fresno elections 2008

Above all other considerations, my first priority will be working hard for the constituents of the 20th District, being responsive to their inquiries and spending as much time as possible in the community.

However, answering your generalized question, in the short run the most constructive and substantive policy for both sides of the aisle would be to consider with due deliberation all issues and to avoid the steamroller effect of emotional reaction to issues which can result in unintended and unwanted consequences. This would benefit us here in the San Joaquin Valley and help provide stability for our continued growth and favorable living. One case in point is the current uproar over subprime lending.

For years Congress and presidents --- including President Bush --- encouraged and passed more and more liberal credit policies to induce home ownership. The tragic outcome of imprudent legislation, and an unforeseen one, is the current "credit crunch" which has come about because of overreaching lenders, under-qualified buyers and excessive speculation.

Congress is now off on another binge of "fixing" and "bailouts" which portend future unintended consequences.

In the long run, we must look to restoring the fuel of our historically productive economy --- energy at reasonable prices.

Reliable energy would help Valley economic development and help create more jobs. It is a sad fact that a combination of forces, including unreasonable and intemperately emotional environmental demands, have contributed to leading Congress over the years to pass restrictive and punitive energy legislation. For the past 30-plus years, Congress in effect has prevented the construction of new refineries. Since the 1980s, Congress has banned construction of new nuclear plants. Our dependence on foreign petroleum has steadily increased while our domestic production has significantly dropped. President Clinton vetoed ANWR drilling bills that could have increased our domestic supply by now. Instead, during the Clinton years, our domestic production dropped nearly 20 percent, and it continues to go down drastically. In Mexico, one of our most reliable sources of petroleum, production is now dwindling sharply and the Mexican congress is behaving as ours, refusing to permit new offshore exploration where giant fields are known to exist. And Venezuela, another substantial source for our use, is in the grips of a crazy dictator who slowly destroying his country's resource while threatening to cut us off. It is long past the time for us to jump start our domestic energy base. As recent history is showing, heavily tax-subsidized alternatives --- i.e. ethanol --- which have been pushed by Congress provide only a counterproductive and insufficient answer.

President Bush's biggest mistake has been his failure to wield the veto pen on the excesses of Congress --- largely under Republican control, sadly --- during the first six years of his term. My party is paying for that today. I will work hard to restore fiscal responsibility in Congress. We must see that the Republican Party is rebranded as the party of economic growth, the party of limitations on the excesses of government, the party standing for freedom around the world — the party of Ronald Reagan's Shining City on the Hill.

President Bush’s best accomplishment has been his resolute stand in defense of this country against the treats of terrorism. While Democrats and ultraliberal factions incessantly criticize and attempt to undermine him, he has not wavered in his first Constitutional duty — the protection of this nation.

The greatest mistake of the Democrat Party has been its craven pursuit of political advantage at the expense of greater benefits to the country. Briefly, its obstructive tactics while opposing our progress in Iraq and its blocking of reasonable electronic eavesdropping by NSA on our enemies operating on foreign soil is shameless. A specific example of their indifference to progress under the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi relates to us here in the Valley. Determined to stymie the conclusion of a free-trade agreement with our ally and southern neighbor Columbia, Pelosi deliberately sidetracked action on the legislation although it would have directly given a trade advantage to our Valley farmers and to California in general. Her action was taken in deference to union bosses and against our advantage. My opponent in the general election, Jim Costa, despite his claims of supporting our agriculture, followed Pelosi's misguided lead on this issue as he has on many others, to the detriment of the Valley.

The only important legislative accomplishment of the Democrat-controlled Congress has been passage of a minimum-wage law.

That kind of legislation works against the best interests of the poor and disadvantaged because while it may pay a little more to a few it reduces the number of entry-level, low-pay jobs so needed by those it is supposed to benefit.

In general, no! I will submit my legislative proposals developed for the interest of this District and the Valley through the appropriate committee process and work hard to see that they are passed. I oppose the kind of earmark legislation used by some as political payback or to gain favor. If Congress moves to ban or severely restrict earmarks, I will support the effort. However, if there is no change in the behavior of Congress from past excesses, I will reserve the option to submit limited transparent earmarks expressly for the benefit of our District and its constituents