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LWV League of Women Voters of Ohio

Smart Voter
Hamilton, Butler County, OH November 7, 2006 Election
Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
US Representative; District 1


The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Domestic Programs, Qualification, Priorities

Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.


1. What measures would you support to restore domestic programs, particularly those programs affecting low-income persons and children? (150 word limit)

Answer from Steve Chabot:

Our nation continues to face budget deficits and I believe that we must do everything we can to continue to fight wasteful spending. However, I have supported legislation that expands college access for low and middle-income students by increasing Pell Grant funding. Additionally, I support legislation that increases student loan limits and reduces student loan fees to make college more affordable. I have also supported additional funding for veterans health care and other important veterans programs. I also believe that all Americans should have access to high-quality health care. That is why I have introduced legislation that would give every American the ability to deduct 100 percent of the cost of their health insurance. Finally, I support lowering the tax burden on all American families +including making permanent the $1000 child tax credit and eliminating the marriage penalty.

Answer from John Cranley:

A job is the best remedy for poverty. Investing in new energy sources to break our addiction to foreign oil will create many good paying jobs.

We should raise the minimum wage and expand the earned income tax credit to make work pay.

Social Security and Medicare need to be protected since they are the primary reasons that seniors stay above the poverty line.

We should make special investments in children's healthcare and Head Start.

To honor these commitments and balance the budget, we need to adopt pay as you go rules for federal budgeting, just like any family would. To cut excessive spending, we should adopt anti-pork legislation, save billions by negotiating for wholesale prescription drug prices, end corporate welfare for oil companies, and have the courage to say no to wasteful spending.


2. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit)

Answer from John Cranley:

Served as a member of Cincinnati City Council from December 2000 to present. Chaired Finance Committee from 2001 to present; balanced the budget in bi-partisan fashion each year. Lawyer; founded Ohio Innocence Project at U.C. Law School, which uses DNA to exonerate innocent and identify criminals.

Answer from Steve Chabot:

As a husband, parent and former teacher, I have worked hard to represent our community in a positive way in Congress and push legislation that will improve people's lives. I support efforts to reduce taxes, make health care more affordable, and improve and protect social security and Medicare.


3. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit)

Answer from Steve Chabot:

We must continue to improve national and homeland security. This includes strengthening national defense, securing our borders, improving intelligence capabilities. We must continue to target radical Islamic terrorists who want to harm Americans.

We must also work to extend tax relief that has allowed families to keep more of the money they earn. Many of these tax relief provisions will expire if not renewed by Congress, including marriage tax penalty relief, $1000 child tax credit and death tax relief.

I also support legislation to prevent the government from taking money from the Social Security Trust to finance other government programs.

Answer from John Cranley:

We need to expand our special-forces and intelligence gathering capabilities to pursue terrorist cells globally. We need to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations and begin redeploying our troops out of Iraq.

Our national mission should be to break our addiction to foreign oil by investing in alternative energy sources. This "man on the moon" mission will create middle class jobs for years to come.

To build middle class, we should raise minimum wage, provide tax breaks for college tuition, and expand access to affordable healthcare for all working Americans. We must also balance the federal budget.


Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. 150 Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.


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Created: January 4, 2007 09:48 PST
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