Jim Cooper's Orange County; 38th District Congressional Race.

Jim Cooper's always got he is made possible by grants from the Harry and Grace steel foundation providing charitable assistance to deserving organizations in the areas of health education and culture. Why signal landmark incorporated developer of Southern California real estate and builder of Landmark homes by Robert have an account Thames providing permanent and temporary accounting financial and ADP personnel and by Disneyland Park an important part of Orange County for over 30 years. Welcome to election 86 a series of special election forms presented by KSEE TV to introduce the candidates and issues to the voters. And the program will present candidates with a thirty eight Congressional District a thirty eighth congressional district occupies the important heavily populated central and north central portion of Orange County. It extends from San and on the east

northwesterly to include a small part of Los Angeles County in Orange County it include the cities of Santa Ana Garden Grove Westminster stand when a park and portions of the city of Anaheim and surrounding unincorporated areas in Los Angeles include the city of Sert city of the retailers. There are one hundred eighty six thousand registered voters in this district of these 90000 a 48 percent are Democrats and seventy seven thousand or forty percent are Republicans giving the Democratic Party an edge of 13000 voters until 1984 this district was held by Democratic Congressman Jerry Patterson because it's predominantly Democratic in registration. It's been targeted by the Democratic Party as a top priority. The Republican Party is also making a strong effort to keep this district. It's already one of the hottest contests in Orange County and it's certain to be a key race in the Weber. And now let's meet the candidates not present is Congressman Robert Dornan Republican who represented who represent the 38 congressional district in Orange County for two years. He's a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee from the 1076 the

1982 Congressman Dornan represented the twenty seventh congressional district in Santa Monica. He declined to attend. Also not present is Assemblyman Richard Robinson Democrat who represent the seventy second the Samedi district in Orange County. He's been a member of the state legislature since 1974 and he's chairman of the Committee on Public investment finance and wrote of indebtedness. He's chair of the assembly majority caucus and the joint assembly audit committee. He declined to attend. Judge Dave Carter Democrat had been a superior court judge since 1982. He previously served as a municipal court judge municipal court trial deputy and in the district attorney's office of Vietnam combat veteran of the Marine Corps. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He would name one of the three best judges in southern California by the group Citizens for Better judges. Lee Connelly libertarian is a photographer an aspiring photojournalist. He served on the Libertarian Party's state executive committee and as a regional treasurer he was a regional media coordinator for the Bergen for president campaign in 1984. He's editor

of the Orange County wheeled and Bicycle Club newsletter and served in the Marine Corps for seven years. Before we go any further in the program I wanted to explain to our viewers the effort that we go to to try and get all these candidates on the program all of the candidates who are in all the races. And I'm very proud to say that we usually had an average of about 95 percent of all the candidates in these races that are going to be in the viewing primary. And we've had that same average in previous years. This is a letter that we sent out is able for is this letter went to Robert Dorn unable for a full seven weeks before the date of today's taping on the program. He answered back saying I appreciate you're extending an invitation to appear on the election series Unfortunately I won't be able to attend at the House of Representatives will be in session on that day meaning Thursday the 22nd which is the date of this production taping. He said I look forward to doing so on another occasion along with the respective nominees of the Challenger party after the June primary election. I sent back a communication to him by letter offering to do it any day in May that would suit his schedule. I was told by his aides Brian Bennett that he couldn't

come pretty to read in the first that his legislative schedule was busy and that secondly he didn't feel he should appear. And he then opposed but on the same program he would be on the same program with the Democrats who are running against him. I didn't on this telegram which said in part the discussion will be on the issues important to the one hundred eighty five thousand voters of this district and of high interest to Orange County one but in orders as you know I've offered to move this TV production to any day in May to meet your schedule and that of all the other candidates who have already agreed to attend. But if the incumbent is important. As I say he declined to attend for the reasons that I've given you the same letter went to Mr. Richard Robinson who is the Democratic challenger in this race. Assemblyman Robinson got that letter able for seven weeks before the date of the program. I then followed up and his office said that he thought he would have to cancel because of legislative conflicts. I then sent a telegram to him and said if there is legislative conflict I'm happy to offer to move that program along with the other candidates to alternate taping times and for different

