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Dick Eiden
Dick Eiden was a 2012 independent progressive candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 49th Congressional District of California.
Biography
Eiden received a B.A. in political science from UC Santa Barbara in 1967. He went on to receive his J.D. from UCLA in 1970. Eiden then practiced law for 25 years. He has also spent much of his time as a political activist.
Campaign themes
2012
Eiden listed the following issues:[1]
Election Reform – "It would not be possible to make any meaningful changes in politics or economics without campaign finance reform, including public financing of national elections. Elective offices should not be for sale, and our leaders should not spend all their time raising money, and in the process becoming beholden to major contributors and special interest groups. There are many good plans for election reform, and this should be something on which the left and right can agree. "
Health Insurance Reform – "There needs to be a single-payer health care system, and Medicare for all! Health insurance companies have become a cancerous tumor on the health care system, sitting between the patient and the provider, monopolizing the money, making decisions for the patients, controlling the most personal and intimate moments and choices of our lives. We must remove that tumor and create a system of high-quality, affordable health care, and stop pretending that some mythical “free enterprise system” is more important than the health of our women, men, and children. "
Education Reform - "We must invest in the future by rebuilding schools, supporting the system of low-cost public education, and improving higher education to meet the needs of the twenty-first century. Higher education should not be only for children of the wealthy, for those who are willing to be saddled with debt for decades, and for students from foreign countries who are able to pay higher tuition. Exorbitant student loans can be re-negotiated or even forgiven. We can get people back to work rebuilding our schools and restoring our public education system by providing adequate funding. "
Infrastructure Restoration - "Our roads, bridges, railroads, and electric and telecommunications grids are in dire need of repair and reinforcement to keep them safe. It will be crucial to modernize and decentralize power as much as possible, and to continue developing renewable sources of energy. Some worker flipped the wrong switch in Yuma, Arizona last summer, and all of San Diego County, parts of Riverside and Orange Counties, and areas in Arizona were without power for many hours, causing communication failures and chaotic and dangerous traffic conditions for millions of people. In early November, 2011, there were early snow storms that knocked out power in parts of the Northeast for many days. Are we not technologically advanced enough to prevent these disruptions which cause enormous economic losses and threats to public safety, even death? Through innovation, we can develop high-tech systems that will effectively protect us, while creating jobs at many different skill levels. "
Elections
2012
Eiden ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent California's 49th District. He was defeated in the open primary on June 5, 2012.[2][3]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 Darrell Issa (R) Incumbent |
61.1% | 71,329 |
| Jerry Tetalman (D) |
30.7% | 35,816 |
| Dick Eiden (NPP) | 6.8% | 7,988 |
| Albin Novinec (NPP) | 1.4% | 1,626 |
| Total Votes | 116,759 | |
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Eiden and his wife, Kathy, have three children, a grandson, and two medium-large dogs.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ [Candidate submission to Ballotpedia, March 21, 2012]
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Unofficial election results," November 6, 2012 (dead link)
