Congressional District 3 candidate questionnaire

| The New Mexican

5/17/2008 - 5/17/08

Here are the raw, unedited answers to all of the issues questionnaires sent to candidates by candidates for the Third Congressional District seat.



The questions:

1) Would you vote against further funding of the war - even if it meant charges of "not supporting the troops"?

2) Would you support a serious Congressional investigation into possible war profiteering in Iraq?

3) The federal government is subsidizing the growing of corn and other grains for ethanol. This means less grains are being raised for food, leading to higher prices for food. Should the government change this alternative energy policy?

4) Would you vote to mandate significantly higher gas mileage in automobiles, say 50 mpg, even if that means higher prices for cars?

5) Would you have voted, like Sen. Bingaman, in favor of the 2005 Bankruptcy bill, which made it harder for consumers to file for bankruptcy?

6) Would you support a massive national public works program to repair roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure to stimulate the economy?

7) Do you favor a single-payer national health insurance program?

8) Should Congress pass legislation that would allow states to create their own medical marijuana programs and provide guidelines for such programs?

9) Should contributions from political action committees to candidates for federal office be prohibited?

10) Do you favor reducing federal prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes?



DEMOCRATS

JON ADAMS

1) I will vote to bring the troops home immediately - not to cut off funding.

2) YES.

3) YES. We should support realistic alternative energy plans. Corn ethanol is not efficient.

4) I would vote for higher mileage standards. There are many cars on the market, and there will always be more and less expensive ones.

5) NO.

6) YES. It worked getting us out of the Great Depression. It will work today to help get the economy back on track, and, as we saw tragically in Minnesota, it is very important.

7) YES.

8) NO.

9) YES.

10) YES. But on a case-by-case basis, and not significantly



BEN RAY LUJAN

1) No. Congress should not punish our troops for the Bush Administration's mistakes. We must end the war and bring our troops home immediately and safely, but we also must make sure our troops have the resources to protect themselves when they are in harm's way.

2) Yes. The Bush Administration outsourced the military to unaccountable private firms who profited greatly from the war.

3) Yes. Food costs are hitting our pocketbooks as hard as gas prices. There's a better future for ethanol made from switchgrass and other woody feedstocks - it would take less energy to manufacture. But focusing only on biofuels to wean ourselves off foreign oil can lead to situations like cutting down rainforests to grow biofuel crops, which is already happening and only makes global warming worse. Ethanol is only one of many avenues we must explore to end our reliance on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gases. Congress should make a serious investment in wind and solar power, which rural New Mexico has tremendous potential to produce, creating good jobs without aggravating the food crisis.

4) Yes. Better fuel efficiency would result in lower gas prices and fewer trips to the pump. GM recently announced it was cutting hundreds of jobs because of high gas prices. According to the Sierra Club, if average fuel economy were raised by just 2 miles per gallon, we would save as much oil as we'd get by drilling the Arctic Refuge. Increased fuel efficiency will benefit our pocketbooks and save jobs in the long run.

5) No. With the PRC, I have stood up for consumers and fought special interests. The 2005 Bankruptcy bill rewarded the credit and financial industry at the expense of consumers. Like Tom Udall, I would have voted against this piece of legislation.

6) Yes. The Bush Administration has ignored our infrastructure. We need a new public-works initiative that repairs and modernizes our infrastructure. Public-works projects are also an effective way to stimulate the economy; for every $1 billion of transportation spending, 47,500 jobs are created.

7) Yes. I support universal health care that provides quality, affordable and accessible care under an integrated system. We have to move toward a single-payer system.

8) Yes. As a proponent of state's rights, I believe states should have the discretion to decide how best to serve their citizen's interests and help terminally ill patients alleviate pain.

9) No. Until we pass real campaign-finance reform that mandates public financing for federal candidates and levels the playing field, organized labor, AARP, environmental organizations, the American Lung Association and other such groups shouldn't be prohibited from donating to candidates. In Congress, I will fight for public financing.

10) Yes. I support Congress' recent decision to address racial disparities in federal sentencing. We need to reform our federal criminal justice system. Our prisons are overcrowded and we need to find alternative ways to address crimes committed by nonviolent offenders, focusing our efforts on rehabilitation. We also need to crack down on fraud and corruption to ensure that public servants don't betray the public trust.



RUDY MARTIN

1) Yes, I would fund only for the safe removal of our troops from Iraq. To continue funding the war does not make any sense.