alternative keeping times were offered to him in addition to the one on this program today. And I said in the interest of the widest public discussion on the issues and it 100 for the thirty eighth congressional district it is one hundred eighty five thousand voters I urge you to attend He replied by a phone call that I received the day before this taping and also by that letter saying that he had a legislative conflict and can't come on any of the alternative times that were that were offered to him. Either Thursday or Friday or the following Wednesday in which there were four other alternative taping times offered he said Due to circumstances beyond my control I'll be unable to 10k Octs 38 congressional debate. As I explained in our phone conversation the assembly is scheduled Twenty two hundred eight bills for final action on the floor of the house. Thursday May 22nd on Friday May 23rd the assembly is scheduled to state fifty two point three billion dollar budget for action in order to get the budget to a conference committee and seed adopted prior to the constitutional deadline set for the entirety of next week this conference committee will be considering various amendments to the budget which I'm sure you understand include

money of significant importance to both the county of Orange as well as the schools community colleges and other entities that depend on state funding and it goes on to apologize for not being here at this taping. I give this because I want our viewers to know that we regard these as extremely important races for voters to have a chance to see the candidates and the issues and we go to heroic efforts to try and afford to move the dates around to accommodate people as we did for example for the 40th congressional district in the 39 congressional district to meet legislative schedules of two of our congressmen. The elected member of the U.S. Congress now received seventy two thousand six hundred a year for the two year term of office. Each candidate will now make a one minute statement on his candidacy after which I'll have questions on the issues in this important race. Let's start with Mr. Carter. Thank you Jim. First of all I'm committed to Orange County. I came here in 1968 after combat in Vietnam as a Marine. I served in the Orange County district attorney's office for 10 years five years of which I prosecuted just murder cases.

I was appointed to the Superior Court and I've served there for four years. I'm the supervising judge one of the supervising judges of the criminal panel and most importantly I have four children. I'm a single parent. I'm not a professional politician. I'm running for office for the first time and I'm dedicated to the belief that problems can be resolved that our freeways are the largest moving parking lots in the world and I question why. But we have an educational problem in this county and throughout the state. A teacher ratio of one to 34 which makes it almost impossible to teach a crime is a primary concern narcotics. Children and concerned about day care. I question why my opponent isn't here seated Roig effort your station is gone too. I believe he's ducking me in this particular debate. And if this media is the only way that the voters of Orange County are going to have all candidates in front of them i'm fact I'm radiation in my bracelet to both of them. Thank you Mr. Connelly. My campaign's main objective is obviously to get elected. The

secondary reason for my campaign is to train acquaint the voters of Orange County with the libertarian philosophies and try to make sure they understand what it is that we're trying to accomplish. I've been a resident of Orange County for about six years and have been getting more involved with activities social and other activities in the county and just trying to again as Mr. Carter is try to change make some changes in Orange County for the better. All right thank you. I think one of the important challenges to any person running for office is to define what really are the essential issues. What it's all about. I think that's a very healthy perennial time at election for us to all review what's right and what's wrong about our society. So my first question is What do you regard the top issues in this race. Well one of course your child is challenged here in the county Jim. My

primary opponent killed a child care bill of the state senator Marion Burgess and rotten. Cause me deep concern. Another is for all the years allegedly in Sacramento with the effectiveness. I don't see problems getting resolved. I don't see that orange county has gotten its fair share of money. I don't see that we've gotten funding for jails or transportation or all of these claims that have been made. And I look with absolute disgust on an educational system with dedicated people working every day and trying to resolve their problems with inadequate state funding in my opinion. And I can't believe that we have a teacher ratio of one to 34 which is the highest in America. And finally let me just finish by saying it's it's a way of dealing with people also. I'm tired quite frankly of the backroom politics the vindictiveness the arm twisting that goes on. And so I conducted a grassroots campaign as has my friend across the table and totally dedicated to that going out meeting people back room politics. Could you give a couple of examples of what you what you refer to what was a vacuum called last minute mail

for instance. But you hit pieces. Absolutely. The hit piece is the last minute mail that comes out of the inability of people to come on a program like this and confront each other face to face so that the media and the voters can see who we are. There's something disgusting about that in my opinion. All the candidates should have been on this program and paid you the courtesy as well as your station and most importantly the voters the courtesy of appearing so that they could make. Excellent choices between you don't accept the excuses that have been offered. Absolutely not but they are ridiculous. Mr. Connelly What do you say are the most important issues in this race. I see the most important issues in this race that is issues that deal with the restrictions of people's rights the rights of citizens to conduct their lives in the ways that they see fit. We've got problems in the county with drug problems. We've got problems in the county with their to refer to his illegal alien problems and we've got to try and come up with situations and solutions for these

