Pro Ending Bush Tax Cuts
Pro Medicare & Medicaid
Pro Social Security
Pro Ending Iraq War
Pro Health Care Reform
Pro Choice for Women
Pro LGBT Civil Rights
Pro Wind & Solar
Pro EPA
Pro Dream Act
Anti Defense of Marriage Act
Anti Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Anti Oil Subsidies
Anti Ryan Plan
Anti SOPA
Anti PIPA
Anti ACTA
Agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry. Because agriculture is such a critical part of Virginia’s economy, it is necessary that government take commonsense steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of the agricultural industry. Sustainability can be supported by a combination of regulation and incentives.
I support the maintenance of a strong relationship and alliance between the United States and the State of Israel. Israel is an important ally in the Middle East. The United States and Israel share a commitment to democratic government and the search for a long-term peace in the Middle East.
The Federal government should increase block grants and other spending in order to increase support for public education and to improve that education. Pell Grants and such fellowships as the National Defense Foreign Language fellowship that I received to attend Graduate school should be funded in language arts and science and engineering which are needed for the economy and defense of the country. The President’s initiative to reduce the interest that students pay for loans and lengthening the time for students to pay back their loans are very positive developments. The Federal government should increase and not decrease aid to education in general.
As the recession has deepened and economic growth has remained minimal, it’s obvious that the policies of laissez faire economics and cutting governmental spending will not create jobs or stimulate the economy. It’s time to tighten regulations in the economic areas that brought about the recession of 2008.
In addition, the Department of Justice should aggressively pursue any Wall Street official who committed criminal fraud damaging the people and the economy of the US through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
All people in our country should be treated equally. I believe that the Constitution protects the rights of all Americans. This includes equal rights for homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered citizens. I favor the repeal of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act and I would advocate marriage equality as well.
It is unrealistic and infeasible for the US to expect to uproot 12 million or more undocumented people living in the US, mostly from Latin America. America is a nation of immigrants, and we have become great because of our immigrant heritage. Immigration is a core function of the Congress and Congress has largely abdicated that responsibility to the states as shown by the laws passed in Alabama, Arizona, and Georgia. In fact, immigrants have always contributed to our country’s rich culture and economy.
Our defense spending is equal to the combined defense spending of the rest of the world. There is no necessity for this level of spending. The large combat divisions need to be reduced to smaller, more mobile anti-terrorist forces which can be projected into areas essential to national security by air and naval forces.
The political process has become corrupted and controlled by corporate infusion of large amount of money through lobbyists and Political Action Committees, Super PACs and other interest groups with unidentifiable sources. The results of this is that wealthy interests, and not representatives of the people, run the government. As a citizen politician, service to the people should be paramount, and there should be very clear laws to prevent undue influence by corporations and the wealthiest Americans. This would include: a total bar to insider trading by congressmen and women who are overseeing issues relation to investments; a total bar of any former congressman from advising or performing lobbying services for any corporation or entity regulated by Federal law.
I am in favor of protecting Social Security and Medicare for eligible recipients while reforming the manner of funding; I favor removing the cap to insure that reasonably priced medical care is available for all those eligible. I also believe that there should be negotiation allowed to reduce the costs of medication for medicare recipients.
We should accelerate our transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, specifically to solar and wind energy. Renewable energy offers a safer alternative to nuclear energy.
There are certain inherent dangers to nuclear energy that became more apparent after the August 23rd, 2011 earthquake centered at Mineral, Virginia in Louisa County. That earthquake led to the automatic shutdown of the nuclear reactors at North Anna. There is evidence that the reactors were neither designed nor constructed to withstand an earthquake of that magnitude.
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