NEVADA CITY – While Democratic and Republican candidates in the 4th Congressional District here continue to pocket contributions from big special interests, independent candidate Ben Emery shuns that money, has quietly raised more than $10,000 from individuals and is running hundreds of television commercials.

Touting himself as the only candidate who is actually from the 4th District, the 40-year-old private ranch manager from Nevada City also has dozens of campaign workers serving as "human billboards" in the sprawling district – from Nevada City to the outskirts of Sacramento.

Emery (www.benemery.org) takes dead aim at the Republicans and Democrats in both of his 30-second television spots, which are running on CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, Fox News and other cable networks in the vast reaches of the district, from the tip of Sacramento east to the Nevada and north to the Oregon border.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m68QT9AvIJI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIt9rNKvQl0

In the spots, Emery asks voters if they are "tired of sending jobs overseas and bailing out banks," and then states: "That's what Republicans and Democrats have done to us."

“We’ve been listening to Republicans and Democrats talk about changing the system in Washington. But all we get is more of the same. I’m independent of the large special interests who control these politicians, and have mucked up our political system,” said Emery.

Emery notes in the spots that "Government doesn't happen. We vote for it." Emery says that his solutions are not based on what lobbyists or special interests want but what is best for voters. "I will fight for you," his commercial pledges.

Emery says in the TV spot that he stands for "Local governance and economies, grassroots Democracy and ending corporate personhood."

Article originally pThe Union, By Trina Kleist, Staff Writer
The original article is available at http://www.theunion.com/article/2010101019781.

The cost of placing a candidate statement in voter pamphlets was enough to prevent congressional candidate Ben Emery, of Nevada City, from using that forum to get out his message.

Emery, an independent candidate, is running for the 4th U.S. District congressional seat against incumbent Republican Tom McClintock, of Elk Grove.

In early August when the candidate statements were due, the grassroots campaign was “hand to mouth,” Emery said Friday. He didn't have the money to pay for statements in every county pamphlet in the nine-county 4th District, he added.

In Nevada County, candidates are charged a flat fee of $75 plus $0.025 for every voter in the district, said Senior Assistant Clerk-Recorder Beth Goodrich.

All of Nevada County is within District 4, so the congressional candidates each would have to pay $1,605.45 for the statement, Goodrich said.

Other counties charge fees under similar formulas, Goodrich said. In Placer County, with about 196,000 voters in the 4th Congressional District, the candidates each would have to pay $4,050 to have their statements printed, she added.

The district also covers all or part of Sierra, Plumas, Modoc, Lassen, Butte, El Dorado and Sacramento counties, with nearly 589,000 people 18 years old or older in 2009, according to the most recent U.S. Census information.

Emery offered his statement to readers of The Union:

“I am a family man, father, ranch manager, youth athletic coach, outdoorsman, and was born and raised in Northern California. I have long-term, vested interests in the district I hope to represent.

“For too long, we have been voting for career politicians or candidates running to represent their parties. I am neither Democrat nor Republican; I am an independent man running for the people of the 4th District.

“I am running against the corruption in Washington, DC. My campaign does not accept political action committee or corporate donations. The reason for this is, I do not want any entity or organization to have influence on the votes I will be taking or the legislation I will be writing. The people of the district are my special interests.

“My main platform once in office will be regaining the control of our elected officials through public financing of campaigns. Those who control the purse strings of our elections, control the elected officials in our government. The revolving door and influence of lobbyists in our nations capital is a big part of the problem we face today.

“Slowing this process of elected officials becoming lobbyists or vice versa is a key element to regaining control of our government.

“Government doesn't happen to us; we vote for it.

“I look forward to representing my neighbors and the beautiful 4th District of California in the 112th congress of the United States of America.”

To contact City Editor Trina Kleist, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4230.

Originally posted in TheUnion.com. By Liz Kellar, Staff Writer

Editor's note: The Union is presenting the positions of candidates in local elections in a question-and-answer format as part of our overall election coverage.

Republican U.S. Representative Tom McClintock is facing Democrat Clint Curtis and independent candidate Ben Emery in the 4th Congressional District.  The largely conservative district encompasses most of Northeastern California, including all of Nevada County. Despite more than two decades of electing Republicans, however, voters nearly elected a Democrat two years ago.

McClintock, the incumbent who was first elected in 2008, bested GOP challenger Michael Babich in the June primary. Curtis ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination in June.

Q: What issues have you been focusing on during the campaign?

