2020 March Primary Review: Buzz Patterson vs. Ami Bera in the 7th Congressional District

California Congressional District 7 encompasses the Southern portion of Sacramento County, and is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Ami Bera. 

Rep. Ami Bera

The District is fairly evenly split between Republican and Democrat voters, but many Republicans are hoping to take the district back.

Rep. Ami Bera has represented the district since January 2013 following redistricting. Currently Congressional District 7 represents southern and eastern Sacramento County. The District has 13.8 percent unemployment – much higher than the state average.

Dr. Bera was the Medical Director of Care Management at the Mercy Healthcare for Sacramento, the chief medical officer for the County of Sacramento, and later as the associate dean for admissions at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

In 2016 as Bera was seeking a third term in office against Republican candidate and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, his 83 year old father Babulal Bera, was found guilty of making excessive campaign contributions and making campaign contributions in the name of another, an illegal practice otherwise known as “straw donations,” Breitbart reported. Rep. Bera claimed to know nothing of the illegal campaign contributions, which many found to be difficult to believe. His father served one year in prison and paid $100,200, for federal campaign finance violations that helped fund two of Bera’s campaigns.

Challenger Buzz Patterson

Colonel “Buzz” Patterson is challenging Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) in the 7th Congressional District “to help bring back the Golden State,” Patterson says. 

Patterson, a 20-year military combat pilot in the United States Air Force (Retired), was also a distinguished White House military aide, bestselling author, and popular conservative public speaker. Among Patterson’s literary efforts include two New York Times best sellers, “Dereliction of Duty” and “Reckless Disregard.”” His most recent books include “War Crimes” and “Conduct Unbecoming.”

Patterson worked in the White House for the Clinton Administration, and was responsible for carrying the nuclear football, officially known as the Presidential Emergency Satchel, always accompanied by a military aide carrying launch codes for nuclear weapons.

Taxes

During Bera’s terms in office, he supported eliminating the child tax credit, wanted to reinstate the marriage penalty, and supported higher taxes on retirement savings.

Patterson opposes excessive taxation, particularly on the middle class, which the marriage penalty and taxes on retirement savings target.

Water

Patterson is very concerned about California farmers and the government created water shortage. Fortunately, President Donald Trump recently signed a landmark executive order while in California, that will ensure that the San Joaquin Valley farmers will again receive the badly needed water.

“Since the very beginning of California, farming has been the key to the economic vitality our state,” Patterson said. “Central to that strength has been the San Joaquin Valley. So much so, that both the Federal Government and the State of California have spent billion of tax dollars over our history to create the infrastructure to carry water from the San Francisco Bay Delta to the farms and ranches of the Central Valley.” 

“Water, after all, is the lifeblood of the California Farmer.”

“Over the last several decades, activist judges and out-of-control bureaucrats have restricted the amount of water that can be transferred to the Central Valley, instead allowing it to be flushed out to sea.”

“This week, President Trump travelled to California and while here signed a landmark executive order that would ensure that the Central Valley would again receive the badly needed water from the Bay Delta.”

“What should have been received with praise, was met with threats from Governor Gavin Newsom to again sue the Trump Administration. In short, the Governor decided to side with the fish, rather than with the farmers.” 

“This action by the Governor is one more example of how the political elite of California has lost touch with the realities of real life for average Californians.”

 Homeless Epidemic

Patterson said he’s greatly concerned about the homeless explosion in California and on Sacramento streets in District 7. “Homeless veterans are not being offered much help at all, while indigent illegal immigrants are receiving free benefits,” Patterson said.

“California has the fifth largest economy in the world, but the state’s public schools ranks 48th in the country,” he said. “How can Gov. Newsom brag about that?”

Patterson describes Rep. Ami Bera as “a reliable Democrat vote for Nancy Pelosi rather than for District 7.”

“High unemployment in the district, jobs, homeless vagrants and homeless veterans – this is why so many Californians are moving to Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona,” Patterson said. “I want to stay and fight.”