Pete Stark
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Norman Yoshio Mineta
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 9th district
In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Don Edwards
Succeeded by	Ron Dellums
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 8th district
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975
Preceded by	George Miller
Succeeded by	Ron Dellums
Personal details
Born	Fortney Hillman Stark, Jr. (1931-11-11) November 11, 1931 (age 80) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Deborah Roderick
Residence	Fremont, California
Alma mater	MIT (B.S.) University of California, Berkeley (M.B.A.)
Occupation	Banking Executive Politician
Committees	Ways & Means Committee
Religion	Previously Unitarian Universalist[1][2][3]; currently None (Atheist)[4][5]
Website	petestark.com
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	Air Force
Years of service	1955-1957

Fortney Hillman "Pete" Stark, Jr. (born November 11, 1931) is the U.S. Representative for California's 13th congressional district, serving since 1973. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Currently he is the 5th most senior Representative, as well as 6th most senior member of Congress overall. He is also the dean of California's 55-member Congressional delegation. His district lies in southwestern Alameda County and includes Alameda, Union City, Hayward, Newark, San Leandro and Fremont, as well as parts of Oakland and Pleasanton.^[6]

Early life, education, and banking career[link]

Stark was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953.^[7] He served in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1957. After leaving the Air Force, Stark attended the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and received his MBA in 1960. Stark enjoyed living in the Bay Area so much that he decided to settle there after graduating.^{[citation needed]}

In 1963, Stark founded Security National Bank, a small bank in Walnut Creek. Within 10 years it grew to a $100 million company with branches across the East Bay.^{[citation needed]}

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Elections[link]

In 1972, Stark moved to Oakland to run in the Democratic primary against 14-term incumbent U.S. Representative George Paul Miller in what was then the 8th district. He won the Democratic primary with 56% of the vote, a 34-point margin.^[8] In the 1972 general election, he defeated Republican Lew Warden with 53% of the vote, the lowest winning percentage of his career. He has since been re-elected 18 times, and has only dropped below 60 percent of the vote twice (1980 and 1990). In 1980, he won with just 54%, and in 1990 he won with 58% of the vote. Due to redistricting, his district has changed numbers twice, from the 8th (1973–75) to the 9th (1975–93) to the 13th (since 1993).

He was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 election^[9] and was re-elected in the general election with 76.3% of the vote.^[10]

Tenure[link]

Currently, Stark is the longest-serving member of Congress from California.

Fiscal policy

Stark voted against the bipartisan May 2008 farm subsidy bill, which was supported by most House Democrats and over half of House Republicans, in part because of its cost.^[11][12]

He also voted against both readings of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which gave $700 billion dollars to troubled investment banks.^[13][14] Stark argued that "the proposed bailout will only help reckless speculators who have been caught on the wrong side of the come line." Criticizing the bill as corporate welfare, he said "The bill before us today is basically the same three-page Wall Street give-away first put forth by President Bush" before the vote on the first bailout.^[15][16]

On September 25, 2008, Stark and Peter DeFazio signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposing a one quarter of one percent “transaction tax” on all trades in financial instruments including stocks, options, and futures. On September 29, 2008, Stark voted against HR 3997, the bailout bill backed by President Bush, House Speaker Pelosi and presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, and the bill subsequently failed to pass. Explaining his vote, Stark stated, "President Bush tells us that we face unparalleled financial doom if this $700 billion bailout is not approved today. He and his Treasury Secretary—a former Wall Street fat cat—tell us that we have reached the point of 'crisis.' That is a familiar line from this President. It sounds like the disastrous rush to war in Iraq and the subsequent stampede to enact the Patriot Act. As I opposed the Iraq War and the Patriot Act, I stand in opposition to his latest rush to judgment."^[17]

On October 3, 2008, Stark voted against HR 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. With this vote, Stark became the sole member of the House of Representatives from the San Francisco Bay Area to oppose the bill.^[18] Explaining his vote, Stark stated, "You're getting the same kind of misinformation now, the same kind of rush to judgment to tell you that a crisis will occur. It won't. Vote 'no.' Come back and help work on a bill that will help all Americans." ^[18]

Health care

Stark is known to have a longstanding interest in health care issues and was critical of the fate of the uninsured under the George W. Bush administration.^[19]

Along with John Conyers, in April 2006 Stark brought an action against President Bush and others alleging violations of the Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which cut Medicaid payments.^[20] The case, Conyers v. Bush, was ultimately dismissed for lack of standing in November of the same year.^[21]

Iraq War

Pete Stark speaks at a Town Hall meeting in January 2007 in San Leandro, CA.

