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By GUY KOVNER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Varied approaches to boosting the North Coast economy, ranging from biomass energy production to marijuana to coastal
Congressional candidate Norman Solomon speaks while his fellow candidates, left to right, Tiffany Renee, Jared Huffman, William Courtney, Stacey Lawson, Susan Adams, and Andy Caffrey wait their turn to speak at the Congressional Candidate Forum sponsored by the Democratic Club of Southern Sonoma County at the Petaluma Boys & Girls Club on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012. (SCOTT MANCHESTER/ FOR THE PD) .
protection from oil drilling, were voiced by seven Democratic congressional candidates at a public forum Wednesday night in Petaluma.
Few significant differences were revealed, however, as Tiffany Renée, the vice mayor of Petaluma and one of the candidates, observed: “We’re hearing a lot about progressivism in this race.”
The sevent Democrats are vying for the job held by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, whose retirement triggered the first wide-open race for the congressional seat in 20 years.
One at a time, the candidates laid out their proposals for economic development in a district with high unemployment.
Stacey Lawson, a San Rafael businesswoman and educator, advocated biomass and biofuel development, putting the region’s natural resources to productive use. She also proposed niche manufacturing and sustainable agriculture, calling for improved access to capital as a means to spur small businesses.
Norman Solomon, a Marin activist and author, advocated permanent protection of the coast from oil drilling as a boost to the tourism and fishing industries. Describing himself as “a New Dealer,” Solomon said federal expenditures are needed to pull local economies “out of the ditch.”
Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said that “federal investments” are needed to support economic development plans already devised at the local level. Huffman also called for keeping state parks open “as a magnet for economic productivity” and a government loan guarantee program to provide capital for small businesses “because the banks aren’t lending.”
William Courtney of Mendocino County, describing himself as a “cannabis physician,” said that 10 million marijuana plants worth $2,000 apiece could be taxed and regulated to establish a major industry.
The 90-minute forum, sponsored by the Democratic Club of Southern Sonoma County, drew a crowd of more than 200 to the Boys and Girls Club building in Petaluma.
Renée cited energy retrofit programs for homes and businesses as a way to create jobs and contribute toward the nation’s “energy independence.” Boosting production by small farms would produce organic food and ease food insecurity in the northern part of the district, she said.
Andy Caffrey of Humboldt County repeatedly cited the “climate crisis” as his focus and said the issue trumps all others because “there are no jobs on a dead planet.” Caffrey said his plan for a “New Green America” aims to end globalization and meet local needs.
Susan Adams, a Marin supervisor, said job development must start with communities, citing Marin’s clean energy program for providing jobs and improving the environment.
Approaches to the federal debt also differed, with Caffrey calling deficit spending the “greatest national threat,” while Solomon said debt is not a major issue on the North Coast, well behind concerns over jobs, health care and retirement security.
Cutting military spending and establishing “tax fairness” were generally endorsed by all the Democrats.
Lawson said the economic stimulus has worked, citing broad economic improvement.
The closest to criticism came when Adams said her campaign donations had come from within the district, while another unnamed candidate’s money was largely from outside the area.
“Who are you going to be beholden to when you get in office?” Adams asked.
Lawson, who raised more than $450,000 from donors around the nation, said later that all her donations are from individuals, not political action committees.
Democrats hold a decisive advantage with nearly 50 percent of registered voters in the new six-county 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from Marin County to the Oregon border, excluding Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park. Fewer than one-fourth of registered voters are Republicans.
Marin has the largest bloc of total registered voters, with 146,105, likely to be divided among five candidates, including one Republican, who live in Marin. Sonoma County’s 105,691 voters — 27 percent of the total — may prove pivotal in the race. The other four counties combined have a total of 142,496 registered voters.
Democrats vastly outnumber GOP voters in all but tiny Del Norte County, where the two parties are nearly equal in registration.
You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com.
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just for the record, this so called debate was sponsored by the dems. i was not invited. but attended the petaluma debate the following night. see my web page for the proceedings:danrobertsforcongress.com
It’s about the ecomony, stupid.
Less obvious, but just as real because it drags down our economy, it’s about government debt, stupid.
Candidates for Congress need to talk about onerous levels of government debt…federal, state, county, and municipal debt. Until we reign in debt, pie-in-the-sky “solutions”, like funding a New New Deal or a new Green Economy are just, well, pie-in-the-sky.
All candidates need to talk about the elephant in the room…government debt.
An onerous debt burden takes money off the table that should go to public safety, health, education, and other essential services.
An onerous debt burden has a nasty tendency to get worse and worse, as more debt is issued to service existing debt.
An onerous debt burden makes a country, state, county, or city — it does not matter — an unattractive place for private sector investment.
An onerous debt burden provides no disincentive for waste and fraud in government. The “solution” to waste and fraud will always be, who cares? Why not borrow our way out of this mess?
An onerous debt burden negatively impacts worker productivity in the public sector. Why work harder when government is paying for past excess instead of worker productivity?
