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Issues
IraqI am in favor of removing our combat forces from Iraq as soon as possible in a responsible manner. With 26 years of service in the Illinois Army National Guard and still serving (deployed to Afghanistan in 2004), my view from the very start was that the President and Congress recklessly launched the Iraq war. In so doing, they took our focus away from Afghanistan where it should have remained. We needed to capture Osama Bin-Laden and bring him to justice. The
invasion and occupation of
Having gone into Iraq, we had a duty to give it our best
effort. Unfortunately, this president and his National
Security Team executed the war ineptly. Now time has run
out. We have exhausted our capacity to achieve objectives in
a deeply factionalized nation. Prolonging the occupation
squanders our military, wastes our national treasure,
motivates deep rooted and long lasting resentments in the
Muslim world, and limits other paths to stability there. We
need to use the billions we now spend each year in
No choice is
easy. By removing our combat troops, we will more likely
prompt longer term Iraqi and regional commitment and
resolution. I strongly support universal national health insurance and care. If elected to Congress, I will support the goal of universal health care, and remain open minded to the means. Most Western European countries have achieved this form of social security. We must do so also. The federal government is already heavily involved in financing the health care of the American public. Federal funds pay for all or portions of Medicaid and Medicare. Federal tax benefits (deductions) to employers and individuals help pay for health insurance and care. Until we adopt a universal plan, persons who cannot qualify for or afford private health insurance should have the option to buy into the Medicare program and at an earlier age than 65 (when full Medicare benefits begin under current law). It is important to share risk through the largest pools possible. As a small business professional, I know how difficult in can be to obtain affordable health insurance for employees. The current system must change. Energy & Environment One of our nation's top goals must be to achieve energy independence and confront the problem of global climate change. I will aggressively support the development of clean energy technologies and energy efficiency programs that will bring new jobs to Illinois. I will work to reduce our reliance on foreign oil by supporting mandatory improvements in vehicle mileage standards that will also help drivers spend less on gas. The federal government should renew its commitment to mass transit, including support for Amtrak and improving public transportation systems such as MetroLink. Lobbyists for special interest polluters use campaign contributions to wield heavy influence in Washington. I will be a voice in Congress for clean air and water, and protecting our natural resources including the Shawnee National Forest. Tax Policy Our current tax system unfairly burdens the middle class. A single individual faces a 25% income tax rate on wages after the first $31,850 of taxable income (2007 rates). Adding Social Security and Medicare taxes, his marginal tax rate becomes 32.65%. If self-employed and with a double share of Social Security and Medicare, his marginal tax rate becomes 40.3%. Meanwhile the general income tax rate for gains and dividends is a flat 15%. It is wrong to tax gains and dividends at such lower rates than wages. It facilitates unhealthy concentrations of wealth and income. We now have the highest such concentrations in our country since the early 1930s. I favor asking our wealthiest citizens to pay their fair share of the tax burden. Sound fiscal, social, and tax policy require it. The President and recent Congresses have been grossly negligent in passing the costs of deficit spending on to future generations. I have practiced as an attorney in the tax field for most of 28 years. I will welcome working on tax policy as a member of Congress. Trade & Outsourcing Free Trade Agreements (FTA) generally lose U.S. jobs to overseas due to lower wage bases in the foreign economies. Displaced U.S. workers move to lower paying jobs with few or no benefits. In return, the US gets lower priced products from overseas. The 19th Congressional District consists of all or parts of 30 counties in central and southern Illinois. Generally, this district has higher unemployment rates with an ever shrinking base of production jobs. This is the type of district most adversely affected by free trade agreements, especially those with developing nations. FTAs are approved under “fast track” authority that does not give Congress the authority to amend the agreement with necessary protections for workers and the environment. At this time I oppose the pending U.S. trade agreements with Columbia, South Korea and Panama. We need an international trade system that benefits working people in all nations involved. |
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