Classic idiotic comment from "LaRaza" at the bottom.

http://nctimes.com/articles/2006/06/...1_475_1_06.txt

Negative ads, illegal immigration top forum

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer

ESCONDIDO ---- In their last scheduled debate before Tuesday's elections, candidates for the 74th Assembly seat hammered on the ills of illegal immigration Thursday while offering few specifics on how to address other state troubles.

The candidates, three Republicans and one Democrat, did little to deviate from their respective campaign strategies during the 90-minute debate hosted by the Escondido Chamber of Commerce. However, sparks flew when the candidates were asked about recent negative campaign literature.

The Republican candidates for the seat include Martin Garrick, a Solana Beach businessman; Scott Packard, a Carlsbad contractor; and Marie Waldron, an Escondido City Council member.

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The three stuck to their message of tough immigration reform, fewer taxes, and a smaller, more business-friendly government.

Democrat Roxana Folescu, who teaches political science at MiraCosta College, said she would work with the Democratic-controlled Legislature to help small businesses flourish and improve access to health care and education.

The race became heated recently when Garrick released a brochure criticizing Packard over a lawsuit filed against him by a client. Waldron said Garrick also attacked her with mailers she said distorted her voting record on taxes. Folescu has remained at arm's length from her Republican opponents, but she fired a shot at them during Thursday's debate.

"I am the only one that can actually bring something to this district. The state Assembly is controlled by Democrats," she said. "If we have an extremist representing our district, they are not going to be able to accomplish anything. It's going to be the same old thing that we've seen for the last six years."

The predominantly Republican district runs from Del Mar up the coast to Highway 78 north of Carlsbad, then stretches east to include Vista, San Marcos and Escondido. Assemblyman Mark Wyland, R-Escondido, who holds the seat, will be pushed out of his seat by term limits after a six-year tenure.

Garrick appeared to stumble when the moderator asked whether negative campaigning was a "legitimate tactic" to win an election.

"I don't believe that negative advertising is a regular method that you should use," he said and paused momentarily. "But I believe that the most important thing in any form of advertising is telling the truth and telling the whole truth."

Money and strategy


Garrick injected his campaign with $100,000 of his own money, while Waldron whispered her intent to run and began building her war chest a year ago. Packard, who made his candidacy official in January, has lagged in donations.

According to the secretary of state's Web site, Garrick had about $154,000 in cash for his campaign as of May 25. He was endorsed by several Republican heavyweights, including U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa of Vista and Duncan Hunter of El Cajon, along with several national figures from the Reagan administration.

Garrick has spent some of his campaign money to send mailers, including a recent one touting his tough stance on illegal immigration.

Another mailer featured a picture of Packard's smiling face floating above the well-known "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada" sign. The glossy brochure takes aim at a lawsuit filed against Packard while he was working as a contractor in Nevada. But Packard, who is Mormon, said he resented the implied link to Las Vegas' gambling allure.

Packard paid the client an undisclosed amount recently, and the client wrote a letter wishing Packard the "best of luck in all his future endeavors."

Packard said he believed voters would reject such negative campaign ads in Tuesday's election.

"I think people are fed up with dirty campaigning," Packard said. "I think it's sick, and I think people are going to revolt about it."

Packard, who reported about $25,000 campaign cash as of last month, was endorsed by most North County city mayors and a number of council members.

Waldron, who had about $173,000 in campaign cash as of last month, was endorsed by most local Republican state Assembly representatives, including George Plescia, Mimi Walters and Ray Haynes. She was recently endorsed by the San Diego Minutemen, a group of anti-illegal immigrant activists.

Immigration at the forefront


While the discussion touched on numerous troubles plaguing the state, illegal immigration has been a central issue in the campaign, and candidates peppered the debate with references to the cost it tolls on the state. Garrick and Waldron said illegal immigrants cost the state $10 billion a year.

Waldron said she supports a plan to create a California Border Police agency to enforce immigration laws. Garrick said he also favors a state border police and added he would support sanctions on businesses that hire illegal immigrants, and rules that bar those businesses from government contracts.

Packard said he does not favor a state border police, but added that he would support denying citizenship to children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant parents and denying them state benefits, except emergency medical treatment.

The $10 billion figure comes from a 2004 study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based group that promotes stricter immigration policies. The report estimates the total cost at $10.5 billion each year, but that is offset by about $1.7 billion in taxes that illegal immigrants pay.

The study was widely criticized by pro-immigrant groups, which said the study was biased and incomplete. Critics said the study failed to include the contributions migrant farmworkers, more than half of whom are believed to be illegal immigrants, make to the state's nearly $28 billion-a-year agricultural industry.

The study also included an estimate of 597,000 U.S.-born children whose parents are illegal immigrants to arrive at a claim that illegal immigrants cost the state $7.7 billion in public education funding.

Folescu blamed the federal government for not doing more to stop illegal immigrants at the border. She said a federal guest-worker program would help curb the problem.

The candidates face a primary election Tuesday for their party's nomination and a general election Nov. 7.

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.


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Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.
Conservative Repub wrote on June 02, 2006 8:08 AM:"Marie Waldron is the clear choice, THE candidate running on her CONSERVATIVE record, NOT on lies and distortions of other people's records as Garrick does. There was no reason to have a dirty campaign, but Garrick started out that way from the beginning AND HAS NOT LET UP. Check his phony claims to have worked in the Reagan White House!"

Skip wrote on June 02, 2006 8:37 AM:"There needs to be a tough stance on illegal immigration. I am re-registering from Republican to Independent, as I will not support any politician that does not demand our Government to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration. The senate bill is flawed as it seems to allow over 100 million new immigrants to this country over the next 20 years. I see this country as heading towards a population explosion that we cannot sustain."

Gary wrote on June 02, 2006 8:42 AM:"COMPREHENSIVE = AMNESTY the political ad on this web page is so annoying. How many times do they have to say that this is not Amnesty? This Amnesty is not much different from the Amnesty failed Amnesty of 1986. The only difference is that back then, they called it for what it was……..AMNESTY. "

74th District Voter wrote on June 02, 2006 10:06 AM:"I'll vote for Marie. She's the only candidate with the experience and the integrity to represent our district. I recently learned that she is endorsed by the SD Minutemen, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, the Concerned Women for America, USA Border Alert, the Traditional Values Coalition, and many others. She has run a clean, issues-focused campaign because she is a woman of substance and integrity. She's already proven that she will fight for her constituents. I say, "Let's give her the opportunity to fight for us in Sacramento!""

La Raza wrote on June 02, 2006 11:06 AM:"You people should go back to Europe. This is not your land. Aztlan is ours."