Full text of 50th District voter: Voter's Questionnaire of Delecia Holt on March 23,2006

By Delecia Holt

"...The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Date: 2006/03/21 Tue AM 12:47:31 PST To: <info@voteholt.com> Subject: Re: In response to you contacting me, Ms. Holt,

As a voter and potential member of your constituency, I hope that you can take a few minutes to answer a couple questions from me as I am currently narrowing down who my vote will be casted for.

As a respected member of the La Jolla community with recent political experience under the Bush administration, I look forward to finding the candidate who shows the most interest in my questions and concerns; Responsiveness now, I believe, will be indicative of that persons responsiveness to the public after assuming office in Washington.

I appreciate your time and look forward to your response. Best, Voter in 50th District, La Jolla,CA.

P.S. I suggest you take a look at and revise the grammatical errors in your 'letter of support," as well as your website.

First, I would like to know how your planned foreiture of your first annual salary would "ensure" the success of the issues you listed, or have any relevancy to the job that you will do. I'm sure that you are an ethical and dedicated woman who would deserve a salary for all your hard work; so I don't quite see how giving it up would accomplish much, or what message it is intended to send.

Dear Voter in 50th District La Jolla, CA. 92037

March 23, 2006

Re: Responses of Delecia Holt-Republican Candidate, 50th Congressional District

Delecia Holt's Response: I am the only candidate that is not accepting a salary for the first year I am in Congress and will utilize those funds, I would have received ($160,000.00) to operate satellite, district offices that are networked, in each city within the 50th District to better provide immediate access to the citizens in my district, ensuring a quick response to their individual needs. These offices will be staffed eight hours a day, 6 days a week and residents of the 50th District can stop in at any office in any city and have their concerns addressed.

I strongly believe that it is the responsibility of elected officials to go to the people and not vice-versa. Therefore, my team and I have developed a strategic plan to operate the satellite district offices efficiently. These offices will be run as though they were a private business by generating renewable funds for their operation. We intend to generate funds by doing speaking engagements (such as the ones I have already been scheduled to do in the next two weeks for various groups), continuing to author books on various social, economic and homeland security issues to offset operational costs making certain no tax dollars are used to cover office and administrative expenses.

These district offices will offer basic educational tutoring classes for our school aged children in the 50th district as well as GED classes certified through the state and citizenship classes to assists those who seek to become legalized citizens an avenue to success as well as many other educational and informational services for young adults and resources for our aging population, veterans. As well as a few other civic minded programs that can assist this district greatly. Most importantly, Congressional schedule permitting, I plan on physically being in the district a minimum of twice a week to personally continue our outreach programs for residents of the district ensuring that our team is accessible to them and their families.

Second, with the mounting financial strain on our government, where will the money come from to increase active duty salaries to $160,000, an amount equal to if not greater than that of members of Congress and political leaders in the bureaucracy?

Delecia Holt's Response: We can reduce the U.S. debt by decreasing the amount of waste, fraud and abuse occurring in U.S. Government/private industry purchasing contracts.

Since we all are in agreement that our military service personnel, police and sheriff officers, border patrol, and other key personnel are grossly underpaid for putting themselves in the line of fire each day, it is our duty as elected officials to provide them and their families with a decent living wage and comprehensive medical coverage for life. The wages proposed would be on a sliding pay scale similar to that currently in place for our military personnel and government employees (G-5 through G-16, etc.) The monies would be derived from the surplus of funds not accounted for (lost within various pork belly and special interest bills and completely eliminating all "pork" projects earmarked by Members of Congress and their lobbyist and special interest groups) by GAO and can be found by re-instituting the privately funded Grace Commission, which was established during the Reagan Administration. This commission utilized private sector experts from various fields and professions, to research and analyze all areas of expenditures and U.S. Government departments involved in spending our tax dollars.

In 1985, The Grace Commission made recommendations, that my esteem colleagues and I realize,"...would save the U.S. Government and taxpayers $455 billion over

Third, the president has raised the VA budget by over 30 percent since his time in office. What are your thoughts on the limitation of services to priority 8 veterans, and the issue of concurrent reciept.?

Delecia Holt's Response: I am thankful that President Bush is our President. I believe that he is the right President at the right time. I am appreciative that he has increased the current VA budget. However, I have worked one on one with our Veterans at the Long Beach V.A. Hospital, K-2 Ward for those dealing with substance abuse issue, mental health issues, family reunification issues, general medical and healthcare issues, educational issues, job training issues, short and long- term housing issues and homelessness issues. I also helped to start the V.A. +Villages at Cabrillo which is a residential housing and treatment facility for homeless and substance abusing Veterans while working for AmeriCorps and Long Beach V.A. Hospital.

As, I continue to work with our Veterans groups the constant concerns they express regarding adequate medical treatment and rapid access to medical care is at the forefront of their needs list. Because it is taking on average 10-12 months before our Veterans, and often times their family members, to receive medical care. They served us honorably are being denied adequate medical treatment because legislatures deems their medical treatment and long-term care too costly and that it will bankrupt the national budget. . Other such concerns like, long-term permanent housing can be easily resolved with the recycling of current base housing on many of our deactivated military bases. It is more cost effective to allow our Veterans the use of this housing which in turn provides maintenance and care for our deactivated military bases and reduces the overall cots of contracting to a private entity years later, at higher costs to recondition or renovate the military housing that had been allowed to become dilapidated.

