League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
State of California November 2, 2010 Election
	Duane Roberts Answers Questions Candidate for United States Senator

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. In this time of high unemployment, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy?

I favor a green jobs program that puts millions of unemployed back to work at union wages rehabilitating or building affordable housing, schools, libraries, community centers, hospitals, parks, and other socially useful projects.

I also support creating a publicly-owned high-speed passenger rail system in the United States that would connect Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Seattle, and other major cities. This would put many people to work.

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?

I support immediately withdrawing all U.S. military troops, private mercenaries, and independent contractors from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and using the estimated $200 billion in taxpayer money currently being wasted each year on these bloody colonial wars to guarantee that every academically-qualified student living within the United States--regardless of immigration status--will be able to obtain a tuition-free education at a public college, university, or technical trade school of their choosing.

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?

I support the idea of substantially boosting the amount of money that the federal government spends each year on mass transit because one of the quickest ways to reduce America's dependency on fossil fuels and curb global warming is to get people out of their gas-guzzling automobiles and onto public buses, light rail, commuter trains, and high-speed passenger trains.

4. What, if any, changes should be made to current federal policies or programs that promote or provide health coverage for Americans?

I support establishing a single-payer "Medicare-for-all" type health care system within the United States. Driving private health insurance companies out of business will save consumers, taxpayers, and small businesses an estimated $400 billion a year--money that can be used to guarantee everybody has access to the low cost, high quality health care they need.

5. What, if any, changes should be made to federal rules on campaign financing or disclosure of political expenditures?

I favor any changes in federal rules that make millions of people more aware of who is financing the political campaigns of candidates running for public office.

But I also support the idea that candidates running in state and federal elections be eligible for publicly financing of their campaigns providing they meet minimal requirements.

In addition to this, all ballot-qualified candidates regardless of what political party they belong should be given free airtime on radio and television.

And we need to institute important electoral reforms like proportional representation and instant-run off voting to make elections more fair and democratic.

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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.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 25, 2010 21:16
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