While two well-known U.S. senators were nearing the end of their presidential campaigns, another representative took the stage at Oxnard College. Congresswoman Lois Capps of the 23rd district came to speak at Oxnard College last week, as part of the OC Speakers Series.
The series is being held every Wed. until Dec. 10, in LS-8 (The Clock Tower Auditorium) from 12:45-1:45 p.m. Political science major Richard Contreras, 21, was eager to hear Capps speak. “It is a rare opportunity to meet a politician representing us face to face,” Contreras said. “It is also interesting to see how her representation will benefit us.”
Capps has been a representative of the 23rd district since 1998. “Ours is a rural district,” Capps said. The congresswoman represents 660,000 constituents in a thin and long district “Running from Hearst Castle to Port Hueneme.” “I strive to do a good job representing you,” Capps said. Throughout her talk, Capps emphasized the fact that she is “Committed to education.”
“I’m a big fan of community colleges,” Capps said. “They assist people of every age in achieving their educational goals.” Capps was instrumental in obtaining a $2.5 million grant for Oxnard College this year. Capps’ husband was a professor at UCSB for over 30 years and she taught at Santa Barbara City College.
In her talk she covered subjects as diverse as the election, financial aid, the war in Iraq, alternative energy, and the financial crisis, specifically the financial bailout package, which she voted for. However, she was adamantly opposed to the idea of giving a blank check to Wall Street. “I wouldn’t be content with bailing out Wall Street, but its problems will trickle down and affect Main Street,” Capps said. Capps, a Democrat, acknowledged her opposition to the Bush administration. “We have some priorities that are out of whack,” Capps said.
However, she was against the impeachment of President Bush because it would have distracted Congress from other priorities, such as making college more affordable. She mentioned her belief that America should end the war in Iraq and use the money for education. “It’s your money”, she said, referring to tax dollars, “and it is in our best interests to use our tax dollars wisely.”
As soon as the Democrats became the majority last year, “we were chomping at the bit” to make college affordable. Congress recently passed a bill that will raise the Pell Grant levels. Near the end of her lecture, Capps asserted that she knows a solution to the nation’s energy woes. “The future is all about renewable energy,” Capps said.” California should head the green revolution in the USA.”
She also said that “Our immigration system is broken,” partly because it has become too politicized. Capps concluded her speech by announcing to the audience that “The work you do here is essential for the nation,” referring to the fact that Americans must be educated in the 21st century in order to succeed in a “global society.” Capps gave advice for students interested in politics.
“Get involved with student government and politics, take classes, and work on campaigns, watch campaigns, and volunteer with campaigns,” Capps said.
Speaker Series Coordinator Shelley Savren was pleased with the speech, and is looking forward to upcoming speeches in the series, such as a poetry reading by First Nations poet Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, on Nov. 5. “I look for interesting and diverse speakers for our series,” said Savren. 28-year-old English major Jonathan Nolen found Capps’ speech “very educational”. “She had valid points,” and it was “Interesting to learn how things are going in D.C.,” Nolen said. For more info on future Speakers, contact Shelley Savren at (805) 986-5800 ext. 1951
