Story, photos by Dale M. King
DELRAY BEACH – At 1 o’clock in the afternoon last Thursday, the main hall at the South County Civic Center was packed with people.
The Voters Coalition had scheduled a meeting for candidates in the Nov. 2 election to address the audience and put their political cards on the table. But the main tilt that day was in the U.S. House District 19 race between Democratic incumbent, U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, and his Republican challenger, Joe Budd. The Coalition gave them more time than others to present their cases.
Ted Deutch
And while the two office seekers differed on many matters – President Obama’s health care bill among them – they agreed on the need to create jobs and to support Israel against threats from other nations, particularly Iran.
Budd, a financial advisor from West Boca Raton, is dead-bang opposed to the Obama health package and promised to try and repeal it should he win the congressional seat. He said the law “is being put on the backs of seniors” and he noted that cutbacks in Medicare coverage are in the offing.
But Deutch told the crowd, made of largely of elders, that they won’t lose the Medicare advance. “I wish we could inform people rather than scare them,” said Deutch. He said the bill will bring “significant discounts on prescription drugs and will crack down on insurance companies and insurance company abuses.”
There will be cuts in Medicare coverage, he said, but not as the result of the president’s bill.
But Budd fired back that he got his figures from the head actuary of Medicare who said that for every dollar a person gets under the program, $10 is taken away from them. “It’s a shell game,” said Budd. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Budd seemed fired up about another issue. “We have to get people back to work. I read this morning that a record 42 million people are on food stamps. Unemployment is in a severe crisis, and my opponent supported a bailout bill that took $12 billion from the food stamp program.”
Deutch agreed that was true, but said the total $23 billion bailout package was designed to save the jobs of teachers, firefighters and police. “I’m not ashamed of supporting that bill,” he said.
The two agreed there is a growing gap between the rich and poor as the middle class seems to be fading away.
Budd suggested wiping out the “severe regulatory environment” in which American businesses operate. “The Chamber of Commerce has said that 93 percent of business people fear frivolous lawsuits most. I would take a Walmart approach and roll back the unnecessary regulations” that hamper business growth.
Deutch said he supported recent legislation providing loans to small businesses and tax credits to companies hiring new employees. He said he has doubts about extending tax cuts for the wealthy.
The incumbent who was elected in April to replace Robert Wexler, who resigned to take a job in the private sector, said he favors increasing cost-of-living adjustments and added that he has proposed a plan to shore up Social Security.
Budd said the United States “must fully support Israel. This administration has allowed the reactors to be turned on in Iran. Sanctions didn’t work.”
Coincidentally, Budd drew a comment of support from another speaker, Bernard Sansaricq, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings in District 23. “I stand with Joe Budd,” said Sanasaricq, commenting that when Deutch spoke about the health care bill, he did not mention that those serving in political office in Washington have a much more luxurious health plan than what taxpayers get.