Issue #1: Health Care
Do you support Barack Obama’s health care proposal?
Yes, I support Barack Obama’s healthcare proposal. In particular, I agree with Senator Obama’s plan to cover currently uninsured Americans and to provide quality and affordable coverage for all.
What is the main problem with our health care system today?
The main problem with our healthcare system is that it leaves so many Americans uninsured. Insurance and artificially high-priced prescription drugs are often too expensive for those who need them the most, affordable only for the healthy or the wealthy. As it stands, insurance companies profit from the sicknesses and deaths of Americans; this is unacceptable.
Do you support scaling down Medicaid, and if not, how do we pay for it in the future?
No, I do not support scaling down Medicaid. Instead, we must better fund our social programs by establishing long-term energy independence. By investing in clean, alternative energy sources for our country, we will create jobs for our workers and put our energy dollars back into our economy. This will build a stable tax base from which we can better fund our suffering social programs, like Medicaid.
Issue #2: Environment
Do you support drilling for oil and natural gas off of Georgia’s coast?
No, I do not support drilling for oil and natural gas off of Georgia’s coast. It is time that we realize that gas and oil – no matter where they come from – are not the answers to our energy problems. Additionally, it would take longer to build the refineries necessary for new drilling sites than it would take to build facilities that produce clean, sustainable energy. We need to start creating our own clean and renewable energy, updating our infrastructure, protecting our environment, putting our energy dollars into our economy, and providing jobs for our people.
Do you believe human generated Global Warming is real, and if so, what is one policy you would implement tomorrow to help curb rising temperatures?
I believe human generated Global Warming is real, and a real threat. Through my educational training and career experience, I have been deeply involved in researching environmental issues; I know they are incredibly important to the future of our planet. In the short-run, it is necessary to reduce our carbon emissions – using a cap and trade system or a carbon tax – but for our future, it is crucial that we start investing heavily in clean, renewable energy. The federal government must provide incentives for innovation, and encourage our trading partners to do the same.
Has the US EPA done a good job protecting the environment, and if so, please explain how. If the answer is no, please cite specific examples.
Overall, the EPA has good intentions, but like many government programs and agencies, it is overwhelmed and under-funded. In an effort to practically implement legislation, the EPA has failed to keep up with new advances in technology. Furthermore, the EPA continues to hesitate on regulating green house gasses, in spite of the recent ruling by the Supreme Court, which confirmed its authority to do so.
Issue #3: Economy
What is the biggest challenge facing our economy?
The biggest challenge facing our economy is keeping our money and jobs in our country. We are held hostage by oil producing nations and our growing national debt. We must establish energy independence to ensure that our money stays in our economy, our environment stays clean, and our jobs stay here.
If elected, could you do anything to help curb fuel prices?
The sooner we can wean ourselves off of oil the better. If we are not in control of our energy, we will not be able to control its prices. And as long as we continue to use oil, its costs – to the environment and to national security – will outweigh its benefits.
What is one policy that could be implemented to help lower Georgia’s unemployment rate?
Georgia’s 5.8% unemployment rate is unacceptable. However, we have the potential to create jobs for Georgians by retrofitting our infrastructure. In order to update our buildings, transportation and power systems, we will necessarily create new, career-track, family-supporting jobs.
Would you support a repeal or renegotiation of NAFTA?
We must renegotiate NAFTA, so that it protects American workers. To do this, we must get rid of the runaway tax credit, which gives companies tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. Also, we must renegotiate NAFTA to include mirror trade agreements, ensuring that our trade partners adhere to the same environmental and labor standards as us.
Issue #4: The Iraq-Afghanistan Wars
Did you support the initial invasion of Iraq?
No, I did not support the initial invasion of Iraq. Too many crucial steps were overlooked. Our intelligence agencies failed us; the United Nations investigators were not allowed to do their jobs properly, and our elected officials did not ask the critical questions that would have safeguarded us from an unnecessary and unjustified war.
Without the discovery of WMD’s, is the Iraq war a justified war?
No, it has never been a justified war. Over the course of our five years there, the Bush Administration has changed the justifications many times. The newer arguments that Iraq is justified as a “humanitarian” fight, and that we are spreading democracy are not viable. If the current Administration was truly interested in this sort of cause, we would have gotten involved in other crises, such as the conflict in Darfur. Additionally, if our mission was to “save Iraqis from Saddam,” then we should have left years ago.
Do you support the Reid/Pelosi plan for troop with drawl?
N/A
Would you support sending more troops to Afghanistan to help stabilize the situation there?
I would support sending more troops to Afghanistan in order to finish what we set out to do on September 12, 2001: find Osama bin Laden, and combat terrorism that poses a direct threat to the United States.
Issue #5: Miscellaneous
If elected, you will be the junior Senator from a conservative leaning state. What experience do you have to usher legislation through a Congressional body that highly values seniority?
