I’m on hold at the moment waiting to listen to Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, talk to folks via telephone using an interesting communication technology: An automated system dials voters at their homes in his district and invites them to participate in a live question and answer session.

Anyone can answer a question and everyone gets to listen to the answers.

It’s not a campaign event but of course, McNerney is running for re-election and he’s taking advantage of his incumbency status. His opponent is Stockton Republican Dean Andal.

it’s getting started. I’ll update you as we go along.

(Interestingly, it’s not quite a live town hall. Questioners get a McNerney staff member first, who vets the question. Arguably, that keeps out the crackpots but it may also keep out strong critics of the congressman’s political positions.)

Michelle from Tracy: What is Congress doing about the foreclosure crisis?

McNerney: He referred to today’s passage of a bill that will help rescue the mortgage industry, raise loan guarantee limits and help homeowners stay in their homes. Click here to see an Los Angeles Times story on the subject.

Julie: How can we make solar panel installation more affordable?

McNerney: He referenced his push for legislation that would extend federal investment and development tax credits for alternative energies.

Dan in Manteca: With the high fuel prices we’re seeing right now, I was wondering, will Congress before it goes on recess open up offshore oil drilling in the U.S. so we can see some relief?

McNerney: The congressman continues to oppose domestic offshore drilling, arguing that the oil companies already have under lease nearly three-quarters of the nation’s oil reserves. The oil companies, he argued, are simply trying to lock up these reserves before the change of administration in January 2009.

As for President George Bush’s decision to lift his adminstrative ban on domestic offshore drilling, McNerney called it a political ploy that wouldn’t reduce prices at the pump. Instead, he repeated his call for Bush to release small amounts of the national petroleum reserve into the market.