Commonsense & Wonder

Pete Stark defends Social Security payments to his kids, delinquent dues

The campaign of Rep. Pete Stark, the East Bay Democrat in a contested re-election race against fellow Democrat Eric Swalwellof Dublin, confirmed to the Chronicle that Stark’s children do receive Social Security benefits as allowed under the law, and that he has stopped paying his dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Stark campaign consultant Michael Terris wrote in an email that Stark “fought his entire career to protect Social Security from those who would dismantle it. Congressman Stark has been paying into the system for many years. And yes, like all Americans, he and his family intend to collect the benefits to which they are eligible.”

Stark, 80, earned his M.B.A. at UC Berkeley in 1960 and went on to make a fortune early in his career starting a successful bank in Walnut Creek. Stark’s net worth is estimated as high as $27 million and is ranked as the 74th wealthiest member of Congress.

According to the Social Security Administration, “4.4 million children receive approximately $2.5 billion each month because one or both of their parents are disabled, retired or deceased. Those dollars help to provide the necessities of life for family members and help to make it possible for those children to complete high school. When a parent becomes disabled or dies, Social Security benefits help to stabilize the family’s financial future.”

Under the rules, children can receive benefits if they are minors and are the biological or adopted children (or stepchildren) of the Social Security recipient, and the parent is retired.

Stark has seven children, including three minors with his third and current wife Deborah. (Our Carla Marinucci reported earlier that the family of Stark’s second wife, Carolyn Wente, is contributing to Swalwell’s campaign.) Among them is Fortney Stark III, a prolific blogger and budding author who goes under the name Fish Stark.

Fish wrote a revealing portrait of his father for Teen Ink. Stark has relied on his teenage son to do research for his campaign.

That research led in at least one instance to false accusations against Chronicle columnist Debra Saunders.

Stark Family

Some Democrats in the California delegation have complained that Stark has shirked his party duties to pay his DCCC dues to help out colleagues in tough races. Terris replied that Stark did stop paying dues because of his current race with Swalwell, but has been more than generous in the past. This from Terris:

“Congressman Stark paid his DCCC dues diligently to help out fellow Democrats for many years. Two years ago, when the Open Primary became a possibility in California, he made the decision to suspend his DCCC dues in case he faced a more serious challenge. He has continued to raise money directly for DCCC to help fellow Democrats – over $500,000 last cycle and $400,000 this cycle.”

Why does a man worth a reputed $27 million not take care of his own children. Is this not the liberal mentality of milking someone else for your peccadilloes