Clint Curtis:
1. Providing representation to all the parties so we can work together for real solutions to real problems.
2. Bringing jobs to the citizens of this district.
3. Bringing our tax dollars home to help our communities.
4. Making sure that Social Security is not destroyed.
5. Bringing broadband to the entire district.
6. Protecting our water and our environment.

Ben Emery:
Our campaign has been focusing on government corruption, the importance of citizen-legislators, and accountability.  Our elected officials have become dependent on special interest money to compete in elections, creating a disconnect with constituents. This money doesn't necessarily come from their district. Both (major) parties chase obscene amounts of money to compete in hundreds of races. Neither party will work with the other for any program that will cut off the money. My candidacy focuses on this corruption and how it is the root cause of almost all of the problems in our government.

Tom McClintock:
I have focused my campaign on the damage that (the Obama) Administration and Congress have done to our economy by too much spending, too much taxing and too much borrowing. These policies have put us trillions of dollars in additional debt, and we're no better off than we were before.  I agree with Ronald Reagan that government isn't the solution to our economic problems — government is the problem.  We know how to revive an economy because we've done it before — by reducing the tax and regulatory burdens that are crushing our economy. It worked when Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy and Harry Truman all did it. Unfortunately, this administration is doing the opposite.

Q: What steps would you take — or are taking — to represent such a diverse district?

Curtis: In my congressional office, I will bring in representatives from all the political parties across District 4. These people will be elected from their own parties based on those that have applied. We will work as a team on a day-to-day basis to reach the best possible solutions for all the citizens of District 4. Together, we can openly exchange ideas and work toward solutions that work for everyone. This means that not only will the Democratic and Republican parties have a seat at the table, but for the first time, the Greens, American Independents, Libertarians, Peace and Freedoms and even the decline-to-state voters will be able to have true input into the political process.

Emery: No one can represent a district if they don't talk to the people throughout the district. More than a couple of former candidates and even elected representatives have told us that campaigning is strictly a numbers game. The conventional wisdom is to ignore our neighbors north of Nevada County because there is no money or enough voters there to get you elected. I have ignored this advice, maybe to my peril, but I aim to be a representative of the entire district and population, not just of those who voted for me and those who donated to my campaign. We have and will continue to visit the people of the northern counties and will ask them what they want and need their representative to do for them in Washington, D.C. It would be my job to represent all of them.

McClintock: I have held 19 tele-town hall conferences and 22 live town hall meetings with constituents throughout the 4th Congressional District, returning every week of session to attend meetings and to listen to community concerns. The message is loud and clear: Stop the spending.

Q: How important are community ties when it comes to effective representation of your constituents?

Curtis: The need to have local ties depends on the congressman. In the case of our present congressman, his decisions are made based on ideology rather than direct representation of this district's citizens. His pledge is to “not” provide funding for the district, and he doesn't need to live here to vote against or turn down available funding. In that sense, it would make no difference whether he lives here or has even ever visited the area.

My concept of representation is to address the needs of the citizens of the district and surround myself with a staff drawn from the citizens of the area. This would provide me with decades of local experience drawn from all walks of life. Both myself and my staff would be real people and not career politicians or DC insiders. Our decisions would be based on the needs of the citizens and not on hard-line political philosophy.

Emery: This is an important issue in this particular race because I am the only candidate with long-term interests and proven loyalty to the district. The real issue isn't a candidate's ZIP code or whether that person knows about the Dorsey Drive interchange, but that they feel an obligation to the people they represent because they are their neighbors. I have been an active participant and volunteer in Nevada County for years. I have coached youth sports and junior high and high school athletics, been a science docent and a member of a number of local nonprofits, and participated in annual fundraisers with many different organizations. My wife and I chose to live in Nevada County because this is where we wanted to raise our children (both are students at Nevada Union High School).

McClintock: They are important, and that is why I have made it a high priority to return to the district every week and to hold an unprecedented number of public meetings across the district.


To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.

Clint Curtis
Party: Democrat
Age: 52
Residence: Roseville
Political experience: Curtis has been heavily involved in the election integrity movement in Florida and in efforts to curb waste in government contracts. He was featured in several documentaries on the election integrity issue.

Ben Emery
Party: Independent
Age: 40
Residence: Nevada City
Political Experience: A member of the Green Party, but running as an independent candidate. “The highest office in a democracy is that of citizen.” — Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter

Tom McClintock
Party: Republican
Age: 54
Residence: Elk Grove
Political Experience: United States Representative for District 4 (including Nevada County), 2009-present; California State Senator from Southern California, 2000-08; California State Assemblyman from Southern California, 1982-1992 and 1996-2000