My extensive background in business, energy and environmental issues well equip me to expertly handle many of the issues that our country and the Senate face today. I have the determination, energy and fresh perspective to make sure that things get done. Furthermore, my age allows me the opportunity to build seniority in the Senate in the coming years.
Do you support the FISA compromise bill recently endorsed by Senate Dems as well as Barack Obama?
No, I do not support the FISA compromise bill. We have the means and technology to obtain intelligence without unconstitutionally invading the privacy of our citizens. Additionally, telecommunications companies that assisted the Bush Administration in doing so should be held accountable for their actions.
Would you make a water sharing agreement between Florida, Georgia and Alabama a priority of your office?
Yes. I would work with Florida and Alabama to create a fair water sharing agreement that ensures Georgia’s drinking water is responsibly used and well protected. Additionally, as a prerequisite for this agreement, these states must work to promote water conservation.
Will you refuse lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions, as the DNC and Obama have?
No. I will not refuse PAC contributions from Political Action Committees that are in the interest of the people and in line with my own political convictions. For example, I have earned the endorsements of the of the Georgia AFL-CIO and the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE); these are Political Action Committees comprised of American workers whose goals are in line with the best interest of Georgia’s families and children. These are not groups that promote special interests at the expense of hardworking Americans.
Can you promise that absolutely no campaign commercials will be produced showing you with a golden retriever, or on the beach, or a combination of both?
There will be no beaches or Golden Retrievers in any of my campaign commercials. Although, I do have one hefty pug and one hyper pug that would gladly join me atop Stone Mountain or amid Georgia’s rolling meadows.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Dale Cardwell on the Issues
Issue # 1: Health Care
Do you support Barack Obama’s health care proposal?
I was first drawn to Barack Obama’s candidacy because like me, he is not taking money from “PAC’s” and Washington lobbyists. As I studied his positions, I determined very early that he represents the change we must have in a President and as a nation. I support Senator Obama’s health care proposal, and I’m especially excited by his determination to insure children first.
What is the main problem with our health care system today?
We focus on chronic treatment, not preventative care. We have to encourage a public private partnership between citizens and providers aimed encouraging early spending on screenings and health maintenance. It’s simply smarter and less expensive to keep people healthy than to pay for emergency room care, which is very expensive and often too late.
Do you support scaling down Medicaid, and if not, how do we pay for it in the future?
Yes. To be specific, a public private partnership between citizens (another word for government) and insurers can save Medicaid, shift our focus from chronic care, create a baseline of healthcare for every man woman and child, and preserve the incentive for our health care professionals to deliver an excellent product. I’m exploring a health care model that provides a $10,000 dollar annual spending account for every American. This account, financed by the government, would cover check ups, screenings, drugs and health maintenance. It would eliminate the need for employer funded workers compensation coverage and streamline billing to one simple electronic form, sent to the universal health care provider. (Most of us would never come close to drawing the full amount per year.) For those who do, the first dollar over $10,000 would trigger their privately funded or employer funded insurance policy that would cover expenses above the government’s universal care limit. This system would drastically reduce the price of private pay insurance, because their will be an automatic $10,000 deductible. The system’s costs would be paid for by the drastic savings realized from shifting our health care system from a ridiculously expensive taxpayer funded chronic care delivery system to an efficient, less expensive system based on preventative care.
Issue # 2: Environment
Do you support drilling for oil and natural gas off of Georgia’s coast?
No. In addition to “owning” most politicians through “PAC” contributions, oil companies currently own the leases to 68 million acres in and off the U.S, but are not drilling on them. At this point, I see no advantage in giving oil companies more access to more places they have no economic incentive to drill.
Do you believe human generated Global Warming is real, and if so, what is one policy you would implement tomorrow to help curb rising temperatures?
Yes. Remove the 18 billion dollars in annual subsidies given to giant oil companies, and transfer that money to companies that invest in and deliver clean energy alternatives such as wind and solar power.
Has the US EPA done a good job protecting the environment, and if so, please explain how. If the answer is no, please cite specific examples.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been muzzled and largely dismantled by George W. Bush and the corporate controlled GOP. Few Americans know one in four U.S. residents live within four miles of a Superfund site, including 10 million Children. (Source: Center for Public Integrity) Yet clean up efforts have slowed to a virtual crawl. According to C.P.I., the number of sites declared “cleaned” during the Clinton administration averaged 79 per year, while that average dropped to 42 a year under the Bush administration. As an investigative journalist, I’ve uncovered and reported the Government’s lack of progress in cleaning up our nation’s “super fund” sites. One particular travesty involved DeKalb County’s Wade Walker Park, the County’s second most visited recreational park. Our investigation discovered the presence of lead contamination on children’s soccer fields! The contamination, left from an abandoned furniture factory, was supposed to have been cleaned and made safe in the late 1980’s. The E.P.A. could produce no evidence the site had ever been completed, and my WSB investigation revealed the contamination was still present. As a result, the County fenced off the affected areas and completed the clean upp task the E.P.A. had apparently abandoned. The E.P.A. under President Bush, refused comment
Issue # 3: Economy
What is the biggest challenge facing our economy?