An onerous debt burden lower bond ratings and other measures of credit worthiness.
An onerous debt burden is the ultimate injustice to our children and grandchildren. Why should they pay for our mistakes?
All candidates need to talk about government debt at every level…federal, state, county, and municipal.
what are the choices this time…marxist,socialist or communist, i guess that’s pretty diverse
Talking about ways to improve the local economy with an ICLEI adherant local government seems almost condescending.
The common answer of all these democrats was? The govt should give us money and freebies to solve our problems which were created by a Democrat controlled state and their buddies the unions!
To clarify the rant by “Republican Dregs”…
There is very little, if any, “anti-immigrant” sentiment on the right. The REAL stance is ANTI-ILLEGAL ALIEN. Immigration is not the problem. The problem is the millions upon millions of illegal aliens that come to America and leech off the social services. Then they have children in order to collect welfare, food stamps, and the EITC welfare from the IRS.
The left ALWAYS resort to “anti-immigrant” because they know the conversation will switch from the real problem.
Regardless of your political leaning, California cannot continue to spend $10 BILLION a year on people who shouldn’t be in this country. The state is bankrupt. Hospital ERs are overrun. The education system is collapsing. This is not an “R” vs “D” argument. It is a money argument.
@REPUBLICAN DREGS
Actually, most republicans are for fair share taxation. Take for example General Motors (government motors) who just proudly posted their highest profitably…ever. What they don’t tell you, is that General Motors, through a sidebar deal with the current administration, pays ZERO federal income tax on their profits, nor will they for the next 10 years. Thus their record profit. Sounds fair huh? Republicans don’t agree.
How about taxing the rich? Well the rich already pay a higher rate and gross amount than most. What you conveniently banter about is the Capital Gains tax rate some pay…taxes paid on investment income (job producing) from capital they ALREADY paid the standard tax rate on.
The Left Wing song is getting old, and those who pay your way are tired of doing so… but I digress.
Not one of these candidates offered a solution to the horrendous debt we are accumulating for your children and mine.
That is shocking.
In summary, Obama-loving twits.
Boy that felt good!
Jeez – all the whining on these posts from frustrated Repubs is a bit much.
When you get candidates out there who speak to the broad range of voters, you might win. It’s happened before in this district. But, nooooooo.
Instead, you got:
kill government whackos,
no tax whackos,
UN Agenda 21 whackos,
let the blessed corporations have completely unfettered “free enterprise” whackos,
climate change denier whackos, fundamentalist ‘gimme Christ everywhere and screw the rest’ whackos,
anti-immigrant whackos,
let’s start another war in Iran whackos,
let’s put government in your bedroom and doctors’ offices whackos,
anti-labor at all costs to worker health and safety whackos,
let’s have 3 wars and not pay for them whackos,
who needs regulations on banks and the financial industry whackos,
if you lost your house/job/family/kids you’re clearly not blessed by God whackos,
anti-environment on everything whackos,
who needs science, creationist whackos,
anti-public education whackos,
privatize everything whackos.
This list could go on and on – as do the whacko mainstream of todays “Republican Party” leaders who insist on the purity and holiness of their platform.
Come up with a real world platform, and you will get elected.
Until then, stop whining.
We need another voting option on the ballot.
“None of the Above”
Someone needs to teach James Todd about federalism.
The scariest thing about this article isn’t the common belief among these crazy people but the fact that one of them has to win. There are Sheeple that believe these people are good for the country.
In a class discussion the other day, one in which the professor was preaching against “the 1%” and the “rich”, and the almost-completely-being-brainwashed students were nodding in unison, I raised my hand and asked a question of the class…
I asked the student who scored the highest grade, one of those really hard-working types, and an extreme “anti-rich”, pro-redistribution Obama clone, if he was truly pro “fairness” like he claimed. He said “yes, everyone should be equal”. I said then the school should take 22 points from his 92% grade, earned through busting his hump, and given to the two lowest scoring students, who didn’t study a lick. This would leave him a passing grade of 70, and raise the two lowest to 70. Then everyone would be equal. I said that even though he worked hard and sacrificed for his score and the others goofed-off, he DIDN’T NEED those extra points and it would be FAIR if his earned score was TAKEN by the school and REDISTRIBUTED to those who didn’t crack the book.
Yeah, you can imagine his response…silence. Seems redistribution is only good for other people I guess.
Couldn’t we replace Woolsey with that pooch that won at Westminster and come out ahead? We could count on it to vote “Woof” on raising taxes, entitlements, unions, and any other leftist agenda items.
I guess we’re done then. California wishes NOT to be the world’s 3rd largest economy. Goodbye CISCO, Goodbye Agilent, Goodbye Amy’s Kitchen, Goodbye ALCATEL, Goodbye MEDTRONICS, Goodbye APPLE, Goodbye Dow Chemical, Goodbye Williams-Sonoma, Goodbye Bechtel Group, Goodbye Ingram Micro, Goodbye Northrop Grumman, Goodbye Oracle, Goodbye Google, Goodbye Sun Microsystems, Goodbye Qualcomm, Goodbye eBay, Goodbye Western Digital, Goodbye Symantec, Goodbye Gateway…. California…. crickets…
“food insecurity”? Really? Not one candidate thought public pension reform is critical to our fiscal sustainability? Scary.
