Hie Herald and The Lantern

Pay 32 Interview with Beech Fox

(From 31) elusion, based on the record that we must rerilove the Democrats if we re going to change this nation And that includes Mr William Hughes... He is a liberal congressman with a liberal record He talks like George Wallace when he speaks He gives the impression he’s an independent whatever But he votrs like George McGovern There lias been a hue and cry for Home Rule in dealing with regulations protecting

and local issue. O.K., My opponent has taken the course to veer away, and will continue to veer away, from his dismal federal voting record on the economy and on defense. And he has seized upon what should be prime issues for state and local candidates 1o discuss especially intimately, because he has to back away from such issues that this campaign should really be all about. That statement is a statement of fact and a statement of criticism against Bill

‘He [Bill Hughes] talks like George Wallace..But he votes like George McGovern.'

the Plnelands and Shorefronl. How can home rule be relied upon to establish adeuuate shorefront protection and building regulations when the record Indicates an inability of separate local governments to deal with the problem? And given the fact that massive outside government disaster aid has been necessary, shouldn’t state and federal governments have some say in the regulation process. Besides, doesn't home rule lack technological/ecological espertise in such matters? _ I understand that question fully ^ Any elected official, at any level of government, if there is a critical need facing a community or his constituent, should, if necessary, take a leadership role or visible role in offering whatever help, assistance or whatever persuasion or leadership is necessary that would fill avacuum otherwise present. That question you just asked is a state

Hughes, who wants to ride those issues back to Congress...! don’t think a vacuum really exists, by the way... Back to the initial point: My position, in general, on the dunes, on the pine lands, is that first and foremost the people who live in the community should have the majority of say as to what happens in that community:..They should have the ability td make the final major decision. Now, you're absolutely correct. They do not have the resources; they do not always have the ability; they do not have, apparently • always, the kind of communication and relationship with the other subdivisions of the higher levels of government that are desirable to have the final effect. Now. given this recognition, we go back to my basic principle that I subscribe tothc Jeffersonian principle: Any level of government should onlv do at that level what cannot be done at the previous level. Of course, the local level has no other

place logo. The role that the State of New Jersey and the role that Washington. D.C. should play in these particular types of issues, should be that role which would solve only those problems, legitimately that cannot be solved at local level, and that all wise minds would say should be solved in fairness to the rest of the citizens and their pocketbook... The people who do live in the shorefront communities, again, do need the support and the reference of the state government and, perhaps, sometimes the federal government for resources they otherwise wouldn't have available to them... Each community must...with support as requested or required from other agencies...come up with a reasonable, sensible plan. And they should be prettv much alike. I think most communities along the seashore could have a model plan, for example, pertaining to shoreline protection They should certainly be able to adopt it. and /naybe make some adjustments for their particular community based on physical features, for example Once that plan is accepted and concluded in each community, the role of the rest of the government should be that of » advisory,- as technician, and supportivetype resources. if, after a good plan has been formulated. there is some supportive-type funding needed, whether it be a jetty or a dune maintenance program or so forth that the community obviously couldn't support—then, surely, that decision could be made in conjunction with both levels or three levels of government. Again, the local community should have the controlling say even though it's in the interest of all the citizens who might come and visit there. It's for the benefit, by the way, of all the citizens who visit there which justifies the other governments' participation... What is your view of EPA's 10 ft. ruling pertaining to government funds and development in flood prone areas? In this context, should the federal government have longstanding control on the use of national tax dollars? I don't think the EFA or the DEP or most of the other government mechanisms should have anything more than the ability to coordinate and cooperate to provide technical expertise, advice, counsel and some of the legitimately agreed upon resources necessary. None of those people, as far as !'m concerned, should nave legal say to make rules, regulations and requirements or anything like that. They are nothing but sub-bodies of the main legislators,, in the first place! No way. No way. And that includes the 10 ft. rule. As a congressman, how would you weigh regional differences with personal views

