League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
Darke, Miami, Preble, Butler, Mercer, Montgomery Counties, OH November 2, 2004 Election
	Jeff Hardenbrook Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 8

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office?

I have been committed to public service throughout my life, as an electrical engineer with the federal government, followed by mission work in Africa in healthcare and education. I have been married 21 years and have 3 children. Most importantly, I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL POLITICIAN. I have not been corrupted by large cash donations from corporations who want to write their own legislation.

2. How would you address the federal deficit?

This administration inherited a healthy economy and large budget surplus. They have wrecked both by rewarding wealthy contributors with tax cut benefits and passing the tab to our grandchildren. We need to rollback tax giveaways to the elite.

Corporate America no longer pays their fair share. Enron paid nothing, and Halliburton fled to offshore tax shelters. Avoiding taxes is not patriotism. Closing loopholes and making smart budgetary choices will be among my primary legislative goals.

3. What should be the federal government’s role with respect to health care?

On average, America spends nearly double that of other industrialized nations on health care. We are all entitled to easy access to affordable, quality health care. The incremental approach to health care + Medicare, Medicaid, COBRA, HIPAA and CHIP + is no longer sufficient. Americans deserve comprehensive universal health coverage that fosters patient choice and preserves the patient-physician relationship.

We must enable bulk drug purchase discounts through Medicare and emphasize preventive care as opposed to crisis intervention.

4. What plans do you have to promote a more balanced transportation system?

Encourage smart growth policies which protect green space, redevelop brownfields, and place development costs of new infrastructure on developers. Decrease gridlock by facilitating flextime, intercity light rail, and transition to fuel efficient cars.

5. How would you implement your top priority?

Stop giving tax-breaks to companies that outsource jobs. Enforce trade, labor, and environmental agreements that protect our Ohio workers. Restore the rights of workers to organize unions (support card checkoff).

Support technological advancements using our educational institutions to create high-tech jobs in renewable energy to decrease our dependence on foreign oil. Rebuild our core cities by pursuing smart growth policies without wasteful spending on parallel infrastructures.

6. How would you implement your second priority?

As an educator with children excelling in Dayton Public Schools, I don't believe in "No Child Left Fully Funded." Instead we should re-prioritize spending, increase teacher professionalism and pay, stem rampant charter school growth, decrease federally mandated testing, and ensure local control of scientifically based curriculum and literacy programs.

We should provide each child with a healthy start assuring prenatal care and universally available preschool. Affordable college is essential as middle-class costs skyrocket.

7. In October 2005, select provisions of the USA Patriot Act are scheduled to sunset. Do you support a renewal of these provisions and/or an expansion of the Patriot Act? Why?

The so called Patriot Act was passed with little review or discussion in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Detention without trial, political assassinations, unreasonable search and seizure are met with silence and little judicial oversight. This is unacceptable for this great nation. Most of the provisions of the Patriot Act should be scrapped.

U.S. Senate: Total words in answer to the question may not exceed 100 words. The word limit must be observeds. Words over the limit will be cut off in published information.