Multi-national corporations and moneyed interests control Washington by financing the campaigns of almost all politicians. John Miller, a former aide to Senator Tom Daschle and now a political scientist at the University of Michigan wrote last summer in U.S. News and World Report that “PAC” contributions do not necessarily corrupt members of Congress, but they absolutely do change and drive Washington’s priorities. Our biggest challenge is breaking the stranglehold special interests have on Washington politicians and our tax code. I'll Work to Heal Our Economy. Seven years of Bush economics proves that using tax policy to concentrate wealth among the ultra rich does not result in broad-based prosperity. It has succeeded in creating one of the most unbalanced economies in our nation's history. Today, the average American family is earning one-thousand dollars per year less than seven years ago, while CEO's earn four-hundred times the average worker and corporate profits have set all-time records. Bush's corporate-controlled presidency has created a crisis that today is threatening the very bedrock of the American dream; a broad and dynamic middle class. As your Senator, I will work to restore overtime compensation for every worker who labors beyond forty hours per week. I'll work to keep American jobs in the US, by insisting that free trade be accompanied by fair trade. I'll work for tax reform that strengthens small businesses, and restores the natural equilibrium that should exist between those who own the means of production and Americans who work for those companies. And while we heal our economy, I will work to extend unemployment benefits and other safety net provisions to families and individuals caught in the transition.
If elected, could you do anything to help curb fuel prices?
Unlike Saxby Chambliss and most Washington politicians, I will not take big oil’s special interest PAC money that prevents Washington from creating a real energy policy, and I will encourage my colleagues to do the same. Additionally, we have to quickly implement the recent repeal of the “Enron loophole,” and return Federal regulation to electronic oil futures trading. This, coupled with a highly promoted national conservation effort, will burst the oil price “bubble,” and reduce prices by 30% within months.
What is one policy that could be implemented to help lower Georgia’s unemployment rate?
I support and will aggressively work for subsidies to be taken away from dirty energy suppliers and instead, am awarded to clean energy entrepreneurs who are working to build cellulosic ethanol plants here in Georgia. My friend and supporter, Georgia Tech’s Dr. Sam Shelton, has demonstrated that we can lessen our dependence on oil by 20% by crushing Georgia pine and agricultural waste. This conversion not only protects our environment, but would bring thousands of jobs to some of our state’s most rural communities.
When done right, trade can help everyone, when done wrong trade hurts our American workers. I am committed to significantly reforming NAFTA. As your Senator, I will make sure that free trade only happens under the larger umbrella of fair trade. Our world trading partners must have environmental standards in place that mirror our own. They must also have reasonable wage and safety standards that will not allow multi-national owners to undercut and destroy the jobs of American workers.
Issue # 4: The Iraq-Afghanistan Wars
Did you support the initial invasion of Iraq?
I did not support the initial invasion of Iraq. I believe now and believed then President Bush should have allowed the U.N. to set the deadline for action if Saddam Hussein refused to cooperate with international weapons inspectors. It’s become painfully clear, after repeated disclosures from Bush White House insiders, that Bush and the Neo-cons entered office with intentions of invading Iraq.
Without the discovery of WMD’s, is the Iraq war a justified war?
The invasion of Iraq was not justified, and therefore, Iraq is George Bush’s unjustified war of choice.
Do you support the Reid/Pelosi plan for troop with drawl?
Georgians don’t like to be told we’ve lost a war. The truth is George Bush and the Government of Iraq failed to secure the peace. Our soldiers performed admirably in their sworn duty and accomplished the original mission, to remove Saddam Hussein and confirm the presence or absence of Wad’s. We should honor their service with a new and improved G.I. bill. I support Barack Obama’s plan to end the Iraq war. With the guidance of generals on the ground, we should begin to remove one to two brigades per month and begin now. It will be up to the government and people of Iraq to decide if they want a safe, democratic future or if they want to revert to a decades’ old civil war.
Would you support sending more troops to Afghanistan to help stabilize the situation there?
Most Americans have no idea close to 90% of our troops are in Iraq, preventing a civil war, while only 10% of our forces are fighting the real enemy in Afghanistan. I strongly support the transfer of forces to Afghanistan, where we can strengthen the international effort to defeat the Taliban.
Issue # 5: Miscellaneous
If elected, you will be the junior Senator from a conservative leaning state. What experience do you have to usher legislation through a Congressional body that highly values seniority?
Our beloved nation is at a crossroads. The overbearing influence brought by moneyed special interests on Washington politicians is strangling our representative democracy. I spent 23 years going behind the lines of power and government to bring you the truth. Now more than ever, we must have independent truth tellers representing us in Washington. Barack Obama recognized the need for financial independence from the start of his campaign for President. I recognized the need years ago, and have forgone special interest PAC money from the start. Democrats are also at a crossroads. 71% of all money that funds candidate for Federal offices comes from corporate funded sources. Two-thirds of that money goes to Republicans. Democrats can continue to play a game they will perpetually lose, and hope for minor victories and incremental change, or we can send a Senator to Washington who will have the courage and independence to support Barack Obama’s agenda for change. We can play to win or play to lose. I’m playing to win.