problems where all persons involved can benefit from the US. To say that to say that we've got drug problems and so forth that's very true but what would you do if you were elected in this race. Well to address the drug problem how does that fit within the libertarian philosophy. Well the libertarian philosophy as far as drugs go is that we're in a situation now where high school students and adults have already stated through their. Voluntary purchasing of drugs that they're going to do it whether it's against the law or not. Now what our objective is or what my objective would be if I were elected would be to reduce the penalties that we do the penalty for drug violations. Well there are that the only reason we have drug violations is because it's against the law for people to use drugs. Now I'm not saying that it's correct for people to use drugs because what are you saying that I'm saying that we've got to

reduce the penalties for for drug use. But we also have to make a concerted effort to to make the people of the citizens aware that there are problems with the use of drugs and if they're going to use drugs they've got to stand and stand by to see suffer the consequences for any actions that they might incur that results in the harm you know to someone else. So you think we do thing a penalty that would address the problem of drug wouldn't it would not make it more rapid arm I'm afraid Well when I say reduce the penalties I don't mean that people shouldn't be held responsible for the injuries that they incur on someone else if through their negligent use of drugs. Yes but if a person for instance who wants to has decided that they want to use drugs other than alcohol. Yes. They should there should be no restrictions on that. But if they on the other hand use a drug and then commit an act that injure someone else or injures the property of someone else they should be

prepared to accept the consequences for those actions I'd like you to comment because I want you both to comment its next question you ought to mention the illegal alien that like to pick up on that each month. It's been estimated to cross our borders coming into California certainly a major problem. About 100000 illegal aliens come across and so far the Congress has failed to come to grips with that the symptom Mazzoli bill has been stalled. And there's no action right now on anything to deal with it. Exactly what would you do if you were a congressman to deal with the problem of over 100000 illegal aliens a month coming across the border. Another would appear that is a sovereign state. We've lost control of our own borders. Right. You know we it's appears that way. So what would you do about what we've got a lot of people in in Mexico and other countries that see the United States as a golden opportunity for them to better their lives. Right. And one of the ways that we can keep production or business manufacturers can keep production costs down in the United States is to get help for as

inexpensively as possible. Now we were going to do about the problem of the illegal aliens coming in and coming across the borders at least in violation of our current laws and trying to change the laws so that they can come into the country and account will do that all good let anybody come in and wants to you mean. Well look if they're willing to come into the country and work for wages that are below what is listed as our minimum wage if they benefit from that they should be allowed to do it. And if we benefit from it if it doesn't hurt us. Now there are arguments that people in the United States are losing jobs because of the what about no. Well I haven't seen too many high school students or college students that are willing to go out and pick strawberries or do really tough work. I have that to one pragmatic question before we leave that I want to go to immigration over here but before we do a pragmatic question that according to the record there are a thousand and nine libertarians registered in Orange County out of a total of 1 million and 30000 of registered voters in this county.

How can then the libertarians seriously hope to make an impact with any kind of chance any shred of a chance of ever getting elected. It's a fair question but it was a fair question but you should also take into consideration that we've had several state legislators elected already in Alaska. We have several baskets. Yes we have several county supervisors in Northern California and there are many libertarian office holders and nonpartizan offices throughout the country so it's not that people that are being elected don't think along libertarian terms. It's just you know we're at the stage right now where people are just willing to accept our ideas and as soon as they can do that we we will have a better chance of getting a letter you're taking the long view. Yes I have to OK immigration I've been about crime that was the first question that was asked to write. I'll tell you drugs and the drugs as if it's way off drug and then immigration. OK both of them are a critical problem that have to be addressed on a

federal level. When you walk the district you'll find out the crime is the number one concern among the voters of the 38 district and how would you feel your attitude toward crime differs from your point of Mr. Robinson. Yes all narcotics will solve the criminal problem over 80 percent of your burglaries are brought about by drug users. Your homicide rate over half of it involves people who've ingested alcohol or drugs. The legislature would have it would do a favor reducing the the a penalty has really not increasing them. The legislature passed a little known law that allows half time credits for prisoners sentenced to state prison if they either work or go back to school and those job programs or educational programs are offered in state prison. What that means is you get have time credits anyway at Fulton or San Quentin. So if somebody is sentenced to 16 years they have to do 16 years and so I question parole boards and why they exist I question why the public reads about Charlie Manson coming up for parole every year. And quite frankly in Orange County we've sentenced as a prosecutor when I was in the district attorney's office and prosecuted many more dangerous people in

