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News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 03.20.08 edition.
Dems spar to oppose
Bono Mack
By J.P. Crumrine, Assistant Editor
Biannually, the
U.S. House of Representatives stands before the voters, and Idyllwild’s
representative in the U.S. Congress, Mary Bono Mack, is unopposed for
the Republican nomination. But three Democrats are ready to challenge
her.
First elected in 1998, this will be Bono Mack’s
sixth full term if re-elected.
California’s 45th Congressional District
encompasses the Coachella Valley region and Inland Empire. The district
spans from Murrieta and Moreno Valley on the west over the San Jacinto
Mountains, and east and south to the Colorado River and the Salton Sea.
Bono Mack serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has
jurisdiction over issues such as energy, telecommunications, health
care and the environment. Within the committee, Bono Mack sits on the
following three subcommittees: Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection;
Energy and Air Quality; and Telecommunications and the Internet.
During the current congressional session, her first as a member of the
minority party, Bono Mack has submitted several bills affecting the
district. Among those are the Managing Arson Through Criminal History
(MATCH) Act of 2007, to create a convicted arson registry. Also, H.R.
4841 would implement the agreement between the Soboba tribe and Lake
Hemet Municipal Water District as well as the Eastern and Municipal
water districts.
She also has fashioned a local wilderness bill that has support from
many local groups. A hearing on the bill was held last year. Recently,
her bill has been incorporated into a bill with wilderness proposals
from four other states.
In November 2006, Bono Mack faced her strongest challenger yet. David
Roth, the Democratic candidate, had national financing and backing. Joe
Trippi, Howard Dean’s former campaign manager, directed Roth’s effort.
Yet, Bono Mack carried the district with 60 percent of the vote.
Democratic candidates
This year, three people feel the urge to test Bono Mack. Perhaps, the
most well-known is Palm Desert resident Julie Bornstein, a former State
Assembly member. The other two candidates are Paul Clay of Murrieta,
and David Hunsicker of Palm Desert.
Clay is a newcomer to elective politics. He is currently a social
studies teacher in the Perris Unified School District. He has taught in
the classroom, in an alternative school and now for the independent
study program.
Recently, one of his students joined the Army. This evoked an internal
debate resulting in Clay’s decision to step forward and claim a
citizen’s right to change its government.
“I got tired of sitting on the sidelines,” he related. “The war, the
economy and health care are all issues I deal with daily with my
students.”
Clay expects to canvas the district and reach out to communities,
especially Idyllwild. He acknowledged the Hill’s ability to turn out
and vote, so he will not ignore this fertile vote area.
Hunsicker, a former entrepreneur, teaches real estate appraising. He is
a former Air Force pilot and Vietnam veteran. But he has run for
Congress before. In 1984, he was a candidate for the 21st Texas House
seat. Although he did not win, he believes his experience will help him
build a better campaign.
One of the first issues he raised was the local Democratic Party’s
endorsement of Bornstein. Although she was elected to represent the
80th Assembly District in 1992, she served only one term. In the 1994
election, she was defeated.
“Julie Bornstein is a party insider. She was handpicked by party
insiders,” Hunsicker said. “The Dems send some bright people against
Bono Mack, but they lack the likeability and electable factor.”
Hunsicker advocates a new approach to testing Bono Mack. “I can connect
with voters and tell them the truth,” he said.
He advocates ending the Mideast occupation. “It’s $3 trillion spent
wrongly and $3 trillion not spent wisely on domestic concerns,” he
added. “In America, people fear the government. It should be the
politicians and government who fear the people.”
Bornstein, also from Palm Desert, has secured the endorsement of both
California senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. She serves as
president of the Campaign for Affordable Housing. This position has
helped her work with the senators and many of the congressional
delegation. This she hopes will help her garner the funding to make a
competitive challenge to Bono Mack.
Idyllwild was part of her district when she represented the 80th
Assembly District. She and her family are familiar with the Hill.
Bornstein believes local voters are looking for a change. She believes
she offers new leadership as one who will spend more time listening to
local views.
“Many constituents are fearful of the future for their children. They
fear the government is not there for them,” she said. “The very
environment threatens us.”
While acknowledging Bono Mack’s work on the Santa Rosa national
monument and her wilderness legislation, Bornstein said many desert
citizens were disappointed that the current wilderness bill excluded
large portions of the desert.
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