Do you support the FISA compromise bill recently endorsed by Senate Dems as well as Barack Obama?
I support the compromise as a means of closing the book on the mistakes of the past and ensuring the protections of Americans going forward. I strongly believe American citizens here in the U.S., should not be spied on without probable cause and the permission of an impartial judge.
Would you make a water sharing agreement between Florida, Georgia and Alabama a priority of your office?
The Senate has oversight and the responsibility to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers oversees and controls federally controlled waterways in a fair and equitable manner. Here in Georgia, the Corps has failed miserably. Lake Lanier and other federally controlled reservoirs should release water downstream in amounts equal to what nature provides as a natural flow into the reservoir. Mussels are not on par with people.
Will you refuse lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions, as the DNC and Obama have?
Financial independence is the foundation of my campaign. As an investigative reporter, I met thousands of people all over Georgia. Democrats, Republicans and Independents who almost always told me the same thing: They said “Dale, just once, I’d like to have the chance to vote for an honest person, a truth teller, who won’t be controlled by special interests. Someone who’ll work for real people, like me.” I say, “Georgia here’s our chance.” And to prove my fidelity, I will not take a dime of PAC money that pays for commercials and then controls the votes of “bought” politicians. I believe Georgia wants a real change, and I have the courage, track record and integrity to make it happen.”
Can you promise that absolutely no campaign commercials will be produced showing you with a golden retriever, or on the beach, or a combination of both?
I can do even better. You won’t see me shaking hands with actors hired to play Georgians, you won’t see me walking through a field of daisies, and you won’t see me using our great flag as a campaign prop. You’ll only see me, simply telling the truth, and giving Georgians their best chance at honest, independent government.
Do you support Barack Obama’s health care proposal?
I was first drawn to Barack Obama’s candidacy because like me, he is not taking money from “PAC’s” and Washington lobbyists. As I studied his positions, I determined very early that he represents the change we must have in a President and as a nation. I support Senator Obama’s health care proposal, and I’m especially excited by his determination to insure children first.
What is the main problem with our health care system today?
We focus on chronic treatment, not preventative care. We have to encourage a public private partnership between citizens and providers aimed encouraging early spending on screenings and health maintenance. It’s simply smarter and less expensive to keep people healthy than to pay for emergency room care, which is very expensive and often too late.
Do you support scaling down Medicaid, and if not, how do we pay for it in the future?
Yes. To be specific, a public private partnership between citizens (another word for government) and insurers can save Medicaid, shift our focus from chronic care, create a baseline of healthcare for every man woman and child, and preserve the incentive for our health care professionals to deliver an excellent product. I’m exploring a health care model that provides a $10,000 dollar annual spending account for every American. This account, financed by the government, would cover check ups, screenings, drugs and health maintenance. It would eliminate the need for employer funded workers compensation coverage and streamline billing to one simple electronic form, sent to the universal health care provider. (Most of us would never come close to drawing the full amount per year.) For those who do, the first dollar over $10,000 would trigger their privately funded or employer funded insurance policy that would cover expenses above the government’s universal care limit. This system would drastically reduce the price of private pay insurance, because their will be an automatic $10,000 deductible. The system’s costs would be paid for by the drastic savings realized from shifting our health care system from a ridiculously expensive taxpayer funded chronic care delivery system to an efficient, less expensive system based on preventative care.
Issue # 2: Environment
Do you support drilling for oil and natural gas off of Georgia’s coast?
No. In addition to “owning” most politicians through “PAC” contributions, oil companies currently own the leases to 68 million acres in and off the U.S, but are not drilling on them. At this point, I see no advantage in giving oil companies more access to more places they have no economic incentive to drill.
Do you believe human generated Global Warming is real, and if so, what is one policy you would implement tomorrow to help curb rising temperatures?
Yes. Remove the 18 billion dollars in annual subsidies given to giant oil companies, and transfer that money to companies that invest in and deliver clean energy alternatives such as wind and solar power.
Has the US EPA done a good job protecting the environment, and if so, please explain how. If the answer is no, please cite specific examples.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been muzzled and largely dismantled by George W. Bush and the corporate controlled GOP. Few Americans know one in four U.S. residents live within four miles of a Superfund site, including 10 million Children. (Source: Center for Public Integrity) Yet clean up efforts have slowed to a virtual crawl. According to C.P.I., the number of sites declared “cleaned” during the Clinton administration averaged 79 per year, while that average dropped to 42 a year under the Bush administration. As an investigative journalist, I’ve uncovered and reported the Government’s lack of progress in cleaning up our nation’s “super fund” sites. One particular travesty involved DeKalb County’s Wade Walker Park, the County’s second most visited recreational park. Our investigation discovered the presence of lead contamination on children’s soccer fields! The contamination, left from an abandoned furniture factory, was supposed to have been cleaned and made safe in the late 1980’s. The E.P.A. could produce no evidence the site had ever been completed, and my WSB investigation revealed the contamination was still present. As a result, the County fenced off the affected areas and completed the clean upp task the E.P.A. had apparently abandoned. The E.P.A. under President Bush, refused comment
Issue # 3: Economy
What is the biggest challenge facing our economy?