Pete Stark was an early opponent of the Iraq War, speaking on the floor against the resolution authorizing military force against Iraq, on October 10, 2002. In part he said, "Well then, who will pay? School kids will pay. There'll be no money to keep them from being left behind—way behind. Seniors will pay. They'll pay big time as the Republicans privatize Social Security and rob the Trust Fund to pay for the capricious war. Medicare will be curtailed and drugs will be more unaffordable. And there won't be any money for a drug benefit because Bush will spend it all on the war. Working folks will pay through loss of job security and bargaining rights. Our grandchildren will pay through the degradation of our air and water quality. And the entire nation will pay as Bush continues to destroy civil rights, women's rights and religious freedom in a rush to phony patriotism and to courting the messianic Pharisees of the religious right."^[22]

In January 2003 Stark supported a reinstatement of the draft, partly in protest against the call to war but also saying, "If we're going to have these escapades, we should not do it on the backs of poor people and minorities."^[23] In October 2004, Stark was one of only two members of Congress to vote in favor of the Universal National Service Act of 2003 (HR 163), a bill proposing resumption of the military draft.^[24]

He has not voted for any bills to continue funding the Iraq war, but has voted 'present' for some. In a statement posted on his website he explained, "Despite my utmost respect for my colleagues who crafted this bill, I can't in good conscience vote to continue this war. Nor, however, can I vote 'No' and join those who think today's legislation goes too far toward withdrawal. That's why I'm making the difficult decision to vote 'present'."^[25] Stark was the only member of Congress to take this position.

Committee leadership

He has been a ranking member of the Banking and Currency Committee and is currently a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee. He also served as chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia in the 103rd Congress.

When Ways & Means Chairman Charlie Rangel stepped down in March 2010 over ethics charges, Stark was in line to assume the chairmanship since he was the next most senior Democrat on the committee. However Stark was only chairman for one day, as he was ousted by the younger Ways & Means members led by Chris Van Hollen, who saw Stark's history of intemperate remarks as a liability during an election year; Stark was replaced by Sander Levin who was the third-most senior member of Ways & Means.^[26]

Atheism

Stark is the first openly atheist member of Congress, as announced by the Secular Coalition for America.^[4] Stark acknowledged that he is an atheist in response to an SCA questionnaire sent to public officials in January 2007.

On September 20, 2007, Stark reaffirmed that he is an atheist by making a public announcement in front of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, the Harvard Law School Heathen Society, and various other atheist, agnostic, secular, humanist, and nonreligious groups.^[5] The American Humanist Association named him their 2008 Humanist of the Year,^[27] and he now serves on the AHA Advisory Board.

On February 9, 2011, Stark introduced H. Res 81 to Congress designating February 12, 2011 as Darwin Day as a culmination of collaboration between Rep. Stark and the American Humanist Association. The resolution states, “Charles Darwin is a worthy symbol of scientific advancement… and around which to build a global celebration of science and humanity.”

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Health^[28]
  • Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support

Caucuses

• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (Associate Member)
• International Conservation Caucus

Electoral history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Pete Stark

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Pete Stark

Find more about Pete Stark on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
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	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Congressman Pete Stark official U.S. House site
• Pete Stark for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Interview with Jan Henfeld
• "The bottom line is I don't trust this president and his advisors", Salon.com, October 10, 2002, Stark's speech against the resolution authorizing military force against Iraq, delivered on the floor of the House
• "California Congressman Pete Stark Reflects on Life Under a Republican in the House", BuzzFlash, August 5, 2005
• "The War on Our Children", Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), In These Times, November 25, 2005
• Medicare for All Rep. Pete Stark, The Nation, February 6, 2006
• "First 'Nontheistic' Member of Congress Announced", Daniel Burke, Beliefnet, March 14, 2007

Clarence Page (born June 2, 1947) is an American journalist, syndicated columnist, and senior member of The Chicago Tribune editorial board.^[1]

Early years[link]

Page was born in Dayton, Ohio, and attended Middletown High School in Middletown where he worked on the school's bi-weekly newspaper. After graduating in 1965, he worked freelance as a writer and photographer for The Middletown Journal and The Cincinnati Enquirer, while he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Ohio University.^[2]

Career[link]

After his graduation from university in 1969, Page took a position with The Chicago Tribune, and was drafted into the military after only six months with the paper. He found himself assigned as an Army journalist with the 212th Artillery Group at Fort Lewis, Washington, when his obligation ended and he made his way back to the Tribune in 1971.^[2]

Page is an occasional panelist on The McLaughlin Group, a regular contributor of essays to NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, host of several documentaries on the Public Broadcasting Service, and an occasional commentator on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday. Page often appears as a political analyst on the Chris Matthews Show and Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. He also appeared in the 1993 film Rising Sun, playing himself as a talk show panel member. Page's achievements came despite an undiagnosed case of ADD, the effects of which he recounts in a chapter in Positively ADD.^[3]

Clarence Page wrote an editorial piece about "Richie" Daley and his achievements as Mayor of Chicago.[1]

Personal life[link]

Page was married to and later divorced from Leanita McClain, a Tribune columnist who also focused on race and who later took her own life. Page remarried in 1987 to Lisa Johnson with whom he has one son, Grady Jonathan.^[2]

Honors and awards[link]

Page has received honoris causa doctorates from Columbia College Chicago, Lake Forest College, and Nazareth College in Rochester, New York.