Wednesday, October g, IW U S. Representative could be. Moreso than my opponent who does not have that kind of experience that I have had in two or three different fields... I do not paint, by the way, Bill Hughes as anything. I am revealing and exposing Bill Hughes to be what he really is. I really have two opponents. I have an opponent who has very carefully, and thru Ws slick system of wiblic relations over the years and his slick methods of utilizing the media has indicated a perception and an image which is false... The other .opponent who I'm really running against, and I have to expose and reveal, is the real Bill Hughes as he votes in Washington. The real Bill Hughes is not painted a liberal. The real Bill Hughes is a liberal, fact on fact with his voting record. He is a Carter liberal. He is part and parcel of the Carter administration... If you were elected to Congress, would you conduct opinion polls periodically? Any polls that I take would be the kind of polls directly with the people tliru two district offices; thru, 1 think primarily, the kind of correspondence that you automatically get anyway..-. That's a poll. You get a diverse source of information from across the district. If that isn't a dear-cut picture of what thci people want, then ttore never will be. You. don t need a formal poll. The polls that Hughes has conducted are nothing more than an excuse to put out a newsletter. That's a false, phoney method of having a way to politicize and campaign at the taxpayers' expense...There's never a piece of information in that newsletter that hasn't already been exposed several times to all the media ... It is a political brochure, pure and simple What was the major shortcoming of the 9Mh Congress: the major achievement? I know of absolutely no major achievement. The greatest shortcoming that they had was the continuing con tribution to the economic disasters already being suffered upon us bv the previous Congresses. In other words, more of the same only worse. I have nothing but disdain for the 96th Congress. Your campaign seems more comprehensive than those who have previously tried to unset your opponent. Is the Republican National Committee behind your campaign effort? 1 am proud to say not only that, but the Republican National Committee is solidly behind my campaign. They're extremely interested in my campaign, and they have been and will continue to be very helpful with my campaign. They feel I can win and I feel I can win... I respectfully admit that (his) opponents in the past, perhaps, did not as thoroughly examine and trhy to get out to the people

'...to elect Bill Hughes...behind a Reagan victory is like cancelling your original vote to change the direction of this country.'

on national issues: would you always vote for what most of your constituency favors? Well, here again this is where I think my opponent has demonstrated his greatest weakness and his willingness to be totally parochial. And I think therein lies the greatest contrast in our candidacies. He is willing to ignore, he is willing to dispense with crucial federal issues that affect every person in the United States. And I think he has an obligation—and I would have an obligation— to agree with or to try and come to a judgment of the obvious priorities on a national basis, subject to subordinating some of your district issues. I don't see any problem, regionally speaking, where there would be that much competition. If a vote came, for example, and it was obvious that if you voted in favor of your district that would cause a negative impact against the majority of the rest of the regions—I think the congressman would have an obligation to go back to his district and communicate to the people: "Look, here’s a vote that's crucial to national interest, whether it's military or none military. It may not benefit this district; in fact, it DBobably wouldn't benefit this district at all. But, in the main, it is something in the national interest that I am going to vote for, and I am going to explain it to you and I ask your support, and this is the vote... Republican TV advertising portrays Mr. Reagan’s liberal side to get him votes; while you have attempted to show your opponent's liberal side to lose him votes. What are we voters to make of this? I think what they're trying to do is honestly make sure that people don't look upon the presidential candidate as one who is in the narrow band of any particular philosophy. They're trying to show through past history and records that he's a well-rounded candidate... There's no kind of contrast with myself. I've tried hard not to paint myself into the comer of being any kind of arch conservative.. .I think I’m as well rounded as a

the very liberal voting record that Bill Hughes has consistently voted, and instead concentrated on Bill Hughes. I have nothing to say pro or con against Bill Hughes the person. 1 have a lot to say about Bill Hughes the Representative who should not be representing this district because he does not represent the main thinking of this district, from top to bot tom. But he’s deceived the people into believing he docs. And he does not... We’ve had polls, and paid a lot of money for polls, that have indicated that people are suddenly realizing the vulnerability of Hill Hughes because they didn't really know Bill Hughes and many of them still do not know Bill Hughes and are finding it hard to believe that they’re really are two Bill Hughes . We started out as a routine district with a relatively low profile without a lot of excitement against an entrenched irf cum bent, and we've demonstrated an ability to compete and run a viable campoign, a well managed campaign, and a campaign that's been able to do for itself the kind of things that National likes to see before they get involved in i' .. And we’ve gotten their attention thru hard work, and they're now supporting us wholeheartedly because they realize this is a win-able district... If you could personally go door to door, what would you most want to say to the voter in 30 seconds about Beech' Fox? By the way, I’ve done a lot of that. I walked the whole Fourth Ward in Atlantic City and some other areas. The thing that I would say is that Beech Fox represents, together with the other Republican candidates in this nation, the ability to change Congress and the direction of this United States so that wt will have a more sensible future economically, and a more sensibla future with national defense, and a more sensibU future for our children, and that the mar you have in Congress right now has voter against those things, and I can prove it and we ha ve to get rid of him.