Therefore, I strongly oppose limitation of services to priority 8 Veterans and uphold concurrent receipts and further believe that we owe our Veterans and their families the services due them in as expeditious a manner, as humanly possible.

Fourth, what benefits do you believe term limits serve? Shouldn't the people be able to elect the candidate of their choosing; especially one who has represented them well and honestly for multiple terms?

Delecia Holt's Response: I strongly support our constitutional right to re-elect those candidates that have represented us well and honestly, for multiple terms. I like President Washington, further believe that is the responsibility of Voters to not re-elect and rapidly remove those elected officials that have been proven to be a detriment to their office and their elected districts by becoming involved in illegal activities and behaving unethically. Especially, elected officials that have been proven to have broken House Rules of allowing their spouse or they, themselves lobbying on the House floor, or knowingly voting for bills that they knew had earmarks for special interest groups that will harm their districts to make a quick buck. While all earmarks are not necessarily bad for the district, pork-belly earmarks dramatically harm the voters in the district and takes funds from much needed social and infrastructure programs and projects that negatively impacts the lives of everyone in that district. It is the responsibility of elected officials to make a concerted effort to understand what they are voting for and how their vote will impact their district. If they are not clear on which way they should vote, they should consult noted experts, and first and foremost consult the voters living in their district for advice prior to casting their vote.

Finally, why would you want to eliminate all lobbyists and special interest groups from Washington? I know that recently they have gotten some members into trouble ( Rep. Cunningham etc...), but surely you understand their importance and critical role in the policy process. Perhaps you meant introducing new regulations for lobbyists, but getting rid of them alltogether would be an illegal and undemocratic action. The bureaucracy, as well as Congress relies on the expertise and knowledge that interest groups bring to the table. Their policy ideas are oftern the most effective because of their technical and professional knowledge of the industry they represent.

Delecia Holt's Response: I am an advocate for informed change. However, it is not illegal to prohibit lobbying of our elected officials. It could be deemed as an infringement on their rights, but far from illegal. I do recognize the importance of lobbyist and the role their areas of expertise play in the development of policies. While most lobbying provides invaluable information to elected officials and most of their intent is for the betterment of mankind, I also understand human behavior all too well, and refer to the multitude of social behavioral studies regarding collective behavior and the effect the "collective conscience" can have on the individual person (peer pressure on elected officials, if they are weak of character) in their daily decision making processes.

The collective pressure on the individual can be positive or negative. It all boils down to electing persons that have strong moral fiber prior to being elected to office and has demonstrated such. I am not against lobbyists as a general rule. I am against re-electing candidates that have been part of the problem and not the solution. As long as lobbyist and elected officials follow the laws already in place, we as elected officials would not need to implement further laws against lobbying and can benefit from their varied areas of expertise. I am willing to accept advice from any one who has expertise in needed areas as long as they remember that I am accountable to the voters in my district and are willing to build a relationship based upon mutual trust and ethics.

If I or my sstaff meet with ay lobbyist or special interest group I will make it public knowledge on my congressional website, inform the Congressional Ethics Committe of such meetings,publish the meeting information in local San Diego newspapers, and post it in each of the district offices, so that anything we do as a district is openly disclosed, explained and understood by everyone.

As your congresswoman I will actively defend the voters of this district from unethical persons regardless of intent and will report anyone found to be in conflict of the House Ethics Policies. Lobbyist did not get Rep. Cunningham in trouble, he got himself in trouble when he consciously decided to take bribes and require bribes from lobbyist and special interest groups.

As I often state publicly; If you do not have a strong sense of morals and ethics before you get to D.C. you won't have it when you get to D.C. for "...The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

P.S. Delecia Holt's Response: I appreciate your input, and appreciate your taking the time to visit my website. I have copied your email and pasted it as you wrote it on these pages. It appears we are all human. We will address the grammatical and spelling errors and get them corrected.

Thank you for your questions and taking the time to share the needs of our community with me. I will work extremely hard with all members of congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the needs of San Diego are taken care of while retaining the integrity of San Diego. Please share this questionnaire with your friends, family members, and colleagues (as I will be doing so, as your concerns are their concerns) and encourage them to personally contact me and my staff to keep us informed of what their individual and community needs are so we can respond appropriately and in a timely fashion. Appreciatively, Delecia Holt, Candidate 50th Congressional District Website: http://www.voteholt.com Email: info@voteholt.com Phone: 877-455-4159 Fax: 877-455-4159

End of Delecia Holt's Responses to questions

>Email: Date: 2006/03/23 Thu To: Voter in 50th District, La Jolla, CA. 92037 > Subject: Re: Your Questionnaire > > Thank you for taking the time to contact me and ask for clarification on certain issues. I am attaching my response to your questionnaire in a word.doc format. Please feel free to forward it to those you know and once again I thank you and look forward to working with you. > Delecia > http://www.voteholt.com > info@voteholt.com > Phone: 877-455-4159