>> >>PEGGY: JUAN VARGAS MOVED FROM STATE SENATOR TO U.S. CONGRESSMAN LEFT SAN DIEGO WITHOUT
SENATE REPRESENTATION SINCE LAST NOVEMBER'S ELECTION.
TWO DEMOCRATIC, AND TWO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING FOR SEAT: POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR
PHIL SEANZ RECENTLY MONITORED A FORUM WITH THE CANDIDATES.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING BOUNDARY, WHO GETS TO VOTE TOMORROW IN THE ELECTION?
>> >>PHIL SEANZ: WE'RE GOING BY THE OLD REDISTRICTING AND SO PEOPLE FROM RIVERSIDE ARE STILL VOTING,
ALL THE WAY DOWN IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, AND ALSO IMPERIAL COUNTY.
>> >>PEGGY: AND IT'S THE OLD REDISTRICTING. >> >>PHIL SEANZ: THAT'S CORRECT.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU MODERATED A FORUM ON FRIDAY WITH ALL OF THE CANDIDATES EXCEPT FOR ONE.
LET'S LIS TOON WHAT THE OTHER THREE HAD TO SAY.
>> >>: MY PLAN IS WE NEED TO REDUCE TAXES ON EVERYBODY.
AND THAT'S WAY WE DO IT. THAT'S HOW WE FUND IT, BY BRINGING BACK PROSPERITY.
CALIFORNIA HAS THE WORST UNEMPLOYMENT. IN ALL THE COUNTRY.
THAT INVOLVES YOU. WHEN YOU GRADUATE, YOU HAVE 50% UNEMPLOYMENT.
>> >>: WE ALSO NEED TO INVEST IN THE POOR. A CHILD CANNOT LEARN IF HE GOES TO SCHOOL
HUNGRY, IF HE GOES TO SCHOOL UNCLOTHED, IF HE DOESN'T HAVE ADEQUATE HOUSING, ALL THAT
AFFECTS THE PERFORMANCE O F A CHILD IN SCHOOL. UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH
PROVIDING FOR THE LEAST FORTUNATE IN OUR STATE. >> >>: YOUNG PEOPLE ARE MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
THERE IS A WAY TO CREATE A JOB FOR YOU, CREATE AN INTEREST RATE AND CHARGE THIRTY PERCENT
TO THE CREDIT CARD THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT THEY COULD DO SOMETHING TO THE POOR AND THE
YOUNG. >> >>PEGGY: THEY IDENTIFIED TAXES AS A PROBLEM,
EDUCATION AS A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO IMPERIAL COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE IN THE STATE. DID THEY SAYING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE GO DOING
CREATE JOBS? >> >>PHIL SEANZ: I THINK YOU DID HEAR THE
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE SAY BY INCREASING TAXES, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.
IN FACT, IN SOME OF HIS MESSAGE HE HAD SAID THAT JOBS ARE BEING LOST TO TEXAS.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT AS WELL. NO SPECIFIC PLANS AS FAR AS TO HOW TO CREATE
OTHER JOBS OTHER THAN BY INCREASING TAXES YOU'RE NOT.
>> >>PEGGY: HOW ABOUT WITH EDUCATION, BECAUSE WE HEARD A LITTLE TOUCH ON THAT, A CHILD WHO'S
HUNGRY CAN'T LEARN. WERE THERE ANY SPECIFICS ON EDUCATION?
>> >>PHIL SEANZ: THEY ALL WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF INCREASING FUNDING IN EDUCATION, BUT IN
ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU NEED TO HAVE TAXES. THAT WASÊ PERHAPS THERE WAS A MISSTEP ON
PART WHERE THEY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE PROP 30 HAS HELPED EDUCATION.
>> >>PEGGY: CORRECT, THE 40TH DISTRICT RUNS ACROSS THE CALIFORNIA MEXICAN BOARD.
DID IMMIGRATION STATUS OR REFORM COME UP AT ALL?
>> >>PHIL SEANZ: INDIRECTLY. AND THE DREAM BACK, I ASKED WHO SUPPORTED
THE DREAM BACK. ALL THREE DID.
THEN BEST WESTWOOD MADE REFERENCE TO HIS ACTIVITIES ALONG THE BORDER DEALING WITH TEAR FS IN MEXICO.
>> >>PEGGY: AND BEN, HE ACTUALLY IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FAVORITES.
DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT IS? >> >>PHIL SEANZ: OBVIOUSLY HE'S UNKING A AS
A STATE LEGISLATURE. HE'S GOT THE NAME RECOGNITION, AND HE'S THE
ONLY ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT'S RUNNING. HE'S RAN IN HALF OF THAT DISTRICT IN THE ASSEMBLY
SEAT FT. HE'S RAISED MORE MONEY AND DEFINITELY HAS
THE NAME RECOGNITION. SO.
>> >>PEGGY: SO A LITTLE BIT MORE POPULAR, WOULD YOU SAY?
>> >>PHIL SEANZ: AT THIS POINT, YES. >> >>PEGGY: WHAT ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES.
SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC FOR THAT DEMOGRAPHIC. >> >>PHIL SEANZ: I USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SAY PASS, AGAINST OR FOR. I ASKED ABOUT ABORTION, I ASKED ABOUT THE
DEATH PENALTY AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS DID COME UP.
I WOULD SAY THEY WERE PARTICIPATE PARTISAN, DEMOCRATS ARE SUPPORTIVE PRO CHOICE, AND REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE NOT SO. THE GLASS CEILING QUESTION WAS ASKED AND BEN
WEST WOODWOOD SUPPORTED HE SUPPORTS WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND HAD TWO WOMEN PART OF HIS CHIEF
OF STAFF. AND OF COURSE ALSO VERY SUPPORT OF WOMEN'S
RIGHTS AS WELL AS ANNA. >> >>PEGGY: IF NO ONE GETS 50% OF THE VOTE,
WHICH IS REQUIRED, THEY MAY HAVE TOÊ THEY WILL HAVE TO HAVE A RUN OFF IN MAY.
DO YOU EXPECT TO THAT TO HAPPEN? >> >>PHIL SEANZ: I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN
BECAUSE I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE PREDICTING WESSL RKS E WILL WIN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE
LOW VOTER TURN OUT. WE DON'T KNOW THE DEMOGRAPHIC GOING TO TURN
UP. IF IT'S THE OLDER CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN
VOTE THEN WE MIGHT HAVE A RUN OFF. >> >>PEGGY: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING
WITH US. >> >>PHIL SEANZ: MY PLEASURE.