Hotly contested fight in Tracy
The seat for the 11th Congressional District is one of the most
hotly contested races in the nation, and it’s being watched closely
by national media.
Hotly contested fight in Tracy
The seat for the 11th Congressional District is one of the most hotly contested races in the nation, and it’s being watched closely by national media.
The incumbent, ultra-conservative Congressman Richard Pombo from Tracy, has held the office for 14 years. Pombo is markedly different from all his challengers, even from his Republican opponents, former Congressman Pete McCloskey and retired farmer Tom Benigno, in that he supports to continue the Iraq War and weaken the Endangered Species Act. Pombo’s Web site is http://www.house.gov/pombo/
McCloskey was elected to the House in 1967 serving the San Francisco Peninsula, and served 15 years. He earned a law degree from Stanford University in 1967. He served in the Marines Corps as a rifle platoon leader during the Korean War. McCloskey and his wife moved from Yolo County to Lodi in order to challenge Pombo. McCloskey’s Web site is http://www.petemccloskey.com.
Tom Benigno is a retired farmer from the Tracy area, a former fixture at local council and supervisors’ meetings who supports a strong national defense and more local control in government. He has attended every candidate’s forum he has been made aware of in this race, while Pombo has attended very few. Benigno’s Web site is http://www.timeforbenigno06.com.
Democratic hopefuls are frontrunner Jerry McNerney, an energy specialist and engineer, airline pilot Steve Filson and antiwar activist and electrician Steve Thomas. All believe in stopping Congressional corruption, plans for a pullout from Iraq, fixing the energy crisis and reversing global warming, restoring the Endangered Species Act, revamping the nation’s health-care system and addressing national debt.
McNerney earned a doctorate degree from the University of New Mexico in 1981, where he studied engineering and mathematics. Throughout the 1990s, he and his wife Mary raised a family in Pleasanton. He is now the CEO of a startup company that manufactures wind turbines. His website is http://www.jerrymcnerney.org.
Thomas was born in Toledo, Ohio. He has lived in the Bay Area since he was 9 years old. He attended the College of Marin and worked briefly in the stock market. He returned to his electrician’s roots in 1997. He and his wife live in Danville. His Web site is http://www.stevethomasforcongress.com.
Filson, a former Navy pilot, was born in San Diego and earned a science degree from San Diego State University. He is married with four children and also lives in Danville. His Web site is http://www.filsonforcongress.com.
Tom Benigno
Iraq War: Against. Would cast a no vote to continue the war, and would push for a bill to reopen many of the military hospitals closed by Congressional Republicans.
Endangered Species Act: Supports. Believes that to try to unravel an existing law is disingenuous and runs counter to the will of the people.
Central Valley air quality: Believes it will take 20 years before alternative fuels contribute to reductions, as well as use new ways to transport goods and service. new ways of disposing of agriculture waste need to be developed.
Health care: Supports giving employers tax breaks for providing health care.
Stem-cell research: Supports if only embryonic fluids are used.
Women’s right to choose: Opposes.
D.C. corruption: Believes it is a bipartisan issue and wants to ban lobbyists from D.C. and the state. Campaign contributions should be distributed to each candidate equally.
Energy crisis: Colleges should be open at night to keep traffic off the roads. Car pools, speed limits, some rail like BART to all cities. More freeways, local rail.
Pete McCloskey
Iraq War: Would vote to leave Iraq to be governed by Iraqis by the end of the year.
Endangered Species Act: Supports “minor” changes, but supports full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund ($900 million) and for adequate funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Central Valley air quality: Would work to provide jobs nearer to where people live, push for BART and the ACE trains enhancement, and get Congress to insist on cars that can get 50 m.p.g.
Health care: Supports universal care.
Stem cell research: Supports.
Women’s right to choose: Supports in the first trimester.
D.C. corruption: Believes the recent lobby reform bill adopted by the Republican House majority was a farce, as demonstrated by the fact that they wouldn’t allow a yes or no vote on the Shays amendment to create an independent ethics monitoring group.
Energy crisis: Supports tougher limits on gasoline mileage for cars, not more drilling for oil and gas, as well as increased research into alternate fuel sources, including nuclear.
Richard Pombo (Did not respond to questionnaire. Where Pombo’s Web site did not address the issues, stances gleaned from House voting records)
Iraq War: Supported war and more defense spending.
