Shall Democracy for Riverside Endorse Bill Hedrick for Congress?

Written by: Denise on Nov 9, 2007 2:05 AM EST

Democracy for Riverside offered both Bill Hedrick and Louis Vandenberg, the two progressive candidates currently running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 44th Congressional District, the opportunity to compete for our local endorsement and recommendation to Democracy for America for the coveted DFA-List. Mr. Hedrick accepted the offer and returned the questionnaire.

Polling on whether or not Democracy for Riverside should endorse Mr. Hedrick will kick off following discussion at our monthly meeting on November 12, and will run until midnight on Sunday, November 25. Following are the questions posed by DFR and Mr. Hedrick’s responses in his own words....

DFR: What motivates you to run for the U.S. Congress?

Hedrick: I can represent the people of the 44th District more effectively than the incumbent. I am a candidate for the 44th Congressional District because I strongly disagree with the views of the incumbent, Ken Calvert, a man who has marched lock-step with the Bush Administration. Worse, Mr. Calvert has been named one of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). I run because I want to support our troops by withdrawal from Iraq, through fully funding the VA and enhancing services to our veterans, and reviewing the current strategy in Afghanistan. I want to work to resolve the national shame that leaves 95 million Americans under- or uninsured. I want to work for fair trade rather than the current policies supported by Mr. Calvert that are gutting the U.S. economy and exporting our industrial base, capital, and jobs. I want to fight the oil company monopoly that drains household income while simultaneously resisting efforts to promote new technologies and alternative fuels.

DFR: Which member of Congress would you choose to be your mentor?

Hedrick: I hold many members in great esteem. I would seek advice and guidance from various members depending on the issue. For example, John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich possess great knowledge regarding health care. Bob Filner is an expert on Veterans’Affairs, while Henry Waxman is an expert on government reform. Loretta Sanchez holds special knowledge regarding national security, while Joe Baca possesses expertise on agriculture issues. In short, I would seek guidance and input from a host of experts, as well as the House leadership.

DFR: What would be your top three choices for committee assignments?

Hedrick: 1) Education and Labor, 2) Foreign Affairs, 3) Veterans’ Affairs.

DFR: What would be the first bill you would introduce in Congress?

Hedrick: On a local level, my highest priority would be accelerated funding for rail grade separation and dedicated truck lanes to mitigate the impact of increased international trade passing through the Inland Empire. In addition, I would fight for federal dollars for public transportation upgrades in Riverside County and south Orange County along with upgrades to Interstate 5. Local water issues will play a critical role in 2009 as well.

At the national level, I will join with others to withdraw troops from Iraq. Although I hope the issue is resolved this year, I especially am interested in co-sponsoring a bill to definitively define and prohibit torture—a practice so inimical to American traditions and destructive of our values. The President is unclear on the definition, but whatever is done in terms of “coercive interrogation” is done by “highly trained professionals.” It is the responsibility of Congress to help the President by defining—and prohibiting—un-American practices.

DFR: Would you vote to cut off funding for the Iraq War? Briefly explain your reasoning.

Hedrick: Yes. This is an incredibly costly religious civil war that must be resolved by Iraqis with the assistance of neighboring states. Our troop sneed to be withdrawn and a diplomatic resolution aggressively pursued.

Our military has been strained to the breaking point by this preemptive war, and our ability to respond to real threats in the world has been damaged. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been diverted for this war that has devolved into a military occupation that is destroying our moral leadership around the globe. Thousands of Americans have been killed or maimed along with nearly one million Iraqis in a conflict presented to Americans as the mainfront of the war on terror—an argument we now know to have been false. It is wrong to continue this policy and if funding is cut off the President will not be able to continue to conduct this ruinous war. That is why I would vote to cut off funding.

DFR: Would you vote to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy?

Hedrick: Yes. It is a policy that hurts Americans and weakens our defense because it reduces the pool of patriotic Americans able to serve in our volunteer military. We need to combat terrorists, interpret their communications, and have the most highly skilled service members available to protect our country.

President Kennedy challenged us with the words, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Let gay Americans answer our nation’s call, as well. The best consideration for service must be whether individuals are knowledgeable and effective in their job of defending our nation’s interests—nothing more, nothing less.

DFR: What would you propose to improve port security & assure trains traveling thru our neighborhoods aren’t a threat?

Hedrick: Congress must immediately allocate funds to dramatically increase the percentage of cargo containers screened at ports before they are transported by trains and trucks through our cities. This is a real threat, and dollars saved from de-funding the Iraq Warshould be used to provide real security at home.

DFR: What is the first thing you would propose doing to achieve universal health coverage?

Hedrick: I support a non-profit, single payer, universal health coverage for all, particularly HR 676 authored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich. In the absence of consensus for HR 676, I support legislation to cover all children. I agree with a quote attributed to Martin Luther King: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

DFR: What is your opinion of the current requirements for school testing? Are they working?

Hedrick: Current requirements for testing are tremendously excessive. An enormous amount of instructional time is lost to redundant testing, especially in schools of greatest need. Testing does not improve achievement -instruction improves achievement. Testing is said to represent a “snapshot” of a given moment. We need fewer “photos” and more time to remediate the instructional deficits identified by appropriate assessments.

