In the News
Idyllwild Town Crier
By J.P. Crumrine
January 3, 2008
Congresswoman Bono Mack talks legislation
Editor’s note: On Wednesday, Dec. 19, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack spoke to the Town Crier from her Washington, D.C. office about her legislative program this fall.
Bono Mack (R-Palm Desert) expressed optimism about H.R. 1759, Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act of 2007. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has been a strong advocate for it in the Senate, according to Bono Mack.
“She is trying to fast track it,” she said. Although the Senate did not take any action prior to the holiday rest, Bono Mack thought something might even occur later that week.
“There is a terrific partnership with the Senate side,” she stressed. “Sen. [Barbara] Boxer [D-CA] supports it, too.”
She was very complimentary of Riverside County Fire Chief John Hawkins for his ideas and contributions to drafting the legislation.
“I’m hopeful we’ll see a bill in the next few months,” she added.
Bono Mack and Boxer’s wilderness bill has received much local support. Bono Mack and her staff devoted much of the summer developing a proposal that identified significant local wilderness areas while addressing and acknowledging other local concerns such as fire protection. The legislation was not introduced until her staff felt sufficient broadbased support existed.
Both the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce and the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council backed her bill. Geary Hund of Idyllwild and former state parks conservationist, traveled to Washington to speak in favor of the proposal.1
“That’s the beauty of the legislative process,” she said. “I patterned it after the
[Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains] National Monument process – involve all the stakeholders. It’s a very inclusive process, even working with Sen. Boxer.”
Involving constituents and listening to their views is her favored approach on legislation that affects local people and public land.
Another benefit to that approach is the opportunity to meet and to learn about her constituents. For example, working on the National Monument bill is how she met and became friends with Bud Wellman of Garner Valley, whose family were pioneers in this area.
Her bill (H.R. 1276) to codify the water agreements among several local agencies such as the Soboba tribe and Lake Hemet and Eastern municipal water districts has had no movement since its introduction in the spring.
Bono Mack is not disappointed. She explained that the bill was merely to introduce the subject. She expects to reintroduce the bill with several changes and the administration’s support in the next session of Congress.
During that session, Bono Mack expects health care to become a legislative priority.
Unfortunately, it the most complicated of all the issues, in her opinion.
“It looks to be very partisan and [negotiations] easily break down,” she said.
One of the health care issues contributing to the inability to find a long-term solution is information.” The lack of adequate and universal electronic forms and data delays decisions and leaves many questions unanswerable, she said.
When asked about the lack of organized and visible opposition about 10 months before the next election, she responded with caution.
“Every two years, I run as if I’m fresh in the job,” she answered. “I’m expecting the election to be another challenge. I’ll do my best to win re-election.”
Two challengers have announced their intentions to seek the seat. But in 2006, while local Democrats quickly united behind David Roth who ran a well-financed national campaign, Bono Mack still garnered 59-percent of the voter.
Regardless of the local issues, Bono Mack is disappointed that the national level Republicans have ceded ownership of the fiscal responsibility issues. These and energy issues will be more prominent as November approaches, in her opinion.