Jim Cooper's Orange County; Candidates for the 39th Congressional District

Jim Cooper's Orange County is made possible by grants from the herion gray 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 happen to count temps providing permanent and temporary accounting financial and personnel. And by Disneyland part an important part of Orange County for over 30 years. Welcome to election 86 a series of special election format presented by TV to introduce the candidates and the issues to the voters in that program will present candidates for the thirty ninth congressional district in Orange County 39 congressional district

covers the north and north central part of Orange County. It borders on Los Angeles San Bernardino and Riverside counties and extends from the north to orange in the south. It includes Yorba Linda Placentia Villa Park orange and the heavily populated unincorporated areas of the Santa Ana River Canyon and parts of Anaheim. There are two hundred eighty three thousand registered voters in the district. Ninety nine thousand or thirty five percent of Democrats in the hundred fifty seven thousand or fifty five percent are Republicans giving the Republican Party an edge of 58000 voters. The wide gap in voter registration figures between the Republican and Democratic parties has made the thirty ninth district predominantly Republican incumbent congressman to retain his seat in Congress for the past eight years. And now let's meet the candidates. Congressman Jim Dent of my Republican represents the thirty nine tific in Orange County. You previously served in the state assembly from 1963 to 1966 and again from 1977 to 78 the first elected to Congress in 1978 in the

served in that office in 1979. He served on the Energy and Commerce Committee and on the Judiciary Committee. David vest Democrat is a Contract Administrator for the county of Orange you've been active in the Frank Church for president campaign and with the Democrats of North Orange County. He founded the University of Idaho Vietnam Veterans Memorial and was a volunteer lobbyist for education in Washington DC. Maureen Pike Democrat is a housewife and mother. For the past five years she had coordinated field activities for the Lyndon LaRouche national Democratic Policy Committee. In previous years he was a candidate for the office for state assembly and U.S. Congress in the Los Angeles Pasadena area he had a 16 year old son and lives in Eagle Rock. Frank Bay I'm Peace and Freedom Party worked with the Los Angeles City job with peace initiative for 1986. He previously worked as a factory assembler and a machinist he was active in many peace and environmental groups including the Alliance for survival in 1982 he worked on the nuclear freeze the negative. He says he committed civil disobedience in protesting

Emeka missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base. And elected member of the U.S. Congress not received seventy two thousand six hundred a year for the two year term of office. Each candidate will now make a one minute they cannot hit her kind of the day after which all ask questions on the issue. Now let's start with Mr. Dan Amar. Thank you Jim. Ladies and gentlemen since 1981 the vote the summer of the political system of the nation's capital in Washington D.C. has been essentially in a political deadlock. The people of this nation the police Mr. Reagan in the White House a Republican. And at the same time the House of Representatives where I'm privileged to serve has been under the control of the Democratic Party and the leadership of Tip O'Neill continuously since 1954. The question that we have to ask ourselves as Americans is do we want to solve the number one problem of the nation which to me is monetary instability reflecting in this huge deficit by raising our taxes or by cutting spending. Mr. Mondale and a member of 84

said he wanted we Americans to raise the rate to reduce the deficit by raising our taxes I don't think we Americans are undertaxed. And my preference in the things that I have done in the House over the seven years I've been privileged to serve there is to work to reduce the deficit by cutting spending. And I hope to continue on that course. All right that meant to be I'm pleased. My candidacy for U.S. Congress is to point out several of the inadequate features of the federal government in the United States namely that we are intervening in foreign countries where we have no business especially in Central America. And also to see family farms in this country and also to bring peace with the Soviet Union and other countries. We have no reason to go on building more nuclear weapon systems and continually increasing role pensions by foolish actions like bombing basically defenseless nations. And

what we need to do is have a government policy that emphasizes peace and social justice for everyone. And I think that my candidacy will bring these things before the public. Thank you Maureen pike. Thank you. My current candidacy for Congress is part of a citizen's movement of candidates associated with Mr. Lynn and Ruth which I'm sure people are aware of through through this viewing audience. One of the things that I will be focusing on very strongly are two of the issues that Mr. Leroux sees as very crucial one the question of international drug and the international drug trade and the other being the question of overturning the economy from the standpoint of the disastrous Gramm-Rudman bill which I see is very much destroying the cities and the capabilities of this nation. What our citizens movement is very much committed to doing is putting

