League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Sacramento, Solano Counties, CA March 2, 2004 Election
	Mary Ose Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 3; Republican Party

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. What can be done to ensure that California gets its fair share of federal resources?

For every one dollar in taxes sent to Washington D.C., Californians get only 77 cents in return. In glaring contrast, there are only five states that get less, while forty-four states get more than they send.

I'll join Governor Schwarzenegger in demanding California's fair share of funding for local services the federal government makes us provide. This will help our city and county governments balance their budgets without new taxes or deep cuts in local services.

Other states get more transportation funding, while California gets more traffic. Other states get more money for services, while California is left paying the bill for illegal immigration and other problems. As a Member of Congress, I will make sure that California gets fully reimbursed.

2. What are your foreign policy priorities for the United States?

Protecting our homeland will be my first responsibility. The investment we have made and continue to make to fight the war on terror overseas is cheap compared to what it would cost to fight it on our homeland. If we had to fight it here, our economy would again be devastated and we would not be able to absorb the cost.

My daughter was in New York City on September 11th and I didn't know where she was. It wasn't until that night that I knew she was safe or that she had been only a few blocks from the World Trade Center. Many of us lost someone that day, or know someone who did. I will do what it takes to prevent terrorist activity from coming to this country in the future.

3. What are your priorities for the federal budget?

I believe President Bush's economic plan is working. Since August, 366,000 new jobs have been created and the unemployment rate is well below the average of the 70s, 80s and 90s. I fully support the President's tax cuts and will work to make them permanent.

I feel strongly that government must reign in its spending. The recent reassessment of the cost of the energy bill, $8 billion more than the original estimate, is troubling. It underscores the need to send people with real-world business and investment expertise to Washington. This is our money, and we must insist that our leaders take a knowledgeable and sensible approach to spending it, and that approach is best provided by someone with diverse business experience and dedication to controlling the bottom line.