?

Melissa Fox is a smart, hard-working and passionate advocate for families, schools, the middle class, jobs, small business, and economic growth.

She is an Orange County native, a small business attorney, a wife and mother, and a dedicated community leader.

Melissa was born in Garden Grove and raised in Westminster. Commitment to public service comes naturally to Melissa -- her mother was a registered nurse and a librarian and her father was a police officer and later a compliance officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is also a Korean War combat veteran.

Melissa attended high school in Westminster, where she graduated as valedictorian, went to Brandeis University and Tulane University School of Law.

After law school, she returned to Orange County, where for the last 17 years she has specialized in providing legal counsel to small businesses.

She has volunteered in professional organizations, in local schools, and has served in the Orange County Park Ranger Reserve. Her political activities include campaigns, local clubs, active participation in Women in Leadership and an active role in the Obama campaign. Melissa is also the founding President of the Orange County chapter of the non-partisan California Women Lead.

Melissa lives in Lake Forest with her husband Michael, a college professor who received his Ph.D. from UC Irvine, and their 11 year-old son Max, an avid Scout and member of the All American Boys Chorus.

Why Am I Running?

As a Member of the Assembly, Melissa will be:

·A new legislative voice for majority rule on budget issues.

·A new legislative voice for working families and the middle class.

·A new legislative voice for students and teachers.

·A new legislative voice for seniors.

·A new legislative voice for the students, faculty and staff of UC Irvine.

·A new legislative voice for choice.

·A new legislative voice for single payer health care.

·A new legislative voice for marriage equality.

·A new legislative voice for a change.

Hold Me Accountable!

As a small business attorney for 17 years, Melissa respects the hard work and knows the problems of business owners – problems that have been intensified by the current economic crisis. As a member of the Assembly, she will fight to reignite our Southern California economy and protect and grow the jobs we need.

As a mother with a child in a public school, Melissa knows the devastating impact of the budget crisis on our children and our schools. The most important investment we can make is in our children's education because investing in education ensures a stronger economic future for all of us. As a member of the Assembly, she will fight for our students and dedicated teachers, making sure that our schools -- from elementary schools to UCI -- are the very last thing to be cut in a budget crisis, not the first.

Melissa believes that the solution to UC Irvine's budget crisis begins in Sacramento. For too long, our representatives in Sacramento have ignored the interests of UC Irvine, its students, staff and faculty. UC Irvine is the most prestigious institution of higher learning in Orange County. It is also the County’s third largest employer – the largest in the District – and the primary engine spurring local economic growth, development, and innovation. Cutting funding for UC Irvine will have a potentially devastating impact on the economic wellbeing of our community. As the wife of a college teacher who received his Masters and Ph.D. from UC Irvine, Melissa knows the crucial role of UC Irvine in creating jobs, stimulating local business growth, and ensuring a brighter future for Orange County and California. As a member of the Assembly, Melissa will fight for the students, staff and faculty at UC Irvine.

As a middle class homeowner and businesswoman, Melissa knows the financial burden that California’s unfair tax system – including hidden taxes such as increased vehicle fees, tolls, and college tuition – imposes on middle class families and small businesses. As a member of the Assembly, she will fight for tax fairness, making sure that our economy is stimulated by tax cuts for the middle class and that giant corporations pay their fair share.

As a camper, hiker, volunteer Ranger with the Orange County Parks Department, and advocate for new green jobs and new American sources of energy, Melissa knows the need for responsible stewardship of our land, water and air -- not only for all the recreational opportunities we enjoy, but also for our economic well-being now and in the future. Melissa strongly opposes boondoggle schemes that threaten to destroy our world-class surfing, our watershed, and our beautiful beaches and coastline. These incredible resources are both a responsibility and a gift. They bring millions of dollars to our community from all over nation and the world. They are an essential part of the California Dream. As a member of the Assembly, Melissa will fight for new local green jobs, the development of new, cleaner and American sources of energy, and responsible stewardship of our natural resources, including our ocean, waves, and beaches.

Melissa is angry at the gridlock, backroom deal making, and lack of accountability of the politicians in Sacramento. They've broken their promises to put the interests of the people first. Melissa’s sole concern will be the interests of the people of our District. She knows that the first job of a legislator is to listen -- to the needs, hopes and dreams of the community -- in order to be an effective representative. Melissa will be a dedicated and passionate leader in the fight to eliminate wasteful government spending, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. She will fight to end backroom deals -- like the one that lead to sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds -- and fight for greater openness and transparency in our government, and to restore accountability to Sacramento. Melissa will make it a priority to eliminate wasteful government boondoggles such as private toll roads, when our traffic is getting worse every day, we have the worst gridlock in the country, and congestion requires freeways that serve all of the people. She will fight to reduce the absurd number of unelected state government boards and commissions – many of which are redundant and unnecessary, and serve primarily as sources of political patronage and corruption. Melissa also strongly supports new laws to require state agencies to report their reasons for issuing no-bid contracts or awarding a contract to other than the low bidder, bringing more sunshine to a government that has operated in the dark for far too long.

Melissa will bring to government a much need breath of fresh air, new ideas, honesty, truth and openness – with a passionate commitment to California’s future.

My DFA values:

Melissa supports increased funding for schools, colleges, and universities, single-payer health care, marriage equality, and strongly oppose the destruction of California's social safety net.

Melissa supports much needed changes in California's unfair tax system, which relies far too much on regressive taxes and fees (which hit the middle class hardest) and provides windfalls for giant corporations and large landlords.

My Campaign is People-Powered!

Grassroots organizing is an essential element of Melissa's campaign.

Among the community organizations that she is working with are the National Woman's Political Caucus (endorsed), Women in Leadership, Orange County Progressive Democrats of America, local Democratic clubs, health care advocates, LGBT groups, student groups, and PTAs.

Melissa has also created an active online presence (with more than 850 supporters on Facebook) that is growing rapidly. The Melissa Fox for California Assembly group on Facebook is located at
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=417142965004&index=1#/group.php?gid=90628476440.