back. Politics into the hands of the electorate of the United States and creating the kind of industrial capabilities that this country live web based on. I get crucial at this point that we rebuild the Democratic Party in order to be able to do that. Thank you Mr Rat. Thank you. During the past several years residents of North Orange County have been subjected time and time again to embarrassment after embarrassment. The absurd statements of the incumbent William Dann of Meyer have seen this county beyond measure and have effectively robbed both him and the voters of this district of any credibility in the nation's capital. Republican voters will have no choice in the upcoming primary. They will have the same choice as any citizen of the Soviet Union and that's no choice at all. Democrats however do have an alternative. They may choose between myself David Beth or Maureen Pike a rouge candidate. I am seeking the office at the request of both Democrats and Republicans conservatives

and liberals in this county. I am the only moderate in my eyes. It's running for the position and I am seeking to restore pride and credibility to the thirty ninth congressional district and join my fight to stop the embarrassment. Vote bass. I think we'll give a nod to Denmark at the talk about the embarrassment but let me ask the question for each of you not there with you much of it in these forums I like to ask at first what the candidates see is important I have a number of issues I'd like to talk to you about but I'd like to hear you recite what you feel are the important issues and what that would you. Mr. Beth keep your answers relatively short please get Mr. vest. My Proxima most important issue. Currently a pair of Mr. Van Meyer has time and time again voted in opposition to President Reagan very important and urgent bills on terrorism most recently just March 18. All right thank you so you'll put on terrorism everyone will come back to that then I'm missed by

one of the most important issue. Well obviously there's a number of important issues are what give a couple of them economic progress. Obviously terrorism is also key. All right Mr. behind what the one important issue. Well I think the more that coupled with you it's Pete and we have to stop the U.S. government from intervening in other countries and we have to keep them from being bullying around other countries. Basically we've got to get our troops out of 21 Merica. We've got to stop bombing countries stop mining Harbor to defenseless countries and concentrate on building our country and instead of bullying around other countries. Would you include in that in your concern about that would you include getting rid of our national defense. Well Or would you like to keep it strong that defense. All I can think is it's so strong right now we could destroy the world and what we need. What would you like to keep it that you like keep what we have now would you like to cut it way back. Well I'd like to cut back certain specific areas of national

defense. All right Mr Downer what the most important issue with your teeth. Jim I think when you reflect on the fact that in the last five years we have doubled our national debt to from 1 trillion to 2 trillion dollars that our deficit this year is estimated to be. Two hundred billion dollars that are negative trade balance is one hundred and fifty billion dollars with the rest of our trading partners. These are all evidences of a monetary instability in our world for the last 18 years this nation has been pursuing a course of the experiment with a paper dollar. And frankly it hasn't worked out very well. And these considerations that I mentioned are a reflection of that basic monetary instability answer of course is this nation is badly in need of a national debate between presidential candidates I think is where it belongs on what happens to all of us in the western world when we when we restore the historic relationship between the dollar and gold. And in so doing drive down interest rates not only in America but

all over the western world. We are literally stifling economic progress and growth all over the world because of high interest rates caused in this nation by our currency backed by nothing. What about the Gramm-Rudman bill that you feel that this step in the right direction or is that not the whole answer. I voted for it. It is a mixture of good and bad. I think in the good over weighs the bad. The fact of the matter is that one of the problems with our Congress is runaway spending and the Gramm-Rudman is a is a significant way of imposing a measure of discipline on the inability of members of Congress to discipline themselves in terms of stopping runaway federal spending. Right that I'd like to add Did you want to reply to Dave and you said that you thought that Mr Denham Ayers comment about embarrassment I understand you correctly you want to be specific on anyone you mention terrorism. There are so many of them went in terror exactly what with all their heritage and heard about terrorism Mr. Gannon Meyer voted against House Resolution 44 18 which