Multi-national corporations and moneyed interests control Washington by financing the campaigns of almost all politicians. John Miller, a former aide to Senator Tom Daschle and now a political scientist at the University of Michigan wrote last summer in U.S. News and World Report that “PAC” contributions do not necessarily corrupt members of Congress, but they absolutely do change and drive Washington’s priorities. Our biggest challenge is breaking the stranglehold special interests have on Washington politicians and our tax code. I'll Work to Heal Our Economy. Seven years of Bush economics proves that using tax policy to concentrate wealth among the ultra rich does not result in broad-based prosperity. It has succeeded in creating one of the most unbalanced economies in our nation's history. Today, the average American family is earning one-thousand dollars per year less than seven years ago, while CEO's earn four-hundred times the average worker and corporate profits have set all-time records. Bush's corporate-controlled presidency has created a crisis that today is threatening the very bedrock of the American dream; a broad and dynamic middle class. As your Senator, I will work to restore overtime compensation for every worker who labors beyond forty hours per week. I'll work to keep American jobs in the US, by insisting that free trade be accompanied by fair trade. I'll work for tax reform that strengthens small businesses, and restores the natural equilibrium that should exist between those who own the means of production and Americans who work for those companies. And while we heal our economy, I will work to extend unemployment benefits and other safety net provisions to families and individuals caught in the transition.
If elected, could you do anything to help curb fuel prices?
Unlike Saxby Chambliss and most Washington politicians, I will not take big oil’s special interest PAC money that prevents Washington from creating a real energy policy, and I will encourage my colleagues to do the same. Additionally, we have to quickly implement the recent repeal of the “Enron loophole,” and return Federal regulation to electronic oil futures trading. This, coupled with a highly promoted national conservation effort, will burst the oil price “bubble,” and reduce prices by 30% within months.
What is one policy that could be implemented to help lower Georgia’s unemployment rate?
I support and will aggressively work for subsidies to be taken away from dirty energy suppliers and instead, am awarded to clean energy entrepreneurs who are working to build cellulosic ethanol plants here in Georgia. My friend and supporter, Georgia Tech’s Dr. Sam Shelton, has demonstrated that we can lessen our dependence on oil by 20% by crushing Georgia pine and agricultural waste. This conversion not only protects our environment, but would bring thousands of jobs to some of our state’s most rural communities.
When done right, trade can help everyone, when done wrong trade hurts our American workers. I am committed to significantly reforming NAFTA. As your Senator, I will make sure that free trade only happens under the larger umbrella of fair trade. Our world trading partners must have environmental standards in place that mirror our own. They must also have reasonable wage and safety standards that will not allow multi-national owners to undercut and destroy the jobs of American workers.
Issue # 4: The Iraq-Afghanistan Wars
Did you support the initial invasion of Iraq?
I did not support the initial invasion of Iraq. I believe now and believed then President Bush should have allowed the U.N. to set the deadline for action if Saddam Hussein refused to cooperate with international weapons inspectors. It’s become painfully clear, after repeated disclosures from Bush White House insiders, that Bush and the Neo-cons entered office with intentions of invading Iraq.
Without the discovery of WMD’s, is the Iraq war a justified war?
The invasion of Iraq was not justified, and therefore, Iraq is George Bush’s unjustified war of choice.
Do you support the Reid/Pelosi plan for troop with drawl?
Georgians don’t like to be told we’ve lost a war. The truth is George Bush and the Government of Iraq failed to secure the peace. Our soldiers performed admirably in their sworn duty and accomplished the original mission, to remove Saddam Hussein and confirm the presence or absence of Wad’s. We should honor their service with a new and improved G.I. bill. I support Barack Obama’s plan to end the Iraq war. With the guidance of generals on the ground, we should begin to remove one to two brigades per month and begin now. It will be up to the government and people of Iraq to decide if they want a safe, democratic future or if they want to revert to a decades’ old civil war.
Would you support sending more troops to Afghanistan to help stabilize the situation there?
Most Americans have no idea close to 90% of our troops are in Iraq, preventing a civil war, while only 10% of our forces are fighting the real enemy in Afghanistan. I strongly support the transfer of forces to Afghanistan, where we can strengthen the international effort to defeat the Taliban.
Issue # 5: Miscellaneous
If elected, you will be the junior Senator from a conservative leaning state. What experience do you have to usher legislation through a Congressional body that highly values seniority?