“…ranging from biomass energy production to marijuana to coastal protection from oil drilling…” Translation: that’s manure, dope and snake oil.”
Sad, all these people (Dem/Libs) will continue to compromise our granted rights.
So PD, where is the article stating the Republicans point of view?
Congress has a 10% approval rating, yet we continue to re-elect them time and time again. If this is the best the democrats can do we are doomed. The republicans can’t seem to get their act together any more than the democrats. I have completely lost faith in our elected politicians. Both major parties will say anything to get elected, then set about taking care of their special interest groups while the rest of us pay the bill. Truly disappointing.
Like the other prophets posting here, I have faith this PD article captured all of the forum’s highlights, and feel entitled to reach dismissive conclusions about the candidates based on this insightful report. On second thought, I don’t have my fellow prophets’ ability to opine without knowing what the candidates said.
There would be plenty if we quit sending money overseas and supporting illegals. Oh, and maybe our politicians should pay for their own vacations….
Totally doomed.
Why is it so difficult for people to fathom the concept of American exceptionalism?
We Americans are the smartest, most resourceful, imaginative, creative, brave, hardest working people on the planet. REMEMBER??!!
People from all over the world left everything they had, everything and everyone they knew and brought their families thousands of miles across the planet in some of the most difficult circumstances to create America.
We are the product of the last gasp of “natural selection”.
If the Government would just focus on unleashing the American Capitalist Entrepreneur, WE could actually FIX THIS MESS! Not in a few generations… in a few decades!
But no… the Government wants to control it. Make sure only the “good” ones can succeed.
Like Solyndra!
That way if somebody comes up with a better idea, a better way that threatens your Corporation, your Union, you can just make a phone call accompanied by a nice campaign contribution and your little problem goes away.
If we could just go ONE… maybe two election cycles with NO incumbents getting re-elected, I guarantee the rookies would have us on the right track in no time.
OF COURSE they will make some mistakes. But at least THEIR mistakes will be accidental!
Quote of the Week:
“…we redistribute de facto the world’s wealth by climate policy…One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore…” IPCC co-chair of Working Group 3, Dr. Ottmar Endenhofer, November 13, 2010 interview [H/t Dr. Charles Battig]
http://www.sepp.org/twtwfiles/2012/1-28-12.pdf
“Even without the bankruptcy of Solyndra, the Washington Post noted that the Department of Energy’s entire $38 billion loan guarantee portfolio has generated a total of just 3,545 jobs—rather fewer than the 65,000 jobs the Obama administration projected the program would generate. That’s over $6 million per job”.
http://blog.american.com/topics/economic-policy/energyandenvironment/weekly-energy-fact/
We’re doomed
I’d settle for just one candidate – one – who refuses to promise the “tax takers” in our society the wallets of their neighbors.
Sadly, about 1/2 the people now take more from the government than they pay in, so it’s popular among these Dems to tell voters how Federal largesse is needed for this project and for that program.
And what is “fair” about the top 3% of wage earners paying 97% of all Federal income taxes?
Politics has devolved into scandal, corruption, waste and “getting mine.” Who will stand up and say enough?
What a grand display and insight of our economy’s needs. More green energy, more green jobs, permanent restrictions on resource development, taxation of marijuana… all funded by Federal Tax dollars. Sadly, one of these bright stars is going to represent us in congress. More of the same at the expense of our future.
The remarks, as well as history, would lead one to believe that if we elected someone who said “opposite of all the above” we would be far better off.
Average Joe,
As you already know, Democrats have held the California Legislature for over 20 years. In that time, California’s economy has slid into the toilet, businesses are fleeing to other states, our schools are failing, taxes are climbing (not fast enough for them!) unemployment is high, prices are sky-high, and getting worse by the day!
When will Californians realize that the Democratic Party and theiur policies are KILLING California? Is it already too late for us?
To GAJ:
why let common sense get in the way of oppression?
The Republicans have to come when they are invited. If it’s a progressive organization, some do invite EVERYONE. Some have the courage to come. I know this for a fact.
Don’t presume they weren’t invited.
More blather from leftists out of step with reality – where DO these people come from?
These people act as if they don’t know that the North Bay already has the greenest energy in the US being produced at the Geysers.
The largest complex of geothermal power plants in the world.
This is our first open congressional primary. All candidates, regardless of party, will compete in a first-round election. Voters will then choose between the two top vote-getters in a runoff.
That being the case I would like to see some debates that include all of the candidates including Republican.
Wow what new and innovative thinking! to bad the Dem’s weren’t in this office for the last 20 years, oh wait…they were.