Monday, October 19, 1998
Bruin alumni run for Congress
ELECTION: Challengers must unseat long-time incumbent Waxman
By Karla Y. Pleitez
Daily Bruin Contributor
It’s Bruin against Bruin.
On Nov. 3, four former UCLA students hope voters will make them
the next elected U.S. House Representative for the 29th district
 an area that includes Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West
Hollywood and some of Westwood.
The candidates are Henry Waxman, the Democrat and current
district representative; Michael T. Gottlieb, representing the
Republican party;. Michael Binkley, a Libertarian computer
engineer; and Karen Wilkinson, who represents the Natural Law
Party.
Waxman, the current representative, is vying to hold on to an
office that he’s occupied for 12 terms.
Waxman earned himself the reputation of being an expert in
Middle East policies and a proponent of American aid to guarantee
Israel’s security and survival.
Some students, though, feel that Waxman is not doing enough for
Westwood voters.
‘Waxman’s been in office for a while and I don’t see him doing
anything special. He’s just like every other elected politician,’
said Brian Lewis, a third-year political science student.
Despite such criticism, Waxman has helped pass legislation that
improves the quality of nursing homes and home health services,
which help set policy for childhood immunization programs.
Michael T. Gottlieb, the Republican challenger, believes it is
time for a different representative in the district.
Gottlieb calls himself a ‘progressive Republican,’ liberal on
social issues and conservative on fiscal affairs. He says he is the
best candidate because he understands the needs of Westwood people
the most, especially on issues such as homelessness.
‘Homelessness is definitely a problem in the Village. There are
those that can’t function in society and those that do not want to.
I want to help all those who want to be a part of society and
contribute to it,’ he said.
Gottlieb also wants to improve the L.A. public transportation
system.
‘Many people are commuting in and out of Westwood, and the
number one complaint is transportation. There are not enough
buses,’ he said.
Gottlieb said he feels that he is most in touch with the issues
facing students because he is closest in age to students, at
37.
Two ‘third-party’ candidates are also running for the position.
Among the candidates is the Michael Binkley, from the Libertarian
party.
The Libertarian platform is based on the idea that the
government has ‘no right to tell you what to do with your life,’
according to Binkley. They also oppose gun control and support drug
legalization efforts.
Binkley said he wants voters in Westwood to to take control of
their lives by not allowing Democrats and Republicans to continue
dominating all debates. Instead, he said voters must not be afraid
to look at new parties.
‘I am running against criminal government. I am running against
a government that wants to control its people from doing what they
want with their bodies,’ said Binkley.
Binkley wants to end what he considers the ‘foolish’ war on
drugs. He said that the government should not be a parent, and
people will not start using drugs simply because they are
legalized.
Binkley also believes there should be no immigration control,
because he says immigrants are the most driven people and they help
us create business.
‘They help us renew the American Dream, because most native-born
Americans take freedom for granted. Immigrants remind us of the
opportunities we have,’ he said.
However, Karen S. Wilkinson, a candidate from the Natural Law
Party, said she is the best candidate because she simply wants to
serve the people.
‘I am running because I want to make certain things known. I am
tired of the secrets the government keeps, and I think the American
public should know all that the government does,’ she said.
Wilkinson used the alleged bioengineering of tomatoes as an
example of the secrets kept from the American public.
Tomatoes are being genetically engineered with genes from pigs,
fish and ladybugs. These genes help tomatoes repel insects and make
them less vulnerable to disease.
Wilkinson also said that if she is elected she will address
issues about cancer.
‘I want to change the law so that new cancer developments are
quickly made accessible to victims of disease,’ said Wilkinson.
Wilkinson said there should be active participation between the
voters and elected officials.
Despite all the candidates’ promises, some students remain
pessimistic about the changes they can make as voters.
‘Let’s assume my vote did matter and the candidate I voted for
actually kept their promises,’ said Tim Lopez, a third-year history
student. ‘What are the chances that one congressman will make a
difference?’
‘However, I do think it is our civic duty to vote and to try to
elect the candidate that will be the best representative,’ he
continued.
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