Our beloved nation is at a crossroads. The overbearing influence brought by moneyed special interests on Washington politicians is strangling our representative democracy. I spent 23 years going behind the lines of power and government to bring you the truth. Now more than ever, we must have independent truth tellers representing us in Washington. Barack Obama recognized the need for financial independence from the start of his campaign for President. I recognized the need years ago, and have forgone special interest PAC money from the start. Democrats are also at a crossroads. 71% of all money that funds candidate for Federal offices comes from corporate funded sources. Two-thirds of that money goes to Republicans. Democrats can continue to play a game they will perpetually lose, and hope for minor victories and incremental change, or we can send a Senator to Washington who will have the courage and independence to support Barack Obama’s agenda for change. We can play to win or play to lose. I’m playing to win.
Do you support the FISA compromise bill recently endorsed by Senate Dems as well as Barack Obama?
I support the compromise as a means of closing the book on the mistakes of the past and ensuring the protections of Americans going forward. I strongly believe American citizens here in the U.S., should not be spied on without probable cause and the permission of an impartial judge.
Would you make a water sharing agreement between Florida, Georgia and Alabama a priority of your office?
The Senate has oversight and the responsibility to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers oversees and controls federally controlled waterways in a fair and equitable manner. Here in Georgia, the Corps has failed miserably. Lake Lanier and other federally controlled reservoirs should release water downstream in amounts equal to what nature provides as a natural flow into the reservoir. Mussels are not on par with people.
Will you refuse lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions, as the DNC and Obama have?
Financial independence is the foundation of my campaign. As an investigative reporter, I met thousands of people all over Georgia. Democrats, Republicans and Independents who almost always told me the same thing: They said “Dale, just once, I’d like to have the chance to vote for an honest person, a truth teller, who won’t be controlled by special interests. Someone who’ll work for real people, like me.” I say, “Georgia here’s our chance.” And to prove my fidelity, I will not take a dime of PAC money that pays for commercials and then controls the votes of “bought” politicians. I believe Georgia wants a real change, and I have the courage, track record and integrity to make it happen.”
Can you promise that absolutely no campaign commercials will be produced showing you with a golden retriever, or on the beach, or a combination of both?
I can do even better. You won’t see me shaking hands with actors hired to play Georgians, you won’t see me walking through a field of daisies, and you won’t see me using our great flag as a campaign prop. You’ll only see me, simply telling the truth, and giving Georgians their best chance at honest, independent government.
Jim Martin on the Issues
JIM MARTIN ON THE ISSUES
Issue #1: Health Care
Do you support Barack Obama’s health care proposal?
I share Barack Obama’s goal of universal health insurance and believe it must be a priority for the new Congress. How we go about achieving that goal will be the result of compromise and negotiation. I think the first step, which we all should be able to agree on, is health insurance for all children.
What is the main problem with our health care system today?
I share Barack Obama’s goal of universal health insurance and believe it must be a priority for the new Congress. How we go about achieving that goal will be the result of compromise and negotiation. I think the first step, which we all should be able to agree on, is health insurance for all children.
Do you support scaling down Medicaid, and if not, how do we pay for it in the future?
There are ways to keep Medicaid costs under control including streamlining information processes and cutting red tape. But the best thing we can do to reduce the costs is to reduce the number of enrollees by getting our economy back on track and providing new jobs and opportunities for lower-income Americans.
Issue #2: Environment
Do you support drilling for oil and natural gas off of Georgia’s coast?
I believe Georgia’s coast is a precious resource and I would not support drilling that would put those unique coastal marshes at risk.
Do you believe human generated Global Warming is real, and if so, what is one policy you would implement tomorrow to help curb rising temperatures?
Climate change is a real threat to both our environment and the world’s stability and the United States must take a leadership role in addressing this global challenge. One of our first steps should be a significant reduction in our own carbon emissions while also placing a greater emphasis on sustainability when making decisions concerning economic and industrial development.
Has the US EPA done a good job protecting the environment, and if so, please explain how. If the answer is no, please cite specific examples.
While the EPA is an important agency that does much good work, more can be done to protect the environment. For example, the EPA has recently changed its policy with respect to air quality standards review. As part of this new policy, the agency will rely less on scientists and more on policy makers who have minimal scientific knowledge when formulating policy. Given the fact that the air quality in hundreds of U.S. counties has been determined to be too dirty to breathe, it is critical that the EPA consult with those most qualified to preserve and improve our air quality.
Issue #3: Economy
What is the biggest challenge facing our economy?
From record-breaking oil prices to staggering increases in the cost of ordinary goods, middle class Americans are having an increasingly difficult time making ends meet. Our salaries have remained stagnant while the cost of living has skyrocketed. Washington has to focus on the needs of working Americans again.
If elected, could you do anything to help curb fuel prices?