is by President George Bush's resolution for diplomatic security an anti-terrorism it was the single most important and eye Terrorism Act that has. Passed the Congress in the last 10 years. He made no statement but he was one of virtually zero people that oppose the president on the issue the issue is that you have caused embarrassment according to the nature of that because you didn't take a stand on terrorism. You want to respond to that. I think the gentleman is asking me to explain my vote to Jim that vote to results in this nation's spending in excess of four billion dollars to essentially. Rebuild our embassies around the world. The reason that I voted NO was what I suspected in that vote and that issue was that for years the bureaucrats who labor in the bowels of the secretary of state have been yearning for an opportunity of building new buildings to house themselves around the world of American embassies. And they seized upon this

opportunity to present to Congress an ability to build new buildings around the world under the label of increased security. Are you concerned that we do have better security more certain there and I think the quantity you know you talk a little bit by a lot of buildings were over four billion dollars even this inflation Royer out of my that your concern and I don't I think are not known I think the amount of the money is grossly excessive. Right. All right. I'd like to come back between your two. Broader than that phrase you're going to have to decide between two Democrats running. You are running. The bike as a candidate and I think it's fair to ask because people have heard things like this said Do you really believe that Queen Elizabeth is plotting to subvert America with drugs. Do you really believe Henry Kissinger betrayed the West and seeks to control the world. Do you really believe David Rockefeller as habit has a program for reorganizing the whole world under a secret conspiracy. I mean these are things that have been attributed to Mr. Le rouge and I think it's a fair question. Do you really believe those things.

I think you're first off mis quoting Mr. Laroche. Well I'm taking his direct quote from what he said and I don't know why it went for publication TIME magazine. I think Time magazine was probably the know your charge him and misquoting him. Yeah I am very much charging that the fight against illegal drug did not end with the oral route. Sad that the Queen of England was responsible for a good chunk of the international drug trade because she knew the thing. Money through the international drug trade were being financed through the city of London banks and that she could put a halt to it and they said that a number of times. Do you really believe that she's involved in a conspiracy to knock it out of the layout that she let it go. Well aware now. I mean things can be twisted I believe she's well aware of the fact that there is. A massive amount of international drug trade that is run through the city of London banks very much like the Bank of Boston where the attorney general William Weld you know slapped a fine of $50000 on the Bank of

Boston for international drug money laundering. If you really believe that then we couldn't you're trying to betray the West and seek to control the world. You know and I do believe Henry Kissinger acted as a traitor under the SALT agreement. All right one of the things that has been criticized and I think we should a graphic right here that the Democrat there a Democrat for example a Democrat running for the Central Committee who are really in the route going to be there for running in the various races in Orange County who are going to the viewer that they're trying to come in and subvert the democratic party that's already been made you want to respond to that. What is the Democratic Party. I mean this is the funny thing that is so silly to me and bear with me. After the roof candidate so-called candidate won in Illinois everyone wanted to say that leverage was in extremis somehow the Democratic Party think he's an extreme An absolutely not absolutely not. Is it extreme to be against drugs or that extreme to be in favor of defense I think it's extreme to say that the Queen of England is subverting isn't that Henry you're trying to take over the world to look at the left.

I do I don't think that's extreme and all I think that. And I write that I and I were misquoting when you said that I know once said Henry Kissinger was over to take over the world. Luke didn't say or betrayed the weapon think to control the world. That's a pretty simple thing that's not a quote No but the other one was a direct quote from it on the way in which the one about Queen of England the fighting of England was involved in the international drug trade she's well aware of the Internet and I was going at it. OK well anyway the question is I think a fair question is that if we're rude kind they'd have this certain doctrine and philosophy that they want to encourage Americans to follow. Then why don't they have their own political party. Why are you wanting out of the labels of the Democratic Party or are you also having some and I've been a lifelong Democrat. Would you like to see the Louis philosophy take over the can the Democratic or absolutely right you have and I don't think Mr. Leroux should philosophy is really any different than FDR philosophy like the two that he with the market the former Marxist. No it's not true. Honestly it says here that he joined the Communist Party in Calcutta after his

