The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California and asked of all candidates for this office.

See below for questions on Federal Resources, Foreign Policy, Federal Budget

Click on a name for other candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.

Answer from George I. Bruno:

Establish bona fide needs, such as highways and transportation, education, jobs. Build relationships with all members of Congress, regardless of party. Campaign vigorously with the California Congressional Delegation and members of the majority party to support our needs. It is important to note that I will be representing the district as a member of the majority party in Congress.

Answer from Mark W. Stroberg:

Instead of asking "How can Californians get their 'fair share' of federal resources?" we should be asking, "How can we minimize the amount of California's resources that are required to be shipped to Washington, DC." Getting a bigger piece of an ever-shrinking pie is not a wise course of action. There is wisdom in allowing the economic pie to grow without restrictions, and allowing people to make their own decisions about how to spend their piece of it. If elected I will work to minimize the transfer of wealth from states to the federal government, so that it is not required to get a "fair share" of the transfer, minus the 30% handling fee.

Answer from Fortney H. "Pete" Stark:

Every year when the budget gets written, I call on friendships I've developed during my years in Congress to find ways of funding local priorities, even in tough economic years. Institutional knowledge and working relationships with other Members of Congress is key to getting federal dollars for California. Last year, I secured over $2 million for local projects, and have secured $14 million of guaranteed local funding in the upcoming highway bill.

The vast majority of federal money ($400 billion) for health care, transportation and other local priorities is distributed by formulas that take into account factors such as population and poverty rates. Some of the formulas are unfair to California because they are devised to favor more rural states. I will continue to work with my colleagues and use my seat on the powerful Ways & Means Committee to revise these formulas to help California.

Answer from Mark W. Stroberg:

If elected I will work to eliminate all intervention in the affairs of other nations by the U.S. government. This means U.S. military power would be used only in the event of a direct attack on U.S. soil by a foreign power, to repel the invaders at our borders. I will work to bring all American troops home from foreign lands. In addition to military non-intervention, I will work to eliminate all government to government foreign aid, so that there will never again be hostility toward America for siding with one nation over another.

Answer from George I. Bruno:

Strive to finish the job in Iraq as soon as practicable and to call on the United Nations, as an organization, as well as all member nations to support a democratic government in Iraq. It is highly important that Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the Arab countries, fully support this as well. Contain North Korea in its nuclear program. This should be done in full concert with China, Japan, South Korea and others in the region. In fact, the leadership in dealing with North Korea should be from these nations with the U.S. in a supportive role. Continue to take a leadership role in defeating terrorism worldwide.

Answer from Fortney H. "Pete" Stark:

The United States should use its unique leadership position to create a stable and more peaceful world. This begins by recognizing the value of international cooperation and working with our allies to solve global challenges, from violence and oppression to disease and environmental degradation. It requires the genuine pursuit of peaceful, diplomatic solution to conflicts, not the arbitrary use of preemptive force. The Bush Administration has led us down the wrong path in its foreign policy, threatening our security at home and undermining our leadership abroad. We need a foreign policy that promotes peace, human rights and democratic ideals, not one that emboldens our enemies and alienates our allies.

Answer from George I. Bruno:

Balance the budget. This should be done at a consistent pace rather than using increases in revenue in any given year to reduce a higher proportion of the debt. Why? There are programs which may need infusions of funds from the federal government that are critical to the welfare of our citizens and that are, at this time, broken or nearly broken. Specifically, they are Social Security and Health Care. I believe that a commitment from all members of Congress to reduce the debt on a scheduled annual pay down is important. This should be achievable over a reasonable period of time and will allow for funding as needed when special needs and requirements spring up. This will prevent having the deficit increase again before it is eliminated and we have a balanced budget. Having a balanced budget should always be a goal of Congress.

Answer from Mark W. Stroberg:

By eliminating all federal government activities not authorized by the U.S. Constitution, we can save over one trillion dollars per year in federal government expenses. This would allow eliminating the federal income tax and repealing the 16th Amendment which authorizes it. Every department in the federal government will be a target for either elimination or reduction of their budget.

Answer from Fortney H. "Pete" Stark:

Investing in education, providing health care for the uninsured, enhancing Medicare and Medicaid and strengthening Social Security are my top priorities for the federal budget. We should be spending American dollars on policies and programs that make us stronger, not weaker. Cutting taxes for millionaires does not make us stronger. On the contrary, the Bush Administration's tax cuts have led to trillions of dollars in deficits, which our children and grandchildren will now have to pay. I am working to ensure that our federal dollars are spent where they're most needed: our children, our workers, our middle class families, and our seniors.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.