11th Congressional District race: Dean Andal vows to cut taxes, invest in energy

Facing an incumbent, Republican challenger Dean Andal has been walking throughout U.S. Congressional District 11 to sway voters to his platform of lowering taxes, making energy cheaper and changing what he calls a "culture of corruption" that has become prevalent in the nation's capitol.

Dean Andal

Andal said he lost 13 pounds walking the district, had many memorable experiences and said many of the area's families are most concerned about gas prices.

Those high prices at the pump have created a "family budget crisis" for many people in the region. Part of the solution, Andal said, is to expand America's own oil production by drilling offshore. Andal only supports drilling farther than 15 miles off the coast, as that is the farthest point a person can see.

"If we were not importing oil and producing our own, we wouldn't have a trade deficit," he said during an interview in a conference room in his office building.

Andal also sees huge potential in nuclear power, saying the nation needs to make a sizable investment in new nuclear power generation plants.

He said he would leave picking the locations of those new nuclear power plants up to the experts, but said that with Rancho Seco nearby, he felt residents of the district could tolerate a nuclear plant being built in the area.

"It's not new for us," he said.

Dean Andal at a glance

Age: 48.
Residence: Stockton.
Occupation: School board member, development consultant.
Family: Wife, Kari; son, Patrick.
Background:

State Assembly, 1991-94.

State Board of Equalization, 1994-2002.

Serves on the Lincoln Unified School District.
Campaign contributions (Through Sept. 30)
Total: $1,212,991
Individuals: $843,112
Pacs: $298,295
Party: $9,500
Other: $62,084
Major contributors:
NEW PAC, Visalia, $10,000
Lincoln Club of Northern California Federal PAC, Burlingame, $10,000
Every Republican is Crucial PAC, Richmond, Va., $10,000
Associated General Contractors of America PAC, Arlington, Va., $10,000
Gerry and Karen Kamilos, Fair Oaks, $9,200
Carl and Mary Berg, Cupertino, $9,200
Wendell and Peggy Naraghi, Escalon, $9,200
Growth & Prosperity PAC, Alexandria, Va., $7,000
For more information on Andal's supporters, visit www.fec.gov

If there's one issue on which Andal agrees with his opponent, Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, it's a need for a greater investment in alternative energy.

Andal said he sees potential in solar and alternative fuels as a means to double America's energy output in a clean way.

The former state assemblyman also champions himself as a tax-cutter and tax-fighter.

"I've never voted for a tax increase while in elected office," Andal said.

He added that he also wants to make cuts in federal spending to further reduce the government's reliance on taxes. Andal said he would take aim at the Legal Services Corporation, an agency with a $370 million budget funded through Congress to support local civil legal funds.

Andal said it was outrageous that the LSC-funded California Rural Legal Assistance group sued the city of Stockton for condemning derelict downtown buildings.

"I'm strongly opposed to the use of federal funding to sue local government," he said.

Another political hallmark that Andal said he's opposed to is the use of earmarks. Andal said the flow of pork to legislators' home districts breeds corruption that undermines the Congressional appropriations process.

He pledges to only seek funding requests that come from local governing bodies like city councils and "never, never" seek earmark money for private companies.

That pledge, Andal said, puts him in stark contrast with McNerney, who sought a long list of earmarks for businesses and projects in the 11th District during his first term.

"I want to live to a higher standard than that," Andal said.

McNerney said he's proud of his work to direct federal funds back home. He said it keeps local workers employed, and all his requests were for vital projects.

And McNerney shot back: If Andal is such a tax fighter, than how did he let San Joaquin Delta College's Mountain House project spiral out of control?

Andal worked for Gerry Kamilos, a prominent developer who partnered with the college to help develop the satellite campus at Mountain House. The project has been stymied by delays and political fighting, and is blamed by many in the Lodi area for the fact the college now has scant funds to build a satellite campus here.

"These kinds of shenanigans that are making him money are costing the taxpayers dearly," McNerney said, of Andal's involvement in Mountain House.

Andal said that Mountain House is only a campaign issue because Democratic operatives have seized upon it to drag his name through the mud.

"This wouldn't even have been an issue if I hadn't run for Congress," he said, adding that he didn't vote for Measure L, the $250 million bond measure that is paying for Mountain House.

Andal said he hadn't met Kamilos when the Delta College board voted unanimously to pursue the Mountain House site. He said his work on the project was limited to overseeing an Environmental Impact Review.

While Andal understands that residents in Lodi are upset they likely won't be seeing a satellite campus soon, he said they shouldn't fall for the political maneuvering that is trying to shift the blame onto Mountain House.

"It is not true that the reason the Lodi campus is not being built has anything to do with Mountain House," he said. "I'm very willing to defend my integrity. I think they're going to have a tough time if that's their only line of attack."

Contact City Editor Andrew Adams at andrewa@lodinews.com.

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