tournaments and that you don't hear about so one. I mean for increased penalties because I think that the problem is so severe especially with LSD APCP heroin. In addition to that I want this half time credit to stop at least on the legislative level or the state level have time to get it you have time credits given to prisoners and what would that mean exactly what you mean by that exactly. They would receive half time credits for going back to school or finding on you what you would want to eliminate that. Absolutely 16 years should be 16 years 30 to your eyes and 32 years and it doesn't mean that the present time. All right and that what about the negotiated sentence that often happens. Technically the negotiated sentences right now are really sentence bargains that occur and what about what about plea bargaining plea bargain has been done away with my proposition by the problem. By that I don't think that it is done away with that. Basically yes yes except even as a district attorney often times some cases will be filed. Sometimes a first degree murder turned out to be involuntary manslaughter involving I was in wife. A lot of times as a prosecutor we would enter into a defining stage believing certain facts to be true

and in additional investigation would show us. I personally file the most murder cases death and the allegations at the very beginning. Not wanting to take a chance that it would later turn out to be a death Ellie and I hadn't pursued it. Let's come back to illegal aliens again a hundred thousand a month on the ground that's what's coming across our borders that concern you and we absolutely. What would you do about it is that there's an elected Congress first of all can you imagine. Going to another country to work and leaving your family and children behind. First of all we have to look at these people as coming here they come from a foreign economic gain is what they're seeking. Absolutely but can you imagine the split in households and families when they try to pursue an income they're not bad people they're coming here for a reason yet economic economic gain. But secondly hiring two or three thousand more border guards necessarily isn't going to resolve the problem we've got to look south to Mexico as our most important ally and quit spending money in Angola as Robert Dornan has done and throughout the world quite frankly and start focusing on a little bit of our self-interest Mexico could be our friendliest neighbor and our strongest ally.

And if we look across the world where we need to spend resources and maybe some industrialisation it's Mexico to make it a wholesome place quite frankly. Are you saying that you would not want to beef up the efforts to keep illegal aliens out temporarily but I think the long term solution John is helping south of the border quite frankly instead of going on to me. Let me go over I have a number of things I want to ask both domestic and federal. Let me tick these off very quickly how are you going to vote on Rose Bird retention of road bird as the Supreme Court justice. None confirmation I will vote against her confirmation. She's a lovely person by the way but philosophically out of 50 57 out of 57 cases I as a former trial judge I'm not wrong 57 out of 57 times. And the very best prosecutors the very best defense attorneys and the very best judges and the only cases and therefore I've examined the sanction the sacredness and so on the judiciary compared to that vote. And I don't believe that she would find for do a vote against a confirmation and let me say that that vote would change of one of two things that happened. One the law had been declared to be

unconstitutional and sent back to the voters instead of a case by case analysis or two that the chief justice would have abstained from voting as a trial judge if I'm impartial I have to abstain and I was sorry about that. I will fail on that issue about I get that part would vote against confirmation Robert I'm going to vote. I haven't I haven't taken a position on Rosenberg's quite why not. It's it involves a lot of study on my part that I just haven't been able to do to this point. Our Toxic Waste Are you satisfied that we're doing enough on toxic waste not only in the thirty eighth congressional district but all over Orange County in Southern California what I call toxic wakes toxic waste is is a violation of property rights for women. You don't things that are going to poison someone else's property. Action has to be taken in that. But how come we haven't done that much better. We've spent billions dollars dollars then we got the McCall dumpsite we have this going fellow after that another with the work of them being done. Do you fault the government for not being more aggressive enough. Well that's one of the government's main functions is to help people protect their property rights. Pocket

weight very quickly. Judge Carter certainly enough is not being done in this area on March 1984 Miss Robinson sponsored Assembly Bill 2 3 0 2 and this bill would have exempted from disclosure information that was supposed to be reported to the government on possession disposal or use of hazardous waste. It would have exempted public disclosure of these reports. In other words the public would not have had access. I'm totally opposed to this. I think that people may want to know if there are dangerous substances that are transported in or around Orange County. I don't think that the federal government has done enough in terms of the disposal of toxic waste and quite frankly both political parties abuse is a football. It's too important an issue still unsolved is the question of how much offshore oil drilling going to be not only the coast of Orange County but all the coast of California. Where would you stand on that. Toward more lenient offshore oil drilling or having a moratorium I had been asked for by our two senators moratorium. The jury will know others did too. The tourism the living conditions the lifestyle in