• 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
• 1987 American Civil Liberties Union James P. McGuire Award for columns on constitutional rights
• 1980 Illinois UPI Award for community service for The Black Tax
• 1976 Edward Scott Beck Award for overseas reporting on the changing politics of Southern Africa
• 1972 Pulitzer Prize for a Chicago Tribune Task Force series on voter fraud

Bibliography[link]

• Page, Clarence (1996). Showing My Color: Impolite Essays on Race and Identity. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-017256-8. 
• Page, Clarence (2000). A Bridge to the New Media Century. Ithaca, NY: Ithaca College. OCLC 55010879. 

References[link]

External links[link]

• Clarence Page's columns in the Chicago Tribune includes archive and biography
• Appearances on C-SPAN
  • Booknotes interview with Page on Showing My Color: Impolite Essays on Race and Identity, March 17, 1996.
• Clarence Page on Charlie Rose
• Clarence Page at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Clarence Page in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Clarence Page at the Open Directory Project
• Video of Clarence Page appearing on The O'Reilly Factor, on Media Matters for America
• The Online NewsHour, Clarence Page Essays

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Stefan Basil Molyneux Molyneux speaking at Drexel University Born 24 September 1966 Athlone, Ireland School Voluntaryism Main interests Anarcho-capitalism, Atheism, Austrian Economics, Education, Ethics, Family, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Religion Influenced by Aristotle, Nathaniel Branden, Harry Browne, Hans Hermann Hoppe, Alice Miller, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, Socrates Influenced Ian Bernard

Stefan Basil Molyneux (born 24 September 1966) is a blogger, essayist, author, and host of the Freedomain Radio^[1] series of podcasts, living in Mississauga, Canada. He has written numerous articles and smaller essays which have been published on libertarian websites such as LewRockwell.com, antiwar.com and Strike The Root,^[2][3] recorded over 2000 podcasts, produced over 800 videos, and written several books which are self-published except for his first, which was published by Publish America. In 2006 Molyneux quit his previous job in the field of computer software and works full-time on Freedomain Radio, a philosophical community website which is funded through donations. He self-identifies as a full-time parent and philosopher.

Freedomain Radio[link]

Format[link]

Freedomain Radio is primarily an online podcast, however Molyneux also uses essays, videos, books, articles, interviews, and public speaking to deliver his content. The regular content of the show covers topics such as anarcho-capitalism, ethics, Austrian economics, atheism, religion, education, family, philosophy and politics. Each Sunday Molyneux conducts a call-in show where listeners can talk with him about either a set topic of discussion, or their own. Freedomain Radio also has an online community message board for listeners to discuss Molyneux's content as well as related topics.

Books[link]

Molyneux is the author of several non-fiction books. He has written On Truth: The Tyranny of Illusion, Universally Preferable Behaviour: A Rational Proof of Secular Ethics, Real-Time Relationships: The Logic of Love, Everyday Anarchy, Practical Anarchy, How (Not) To Achieve Freedom, Against the Gods, and most recently The Handbook of Human Ownership: A Manual for New Tax Farmers.^[4][5] Molyneux has also written two fiction books, The God of Atheists and Revolutions.

Interviews[link]

Molyneux has conducted interviews with people such as Max Keiser,^[6][7] Alex Jones,^[8] Peter Schiff,^[9] Jeff Berwick,^[10] Stephan Kinsella,^[11][12] Bill Gairdner,^[13] Mary Ruwart,^[14] Alison Gopnik,^[15] Marc Faber,^[16] David Lindorff,^[17] Dan Carlin,^[18] and several other figures in the fields of education, academia, psychology, politics, and economics.

Public speaking[link]

Molyneux was the closing speaker for the 2009 New Hampshire Liberty Forum on March 8.^[19][20] Molyneux debated with 2004 US Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik at Drexel University on July 5, 2009.^[21][22] Molyneux was the opening speaker for PorcFest 2010 on June 24,^[23][24] the annual liberty festival organized by the Free State Project. Molyneux spoke at the Students For Liberty Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference hosted at Drexel University on October 9, 2010.^{[25][26][dead link][27]} Molyneux spoke at Libertopia^[28][29] on October 14–15, 2010. Molyneux spoke at the Ontario Libertarian Party Annual Liberty Seminar at Toronto on November 6, 2010.^{[30][31][dead link]} Molyneux was a speaker at the 2010 Freedom Summit in Phoenix, Arizona on December 5.^[32]

Television and Radio[link]

Molyneux is a regular guest commentator on Adam vs The Man, with his first appearance airing on RT America on April 11, 2011.^[33] He has also appeared several times on The Keiser Report,^[34] as well as The Alex Jones Show.^[35] On April 11, 2012, Molyneux guest-hosted the Peter Schiff Show.^[36]

Criticisms[link]

Molyneux and Freedomain Radio received media coverage in 2008 after several newspapers published a story about Freedomain Radio which centered around a member's parents, who claimed that Freedomain Radio is a therapeutic cult, after the 18 year old member left home and severed all contact with his family, an action that Freedomain Radio calls "deFOO" (borrowed from academic psychology, "FOO" is an acronym "Family of Origin"). In response Mr. Molyneux estimated about 20 FDR members had "deFOOed" their families, compared to 50,000 regular listeners.^{[37][38][39][40]}

References[link]