Thread: CA: Rohrabacher's rival: Huntington Beach mayor has a histor

Rohrabacher's rival: Huntington Beach mayor has a history of environmental activism
By Joe Segura, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/12/2008 11:21:45 PM PDT


If environmental activists wore thick military boots, Debbie Cook's would have worn-away soles.

The Huntington Beach mayor has been in the trenches for three decades - long before she entered the world of politics. Her most recent effort is aimed at unseating a veteran conservative congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach.

Cook, the Democratic challenger, is an environmentalist, and she asserts that puts her at odds with Rohrabacher. He's out of step with the district, she said.

Rohrabacher - representing Huntington Beach, and coastal sections from Long Beach to the Palos Verdes Peninsula - says Cook is out of step with the district because of her liberal stances.

"My track record is closer to what the district wants," he said near the beginning of this year's election season.

Cook isn't being ignored as a challenger by Rohrabacher. "She's a formidable opponent," he said.

As mayor of Huntington Beach, Cook has a lot of political clout in the district, which is mainly Republican.

Cook is hopeful that the registration numbers aren't the deciding factor this election season, and that voters look at the individual candidates.

"I always voted for people, not the party," she added.

Cook was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Jan. 22, 1954. She has one sister and four brothers.

The Cook clan moved to Cincinnati, before heading for California in 1966, and settling in Newport Beach where she attended Corona Del Mar High School.

She majored in Earth Science at Long Beach State, and was active on the college's women's volleyball and swim teams, earning a spot on the NCAA Swimming Championships.

Cook met her husband, John Fisher, on a college volleyball team.

They married in 1975 on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and had a son, Jonathan. The young family moved to Westminster - and the seeds of Cook's activism took root with the PTA presidency at Vista View School in Fountain Valley.

Cook was also busy with an office equipment business she started, building a successful network of dealers throughout the state over a 14-year period.

In 1986, she and her husband resettled in Huntington Beach, where her activism took on key issues of protecting natural resources from developers.

The first engagement involved fighting to block development of a golf course in a Huntington Beach city park. Opponents of the development collected 18,000 signatures for a Measure C development ban, which won at the polls in 1989.

The second round was a 1991 fight against development of four large restaurants south of the Huntington Beach Pier at the boardwalk area. Cook filed a lawsuit, challenging developers' proposal to the state Coastal Commission, and the panel backed off before the matter went to court.

Qualifications

Cook armed herself with a law degree, from Western State University College of Law in Irvine in 1994, and became a key member of the legal team that fought to block the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach from massive development plans.

She then got elected to the City Council in 2000, and she has held the rotating mayor's job in 2002 and this year.

Former Councilwoman Connie Boardman said Cook quickly made her mark with energy and enthusiasm.

"Debbie is incredibly smart," she said, adding that Cook was involved on energy "long before it became a major issue."

Environmentalism

Advocating environmental causes has put her in the mainstream of Huntington Beach views, Cook said.

"The city has turned around its view on preservation," Cook said. "The residents understand the importance of preserving ocean-front property."

Among Cook's environmental concerns are climate change and offshore drilling.

The candidate wants the country to move away from "19th century fuels," and to develop 21st century products.

"We need to do a better job of education Americans," she said.

Cook believes a wall at the Mexican border isn't an effective answer to the illegal immigration problem, saying that many illegals simply fly into the country.

Making her stand

She wants a bigger crackdown on "illegal employers."

The candidate is critical at the lack of progress on reducing pollution from the ports complex.

"Why has it taken so long to deal with this issue of clean fuel?" she said.

On other issues, Cook opposes privatization of Social Security, supports the end of the Iraq war and seeks better veterans health care and services.

While she believes she's more in synch with the district,the politically savvy Democrat also knows the realities of politics, and she believes that - if she wins her challenge in November - she will be targeted in two years.

Cook also believes the district is benefitting from her challenge, by giving residents an opportunity to gauge the contrasts between her and the incumbent.

"There's no such thing as losing," she added.

In her heart of hearts, Cook believes she can be victorious in November.

"I wouldn't do this, if i didn't think it were actually possible."

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_10452523

Rep. Rohrabacher has been one of our rocks!

Originally Posted by MW

Rep. Rohrabacher has been one of our rocks!

Yes, he sure has. And he's one of the major backers of Ramos and Compean.

His parents are neighbors of my good friend. They are good people