Thread: A Canditate after our own Goal

Assembly candidate: I would secure borders, make English state language

By BRAD SMITH
Pete Stiglich

Daily News Staff Writer

SISKIYOU COUNTY - Since September 2007, Republican Pete Stiglich has been campaigning to be District 2’s new assemblyman.

For him, the decision to run was ’very natural,’ as it applies directly to what he says is his personal philosophy - ’service before self.’

Of Croatian descent, Stiglich was born in Los Angeles in 1953. A few years later, his family moved to the Bay Area.

’Dad worked for United States Steel,’ Stiglich explained.

His father was also a member of the U.S. Air Force, something that would later inspire Stiglich himself to join the military.

His father’s job later took the family to Pittsburgh, Penn. After graduating from high school, Stiglich attended Slippery Rock University, majoring in education. He became a teacher, focusing on speech and debate and English.

After more than three years of teaching, Stiglich decided to follow his father’s footsteps by joining the Air Force.

’I believe that serving people - helping your fellow citizens, making their lives safer and better - is very important. It’s a strong ethic that my family held dearly,’ he said.

From 1980 to 2006, Stiglich spent his USAF career working in major weapon system acquisitions.

’That’s a fancy term,’ he said with a smile, ’to describe my job dealing with companies such as E-Systems, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell, Brown and Root, and Loral Corporation.’

During his 26-year career, he attained the rank of colonel and garnered several awards and commendations. Stiglich also served as a military observer in Bosnia and Croatia for NATO; he performed the same duty for United Nations in Cambodia.

In Cambodia, Stiglich befriended a number of schoolchildren. He noticed that the kids did not have anything to do after school.

’I decided the kids could use a playground,’ he said.

He invested some money into some land, cleaned it up and purchased playground equipment.

’The kids were really happy,’ Stiglich recalled.

Helping the schoolchildren, he added, went ’hand-in-hand’ with his philosophy.

After his retirement from the USAF, Stiglich returned to California.

’My family, during my time in the service, had moved back west,’ he said.

Settling in at his ranch outside Cottonwood, he worked with horses and on a vineyard.

During a shopping trip to an area Wal-Mart, Stiglich was asked to sign a petition on property rights.

’As I talked with the people at the petition table,’ he recalled, ’one of them suggested that I run for the state assembly.’

After thinking about it, Stiglich ’decided to take the plunge.’

’I’m in this to the end,’ he said.

Running a clean campaign and maintaining focus on the issues that concern folks here in Siskiyou County and elsewhere in the district, he said, are his goals.

If elected, Stiglich wants to:

*��Vote to secure U.S. borders;

*��Make English the official government language;

*��Work to improve infrastructure including roads, bridges, dams and levees; and

*��Defend the individual's right to bear arms as guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution.

’Just as I committed myself to serving my county,’ Stiglich said, ’I will work hard for the people of the second district.’

From that little bit of information he sounds like an American that could get the job done . But a lot of people thought that bout "Duke Cunningham" too