2) Yes, I believe that many have continued the war in Iraq because they are profiting. Haliburton and Blackwater are two corporations who have profited immensely at tax payers' dollars.

3) Yes, I am not convinced that ethanol is the cure all for the energy problem which we are experiencing today. Ethanol plants create a lot of environmental pollution not to mention being the cause for higher food prices. I believe that our government should require the automakers to manufacture vehicles which can run over 50 miles per gallon of gas as in Europe being that the technology is already available.

4) Yes, European countries have carts that do better than 40 miles per gallon of gas. America and the oil rich do not want Americans to have the same benefit. The technology has been available for many years but the oil companies as well as automakers have withheld it from the American public.

5) I don't know. I do not have a good grasp on Bankruptcy law to make an intelligent decision or take a position.

6) Yes, I believe that our economy, especially in New Mexico would benefit from a government subsidized program which would create jobs and skills training. This would allow for the repair of our infrastructure and would greatly stimulate our economy. Money from the war in Iraq could be used to fund this program. I also believe that we should stop subsidizing corporations in the housing industry and stop the corporate bailouts in America.

7) Yes. This has been done in other countries and has been very successful. By having such a program, the cost of providing health care has dropped significantly as has the cost of doing business. The true winners have been the citizens of the countries who have such medical health care programs.

8) Yes. I believe that medical marijuana should be readily available to those persons who can benefit from it for medical purposes. The federal government should allow the states to create and manage their own programs and stop defeating the purpose of the programs by making it illegal.

9) Yes, I find it disgusting when candidates have to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to run for office. By allowing this practice to continue, only the rich and the politicians will continue running thus eliminating the qualified and committed.

10) Yes. I do not believe that our prisons should be filled with non-violent prisoners. Private prisons do this all based on profit and thus costing the American tax payer a lot of money where the non-violent offenders could be better served by requiring them to either acquiring a job skill or a higher education becoming a better citizen. If America spent the same amounts of money per year to educate our youth as they spend on housing non-violent offenders, America would be very affluent and successful.



HARRY MONTOYA

1) YES

2) YES

3) YES

4) NO. We can mandate higher gas mileage and still lower prices for cars.

5) NO

6) YES

7) YES

8) NO

9) YES

10) YES



BENNY SHENDO, JR.

1) YES. The best way to support our troops is to end the occupation of IRAQ, which forces our brave men and women into an unfair, unsafe, and, because it is fundamentally unjust, psychologically devastating situation. The issues in Iraq cannot be solved militarily. It is time to stop using force and start using regional and international diplomacy to end the fighting and afford the people of Iraq the dignity and respect of governing and honoring their own diverse cultural heritage. When it comes to Iraq as well as many other issues, America is calling out for new leadership that has the courage to fight for what is right even if it is politically challenging.

2) YES. Iraq is one of the darkest chapters in the legacy of our generation. An investigation into war profiteering is just the beginning of the hard work we will need to do to repair the damage caused by this president and his administration.

3) YES. While we need to stay open to any and all technological advances that can lower our dependence on fossil fuels and fight global warming, there do seem to be better solutions than corn/grain based ethanol. And, New Mexico with its wealth of scientific infrastructure is uniquely positioned to benefit economically from research into cleaner, safer and more sustainable technologies.

4) YES. Given the global climate crisis and looming worldwide oil shortage, we cannot afford to let significantly higher mileage standards be just a consumer option. We must mandate higher gas mileage. The irony is in doing so we will be "forcing" our domestic automobile industry to do what is only in their best interest. Otherwise, the more-forward thinking foreign car manufacturers will meet the needs of the world-wide market demand for significantly cleaner, safer and more efficient modes of transportation than gas-guzzling automobiles.

5) NO. The majority of bankruptcy cases occur not as a result of irresponsible consumer spending, but rather from catastrophic medical bills and the usurious lending practices of credit card companies, mortgage brokers, and other predatory lenders.

6) YES. There is a need for a new New Deal and I would fully support it, especially if it was based on creating a cleaner, greener energy economy, a cleaner, greener transportation system, and cleaner, greener, healthier and more sustainable jobs.

7) YES. We need to fix our broken health care system-stat!. A single-payer national health insurance program like the "Medicare for All' is a step in the right direction.

8) YES. We need to respect the rights of our diverse cultures to address real medical issues with a broad range of approaches.

