League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Sacramento County, CA June 5, 2012 Election
	Curt Michael Taras Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 7

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund 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 will first tackle the 12% unemployment rate we have in Sacramento County. Our region has the location, the climate, and the workforce to employ forty thousand more people in tourism, food products, and shipping. I will support a plan for Disney to build a year-round theme park at Cal-Expo so visitors have a reason to stay in Sacramento and visit the Capitol and Gold Country region. I will promote our food products as international premium exports. I will reconfigure Mather airfield into a west coast shipping hub similar to Federal Express operations in Memphis. Finally I will add more medical and high-tech educational opportunities in the area. By building infrastructure, attracting businesses and educating our workforce, we can diversify and grow our economy.

2. How should the federal budget deficit be addressed, now and into the future? How should budget priorities for defense and domestic programs be adjusted?

I have reviewed the federal budget and have identified many areas where spending can be reduced. The Wall Street bank bailout was a regrettable $1 trillion dollar expenditure passed by the last Congress. As Congressman I would fight to recover that money to reduce the deficit. I will also streamline our government agencies to be more efficient. The federal government has redundant programs overlapping state and local responsibilities. This duplication of work is consuming billions in tax dollars.

As an Air Force Captain during the 1990's, I have firsthand experience reducing defense spending. First, I will prevent wars from dragging on for ten years, draining our treasury and morale. Second, I will stop the war profiteering occurring under the guise of homeland security. If we are paying for it, we should know about it. I spent four years in Washington, DC discouraged by the hundreds of new office buildings being built with our tax dollars to fund homeland security contractors. I helped recover the Pentagon in the days after 9/11. As a 9/11 responder it saddens me how war profiteers and the Congress have used that attack as justification for a long list of unnecessary programs.

3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy? Should there be an emphasis on clean energy and reducing carbon emissions, and/or on reducing our dependence on foreign sources?

Fuel prices are a function of supply and demand. Congress needs to invest in a renewable energy power grid to increase energy supply and pass higher fuel efficiency standards to reduce demand. My next commute car purchase will be an electric car. If Congress is smart, they will do the same with the federal fleet.

4. What, if any, changes should be made to federal health care policies or programs?

The 2010 national health care law should be amended to lower the cost of health care by increasing the number of doctors, nurses, and clinics. The economic rule of supply and demand means that we could reduce the cost of health care by increasing the supply of health care providers. As your Congressman, I will increase the number of medical and nursing schools. To do this I will propose a "Medical School Construction Act" similar to Abraham Lincoln's "Land Grant University Act" which chartered the University of California to provide an affordable education. The mission of these schools will be to educate doctors, nurses, and medical technicians to care for our citizens. Currently, our colleges have wait lists and lotteries because they cannot enroll all of the qualified applicants. The lack of open and affordable medical schools has reduced the number of doctors and nurses and caused the cost of health care to skyrocket.

As written the health care law did not address the supply-demand cost issue. Instead it focused mainly on insurance premium equations and increased payments to physicians. My plan would educate a new generation of health care professionals to serve our communities and not burden them with tuition debt. The Uniformed Services University of Health in Bethesda Maryland grants medical degrees to students in exchange for serving in our Armed Forces. I will create a similar program that will provide a medical degree to students in exchange for four year of service at a Veterans Hospital or County clinic.

5. What, if any, changes should be made to federal rules on campaign financing?

I am running my primary campaign with less than $5,000. A candidate with leadership and vision is more valuable than a candidate with money. I don't have thousands of dollars in campaign financing but I talked to thousands of voters when I collected signatures to get on the ballot. Elections are won with votes. I believe Curt Taras is a value for the voter.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

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

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 5, 2012 17:44
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.