Congressional Candidates Square Off
U.S. Rep. Howard ‘Buck’ McKeon goes head-to-head with challengers for the first time
Clean water and Cemex Inc.’s planned sand and gravel mine in Soledad Canyon were two hotbutton issues at a debate Wednesday among incumbent U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon and his challengers for the 25th Congressional District, Democrat Robert Rodriguez and Libertarian David Erikson.
It was the first time the congressman met his opponents in a debate format.
In the past month, Rodriguez had accused McKeon of skipping several debates arranged by different organizations.
However, McKeon spokesman Scott Wilk said the congressman’s schedule left him unable to debate.
McKeon said Cemex has pre sented a big problem for the Santa Clarita Valley and that Santa Clarita has been putting up a fight against” the mine, planned to begin operation in 2008. He added that Cemex and the city have to reach a compromise to solve the problem.
Rodriguez said he had already reached out to U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sher-man Oaks, who has offered to co-sponsor a bill to prevent Cemex from setting up shop in the Santa Clarita Valley.
“(We) need to reach out to people across both aisles,” Rodriguez said. “Save the Thank-you’ banners until the job is done.”
Rodriguez brought his personal experience into the debate, including working for U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and his working-class roots in Barstow.
On the issue of perchlorate cleanup, he discussed his work with Boxer, D-California, and his personal suffering with water cleanliness.
“I had friends who had had hysterectomies at 21,” he said, referring to the results of contamination near Barstow. “There are too many lives at stake.”
McKeon said the cleanup was extremely important and that he brought money to the Santa Clarita Valley for local efforts, but said polluting companies bear some, though not all, responsibility.
On the war in Iraq, McKeon recalled the days after Sept. 1 1 when
President Bush addressed Congress on the “war on terror,” and said it would be long and tough.
“We have to stay there until we win,” McKeon said.
Rodriguez said people could neither cut and run nor stay the course in Iraq. He said he believes the United States needs to engage the international community.
Erikson’s statement for many issues was that it was not the responsibility of the federal government.
In his opening statements, McKeon stressed the importance, as chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, to re-authorize the No Child Left Behind act, which began in 2001.
In response, Erikson stated that he wished to eliminate federal laws such as No Child Left Behind, and make all schools private or home schools.
Rodriguez said he hoped to get teachers involved in the No Child Left Behind initiative to give input on programs.
McKeon and Rodriguez seemed to meet eye-to-eye on the issue of illegal immigration, stressing the need to secure borders.
The debate, moderated by Signal Senior Editor Leon Worden on the “Newsmaker of the Week” program, can be seen Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on SCVTV Channel 20, and will be available “on demand” with Time Warner Cable through Monday.