Two O.C. Congressmen Win Generous Praise From Taxpayer Group

Reps. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Lomita) were among seven California congressmen singled out for praise by the National Taxpayers Union on Thursday for casting votes against increased federal spending.

Nine members of California’s congressional delegation were classified as “big spenders” and seven as “taxpayers’ friends” in the group’s 17th-annual rating, based on recorded votes to reduce or increase government spending on national defense and social programs.

Dannemeyer ranked second among all House members on the NTU’s list of low spenders, with a 72% favorable rating. Rohrabacher, whose district includes part of Orange County, had a 60% rating.

California lawmakers on the NTU’s spenders list were led by Reps. Glenn M. Anderson (D-Harbor City) and Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton), both with 26% favorable ratings. Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) also made the roster with a 32% rating.

“The big spenders in Congress are so out of touch with the majority of Americans who oppose higher taxes and spending that they are taking a ‘let them eat cake’ attitude toward American taxpayers,” said NTU Chairman James Davidson at a Capitol press conference.

Cranston, however, disputed the group’s characterization of his voting record.

“I do not have time now to analyze each of the 18 votes that the National Taxpayers Union objects to,” Cranston said in a statement. “But I did take time to check the three votes they considered the worst and gave a negative ‘vote weight’ of 10. All three dealt with catastrophic insurance care reform, and in each case, I voted to retain many of the Medicare catastrophic benefits while repealing or reducing the premium surtax.”

The National Taxpayers Union “thinks those were three of my worst votes,” Cranston said. “I think they were three of my best, and I’m proud of them.”