Letter to the Stockton Record
With this political campaign season in full swing, my normally thoughtful non-agenda theme of this blog will be altered a bit for awhile. Here's a letter I sent to the Stockton Record today regarding their need to take a stand against re-election of Richard Pombo, representative to California's eleventh district:
Seven term Representative Richard Pombo's record speaks for itself, and it's time for the Record to endorse the other candidate in the race.
It's Time to Endorse McNerney
First, let's consider his self-serving record, one that clearly fails in terms of honest leadership values. As Chairman of the House Resources Committee, Pombo has fought to give government land--old railroad easements---to adjacent land owners, a move that enriched his family's extensive land holdings in the Altamont Pass region--the largest in San Joaquin County. Then, he follows up by advocating that taxpayers purchase some of this land to build another proposed freeway to the Bay Area, a move obviously designed to create a windfall profit for his inherited family fortunes. Pombo has apparently pocketed additional cash through a number of petty office holder loopholes, such as the $5,000 RV vacation paid for at taxpayer expense, and by not so petty donations from out-of-state energy and mining companies and Abramoff related indian gaming and casino interests, the amounts of which are still unclear. Pombo's response at a recent debate with opponent McNerney is that accusations of corruption leveled against him have all been "checked out and he's been cleared every time". It's time that District #11 chose better for itself than re-electing a self-serving landholder who has managed not to be thrown in jail for corruption.
A strong supporter of President Bush, Pombo doesn't mince words as he remains one of the dwindling number of congressman in denial, willing to spend $2 billion per month to occupy civil war driven Iraq as a way to fight the war on terrorism throughout the world. But, Pombo's politics are often even further to the right of the president. He is willing to sell National Forests to help balance the budget, to sell corporate sponsorship of National Parks like Yosemite to "pay for themselves", but remains apparently unwilling or unable as committee chair to ensure proper oversight for proper collection of taxpayer royalties owed private oil companies drilling on public lands.
Pombo's interests have really never been in favor of the rancher and farmers. In the words of former Republican representative Pete McCloskey, “To Pombo and his family, who own hundreds and thousands of acres, it isn’t the farming they’re concerned with, it’s the development of subdivisions”. Pombo's combined political and ranching interests are mostly to protect his electricity generating windmills from endangered species like the San Joaquin kit fox. Despite the fact that Friant Dam near Fresno puts not one drop of water into the San Joaquin River that flows through his district, Pombo has been bent on modifying legislation that would have all but eliminated the possibility of the recent landmark deal between farmers and fisherman that would restore the habitat of the Chinook Salmon. Pombo's vision of San Joaquin County is much different than the residents who live there. For Pombo turning San Joaquin County into an urbanized landscape is fine as long as federal dollars to build more freeways can be secured from Washington. And he apparently believes that maintaining the once mighty San Joaquin River as a drainage ditch for pesticides and fertilizers is just fine. Pombo's future view is anything but the bucolic farmland San Joaquin County once was, and so it's time that he be replaced by the other guy.
It's time for the Stockton Record take a clear stand to vote for the other guy--Jerry McNerney.
Seven term Representative Richard Pombo's record speaks for itself, and it's time for the Record to endorse the other candidate in the race.
It's Time to Endorse McNerney
First, let's consider his self-serving record, one that clearly fails in terms of honest leadership values. As Chairman of the House Resources Committee, Pombo has fought to give government land--old railroad easements---to adjacent land owners, a move that enriched his family's extensive land holdings in the Altamont Pass region--the largest in San Joaquin County. Then, he follows up by advocating that taxpayers purchase some of this land to build another proposed freeway to the Bay Area, a move obviously designed to create a windfall profit for his inherited family fortunes. Pombo has apparently pocketed additional cash through a number of petty office holder loopholes, such as the $5,000 RV vacation paid for at taxpayer expense, and by not so petty donations from out-of-state energy and mining companies and Abramoff related indian gaming and casino interests, the amounts of which are still unclear. Pombo's response at a recent debate with opponent McNerney is that accusations of corruption leveled against him have all been "checked out and he's been cleared every time". It's time that District #11 chose better for itself than re-electing a self-serving landholder who has managed not to be thrown in jail for corruption.
A strong supporter of President Bush, Pombo doesn't mince words as he remains one of the dwindling number of congressman in denial, willing to spend $2 billion per month to occupy civil war driven Iraq as a way to fight the war on terrorism throughout the world. But, Pombo's politics are often even further to the right of the president. He is willing to sell National Forests to help balance the budget, to sell corporate sponsorship of National Parks like Yosemite to "pay for themselves", but remains apparently unwilling or unable as committee chair to ensure proper oversight for proper collection of taxpayer royalties owed private oil companies drilling on public lands.
Pombo's interests have really never been in favor of the rancher and farmers. In the words of former Republican representative Pete McCloskey, “To Pombo and his family, who own hundreds and thousands of acres, it isn’t the farming they’re concerned with, it’s the development of subdivisions”. Pombo's combined political and ranching interests are mostly to protect his electricity generating windmills from endangered species like the San Joaquin kit fox. Despite the fact that Friant Dam near Fresno puts not one drop of water into the San Joaquin River that flows through his district, Pombo has been bent on modifying legislation that would have all but eliminated the possibility of the recent landmark deal between farmers and fisherman that would restore the habitat of the Chinook Salmon. Pombo's vision of San Joaquin County is much different than the residents who live there. For Pombo turning San Joaquin County into an urbanized landscape is fine as long as federal dollars to build more freeways can be secured from Washington. And he apparently believes that maintaining the once mighty San Joaquin River as a drainage ditch for pesticides and fertilizers is just fine. Pombo's future view is anything but the bucolic farmland San Joaquin County once was, and so it's time that he be replaced by the other guy.
It's time for the Stockton Record take a clear stand to vote for the other guy--Jerry McNerney.
