Candidates & Issues

Rep. Elton Gallegly, 44, a Simi Valley Republican, was first elected in 1986. He upset Tony Hope, entertainer Bob Hope’s son, in the primary and won the general election by a more than 2-to-1 margin. He was Simi Valley mayor for three terms and ran a real estate business prior his 1986 election. A Huntington Park High School graduate, he dropped out of college. He and his second wife Janice have two children each from prior marriages.

Donald E. Stevens, 56, a Thousand Oaks Democrat, is making his first bid for public office. An attorney, he has been active in Democratic politics since 1982. He previously spent 24 years in corporate finance at MCA, Capitol Records and Ford Motor Co. He graduated from Loyola Law School and has a master’s in business administration from Northwestern University. Remarried this month, he has a son and daughter from a previous marriage.

Robert Jay, a Westlake Village Libertarian is also in the race.

SUMMARY: Gallegly is emphasizing his constituent services and conservative voting record. Stevens is focusing on Gallegly’s special-interest campaign contributions and his own refusal to seek campaign funds.

Their Views

Questionnaires were distributed to candidates in September and were returned in October. Answers have been edited to fit the available space.

Q. Would you support an income tax increase to reduce the budget deficit?

Gallegly: No.

Stevens: No.

Jay: No.

Q. Would you support increasing any other tax to cut the deficit? If so, which one? Gallegly: No.

Stevens: Yes. Increase import duties.

Jay: No.

Q. Do you support a tax decrease to stimulate growth? Gallegly: Inclined to support capital gains tax cut.

Stevens: No general decrease. But supports investment tax credits for industries endangered by foreign competition.

Jay: Yes. A 10% annual reduction in state and federal income taxes until all taxpayers, outside of those in poverty, are paying a flat 10% a year with no deductions.

Q. Do you support amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget? Gallegly: Yes.

Stevens: No.

Jay: Yes.

Q. Briefly but specifically please describe any cuts in spending or increases in revenue that you would support to reduce the federal budget deficit. How much will this save and/or increase revenues? Gallegly: A “flexible freeze” on expenditures that assumes an expanding economy, full funding of Social Security benefits under current law, increases in other spending only at inflation rate and the following savings: eliminating federal Metro Rail subsidies and Urban Development Action Grants ($1 billion), closing obsolete military bases (up to $5 billion), reforming student aid program ($1.6 billion not repaid), increasing child support enforcement ($1.2 billion) and modifying Davis-Bacon law that requires prevailing wages be paid on federal construction projects ($3.3 billion over five years). Also, line-item veto for the President to cut “pork-barrel” projects (more than $1.5 billion last year). Increased tax collection enforcement along with adoption of Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights.

Stevens: Adopt a long-term capital budgeting system and an across-the-board staffing reduction at federal agencies of at least 15% over three years. Cannot estimate savings.

Jay: Require Europe and Japan to pay for their own defense. Reduce foreign military assistance by another $8 billion, agriculture subsidies by $21 billion, mortgage credit and deposit insurance by $10 billion, transportation by $12 billion, community and regional development by $5 billion, social services by $4 billion, health care by $40 billion, Medicare by $100 billion, unemployment compensation by $12 billion, housing assistance by $9 billion, food and nutrition assistance by $20 billion, and veterans benefits by $20 billion.

Q. In your opinion, was too much of the federal budget spent on the military buildup during the past eight years? Gallegly: No.

Stevens: Yes.

Jay: Yes.

Q. Do you believe that there is a realistic likelihood that President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly known as “Star Wars,” can accomplish its goal of providing a space-based shield against incoming missiles? Gallegly: Yes.

Stevens: No.

Jay: Yes.

Q. With regard to SDI, do you believe that we should: Discontinue all funding? Fund research but not development and testing? Fund deployment? Gallegly: Favors research, development and testing. Deployment should be funded if supported by the President.

Stevens: Fund research.

Jay: Fund research until a system is perfected.

Q. Do you think that the United States should assist guerrillas who oppose left-wing governments in Central America, as we have done in Nicaragua? Gallegly: Yes.