Orange County is too important for offshore drilling. It would supply two to three days of our national needs. It can wait until we have safer drilling methods. What about offshore oil drilling. I'm for offshore oil offshore oil drilling and that puts us squarely in the opposite court from your colleague here that we didn't have disagreement when they were running against each other. WHAT WHAT WHY you what it is it allows a fair yes attitude that you have a buy. They have to. What about the aesthetic concerns along the coal those have to be dealt with if if by someone drilling for oil and they well comes up comes on to your beach you've got the right to make them clean it up and then deal with the problem. Jim let me read by the way Dornan has taken more money as a member of this congressional delegation from Orange County than any other congressperson from oil companies. I mean for his contributions his contributions can you back that are definitely in the Los Angeles Times newspaper article. Let's talk about long range flood control another great problem confronting Orange County that and have to be dealt with on the federal level. And do you feel enough aggressive effort been made by the congressional delegation from Orange

County toward getting long range flood control of the Santa Ana River which had been described as the greatest flood hazard west of the Rocky Mountains and that's been killed a number of times by both parties quite frankly. That's a long overdue work program to come to this county and the dangers great SDI the Strategic Defense Initiative you support the president on that. Are you against it. You want that right. I would have to say that I'm against it. It's just encouraging that it's not giving the the Soviet Union or any other countries in an incentive or a reason to believe that we're serious about reducing our own our capabilities for attacking them. So you would be against the Star Wars. So-called Star Wars is pretty different and if you support it or you get it against it and against it in its present funding. I'm for the continued research but it is a much more limited scale I'd like to know more about the feasibility search would continue but not implemented until that's correct until what until I'm certain that it's a deployable

system workable and I'm becoming increasingly convinced that it is not meant to Dornan the incumbent had been one of the press for people urging more and more money to be given to the Contras in Nicaragua for example to battle what he called the Communist threat there. How do you found Santa that I'm opposed to it. Having served in Vietnam. If this country's going to be involved in a conflict and I think all of us would be the first to serve again. I want to make certain that's a definable winnable war not based on body counts and the inability for instance to cross a border like lawless after the North in the use of hit my troops and I'm concerned about Nicaragua because it's an unwinnable war. And secondly they haven't proved to us as a popular uprising like Afghanistan which I hold in a different light than what. But do I does it concern you that that there may be another Cuba down in the garage whether that concern you that that maybe another communist stronghold not of Central America. Now the present time. I see no evidence of that in fact I see an awful lot of waste that's occurred the CIA admits is an unwinnable war there's been drug purchases apparently from the funds

we've supplied misuse of funds. Paul and popular support as it was a key term. The residents of that country have to decide that they want to change their government. We should not be involved in that. Let me ask you about the defense budget the Congress the United States in this last week had just voted out of two two hundred eighty five billion dollars for defense but the president of the United States the commander in chief wants three hundred twenty billion. The Senate is saying something like two hundred ninety five but in where do you stand on that spectrum at a wide wide dead spectrum of our budget our national tacked on along with a third of our entire national budget for the defense. It's much too high. It's much too high because we're spending a lot of tax money. So you don't tend to go with the president and the administration that Mr. Weinberger who wants to have that much more money. Oh no especially when you look at some of the things the defense wants to get. What about that. It's much too high we're not getting value of our product for the money we're spending and we need more stringent controls. It's being waste at the present time I want to effective durable military money wisely spent and it's not being wisely spent.

All right on that note thanks very much. Time is almost up now. Please be with us on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. when we present an overview of the June 3rd candidates with issues with our new comedy political writer. I'm Jim Cooper. Thanks for being with us. Jim Cooper's Orange County is made possible by grants from the Harry and Grace steel foundation

providing charitable assistance to deserving organizations in the areas of health education and culture by signal landmark incorporated developer of Southern California real estate and builder of Landmark homes by Robert Half an account.