Jeeni Criscenzo for CA District 49

Background:

I'm the eldest of ten and the mother of two grown children. I have been an entrepreneur for most of my career - as a freelance graphic designer and writer and the founder of several businesses, including an advertising agency and a web development business. In 2004 I sold everything to travel in a motor home to witness firsthand and write about what was going on in our country. In my daily blog, "CPR4Democracy" I covered demonstrations at the G8 Summit in Georgia, the "cage" at the Democratic Convention in Boston and the many marches in NYC during the Republican Convention. After writing about the election from Tampa, Florida, I traveled out to San Diego in search of… hope. It was here that I decided it wasn't enough to just write about everything that was going wrong, I needed to get more involved in changing things. I settled in Oceanside and became active in local peace and justice and political organizations. And then I learned that no one was going to run against my Republican Congressman, Darrell Issa, the man who had financed the recall of Gray Davis...

Goals:

I am running for four reasons:

1) Because I realized that our survival as a free, democratic nation depends on changing the balance of power in Congress this November and the best way to get someone in Congress who will stand up for people and not corporations disguised as people, is to go there and do it myself.

2) Because no incumbent who has rubber-stamped everything this Administration has done, should go unopposed. Just because Darrell Issa is one of the richest men in Congress doesn't mean that he gets to stay there if he isn't doing the job. People deserve a choice and there has never been a better time for a progressive Democrat to win in a Republican district. The people in California's District 49 are ready for a change.

3) Because the few brave progressive Representatives we have in Congress need people with courage and passion to stand beside them, and I will.

4) Because I can. I have the talent, intelligence, guts and experience to do this job and I've reached a point in my life where I have the time and opportunity. I realize that nothing else I could do with my life could be more important than to be part of the team who will save our democracy.

My goals are to get to work undoing the damage this Administration has done to our economy, our environment, our liberties and our soul as a nation. With a Democratic majority, I would push first to impeach both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and withdraw our troops from Iraq.

Issues:

1) Ending the Illegal Occupation of Iraq:
All of the excuses for invading Iraq have been revealed as lies. The illegal occupation of Iraq is bankrupting our country and provoking increased hostility toward the US, not only in the Middle East but among former friends and allies. We must stop sacrificing our sons and daughters in a conflict that has nothing to do with defending America. With no exit strategy, this administration is showing they have no intention of ever leaving Iraq. Gradual troop reductions will only put our troops at greater risk and prolong the inevitable. We must end this illegal occupation and bring our troops home. And we must provide our returning troops with the medical care they need, the opportunities for education and employment they have earned and help in making a transition into a civilian life that they deserve.

2) Sustainable Environmental Solutions:
Global warming poses a greater threat to our country and the future of humanity than any enemy. This administration has replaced the head of every environmental protection agency with representatives from the industries that pose the greatest threat. Corporations and special interests are poisoning the water, air and soil. The United States should be leading the way in being a responsible caretaker of our planet.

3) Fiscal Responsibility:
In addition to over $250 billion that has been squandered on the Iraq invasion, the Department of Defense cannot account for over $6 trillion. Our national debt exceeds $8 trillion which means that every citizen owes over $27,000. Yet our Congress continues to approve tax breaks for the wealthy and subsidies for powerful corporations. We must get back to fiscal sanity and it can't be done on the backs of the middle class and poor.

Grassroots Support:

I'm out to change the way campaigns are run - and won. People are saying that we need to have Clean Elections, and I agree. And I don't think we need to wait for the laws to change to do it. When well-intentioned advisors told me I have to move to the middle to have a chance in this "red" district, I told them this is going to be a new kind of a campaign where we combine creativity with common sense - where honesty and compassion are paramount - where the candidate spends her time actually listening to the people instead of dialing for dollars - where voters are inspired and empowered and respected.

I'm making up the rules as we go along and all of my experience in sales and marketing is coming in real handy. We're getting noticed on a budget that's so low it's amusing! From kicking off my campaign by taking public buses around my district to my red shoes campaign (I wear a pedometer and ask supporters to pledge a dollar per mile I walk in my red shoes) local reporters ask me, "So what will you be doing next?"

This has become a real team candidacy. I have a committee of volunteers who are talented, driven and committed to getting the progressive program I champion into Congress. Sometimes I feel like the kid in the crowd who held up my hand and said, "OK, I'll do it" and I have this whole group of people behind me pushing me on.

DFA Values:

I genuinely care about people. I believe people have good bullshit detectors and when they meet me they know I'm the real thing. They may not agree with me on every issue, but they know I'm listening to them and acting with compassion and integrity.

I will work for universal healthcare for everyone, energy independence, workers' rights, and social justice, including compassionate immigration reform. And the Republican majority in my district will know that I also care about them and their families. We can find common ground. I agree with them that the government doesn't belong in my phone conversations, my library records, my doctor's office or my bedroom.

I literally walk my talk. I don't own a car because I want to teach by example that we can use public transportation and walk and car pool. I have a very humble lifestyle that is congruent with my beliefs, which is why I can promise that I won't be bought, not during my campaign and not after I'm elected.