Julie Bornstein for Congress

Background:

I have raised my family in Palm Desert, practiced law, taught college, served as a Community College Trustee and represented Riverside and Imperial Counties in the State Assembly. I was Chief Deputy State Controller of California and Director of California’s Department of Housing and from 2004 to 2008, President of the Campaign for Affordable Housing.
I am the last Democrat to win a partisan election in Riverside County.

Goals:

I like solving problems and the harder the problem, the greater the challenge. I found also from my state service that I feel personally rewarded by participating in policy responses that help groups and communities of people rather than benefiting just one person as my law practice tended to do. My unique experience in housing and residential finance can be useful in the current mortgage foreclosure crisis and long-term in establishing a national housing policy.

It is my belief that fairness is the fundamental American value and government programs are critical to providing this basic need. In the last almost eight years, working people have been treated unfairly by their government, bearing a larger proportion of the tax burden and falling behind in supporting a better life for their families.

Internationally I would rely more heavily on negotiation, aid, trade and diplomacy to achieve strategic goals, working in partnership with other nations whenever our objectives would indicate. Military force should be the last possible alternative and used primarily in a defensive response

Issues:

1. A National Housing Policy that would include a national housing trust fund to provide planning grants, “green-building” incentives and efficient land-use incentives The goal is to promote home ownership, the production of an adequate supply of decent rental housing, more efficient use of land (and reduce sprawl development) and other resources while guaranteeing all Americans the opportunity to live in decent, appropriate and affordable housing.

2. Iraq. Our occupation of Iraq has gone on far too long and hampers the rebuilding of a country whose destruction we precipitated through a policy based on false premises. We should develop a plan to withdraw our troops as quickly as responsibly possible while turning over the protection of the population to the Iraqis. We should promote a multi-national Marshall plan to finance the rebuilding of that nation’s infrastructure so that its refugees may return and Iraq can rejoin the world of nations.
3. I would expand Medicare coverage to all Americans, as in the proposed Conyers bill. This forty-year program may not be perfect but it allows universal coverage, use of private physicians and other providers while still allowing for supplementation for those who want and can afford it. Introducing younger and healthy individuals into the pool should reduce costs and promote new efficiencies. Patients would be less likely to delay routine care and depend on emergency care of neglected medical conditions which costs all of us more money in the long run.

Grassroots Support:

Grassroots organizing has always been at the heart of each of my campaigns. Volunteers bring talent, energy and synergy while providing a viable workforce for the most important tasks at hand including: walking precincts, phone banking and helping to raise interest and money locally. We are proud of the dozens of volunteers we have already attracted and hope to have hundreds helping out in the General Election.

DFA Values:

I believe in equal opportunity, tolerance of differences, honesty, transparency and fairness. My passion for and 20 year active involvement in the production of and advocacy for affordable housing demonstrates these characteristics. Providing safe, decent and affordable housing for low and moderate incomes households, farmworker housing and shelter for the homeless requires fiscal discipline to guarantee the developments are financially sustainable for the life of the building.

As Chief Deputy Controller of the State of California in 1997, I was responsible for accountability to the public for policy effectiveness and use of public funds through financial management and auditing of government agencies. As Director of the State Housing Department, I was responsible for the management and expenditure of over $2 billion of public funds.