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Durston Responds to Lungren “Speaking Out”

published in on page A2 of the September 5 edition of the Grapevine Independent

By Bill Durston, M.D.

The article, “Lungren Speaks Out,” on page A6 of the August 29 edition of the Grapevine is a gross distortion of the truth, typical of our current congressman, Rep. Dan Lungren.

In the article, Lungren claims that House Majority leader, Steny Hoyer, is “figuring out how to get more time off” in advocating a four day work week for federal employees. Lungren knows this is untrue. Hoyer is proposing that federal employees work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days, to reduce commuting time and gasoline consumption. Either way, they work 40 hours/week.

Lungren is hardly one to criticize others for taking time off. He was featured on ABC News’ Charles Gibson Report in June of this year for taking a four day luxury vacation to Hawaii paid for by special interests, despite House ethics laws which prohibit such trips. Congress was only in session an average of 3.2 days/week in 2007, and Lungren usually spent weekends at his home on the East Coast, rather than returning to the small residence that he bought in Gold River in 2004 to give the appearance that he lives here.

But the greatest distortion of the truth is Lungren’s assertion that he is working to drive down the cost of gasoline. Over the past two election cycles, Lungren has taken over $20,000 in contributions from oil executives and the political action committees of gas and oil companies. During that time, he’s consistently voted against preventing the oil companies from gouging us at the pumps, against developing renewable energy resources, and against improving public transportation.

The people of California’s 3rd Congressional District deserve a congressman who will tell the truth and represent their interests, not a carpetbagging career politician who distorts the truth and represents the oil companies. That’s why I’m running against Dan Lungren for Congress.