days in World War Two was not true that I did learn through Time magazine was wrong. Time magazine is wrong if you have any comments on this matter Beth you're the one that had to run against not only the candidate I'm sure Miss Piper the very nice lady but about the philosophy that the philosophy bother you. Yeah well one of the marks of an extremist and one of the most. Range of things inviting extremists as they very seldom realize that they are in fact out of touch with reality. Whether it's a person running as a Republican or a Democrat it's easy to become an extremist without realizing you departed from what reality is in fact already leaped up. I have a number of things I like that give I want to ask all of you to hold answered pretty a pretty short time because I want to cover some areas let's go to the local area and I'm Matthew chance to respond to that one of the big local problems we have is a thing called toxic waste and one of the worst examples of toxic waste is important McCall dumpsite. We also have this drink that's a bit not a lot has been done out there and if you're down there what about toxic waste

and what not happening with a lot of money then we called them side in Fullerton as an example of how we probably have more government than we need and I think probably more than we could afford a year ago we thought we had a plan and settled upon to move the waste from Fullerton we called them side to the button Willow side in Kern County. But then the other good residents of Kern County didn't like the idea of this waste from Orange County being moved to their communities so they went to court. Supreme Court of California breakers filled the county seat of Kern County got an injunction that resulted in the requiring of a new report now bear in mind that one move along with that three year previous to that any eye or report was a process for the location to receive the toxic waste. Did the but will a site in her own county and yet this is merely a redundant activity and then I got

them in late into the reauthorization of the Superfund bill in the Congress to exempt them the sensitivity of this. We didn't do the report and that still is in conference committee between the House and the Senate it's just it just goes on and on and you know it's stuck and right now a lot of money been spent. The McCall dumpsite remains a villain in all of it still where very quickly because I have several issues I want to move into and give you all if you're out there you're walking away without the coal dumpsite and all the other toxic waste sites. What about the country and the heavenly packs and people that are making the toxic waste. They have had to pay for the toxic waste that they've been subsidizing that them we should attack the one company that oil companies so heavily that it is unprofitable to make a point anymore and stop in front of it. All right very quickly talk that way. Let's get in and clean it up. Well there's a lot of money then spent and it and it will have been cleaned up. Well I don't know whether the way that one of the riches. What's going on let's get in and clean up. But here is the best industrial capabilities and economic capability right now to clean up at the vet you read in The Bulletin.

Good point. MCAULIFFE I haven't been cleaned up for very good reason because our congressman doesn't have the credibility to get it out of committee. Father all responded All right and I have not only not only did I get out of the committee with it passed the full House and Senate conference committee between the Senate and the house and there are many issues of variance between the Senate and the House version not the least of which is what method of taxation we're going to use and believe me I wish I wish I could sit here and tell you that it's been resolved but it hasn't been. There's enough blame to go around Right right right. Grandma and the cup had brought new reality their cut back when they're cut. Last week the Senate voted to terminate revenue sharing one city in the thirty ninth district Fullerton is going to lose six hundred seventy five thousand in revenue sharing another city called The City of Orange. They're going to need hundred forty one thousand revenue sharing. What what actions you feel could or should be taken to make up some of the losses that are absolutely going to fall to the

city that have been relying on revenue sharing very quickly Mr Downer. Well the fact of the matter is that we have we don't have the revenue the share the suggestion that the federal government had ventured serving water and that while they were borrowing the money Jim with a deficit of two hundred billion dollars this year and we don't change things that are going to continue over the next few years what revenue do we have to share and I have voted against. I have voted in favor of discontinuing revenue sharing whatever it's come up because frankly we don't have the revenue to share. I've got a theory that the leader of the house on a lot of movement of the going back policy to the United States government has favored the wealthy people and corporations in this country. Ever since John Kennedy and they cut taxes on wealthy people and corporations. Ever since John Kennedy when Reagan came into office he cut him even further. Biggest tax bonanza for the wealthy in this country has ever seen. That's why we've got a deficit. What we need to do is put heavier taxes on the wealthy and corporations and make sure that we get rid of the deficit and put

more money back in our community. And also what we should do is repeal Proposition 13 and raise property taxes the local government haven't found funding base for the thing that that bothers sharing with other cutbacks and programs now it's going to destroy not only the local cities but all the majors. I mean every place this is looked Gramm-Rudman for disaster and the thing that's most infuriating about Gramm-Rudman image of the gutlessness of the U.S. Congress is that the only thing that they refused to discuss was the question of the interest to the banks. We will cut everything except the interest to the banking structure. So you would if you were elected you would cut into the banks absolutely. Well then if you could enter the bank I would imagine it will go away and I can't wait. I should restate my question I should restate my answer to that. I would immediately try to over peel Gramm-Rudman and I couldn't do that. I would immediately deal with the interest question to the banking structure. Mr. Betts we got back to him and the effect in your district the thirty ninth district.

