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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Economy,
Federal Budget,
Energy,
Health Care,
Campaign Financing
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. In this time of high unemployment, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy?
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Answer from William P. "Bill" Cushing:
The national economy is in trouble for the simple reason that government 1. demands too much money, 2. cannot operate well or efficiently with what money it appropriates from citizens, and 3. restricts future economic growth by restricting individual free choice as well as the aforementioned taxes. The previous statement could also replace the word "money" with "power." The government does not have a problem with revenues; it has a problem with spending discipline and reality. The best way to address the problem is by lessening the federal stranglehold on currency and citizen action. One of the best ways to begin solving the problem is by calling for a complete audit of the federal government in order to locate departments, positions, or any other entity that is either redundant, outdated, or useless. From there, we could begin returning the power and means back to individuals and smaller groups, in other words those who make better decisions, can adjust to changes, and do not follow a course of action that is obviously counterproductive.
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2. How should federal budget priorities be changed, now and into the future? How will you balance the costs of military action overseas and national security with the costs of domestic needs?
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Answer from William P. "Bill" Cushing:
Most domestic needs are better addressed through groups such as charities and organizations with an interest in solving a problem. These organizations work much more efficiently than the federal government. While the military is a real and constitutionally mandated role of government, its role should be limited to defending the nation, not interfering with others.
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3. What, if anything, should be done by the federal government to address our dependence on fossil fuels or spur the use of clean energy?
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Answer from William P. "Bill" Cushing:
The best way to "spur" anything is to allow the free market to operate freely. "Clean energy" can no more be legislated into existence than can good manners. Besides, clean energy is rarely actually "clean;" it only masks whatever pollution is associated with it. A great example are electric cars, which are charged by using electricity produced by power plants. As to the use of fossil fuels, it is time to admit that we do depend on them and need access to them wherever it is safe and economical. This can be achieved without too heavy a hand. Finally, we need to begin using nuclear energy as a power source.
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4. What, if any, changes should be made to current federal policies or programs that promote or provide health coverage for Americans?
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Answer from William P. "Bill" Cushing:
Yet again, it is better to remove government from trying to control medical and/or insurance providers; that is one of the greatest contributors to rising costs.
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5. What, if any, changes should be made to federal rules on campaign financing or disclosure of political expenditures?
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Answer from William P. "Bill" Cushing:
I have a very simple method for "cleaning up" political campaigns of any sort, whether for a person, an entity, or a legislative action: allow the campaign to collect whatever money it wishes from wherever it can but require that the books be completely public (both online or through requested copies, which could be purchased) with biweekly updates of the information required. Surely in the age or computers and spreadsheets, this is done easily enough, and the information could be displayed in various formats (name, amount, date).
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. No candidate may refer to another candidate in the response.
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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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
