Riverside County, CA – Today, Congresswoman Bono Mack’s campaign released another web ad that attacks Mayor Pougnet.

No wonder Mary Bono Mack is trying to deflect attention from her own abysmal record. After all, under her watch the unemployment rate in this district has grown to double digits – upwards of 20 percent in some places – and foreclosure rates have skyrocketed. People are losing their jobs and homes, but nine times Bono Mack voted herself a total of over $37,000 in pay raises. And, adding insult to injury, she even once complained about how little money she makes – at a time when her yearly taxpayer-funded salary was over $165,000. With a record like that, it’s little surprise Bono Mack would prefer to cast blame elsewhere than defend her record of ineffectiveness over the last 12 years.

In response to the ad, Pougnet’s campaign manager Jordan Marks said, “This is simply another pathetic attempt by Mary Bono Mack to deflect attention from her own embarrassing record of standing idly by while the unemployment rate has skyrocketed and home foreclosures have grown. Throughout Riverside County people are struggling to hold onto their jobs and homes. They’ve looked to Bono Mack for leadership but instead have gotten nothing but the cold shoulder. In fact, Bono Mack’s answer was to raise her own pay, bail out big Wall Street banks and protect tax breaks for companies that send American jobs overseas. After 12 years of Bono Mack’s absence and wanton neglect of her constituents, we deserve better.”

In the fact of the greatest economic challenges since the Great Depression – and without assistance from Mary Bono Mack in Washington, Mayor Steve Pougnet helped create 1,000 jobs in Palm Springs through his innovative hotel incentive program. As Mayor, Pougnet also took a pay cut.

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Riverside County, CA – Yesterday, Congresswoman Bono Mack voted against a jobs bill that will save at least 16,500 teaching jobs and closes tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas; it also reduces the deficit by $1.4 billion.  The bill Bono Mack voted against was immediately signed into law by the President.

In response, the campaign manager for Mayor Steve Pougnet, Jordan Marks issued the following statement: “This economic downturn has hurt all of us in Riverside County but Congresswoman Bono Mack made it clear again yesterday that while we struggle through difficult times, Bono Mack isn’t working for us. On 9 different occasions Bono Mack raised her own pay, yet yesterday the Congresswoman voted to protect tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas at the expense of protecting jobs for teachers, police officers and firefighters,  After 12 years of Congresswoman Bono Mack’s record of ineffectiveness, it is time for a Congressman who will fight for us every day.”

For more information on the bill please visit the House link Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act (HR 1586).

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U.S. Rep. Mary Bono Mack and her Democratic challenger, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, will face off in an Aug. 19 debate.

It marks the first time the Palm Springs Republican congresswoman has debated a Democratic challenger since the 2002 election.

The hourlong debate will be co-sponsored by The Desert Sun and KPSP Local 2. It will be broadcast commercial-free on the CBS affiliate, streamed live on mydesert.com and KPSP’s website and simulcast on KNews Radio’s four frequencies.

There will be no audience at the debate, which will be moderated by staff members of The Desert Sun and the broadcast stations.

“Sponsoring this debate is part of The Desert Sun’s promise to provide comprehensive coverage of this race to ensure that voters have all of the information they need before casting their ballots,” said Rick Green, executive editor of The Desert Sun and mydesert.com.

“We’re committed to using this forum not simply as a stage for the candidates to challenge each other, but to ask the questions that the average voter would have and to press for specific answers.”

The battle for the 45th Congressional District race has attracted widespread attention, with both Republicans and Democrats targeting the candidates in national fundraising efforts.

A third candidate, American Independent Bill Lussenheide, has not been as active in fundraising or campaigning.

Bono Mack, who has been in office 12 years, first indicated she would debate Pougnet after she secured the GOP nomination in the June 8 primary.

Her campaign manager, Ryan Mahoney, said it will provide the congresswoman “an opportunity to share ideas with voters” and present the “clear difference that exists between herself and Mayor Pougnet.”

“After this debate, voters will have an understanding of Pougnet’s liberal, big-government agenda and clearly recognize that Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack is the clear choice in this November’s election,” Mahoney said.

Pougnet, who was elected mayor in 2007, has called on Bono Mack to debate since last fall. After the primary election, he began pressing for a series of debates across the sprawling district.

“Mayor Pougnet is looking forward to debating Congresswoman Bono Mack because it’s the first time since 2002 that voters will hear directly from both candidates for Congress about issues that affect us all here in Riverside County,” his campaign manager, Jordan Marks, said in an e-mail.

“While the Coachella Valley suffers some of the highest unemployment and foreclosure rates in the country, Bono Mack has been totally absent, and the mayor looks forward to hearing the congresswoman defend her record.”

KPSP vice president and general manager Don Perry said debate coverage will trump all regularly scheduled programming and commercial breaks.

“This is one of those debates that has both national implications and just huge local implications,” Perry said. “As an economy and as a region, we’re struggling right now. We have a citizenry right now that’s intensely interested in how we’re being represented both in Sacramento and in Washington.

“We think this is part of our mission and is an important thing to do.”

Read this article at MyDesert.com

July 15, 2010

Riverside County, CA – Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet today announced that his campaign for Congress raised over $400,000 for the second quarter reporting period. Pougnet has raised over $1.2 million since entering the race, more than any challenger to Congresswoman Bono Mack has ever faced.

“I am incredibly humbled by the support we have received. In these very difficult times, our Congresswoman has been absent and it’s clear people are hungry for change,” Mayor Pougnet said.

