February 22, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Matt Kokkonen, 805-886-1880
                    Andrew Russo, 831-753-1419

SAN LUIS OBISPO— 33rd Assembly District candidates Etta Waterfield and Fred Strong have declined Republican frontrunner Matt Kokkonen’s challenge to debate several major issues with strong impact statewide.

Supervisor Katcho Achadjian did not respond to the debate invitation issued by the Kokkonen campaign on February 4.

“I find it very unfortunate that the other candidates don’t want to have a healthy give and take on these important issues. To argue, as one of my opponents did, that issues like public employee pension reform and state sovereignty are federal matters is just wrong. These are critical issues to all Californians, as is illegal immigration, ‘cap and trade,’ and health care reform.”

“I find especially unacceptable Ms. Waterfield’s response from her Sacramento-based consultant. Her consultant says these proposed debates are ‘Kokkonen-sponsored events.’ Yet, we stated clearly in our debate offer that the logistics of the debates would be worked out once the other candidates accepted. It was our intention to coordinate with the other campaigns to identify acceptable dates, venues, and formats. The voters want to hear these issues discussed. Why are they to be denied this opportunity?”

Kokkonen said his campaign is considering going ahead with the forums without the other candidates “but we’ll have chairs and namecards in case they want to show up at the last minute.”

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February 4, 2010
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:  Matt Kokkonen, 805-886-1880
                     Andrew Russo, 831-753-1419

SAN LUIS OBISPO— 33rd Assembly District candidate Matt Kokkonen has invited his three Republican challengers in the June 8 primary to a series of five debates to be organized in five major cities throughout the District between now and the June 8 primary.

The debates will cover five major issues:

Immigration and the 14th Amendment State Sovereignty and the 10th Amendment Public Employee Pension Reform Health Care Reform Cap & Trade/”Global Warming"




Each debate will take place in a different 33rd District city: Paso Robles, Atascadero and San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria and Lompoc in Santa Barbara County.

“In my travels throughout the District, I find the voters deeply concerned about  these issues and I believe there should be opportunities for the candidates to share their views with the public as well as discuss their solutions to these difficult problems,” said Kokkonen.

The San Luis Obispo financial planner and longtime Republican citizen-activist has asked the other candidates to respond by 5 PM February 19.

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Matt Kokkonen is a San Luis Obispo financial planner and political activist. In 2008, he was the Republican nominee for Congress in the 23rd District, receiving over 80,000 votes. Currently, he is a candidate for State Assembly in the 33rd District.