League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
San Francisco County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Frank Lara Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 12

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 and budget deficits, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy and sustain job creation?

I think that we need to work around improving, instead of cutting, the public services for the poorest sectors of the population. It is an implicit responsibility of the government to care and support the most vulnerable sectors of the population. A better distribution of the wealth is urgent. A government that centers its politics on the people not in the corporations or in the small sector that accumulates the wealth that we all contribute to produce is necessary in order to be able to overcome the crisis that the country is going through. We also need to stop the massive waste of money in war ventures and militarization of our local communities. We need to redirect all that money to the promotion of new jobs, credit lines to medium and small enterprises, vocational programs and the improvement of local social services, medical care, education etc. If we have a healthy, well fed and educated population we will be able to improve the future not only of our country but of the world.

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

I think that the single payer system works better that this so called "Health Care Reform" that has become the total privatization of our health care system. Our society has been taught that the services provided by the governments are not good enough, that the privatization of services guarantees better services due to the competition it creates among different corporations providing the specific service. Fact is that what it has increased are the fees that health care corporations charge for their services and making those services less accessible to the population by way of putting more economical pressure in the already dire financial situation of the majority of our families.

3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy?

Well I think that the theme of energy is a very tricky one, the government sees the issue of energy as a single issue; we see it as part of all the things that are not going well with this country. We need to learn how to save energy, how to produce energy in a more environmentally conscious way, and how not to try to take over the energy sources of other countries by trying to occupy them. We need to develop a system in which every issue is seen globally, not singled out. Stricter control over environmentally un-friendly energy sources are necessary as well as more investment on research to find better and ecologically beneficial new sources.

4. What, if any, changes should be made with respect to our nation’s security, including our national defense or anti-terrorism measures?

We are totally against any type of military intervention of any kind, I believe it's a waste of resources, money, lives and is in detriment of our planet. We have to stop all the selfish policies that this government is implementing, the view of the government has to change, it priorities should be the 99%. We also need to change our foreign policies. If the rest of the world perceives us as a friendly, respectful and nurturing nation, we wouldn't have any enemies and no need to spend that much on defense.

End the Wars & Tax the Rich, AND SAVE THE PLANET!

5. What is your position on the issue of immigration reform? What, if any, changes to legislation or policy would you support?

The Frank Lara 4 Congress Campaign demands "Immediate End to All Deportations! Return and Reconnect Families! Amnesty and Full Legalization for All!" While the Democrats have held the immigrant rights movement hostage by continuously promising reform. Those who have struggled for so many years to receive justice, now see that the Democrats are not willing to fight for real and just reform. Obama, the Deporter in Chief, has deported more than 2 million immigrants. Much of the rhetoric around the current reform--on both sides of the Congressional debate--accept the terms that undocumented immigrants are criminals. Neither side questions the culpability of U.S. economic and military policies in driving global migration, which is the real criminal act.

From civil wars in Central America to the notorious NAFTA, the US government and it's corporations have forced upon the misery which led millions to leave their homes. To bring about justice and dignity back to those who have suffered for so long, the Frank Lara 4 Congress campaign proposes the following:

Immediate legalization and access to citizenship will be granted to all immigrants.
Full and equal rights--including political rights, social benefits, due process, travel and the right to organize--will be recognized for all people in the US regardless of citizenship status.
Visas will be granted to ensure family unification and workers' rights, including full immigration benefits for same-sex partners.
Immigrants deported or forced to leave the US prior to this Act will be eligible for legalization and family reunification at US government expense.
The US-Mexico border will be immediately demilitarized, as it was prior to 1924, and immigrant detention will be abolished.

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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).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: June 2, 2014 12:08
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