Jorgensen makes second bid for Congress

September 14, 5:59 AMCentral Coast Democrat ExaminerRobert Cuthbert

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Marta Jorgensen

Marta Jorgensen stunned long-time political activists in June 2008 when she defeated politically established candidates. That year’s Democratic Primary for the 24th Congressional District saw the well-known Mary Pallant and Jill Martinez overwhelmed by the political unknown.

In the November 2008 General Election, she came within percentage points of victory. A remarkable feat considering her Republican opponent Elton Gallegly’s 22 years of incumbency.

Everyone takes Marta Jorgensen seriously now. What she may have lacked in savvy, she made up with success. And, she’s running for Congress again.

With 27 years experience as a vocational nurse Jorgensen sees health care delivery as “out of control.” She supports HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act, as well as California’s SB 810. Both bills call for a “single payer” government administered health care system. In her words, “With 47 million uninsured Americans, and another 50 million who are under insured, the time has come to change our inefficient and costly fragmented non-system of health care.”

As a stanch environmentalist for decades, and combining her experience in business, she supports energy efficiency measures as vital. “I believe energy is the critical and central issue to many other problems and that solving our energy dilemma will have a huge ripple effect on everything,” she said.

Standing against trends to support new oil drilling off Santa Barbara’s coast Jorgensen draws the line. She cites the historic 1969 oil spill, adverse impacts on tourism, and localized pollution near new wells as critical to the issue.

Bringing together her central issues she said, “Health care reform, developing renewable alternative energy sources, and a solid commitment to improve our public educational institutions are key elements in restoring our economy.”

What political insiders have learned is that plain and to the point campaigning still works. The diminutive Marta invokes trust in her sincerity, even from her critics. Soft spoken and direct her voice draws attention. “Compassion must be the basis for the decisions we make, the bills we create,” as she often says. “When we keep in mind the welfare of people, the welfare of our social structures and the welfare of the natural world, we know instinctively what is right."