True true and of course all of that is all over but I mean there to have been very dramatically being affected room that will be affected. Mr Downer Meyer's correct we have got to do something about the federal deficit. These are services that have been paid for by the federal government and really should have been in Minister to the local level but we cant get funding from the federal government we have to look at local sources of revenue which is where it should have been in the first place. Would you support the president moving to the International are you would you support the president's action on Libya as retaliation for terrorism I would be wrong. Very quickly I have to say the president was correct in what he did. You supported Maureen. I don't think they should have. That went far enough I think we should bomb the oil fields. But you do think somebody Elliot's nabbed one of the boarded up because of the terrorism hangs off what a bunch of lunatics we have running the country right now to go following countries that are basically weak. Basically all you have to start about the terrorism problem. All I can think is how you create terrorism is going in that making sure people around the world remain poor remain starving and that makes people pretty radical because we made our Gaddafi poor Is

that why Gadhafi people in those countries in the Middle East in Africa are very poor a lot of hungry people a lot of starving people who were angry at Gadhafi what he had done. Not at all I think it's not justified what he's done but basically we have to look at it in the complete context of what you think what he's done is wrong and they were I think at a low enough when I think that the way to do that kind of stuff but. Basically our response to it is way out of why European countries are not supporting us on this at all. Europe is basically. So we are very much afraid that we're going to do it again and start a world war. And that's they don't want that they were black and we got a little time with I think Mr. bam a fair question then if you don't want to have any reaction what would you do to try and contain terrorism. What would you do if you're a congressman. What I would do what I will to do immediately stop funding aid to things like the U.S. backed Contras which are terrorists funded by the U.S. government directing on my next question. But that's OK. And also I would basically yet try to with I mean stop arms shipments to what third world countries that are basically US client states like South Korea

like the Philippines and also a country that well I would stop our shipments to Israel and that that's where the real terrorism is coming from and coming right from the United States the Arabs are the bad guys. Basically a lot of hungry and starving people they're not the bad guys. All right if the United States that bullying him and bullying poor people around the world those that's what's really happening here. All right Mr. Gannon Myron very quickly. I said really right on the response in Libya I think the President Reagan made the right decision in Libya by restraining the military response and I think that one of the most important statements that our president said was that if necessary do it again very quickly. Are we right or wrong to give that give money to the Contras in Nicaragua. You're right because I think it recognizes that. There is a necessity in this country to provide an important and effective interface with Soviet expansionism they log what is your order for that that I do it for. I will continue to do so because I think it is

important that we recognize that Nicaragua has become a bastion of terrorism and revolution that is being exported to other nations. Let's hear from both of you on that question the question we're dealing with here. We were doing to Nicaragua exactly what we're using Qaddafi of doing to the United States and terrorism you are against giving and other aid to Nicaragua. Absolutely. It would end if you were a congressman good Lord and I would vote against. All right a Marine. I have real problems with that question because I think if you're going to look at the question of Central America you have to look at the interplay of the international drug traffickers that have taken place there and the problem I see with with the question of Nicaragua is obviously Nicaragua in and amongst itself is part of Soviet expansion and has the Soviet play a major role in Nicaragua. But the problem with the conference at the same point that is their involvement in international drug traffic if you were a congressman that was a hard I wanted to I wanted to come up with I would have voted against it because of the Contras

involvement in international drug trade. OK. I'm sorry the time is right by the by the hour and of course the final decision as they can do and this country is make that decision on June 3rd. Time with on with up and I'll be with a thousand mile night at 30 pm when we present the candidate for the 40th congressional that the great. I'm Jim Cooper. Thanks for being with. Us.