Stevens: No.

Jay: No.

Q. Do you believe that the changes occurring in the Soviet Union will lead to significant improvements in U.S.-Soviet relations? Gallegly: To do so, Soviets must grant basic freedoms to their people, free dissidents or allow them to emigrate, and stop funding and encouraging communist oppression abroad.

Stevens: Perhaps. “The Soviet Union desperately needs openness and economic restructuring. . . . We should encourage those changes.”

Jay: Yes, hopefully. Must see how much Soviet Union lowers its defense budget and whether it withdraws its troops from Eastern Europe.

Q. Should the United States try to influence Israel to exchange Palestinian autonomy on the West Bank for the PLO recognizing Israel’s right to exist? Gallegly: Israel should not be pressured to negotiate with any party that refuses to renounce terrorism, recognizes Israel’s right to exist free of aggression and accepts the U.N. resolution that proposes peace in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from captured territories. Under these conditions, the U.S. should encourage bilateral negotiations.

Stevens: No.

Jay: No. “We should not try to influence any country.”

Q. Do you favor opening up additional parts of the California coastline to oil exploration under any circumstances other than a national emergency? Gallegly: Yes, “in an environmentally sound manner.”

Stevens: No.

Jay: Yes, “with full accountability and liability by the oil drilling companies.”

Q. Given the proliferation of drug use, do you believe that Congress should consider the legalization of marijuana? Cocaine? Gallegly: No.

Stevens: No.

Jay: Yes.

Q. Do you support the routine seizing of boats, cars and other vehicles in which illegal drugs are found? Gallegly: Yes, “when there is ‘reasonable cause’ to believe the owner was involved in the drug trade.”

Stevens: Yes, with exceptions for common carriers and private vehicles where the owners reasonably could not know of minute quantities.

Jay: No.

Q. Do you favor more control over the availability of handguns to the general public? If yes, what sort of control? Gallegly: Favors a limited waiting period for handgun purchasers.

Stevens: Yes.

Jay: No.

Q. Has the United States done enough to influence the South African government to abandon its policy of racial separation? Gallegly: Supports intense diplomatic efforts but opposes disinvestment.

Stevens: No, diplomatic efforts should be strengthened.

Jay: Yes.

Q. Do you support the unrestricted right of a woman to have an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy? Gallegly: No.

Stevens: Yes, as long as she is provided enough information to make an intelligent choice.

Jay: Yes.

Q. Do you favor additional limits on the amount of money that congressional candidates may accept from political action committees?

Gallegly: Favors “a thorough review of current campaign financing restrictions.”

Stevens: Yes.

Jay: No.

Q. Do you support federal financing for child day care for working parents? Gallegly: Favors a child tax credit to be used for in-home or out-of-home care.

Stevens: Yes, beginning with assistance on a matching basis for construction and improvement of child-care facilities.

Jay: No.

Q. Do you support a significant increase in federal spending for research into AIDS? Gallegly: “Future increases must be balanced against other health needs and whether or not the AIDS threat itself shows signs of significantly expanding.”

Stevens: Yes.

Jay: No.

Q. Should public health officials trace the sexual contacts of anyone with AIDS or the AIDS virus? Gallegly: Yes.

Stevens: Yes.

Jay: Yes, where voluntarily possible.

Q. Do you support a significantly greater role of the federal government in paying for health care for the elderly and chronically ill?

Gallegly: No.

Stevens: Yes.

Jay: No.

Q. Do you believe the immigration reform laws that offered amnesty to some illegal immigrants while cracking down on employment of those illegally in this country have been successful? Briefly, what, if any, changes do you support? Gallegly: In California, “the law has clearly not had the desired consequences. New proposals must be considered immediately to stop further illegal entry into the U.S.”

Stevens: Not as yet.

Jay: No. Would repeal many parts of the present immigration laws to allow anyone to work who wants to do so.

Q. Do you believe that the government should acquire a significant amount of new land for national parks? Gallegly: “Particularly sensitive areas . . . as federal budget limitations permit.”

Stevens: Yes.

Jay: No. It should trade or sell off the parkland it already owns.