The price of gas in the United States has become a crisis for many Georgia families. One of the first things we need to look at is cracking down on speculation in the oil futures market. Recent Congressional testimony indicates that speculation may be responsible for a dollar or more of the price of a gallon of gas. Other steps we can take to reduce the burden of gas prices include promoting conservation and requiring that oil companies reinvest their record profits into increased production mechanisms and alternative fuel sources.
What is one policy that could be implemented to help lower Georgia’s unemployment rate?
I believe it is time to put economic policies in place that encourage innovation, particularly when it comes to finding and developing new sources of energy and conservation. This has enormous potential to create new “green collar” jobs and the federal government can play a vital role in facilitating technical development and research. Such encouragement can create jobs for people of all skill levels and would serve to reduce Georgia’s unemployment rate.
Would you support a repeal or renegotiation of NAFTA?
Our foreign trade policy should not be geared solely towards benefiting large corporations. Rather, when negotiating trade agreements, the considerations should center on how it will affect American workers. I believe NAFTA was flawed but that our future trade with NAFTA countries can serve to benefit Georgians.
Issue #4: The Iraq-Afghanistan Wars
Did you support the initial invasion of Iraq?
Without the discovery of WMD’s, is the Iraq war a justified war?
Do you support the Reid/Pelosi plan for troop with drawl?
Would you support sending more troops to Afghanistan to help stabilize the situation there?
With Iraq being one of the most important issues we’re facing – with a profound impact on our security, our economy, and the service and sacrifice we ask of the men and women who serve every day – it is counter-productive to second guess the past. We need to focus as a nation on where we go from here.
I believe the President and Congress should make a policy decision that it is time to leave Iraq. My position is that the military commanders on the ground should establish the manner and timing of the withdrawal in such a way so that the safety of our troops is ensured.
The threat of global terrorism is real and our troops should be deployed in a way that best addresses threat. Current intelligence indicates that Al-Qaeda has a strong presence both in Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan. These regions should be the principle focus of the war on terror.
Issue #5: Miscellaneous
If elected, you will be the junior Senator from a conservative leaning state. What experience do you have to usher legislation through a Congressional body that highly values seniority?
I have 18 years of experience as a legislator serving the people of Georgia in its House of Representatives. Over the course of my service, I developed a strong reputation for working with members on both sides of the aisle to accomplish significant legislative goals. This skill enabled me to pass many important pieces of legislation from healthcare coverage for children, to protecting workers and families from the threat of lost jobs and foreclosure. My experiences in Georgia will enable me to hit the ground running in Washington, reach out to my colleagues, and effectively legislate starting on day one.
Do you support the FISA compromise bill recently endorsed by Senate Dems as well as Barack Obama?
Civil liberties are a bedrock of our democracy and the FISA compromise, while providing stronger judicial oversight and privacy protections, goes too far in its immunity provisions for telecoms that may have broken the law. We can have a strong FISA law that gives us the tools we need to protect ourselves against terrorism, but the compromise sends a signal to that it’s okay to break the law and that the privacy of everyday Americans is not important
Would you make a water sharing agreement between Florida, Georgia and Alabama a priority of your office?
Water is a precious resource to be shared by all states. It is critical that as one community develops, it is mindful of how that development impacts neighboring communities. This is particularly true where water supply and quality is concerned. I support efforts by Congress to provide dedicated funding so that states can prepare comprehensive water plans that will not have adverse impacts on neighboring states.
Will you refuse lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions, as the DNC and Obama have?
I am proud to have thousands of individual supporters from all walks of life and from all parts of Georgia, and that will always be the base – financially and otherwise – of my campaign. But I owe it to them and the change we want to see, to play by the same rules as Saxby Chambliss in order to run a strong campaign.
Can you promise that absolutely no campaign commercials will be produced showing you with a golden retriever, or on the beach, or a combination of both?
No, I like golden retrievers and beaches.
Issue #1: Health Care
Do you support Barack Obama’s health care proposal?
I share Barack Obama’s goal of universal health insurance and believe it must be a priority for the new Congress. How we go about achieving that goal will be the result of compromise and negotiation. I think the first step, which we all should be able to agree on, is health insurance for all children.
What is the main problem with our health care system today?
I share Barack Obama’s goal of universal health insurance and believe it must be a priority for the new Congress. How we go about achieving that goal will be the result of compromise and negotiation. I think the first step, which we all should be able to agree on, is health insurance for all children.
Do you support scaling down Medicaid, and if not, how do we pay for it in the future?
There are ways to keep Medicaid costs under control including streamlining information processes and cutting red tape. But the best thing we can do to reduce the costs is to reduce the number of enrollees by getting our economy back on track and providing new jobs and opportunities for lower-income Americans.
Issue #2: Environment
Do you support drilling for oil and natural gas off of Georgia’s coast?
I believe Georgia’s coast is a precious resource and I would not support drilling that would put those unique coastal marshes at risk.
Do you believe human generated Global Warming is real, and if so, what is one policy you would implement tomorrow to help curb rising temperatures?
