Campaign ‘94: Issues and Answers

Three candidates are running in the Nov. 8 election to represent the 69th Assembly District. They are Democrat Mike Metzler of Santa Ana, Libertarian George Reis of Santa Ana and Republican Jim Morrissey of Santa Ana. There is no incumbent. Here’s how the candidates stand on four issues.

“Three-Strikes” Crime Law

Metzler: “I strongly support the ‘three-strikes’ law. I support ‘one-strike’ legislation for violent child molesters and rapists. Additionally, I will fight to make sure that the half-cent increase for public safety approved by the voters does indeed go to maintain police and fire services instead of politicians’ pet projects. I believe that an education and a good job are the best long-term solutions to crime.”

Reis: “Although I certainly support the principle of holding violent criminals responsible for their crimes, I oppose the ‘three-strikes’ initiative. We must stop delegating responsibility for our society to the government. We need to establish new priorities for law enforcement, focusing on violent crimes and crimes against property. ‘Three strikes’ fails to establish these priorities. Instead of turning to the government, we should encourage honest citizens to protect themselves and their families with more liberal concealed weapons laws.”

Morrissey: “I support the ‘three strikes and you’re out’ initiative to put career criminals in prison for life, and I support a ‘one strike and you’re out’ law to put child molesters and rapists in prison for life after their first offense. I’ll work to implement California’s death penalty and enact ‘trust in sentencing’ laws to make sure criminals serve their entire prison sentences.”

“Save Our State” Measure to Curtail Benefits to Illegal Immigrants

Metzler: “The promise of jobs is drawing immigrants to California. We must get tough with employers who knowingly hire workers who are not legal residents. We must develop tamper-proof Social Security cards and make the federal government enforce existing immigration and employment laws. Instead, Proposition 187 targets children. It would kick 400,000 children out of school and deny them medical care. It would even deny orphans temporary food and shelter. What will 400,000 kids do without an education, medical care, food or shelter?”

Reis: “The welfare state is eroding our prosperity, and I advocate broad-based reform of the welfare system. However, the SOS initiative misses the point, and I oppose the measure. Rather than blaming immigrants for the state’s fiscal problems, let’s look at where the real problems are. The politicians in Sacramento have run up multibillion-dollar deficits! The politicians have amassed the burden of a $52-billion budget! . . . The true problem lies with our welfare state and with the politicians who continue the unconscionable policy of tax, spend and borrow.”

Morrissey: “With more than 100,000 illegal aliens coming to California every year, I will work to stop the invasion by securing our borders. I will also work to stop illegal aliens from collecting taxpayer-funded benefits, like welfare and public housing, services that cost taxpayers more than $3 billion a year. I support the ‘Save Our State’ proposal.”

Single-Payer Health Initiative

Metzler: “I strongly support universal health care, but we cannot adopt a plan which puts an unfair burden on small business and taxpayers in California. I believe that the state should wait to see if Congress adopts national health care reform before California adopts any major reform which potentially increases taxes or puts California businesses at a competitive disadvantage, jeopardizing jobs for California workers.”

Reis: “Socializing the medical industry under a single-payer health plan is the worst thing we can do for health care reform. I support health care reform that leads us away from socialism. First, I support medical IRAs and full deductibility for health insurance and all health care expenses. Second, I encourage the use of more efficient health insurance plans that use higher deductibles. . . . Third, we must expand the supply of health care providers by expanding the roles of nurses and health care technicians and by authorizing a larger number of universities to offer medical degrees. Finally, doctors are engaging in wasteful, preemptive tests that place a higher priority on avoiding malpractice lawsuits than on the needs of patients; tort reform is essential to market-based health care reform.”

Morrissey: “I am opposed to Proposition 186. Under this initiative, the state would take over one-seventh of California’s economy. The estimated tax increase to pay for this single-payer health plan would be between $40 billion and $50 billion per year. The proposition’s open-ended benefits package and the lack of cost controls assure massive deficits from the start.”

Future Uses for El Toro Marine Corps Air Station

Metzler: “I would support the development of a commercial airport at El Toro if it can be shown to pay its own way and not be a burden on taxpayers, to be technically feasible and to be environmentally sound. A commercial airport would provide badly needed jobs for Orange County.”

Reis: “I oppose the development of a public airport in El Toro for the following reasons: First, replacing one public facility with another is not my idea of progress. We have a rare opportunity to reduce the size of government in Orange County, and we should seize it! Second, consider how we make land use decisions. Do you want to politicize these decisions? . . . I can’t imagine a less efficient decision-making process than putting land use issues on the ballot! The free market, on the other hand, is exceptionally efficient at maximizing the utility of land. Let the market decide! I advocate putting a for sale sign up at the Marine Base and selling the land to the highest bidder.”

Morrissey: “El Toro Marine Corps Air Station is not in the 69th Assembly District. I believe the voters are fit to decide the issue in November.”

Source: Individual candidates; Researched by ERIC BAILEY / Los Angeles Times