DFR: How would you propose to help failing schools succeed without punishing them?

Hedrick: Districts need to provide the most effective educational resource – highly skilled teachers -- to the students who need them the most. Federal funds should be used to reduce class sizes, improve teacher training, increase parental involvement, and repair dilapidated facilities. I also believe that current federal dollars must ensure that students are also taught basic study skills and academic discipline needed for success that can transfer across curricula and grade level. Finally, schools should be held accountable for improved achievement using a growth model similar to California’s API rather than the punitive No Child Left Behind guideline of annual yearly progress, a measure guarantees that almost every California school district will be labeled a failure by 2014.

DFR: What policies would you propose within your first year in Congress to address the climate crisis?

Hedrick: First, I would propose large scale, long-term public investment in the development of clean technologies and alternative fuels that will provide economic opportunity and reduce environmental degradation. We also must have a package of private sector incentives that will also bring to bear the ingenuity of our citizens, scientists, and entrepreneurs making clean, green development not only the right thing to do, but profitable as well. Finally, I emphatically support efforts to bring the United States into accord with the rest of the industrial world and adopt greenhouse emission caps.

DFR: Do you believe the United States will continue to shift to a service-based economy? What policies would you propose to reverse this trend and shore up the middle class?

Hedrick: Yes. I believe the United States should withdraw from NAFTA and WTO. This would assist in protecting high-tech jobs from outsourcing. I support fair trade policies based on bilateral agreements that uphold labor and environmental standards. Fair trade standards will also promote revitalization of manufacturing in aerospace, technology, and other capital-intensive industries. At the same time, improving affordability for college will allow America to invest in its citizens and provide them with the skills necessary for the 21sat century manufacturing and design jobs that will restore the middle class.

DFR: What would you propose to make college education more affordable and accessible?

Hedrick: In the short term, I support a significant expansion of Pell Grants. In the broader sense, I support universal access to public colleges funded by dollars saved by ending the occupation of Iraq. Our ability to remain competitive in the service sector will depend on our ability to post-secondary education for our youth. The alternative will be an accelerating gap between the haves and have-nots, and a service sector filled with McJobs.

Corona-Norco Unified has partners with the local community college district to create a “high schoolmiddle college” where students may enroll in college courses fee-free. At a local level, this enhances affordability and efficiently uses joint facilities—a benefit to taxpayers. We need to insure similar opportunities in all districts.

DFR: Given the registration disparity in the 44th CD, how do you plan to attract conservative voters?

Hedrick: Success in the 44th District is dependent on a bipartisan appeal. I plan to attract Democrats, independents, and disaffected Republicans with a fiscally sound message that underscores withdrawal from the incredibly costly no-win Iraqi quagmire, redirecting spending toward investment in education and health care, reinvestment in America’s infrastructure, and trade policies that strengthens the American middle and working class. The Administration’s housing credit crisis, accelerated by predatory lending policies, is threatening to crush middle class homeowners—regardless of party affiliation.

Additionally, conservative voters are troubled by Rep. Calvert’s placement as one of the most corrupt members of Congress for the second year in a row by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). I have a nineteen year record of service to the voters ofthe Corona-Norco Unified School District, and many of Corona-Norco’s conservatives have trusted me to make ethical decisions for their children and families. I will not betray that trust.

DFR: Why should someone vote for you?

Hedrick: In 2006, the electorate voted for change. Unfortunately, in many areas of federal policy, change has come slowly. I will be a progressive voice for the 44th District, and forcefully represent the interests of the middle class within the framework of traditional American values including fiscal responsibility and integrity. I will fight for complete financial transparency and an end to a system of ethically questionable earmarks and hidden rewards for supporters that often smacks of self-dealing and corruption. I will not use the office for personal gain or investment. Rather, I will work for renewed opportunity for families with healthcare reform and access to affordable higher education.

I can defeat a reactionary incumbent in the November 2008 election. I have been elected five times to the Board of the Corona-Norco Unified School District comprising almost 40% of the 44th. I can attract sufficient concerned Republican voters (approximately 16%) necessary to prevail against the incumbent. I have the experience necessary to successfully work with and represent residents drawn from across the political spectrum. I offer common sense and fiscally responsible solutions to the challenges we face.

Candidate’s Name: Bill Hedrick

Candidate’s E-mailAddress: info@hedrickforcongress.com

Name of CampaignCommittee: Hedrick for Congress

Committee’s FECNumber: C00436758

Campaign Address: PO Box 2855,Corona, CA 92878

Campaign Manager’sName: Christopher Sandoval

Manager’s E-mailAddress: info@hedrickforcongress.com

Amount of cash on handreported as of Oct 31, 2007: $11,000

URL of CampaignWebsite: www.hedrickforcongress.com

List key individuals and organizations that have endorsed you to date in this election cycle:

I have not publicly declared candidacy at this time, and thus can not yet list endorsements that have been offered to me. However, our campaign intends to aggressively pursue endorsements from incumbent Democratic and DTS [Decline to State] incumbents, CTA, CFT, labor locals of the AFL-CIO and Change to Win, the COPE committees of the labor councils, and the Democratic Central Committees of both counties, progressive organizations, peace and justice groups, environmental organizations, pragmatic business leaders, and, of course, DFA.

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Location: CA