I'm Jim Reed, and would be proud to become an Orange to Blue Candidate in my quest to retire Wally Herger, the GOP Congressman from California's Second Congressional District who praised a self-proclaimed "Right-Wing Terrorist," by saying "AMEN, God bless you, now that's a great American!"
California deserves better. Learn more about my campaign under the fold.
Why Wally Herger Has to Go:
Wally Herger has been in office for 24 years. In that time he has been responsible for only one significant piece of legislation, and that one was only successful because he had Diane Feinstein’s support on the matter.
He has voted 94% of the time along the straight Republican line. He has placed the Republican Party above the people of his District. He has gotten lazy and has failed to aggressively seek Federal spending in his District. There are 10 Counties in the District but more than 1/2 the voters are in either Butte or Shasta Counties. Pathetically, these two counties get less than 60% of the national average in federal spending for rural counties across the country; this amounts to $3 Billion below the national average per year based on a PBS survey for the News Hour known as the Patchwork Nation.
How I Can Beat Wally Herger:
I have the energy and commitment to reverse this unfair treatment of these Northern California counties and believe with just national average Federal spending the unemployment rate of nearly 20% in the region could be reduce to below 10%.
I am an attorney practicing law in the small town of Fall River Mills, located in eastern Shasta County. Two years ago, I ran against the County’s Assistant D.A. for a vacant seat on the bench of the Superior Court in Shasta County; I received 49% of the vote.
As a Democrat in the most conservative of the counties in the district (President Obama lost to John McCain by 21,000 votes in Shasta County), this close loss did not discourage me one bit. If you take Shasta County out of the District voting results for 2008, President Obama and John McCain were in a virtual voting tie in the remainder of the District. I know I can do at least as well as I did in Shasta County two years ago now that my name is better known, so if we run a better campaign than Wally Herger, we will win in November.
Wally Herger has never had a serious and well financed opponent; in 2008 Wally Herger spent $1.2 Million on his campaign while his Democratic opponent Jeff Morris spent $32,000 and still got 42% of the vote. This is a Congressional District ripe to go from Red or Orange to Blue now.
Here are some current, relevant answers to the Orange to Blue questionnaire:
Do you support the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 1409/S. 560), including the provision known as "card check"?
I have and will continue to publically support the Employee Free Choice Act including Card Check.
Do you support a repeal of the policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (10 U.S.C. § 654)?
I believe the Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell Rule has outgrown its usefulness. There is no reason openly gay people cannot provide a great service to our Armed Forces and I will do what I can to further such a policy.
Do you agree that any immigration reform bill should:
a) Contain a meaningful path to citizenship - one that does not include overly-punitive fines or a touchback requirement - for law-abiding undocumented immigrants currently in the United States;
b) Ensure that expanded legal permanent immigration, rather than expansion of temporary worker programs, serves as the United States' primary external answer to workforce shortages; and
c) Ensure that any non-agricultural temporary worker programs maintain current caps on the total number of non-agricultural temporary worker visas issued, and also include a meaningful prevailing wage requirement keyed to the Service Contract Act and Davis-Bacon Act?
I support immigration reform:
a) Although I oppose amnesty as being unfair to those who have legally immigrated to the U.S., I do support a method that will allow those who are undocumented in the Country to become legal through significant effort and responsibility on their part.
b) Legal permanent status should be expanded. Those who have obtained a college education in the U.S., especially advanced degrees, should never be required to leave the County because of their status.
c) Temporary non-agricultural workers should be required to earn the prevailing wage for the particular community.
Do you think Congress should act to suspend regulation of greenhouse gas emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency?
The Environmental Protection Agency is critical in controlling the emission of greenhouse gases and its power should not suspended. I will support legislation to control greenhouse gases, but the EPA’s power to regulate is the only control until new law is enacted.
If elected to the House, do you pledge not to join the Blue Dog Coalition?
I am anything but a Blue Dog and would never expect to join their group.
Here is a link to a list of my Political Beliefs.
List of Endorsements:
California Democratic Party
California Teachers’ Ass.
Northeastern Bldg. Trades Council
5 Counties Labor Council
Tim Stearns (Mt. Shasta City Council)
Judge William Phelps ( Shasta Co. Ret.)
Mark Cibula (former Shasta Co. Supervisor)
Jon Eberling (Chico St. Prof. Ret.)
Randy Presleigh DVM (Millville)
Christina Bellici (Marysville City Council)
If you're so inclined, Click on this line to donate to my campaign through Act Blue.