Drugs, Disarmament, Deficit Called Key Issues in Congressional Clashes

The drug problem, nuclear disarmament and reducing the federal budget deficit are considered the most pressing issues facing the United States by most San Diego County congressional candidates.

Despite philosophical differences, voiced in interviews with The Times, most of the 13 candidates running in the four local congressional elections concur in terms of the topics that they believe will be at the top of the agenda when the 100th Congress takes office in January.

The Reagan Administration’s proposed Strategic Defense Initiative, the so-called “Star Wars” technology intended to be used as a defense against nuclear attack, receives strong support from Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians alike, with Joseph Chirra, the Democratic challenger in the 43rd Congressional District, and 44th District Rep. Jim Bates (D-San Diego) being the only major-party candidates flatly opposing it.

Most candidates, however, agreed with Rep. Ron Packard (R-Carlsbad), who described the SDI plan as “our best hope for long-term peace, a strong deterrent against attack and, as a last resort, a bargaining chip” that could be used to gain arms reductions from the Soviets.

There was considerably less agreement, however, on the subject of the United States’ imposition of sanctions against South Africa in an attempt to persuade that nation to end apartheid.

Most Democrats favor the sanctions as a means of demonstrating this nation’s displeasure with South Africa’s segregationist policies, but many Republicans--with the exception of Rep. Bill Lowery (R-San Diego)--and Libertarians oppose the sanctions as counterproductive or an improper intervention into the domestic affairs of another nation.

Similarly, party-line divisions are apparent on the question of whether this nation should provide financial aid to the contras --called “freedom fighters” by President Reagan and others--who are fighting to overthrow the Marxist government of Nicaragua. All four Democrats oppose such aid, and all four GOP candidates favor it.

Although drug-test challenges have been a staple of many congressional races this fall, the local candidates oppose mandatory, across-the-board drug tests for public employees. Many of the candidates, however, said they would support drug tests for workers who hold sensitive, national-security jobs or positions that affect the lives of others, such as air-traffic controllers.

Also, many of the candidates said programs to combat drug abuse and to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country or from being sold would be among their top funding priorities.

National defense, an issue that translates into jobs in San Diego, also was identified as a priority, but the candidates frequently differed on whether they believe that the current defense spending is too high or too low.

Several suggested that defense spending, and that on most other federal programs, must be scaled back by Congress to reduce the enormous budget deficit.

Typical of the remarks of those who stressed the need to reduce the deficit were those of Bates, who argued that unless Congress “aggressively seeks” to cut the deficit, “future generations are going to be robbed of their right to make their own choices and guide their own destiny.”

Some of the more unorthodox positions offered on various issues came from the Libertarian candidates, whose guiding tenet is that government intrusion into the lives of individuals should be eliminated. The Libertarians favor the dismantling of most government programs; they view national defense and a court system as two of the few justifiable tax expenditures.

The Libertarians’ philosophy is perhaps best illustrated by a comment made by 41st Congressional District candidate Dick Rider, who, when asked to identify his top three spending priorities, chuckled and replied: “Cut, cut and cut.”

The accompanying table lists the candidates’ positions on some of the major national and international issues that they would face if elected Tuesday.

TOP ISSUE

SANCTIONS AGAINST 41ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT “STAR WARS” SOUTH AFRICA 1. Daniel Kripke (Democrat) 1 Yes 2. Dick Rider (Libertarian) Yes No 3. Rep. Bill Lowery (Republican) Yes Yes 43RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 4. Phyllis Avery (Libertarian) Yes No 5. Joseph Chirra (Democrat) No Yes 6. Rep. Ron Packard (Republican) Yes 2 44TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7. Rep. Jim Bates (Democrat) No Yes 8. Bill Mitchell (Republican) Yes 2 9. Dennis Thompson (Libertarian) Yes No Shirley Isacson (Peace and Freedom) could not be reached. 45TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 10. Rep. Duncan Hunter (Republican) Yes No 11. Hewitt Fitts Ryan (Democrat) 1 Yes 12. Lee Schwartz (Libertarian) Yes No

MORE OR LESS DRUG TESTS DEFENSE MORE POLICE FOR PUBLIC SPENDING? ON BORDER? EMPLOYEES? AID TO CONTRAS? 1. Less Yes No No 2. Less No 3 No 3. Same Yes 3 Yes 4. Less No 3 No 5. Less Yes No No 6. Same Yes 3 Yes 7. Same Yes 3 No 8. Same Yes 3 Yes 9. Less No No Yes 10. More Yes 3 Yes 11. Same Yes No No 12. Less No No No

1: Support research but not deployment. 2: Would favor more-limited sanctions than those approved by Congress. 3: Favors drug testing only for public safety or national security jobs.

TOP THREE SPENDING PRIORITIES 1. Reducing risk of nuclear war. National defense, medical research on AIDS improved border protection 2. Elimination of Social Security. No spending priorities, but would eliminate farm subsidies, foreign aid and “money spent for the defense of Europe.” 3. Continuing to insure a high quality of life for San Diego. National defense, border control, reduction of federal budget deficit. 4. Removing barriers to free trade. Would spend money to “take useless laws off the books.” 5. Reduce budget, trade deficits. Education, strong defense, aid for senior citizens. 6. Reduce budget, trade deficits Increased scientific research and developement, space program funding, education 7. Reduction of federal budget deficit. Education, health care--”I only have two priorities, because we ought to cut spending, not increase it.” 8. Dealing with undocumented aliens. “The drug fight, controlling our borders” and creating jobs in the 44TH District. 9. Decriminalizing drugs. “I don’t want to spend money. I want to give it back to the people.” 10. Attacking drug problem through increased radar surveillance of United States’ southern border. Defense, drug control and education programs, financial assistance to “freedom fighters” in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Afghanistan. 11. Nuclear Disarmament. Health care and programs for the elderly, education, housing programs. 12. Reducing the budget, taxes and the federal deficit. National defense, a court system “and I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a third.”