“I am committed to fighting every day to create jobs here at home, fix the mess in Washington and end wasteful spending so we can balance the budget. Our region face major challenges but Congresswoman Bono Mack has failed to lead. I pledge that I will work tirelessly to address the needs of people here in the unique and special communities that make up the 45th district.”

Pougnet’s 2nd quarter fundraising puts him in the top tier of Congressional candidates across the county. His fundraising success is coupled with an aggressive grass-roots effort throughout the 45th district. Pougnet is actively engaging in grassroots campaign activity all throughout the district. The campaign has been going door to door talking to residents from Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Hemet, Blythe, Mecca, Coachella and throughout the district.

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Riverside County, CA – Today, House Republican Leader and strong Mary Bono Mack supporter, John Boehner, made it clear that the Bono Mack-Boehner agenda is one that puts what’s best for Wall Street at the expense of Riverside County seniors and middle class families.

Quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, House Republican Leader Boehner said he wants to raise the Social Security retirement age to 70 and cut benefits for seniors that have worked hard and paid their dues.

Given Bono Mack’s previous support for privatizing Social Security, the Pougnet campaign asks, does Bono Mack agree with her Republican Leader?

Boehner also claimed that Wall Street Reform – to ensure that the risky Wall Street practices that led to the economic mess affecting citizens across Riverside County – is akin to killing an ant with a nuclear weapon.

After Bono Mack’s votes for the Wall Street bailout and opposition to reform efforts, the Pougnet campaign asks, does Bono Mack agree this critical Wall Street Reform is an ‘overreaction’ to ‘an ant’?

“The John Boehner-Mary Bono Mack agenda to change Social Security for seniors that have worked hard and played by the rules and protect big Wall Street banks and greedy traders is the wrong direction for Riverside County,” said Mayor Steve Pougnet.  “I’m committed to protecting Social Security for seniors that have paid into the program and played by the rules.  And I’ll always fight for Riverside County residents that are suffering in this economic downturn when time after time Mary Bono Mack votes against their interests.”

Here is a link to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/

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Riverside County, Calif. – Given the thousands in campaign cash Rep. Mary Bono Mack accepted from BP apologists Reps. Joe Barton and Tom Price, today the Pougnet for Congress Campaign today called on Bono Mack to denounce Barton and Price’s statements apologizing to BP and defending the oil giant from efforts to hold them accountable for the massive spill they’ve caused – and to immediately donate their contributions to the help the cleanup effort in the Gulf.

Failure to do so would make it clear that Bono Mack stands with Barton’s indefensible apology to BP and Price’s characterization of the escrow fund for spill victims as “Chicago-style shakedown politics” – not Riverside County residents, American taxpayers and those in the Gulf who are affected by this disaster.

While member of both parties rightly criticized Barton’s and Price’s comments, Bono Mack – who has taken $9,000 from Barton’s Texas Freedom Fund and Price’s Voice for Freedom PAC – has remained silent.

“With Congressmen Barton and Price leading the BP apology charge, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack should immediately denounce their shameful comments and donate the $9,000 she’s received from them to trying to recover from this devastating spill.” said Pougnet’s campaign manager Jordan Marks.

“Bono Mack can choose to stand up for her constituents, taxpayers and oil spill victims or for her campaign benefactors and her friends in the oil and gas industry.”

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KPSP 2 interviews Steve on Primary Election Night about the General Election campaign.

Riverside County, CA – Now that Congresswoman Bono Mack is officially the Republican nominee, Mayor Steve Pougnet today reiterated his challenge to Bono Mack to hold a substantive, issue-focused debate with him during the general election campaign. Bono Mack has not held a public debate since 2002.

“Residents of Riverside County deserve to know where the candidates for Congress stand on the issues that affect us all. Today, I call on Congresswoman Bono Mack to join me in a series of debates to be held throughout the district over the coming months,” said Mayor Steve Pougnet. “Last September, I requested that Bono Mack join me to discuss health care and she failed to reply. Although Bono Mack has not debated an opponent of hers since 2002, I hope that this request meets with a different response because the voters ought to have the opportunity to hear from both of us.”

Mayor Pougnet is running for Congress to create good-paying clean energy jobs in Riverside County. Since announcing his intention to run for Congress, Pougnet has raised over $1 million, more than any campaign has raised to challenge Bono Mack. 3rd party conservative candidate Bill Lussenheide will also be on the ballot in November.

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Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, voted today against repealing the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

In a released statement, she said the vote shouldn’t have taken place until after military officials completed a study that showed the impact a repeal would have.

“This vote represents exactly why people are frustrated with Washington – why request a review on how to make significant changes to military policy if politicians are not going to wait for the results?” Bono Mack said.

“I care deeply about our men and women in uniform and believe it is essential that a thorough review be completed by our military commanders prior to Congress enacting such a sweeping change.”

The House voted 234-194 today to repeal the law that allows gays to serve in the military only if they don’t disclose their sexual orientation.

Democratic supporters stressed that the amendment was written so that the repeal would not go into effect until after the Pentagon publishes in December the results of a survey on how service members and their families view the change, and until the president, the defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that the repeal will not affect the military’s ability to fight.

Bono Mack’s only Democratic challenger in the 2010 election, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, released a statement tonight saying the repeal is “long overdue.”

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a discriminatory policy that wastes resources and has led to the dismissal of thousands of qualified, loyal service members,” the gay mayor said in a statement.

“For years, Congresswoman Bono Mack has avoided questions about her stance on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Tonight, with her vote, she finally made her position clear: against the over 13,000 members of the service who have been discharged as a result of the law and for a policy that is unfair – despite the many high-ranking military officials that have called for its repeal.”

Read this article at MyDesert.com