Lungren: There will be debates

U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Gold River)U.S Rep. Dan Lungren agreed to debate Democratic challenger Bill Durston Monday night, after Durston publicly challenged him to do so at a town hall meeting held by Lungren in Ione.

Lungren (R-Gold River) objected to Durston's tone in his challenge, in which Durston said Lungren was almost being dishonest in his characterization of why gas prices have risen so high in recent months.

"My question is, when are you going to stop using taxpayer money to speak at events like these and present only one side?" asked Durston, a Gold River emergency room doctor, before Lungren responded.

"I would suggest that to call someone a liar, that's not the way to enter the political process in a responsible fashion," Lungren said in response to Durston, before saying, "Yes, there will be debates, as there were last time."

The 30 or so people who attended the town hall meeting largely agreed with Lungren's answer, saying "Good for you," when he committed to debates.

Neither Durston nor Lungren provided any further details of when or where such debates would happen. Durston also debated Lungren, a two-term congressman from California's 3rd Congressional District, in 2006, when Lungren defeated him.

The brief exchange between the two men came toward the end of the 90-minute town hall discussion, which focused largely on soaring energy prices.

Lungren, who hosted a similar event in Rio Vista Sunday evening, illustrated the point with two posters, one with a slogan of "Drill here, drill now, pay less" and the other showing what Lungren said were the differences between Democratic and Republican proposals in lowering gas prices.

Lungren advocated for drilling off the United States coast, including in California, and exploring shale oil and other domestic energy sources.

"The environmental protections now are far greater than they were in 1969," Lungren said, in reference to an oil spill that year off the coast of Santa Barbara that hardened anti-oil drilling sentiment for many California residents.

Democratic policies that include suing oil-producing nations and investigating pump gouging, Lungren said, would make minimal difference on gas prices, while Republican proposals could take up to $2 off the cost of a gallon of gas.

Lungren acknowledged that some Republican proposals, such as drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, wouldn't show results for several years.

Nevertheless, his points seemed to carry weight in Ione, a largely rural town southeast of Sacramento where many residents have to drive long distances for work, shopping and other activities.

One attendee described a niece as having to choose between gas, rent and food for her children, and other said high gas prices constituted a crisis in need of immediate attention.

Lungren also said exploration and development of alternative energies, including nuclear power, should be pursued.

He did not, however, mention Rancho Seco, the controversial nuclear power plant just miles from the town hall meeting that was closed by voter referendum nearly two decades ago.

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