Climate change is a real threat to both our environment and the world’s stability and the United States must take a leadership role in addressing this global challenge. One of our first steps should be a significant reduction in our own carbon emissions while also placing a greater emphasis on sustainability when making decisions concerning economic and industrial development.
Has the US EPA done a good job protecting the environment, and if so, please explain how. If the answer is no, please cite specific examples.
While the EPA is an important agency that does much good work, more can be done to protect the environment. For example, the EPA has recently changed its policy with respect to air quality standards review. As part of this new policy, the agency will rely less on scientists and more on policy makers who have minimal scientific knowledge when formulating policy. Given the fact that the air quality in hundreds of U.S. counties has been determined to be too dirty to breathe, it is critical that the EPA consult with those most qualified to preserve and improve our air quality.
Issue #3: Economy
What is the biggest challenge facing our economy?
From record-breaking oil prices to staggering increases in the cost of ordinary goods, middle class Americans are having an increasingly difficult time making ends meet. Our salaries have remained stagnant while the cost of living has skyrocketed. Washington has to focus on the needs of working Americans again.
If elected, could you do anything to help curb fuel prices?
The price of gas in the United States has become a crisis for many Georgia families. One of the first things we need to look at is cracking down on speculation in the oil futures market. Recent Congressional testimony indicates that speculation may be responsible for a dollar or more of the price of a gallon of gas. Other steps we can take to reduce the burden of gas prices include promoting conservation and requiring that oil companies reinvest their record profits into increased production mechanisms and alternative fuel sources.
What is one policy that could be implemented to help lower Georgia’s unemployment rate?
I believe it is time to put economic policies in place that encourage innovation, particularly when it comes to finding and developing new sources of energy and conservation. This has enormous potential to create new “green collar” jobs and the federal government can play a vital role in facilitating technical development and research. Such encouragement can create jobs for people of all skill levels and would serve to reduce Georgia’s unemployment rate.
Would you support a repeal or renegotiation of NAFTA?
Our foreign trade policy should not be geared solely towards benefiting large corporations. Rather, when negotiating trade agreements, the considerations should center on how it will affect American workers. I believe NAFTA was flawed but that our future trade with NAFTA countries can serve to benefit Georgians.
Issue #4: The Iraq-Afghanistan Wars
Did you support the initial invasion of Iraq?
Without the discovery of WMD’s, is the Iraq war a justified war?
Do you support the Reid/Pelosi plan for troop with drawl?
Would you support sending more troops to Afghanistan to help stabilize the situation there?
With Iraq being one of the most important issues we’re facing – with a profound impact on our security, our economy, and the service and sacrifice we ask of the men and women who serve every day – it is counter-productive to second guess the past. We need to focus as a nation on where we go from here.
I believe the President and Congress should make a policy decision that it is time to leave Iraq. My position is that the military commanders on the ground should establish the manner and timing of the withdrawal in such a way so that the safety of our troops is ensured.
The threat of global terrorism is real and our troops should be deployed in a way that best addresses threat. Current intelligence indicates that Al-Qaeda has a strong presence both in Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan. These regions should be the principle focus of the war on terror.
Issue #5: Miscellaneous
If elected, you will be the junior Senator from a conservative leaning state. What experience do you have to usher legislation through a Congressional body that highly values seniority?
I have 18 years of experience as a legislator serving the people of Georgia in its House of Representatives. Over the course of my service, I developed a strong reputation for working with members on both sides of the aisle to accomplish significant legislative goals. This skill enabled me to pass many important pieces of legislation from healthcare coverage for children, to protecting workers and families from the threat of lost jobs and foreclosure. My experiences in Georgia will enable me to hit the ground running in Washington, reach out to my colleagues, and effectively legislate starting on day one.
Do you support the FISA compromise bill recently endorsed by Senate Dems as well as Barack Obama?
Civil liberties are a bedrock of our democracy and the FISA compromise, while providing stronger judicial oversight and privacy protections, goes too far in its immunity provisions for telecoms that may have broken the law. We can have a strong FISA law that gives us the tools we need to protect ourselves against terrorism, but the compromise sends a signal to that it’s okay to break the law and that the privacy of everyday Americans is not important
Would you make a water sharing agreement between Florida, Georgia and Alabama a priority of your office?
Water is a precious resource to be shared by all states. It is critical that as one community develops, it is mindful of how that development impacts neighboring communities. This is particularly true where water supply and quality is concerned. I support efforts by Congress to provide dedicated funding so that states can prepare comprehensive water plans that will not have adverse impacts on neighboring states.
Will you refuse lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions, as the DNC and Obama have?
I am proud to have thousands of individual supporters from all walks of life and from all parts of Georgia, and that will always be the base – financially and otherwise – of my campaign. But I owe it to them and the change we want to see, to play by the same rules as Saxby Chambliss in order to run a strong campaign.
Can you promise that absolutely no campaign commercials will be produced showing you with a golden retriever, or on the beach, or a combination of both?
No, I like golden retrievers and beaches.
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