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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund

Smart Voter
San Diego, Imperial County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
United States Representative; District 51


The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Economy and Jobs, Health Care, Energy Policy, National Security, Immigration Reform

Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.

? 1. In this time of high unemployment and budget deficits, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy and sustain job creation?

Answer from Ernest John "Ernie" Griffes:

Congress needs to act to stop the making of laws by regulation and executive order that are drowning small and medium business. What has happened to checks and balances? Obamacare full time needs to be set at 40 hours to get people back to work. Keystone Pipeline needs to be built. Environmental regulations need to be eased to get people to work again. Example: California water denied to farmers because of a fish while farm workers lose their jobs.

? 2. What, if any, changes should be made to federal health care policies or programs?

Answer from Ernest John "Ernie" Griffes:

Obamacare in present form has got to go. Amend it, revise it, repeal parts of it, or all of these. For example: allow individual insurance purchase across state lines to get competition, require pre-existing coverage after six months employment, limit medical malpractice suits, allow children to be on parents policies to age 25. Give doctors enouragement to practice instead of forcing them out of their practice.

? 3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy?

Answer from Ernest John "Ernie" Griffes:

We need energy independence from nations that hate us. We have the resources beneath our feet, we need the good paying jobs it can provide. Environmentalists are a small percentage of the population but their activist voices are wagging the dog. As conservatives we need to stand up with a counter-activism that moderates the safety of the public and serves our energy and economic needs. A good steady job paying well is the best safety net a family needs.

? 4. What, if any, changes should be made with respect to our nation’s security, including our national defense or anti-terrorism measures?

Answer from Ernest John "Ernie" Griffes:

The death by a thousand cuts of our national defense, military forces and their equipment, and NASA is outrageous. Without a strong defense that our enemies fear we are exposed to danger and if we cannot defend ourselves or our allies, nothing else matters. Restore national defense budgets fully, cut the fraud and waste, and do so quickly.

? 5. What is your position on the issue of immigration reform? What, if any, changes to legislation or policy would you support?

Answer from Ernest John "Ernie" Griffes:

We are a nation of immigrants. My family was Hungarian through Ellis Island. We welcome any one who wants to come here legally. It is not fair to those who do, who work hard, pay taxes, raise families, adopt America as their home, to allow, even encourage, undocumented persons to enter the country and live off the taxes and hard work of those who have done so legally. Tighten the border, make it easier to enter legally and become legal.


Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.


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Created: July 9, 2014 18:45 PDT
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