Endangered Species Act: Voted yes on deauthorizing critical habitat for endangered species. (Sept. 2005) Voted yes on speeding up approval of forest thinning projects. (Nov. 2003).
Central Valley air quality: Rated 5 percent by League of Conservation Voters, indicating an anti-environment stance.
Health care: Voted yes on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay. (Feb 2006). Rated 0 percent by American Public Health Association, indicating an anti-public health voting record (Dec 2003). Voted no on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs (July 2003).
Stem-cell research: Voted no on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005)
Women’s right to choose: Opposes.
D.C. corruption: Voted no on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions. (Feb 2002). Voted yes on banning soft money donations to national political parties. (Jul 2001). Voted no on banning soft money and issue ads. (Sept. 1999) The Los Angeles Times reported that a Massachusetts tribe and client of convicted felon Jack Abramoff’s that donated $20,000 to Pombo received the congressman’s help seeking federal tribal recognition.
Energy crisis: In November 2005, Pombo tacked onto a budget bill provisions to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and expand oil and gas drilling off the nation’s coastlines, including California’s.
Steve Filson
Iraq War: Believes the war is a failure, but does not want to publicize a timetable for withdrawal.
Endangered Species Act: Believes ESA is an important law and that developers in the district believe Pombo has gone to far with his efforts to gut the ESA.
Central Valley air quality: In the short-term would encourage commuters to car pool and use public transportation. Supports jobs closer to homes, and investing in high-speed rail, expanded bus service, tax incentives for buying zero-emission vehicles and working with farmers to reduce dust and pesticide use.
Health care: Supports universal health care.
Stem cell research: Supports.
Women’s right to choose: Supports.
D.C. corruption: Believes Republicans are incapable of making reforms. Supports investigations and enforcement of ethics rules. Would sever the ties between Congress and lobbyists.
Energy crisis: Supports conservation and increasing gas mileage standards.
Jerry McNerney (from Web site):
Iraq War: Believes it was a “tragic blunder.” Believes Bush Administration manipulated intelligence and created unwarranted fear. Would withdraw troops in six months.
Endangered Species Act: See: http://www.jerrymcnerney.com/issues/environment.asp
Central Valley Air Quality: Cites levels of asthma, emphysema in San Joaquin County. District has technicians and engineers who could address clean and renewable energy, but are forced to commute to Bay Area. Supports wind and solar power and biodiesel.
Health Care: Wants a bipartisan solution that provides for all.
Stem cell research: See website: http://jerrymcnerney.org/issues.asp.
Women’s right to choose: Supports, and would push education and prevention.
D.C. corruption: Calls the administration and Congress irresponsible. Committed to integrity, honesty, accountability.
Energy crisis: Believes in innovate new technologies to end the use of petroleum.
Steve Thomas
Iraq War: Would vote to cease operations and start bringing troops home in an orderly withrdraw, with waged diplomacy.
Endangered Species Act: Endangered species should not be lost so private entities can make more money.
Central Valley air quality: Believes we need to end the use of petroleum and to work closer to home, while stopping the best farm land from being turned into developments.
Health are: Believes in the right to health care.
Stem cell research: Supports and would work for more lines of stem cells.
Women’s right to choose: Supports, and believes that while abortion is a horrible decision to have to make, it should be between “a woman, her doctor and God.”
D.C. corruption: Believes Republicans are not going to allow hearings. Wants public financing of campaigns, noting that that bills are written by corporate lobbyists.
Energy crisis: Wants to start by declaring independence from oil. In 2005 oil companies made $113 billion. Wants alternative energy research.
11th Congressional District data
Term: Two years.
Salary: $165,200 per year
District boundaries: includes the eastern parts of the high-growth East Bay, including the Alameda County communities of Dublin, Pleasanton, and Sunol and the Contra Costa County communities of Brentwood, Danville, San Ramon, Blackhawk, Byron, Diablo, and Discovery Bay. It contains nearly all of San Joaquin County including the communities of Country Club, Escalon, Farmington, Garden Acres, Lincoln Village, Linden, Lockeford, Lodi, Manteca, Morada, North Woodbird, Ripon, South Woodbird, Stockton, and Tracy. It also includes a portion of southern Santa Clara County that is comprised mostly of Morgan Hill and the east side of Gilroy.
Number of constituents: Roughly 647,000.
Ethnic breakdown: 65% Caucasian, 20% Latino, 4% African American, and 11% Asian.
Political breakdown: 48 percent Democrat; 47 percent Republican.
