The 100th comment -- by Jerry McNerney

The conversation continues...

After taking the time to read your thoughts and reactions to his recent Op-Ed in the Stockton Record, Congressman McNerney just posted the 100th comment to "My Op-Ed and your response":

---

I’m impressed by the depth and breadth of the responses to my Op-Ed piece. I appreciate your thoughtful insights, questions and feedback.  I’d like to comment briefly on many of the issues you have raised. 

Iraq and the Global War on Terror:

It makes me sick to think of how many men and women in our Armed Forces have lost their lives or been injured in Iraq –- and how poorly President Bush has mismanaged this effort. Now that I serve in Congress, many people have asked my feelings about the war in Iraq and what I plan to do about it. I’ll tell you that I am opposed to President Bush’s proposed troop escalation. It’s clear that the President did not listen to the American people, who strongly expressed their opinion in the November election, or his own Joint Chiefs of Staff –- who unanimously oppose the escalation plan.

The troop increase could actually make the situation on the ground less stable. Not only that, but redeploying additional troops to Iraq will stretch an already fully deployed force even further. I am considering all possible options to pressure President Bush and hold him accountable for his mismanagement of the war in Iraq – while pushing for a new direction that transfers responsibility for security to the Iraqi government.

Sustainable Energy and Global Warming:

It’s been an exciting few days on the sustainable energy and global warming front. Many of you know that I was proud to cosponsor the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 in Congress, which is a first step in reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy and investing in renewable energy technology here at home. I have also had some great discussions with local businesses and investors who are interested in fighting global warming and exploring new energy technologies. There were some very good ideas discussed about legislation to grow new energy technology businesses, some in our district, to help fight global warming and move our country away from its dependence on foreign oil. I will pursue these ideas vigorously. I am very excited about the opportunity you all gave me to help be a part of the solution. And, I will depend on your ideas and energy to keep the momentum moving.

I recently visited Tesla Motors, a manufacturer of high-performance electric vehicles, and had an impressive ride in their sports car. They have some good technology there, and it’s basically just good engineering. I know we can get where we need to be with regard to transportation. There are many different options out there. Among our options are bio-fuels and other new technologies that will be developed soon enough. Hydrogen is also a possibility, but much more work is necessary before it’s viable.

Health Care:

Health care was a pillar of my campaign because health care costs continue to skyrocket, putting affordable coverage out of reach for 47 million Americans, a number that continues to grow. In California, there are nearly 700,000 more Californians that don’t have healthcare today than in 2000. What the President proposed in his State of the Union address last week is not a solution. In fact, it would result in a tax on many Americans who currently do have health insurance. I will work and vote for a reasonable, affordable plan to provide health coverage to the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it.

Morgan Hill:

Are you kidding? I love Morgan Hill. It’s a great town with great people I consider true friends. I’ll be there in February to hold a series of meetings and hear what’s on people’s minds.

Thanks everyone.

Jerry

---

If you would like to continue the conversation with the Congressman, go ahead and post a comment here.

Eden w/ McNerney for Congress

Comments

[justin latham]

I don't regret donating to your campaign at all! Now that you've gotten past the money rat race, it's great to see you working on a Democratic agenda. Keep up the good work!

-j

[Mike Davison]

Jerry,
I'm so glad that you won! I'd never given $ to a congressional candidate before, but donated to you to help get rid of Pombo, even though I don't live in your district. I'm also glad to read the news in your op-ed and hope you will have more to report soon.

Getting out of Iraq has to be the #1 thing to do. Campaign finance reform, including public financing of elections -- funded by a yearly fee on lobbyists and PACs -- might actually be the next priority. Without it, the same powerful and well-funded groups who "buy" our politicians (but not you of course!) today will continue to do so, making it unlikely that much if any progressive legislation will be passed.

Health care reform has to be a top priority, since it directly affects pretty much everyone. Producing more renewable energy is also critical. We need another "Manhattan Project"-type effort to develop other resources, especially solar. Why can't most new homes be built with solar panels on the roof to generate electricity?

I would also ask that you be a leader on environmental issues. There's global warming, of course, but there's so much more. Help reopen the EPA libraries. Stop Bush from destroying the Forest Service and the National Park Service. Stop all logging in what little old-growth forest we have left. I could go on at some length. I know we can't undo 6 years of Bush's locust-like environmental policies overnight, but we've got to start sometime -- and soon.

Thank you for your time and your service. Good luck!
Mike

[Steve]

The House of Representatives has made a good start but little to none of the noted accomplishments are law yet. The Senate has to pass similar legislation which will be more difficult. Committees between the House of Representatives and the Senate must work out the differences. After this President Bush will either sign or veto the measures and he has already said he will veto some of these. In the long run, Rebublicans will have to be included more to be successful.

The proof will be when the bills voted on by the House of Representatives become legislation signed by the President. Until then we have no results. Consequently, lots still needs to be done and true bi-partisian work with Democrats and Republicans working in the best interests of the American people. A good start but no result that count yet.

[Joseph Hearst]

I'm certainly glad that I donated to your campaign and worked to get out the vote for you. But I must say that I believe that if you vote for a non-binding resolution to oppose the troop increase in Iraq, and then later vote to supply funds for the troop increase, it amounts to legislative masturbation.