9) YES. So should any and all "special interest" contributions. We must fix our corrupted election system. We need to get the private "special interest" money out of politics, which should be about representing the will of the people, not the will of the highest bidder. This is why public financing of elections is the direction we need to move in.

10) YES. There are too many people in federal (and state) prison who need counseling and substance abuse programs, not incarceration. This is not only the morally right thing to do, it is the more effective approach to genuinely reducing crime and recidivism.



DON WIVIOTT

1) Yes. I support squeezing funds, but only in a way that protects our troops and brings them home in a safe and timely fashion. Congress needs to start using the power of the purse to responsibly redeploy our troops.

2) Yes. The Bush Administration's lack of serious oversight on contractors like Halliburton and Blackwater merits a comprehensive investigation. We need to have more accountability on how tax dollars are being spent in Iraq and ensure that big corporations aren't making excessive profits at the expense of our national security.

3) Yes. While ethanol may be part of the solution to our long-term energy needs, it is not the sole answer and should take a backseat to other renewable energy sources like concentrated solar and wind power. Ethanol production should also be kept in moderation to help ease the financial burden of families coping with rising food and gas bills.

4) Yes. Increasing mileage standards would be a valuable investment for both the American people and the environment. By increasing fuel efficiency in automobiles, consumers would lower their overall fuel costs and save money in the long run. We have the ability to transform our automobiles so they are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and affordable.

5) No

6) Yes. It's time start reinvesting in our national infrastructure and provide funding and resources to improve our roads, bridges, and dams. We can create more jobs in New Mexico and throughout the country if we start investing in economic development and infrastructure repair.

7) While single-payer national health insurance deserves further study and analysis, our first priority should be to provide affordable and quality health care to the 402,000 uninsured New Mexicans, give people choice by allowing competition among private and public plans, and focus on preventive care.

8) Yes. The State's should be given guidelines to tailor medical marijuana programs to meet their individual needs and residents. Yet, the guidelines should be kept within reason and Congress should reserve the power to monitor and reform state programs.

9) Yes. In an ideal world, federal candidates would have a strong public financing system to help them get their message out. Likewise, if prohibiting political action committees from donating to federal candidates meant removing the corrosive influence of corporate PAC's in politics, then I think it would be a worthy trade-off.

10) Yes. With one of every 100 adults currently incarcerated, Federal prisons are overcrowded and under funded. Once released from prison, non-violent criminals need to be monitored closely by law enforcement authorities to ensure they are not negatively impacting society.



REPUBLICANS



DAN EAST

1. No.

2. No. We have other major issues today that Congress needs to address.

3. Yes.

4. No. The consumer will eventually demand this.

5. Yes.

6. No. We have programs today where funding should be increased.

7. No.

8. No.

9. No.

10. No.



MARCO GONZALES

1) No, I will ensure that as long as our brave soldiers are in Iraq, they have every resource necessary to provide for their safety and protect our nation's security. I believe that the War in Iraq was mismanaged, misguided and misplanned under Secretary Rumsfeld. I believe that when President Bush got rid of him he made a good decision. I want peace in Iraq. We all want peace in Iraq. I would like to see the troops come home as soon as is practicable. We need to step our diplomatic efforts to make sure the Iraqi government is doing more to take care of their own, and spend their own.

2) Yes. We should prohibit companies and individuals, whoever they may be, from improperly profiting in Iraq. Congress has an oversight role to play with all appropriations and certainly if improper profiting is going on with federal government monies.

3) Yes, there are numerous studies that show the current process for developing ethanol are consuming more energy than they produce. I believe that we can use those subsidies to promote alternative methods of energy production and thus further our goal of energy independence.

4) Congress just passed a 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency standards. I would have voted in favor of that bill. We don't need to increase the cost of our family vehicles. We need to expand the use of hybrid and electric vehicles.

5) No. The bill harms hundreds of thousands of women and children who are owed child support or alimony by forcing them to compete with credit card issuers and therefore making it less likely that support payments will be made to those in need.

6) Yes. I tell people everywhere we go in the 3rd District we need a little TNT! That means getting things done Today Not Tomorrow! It's a way of thinking and tackling challenges that has served me well personally. There can be no doubt we need some TNT on this issue! It will provide jobs and stimulate the economy.

7) We don't have a health care program. We have a disease care program. The vast amount of money we spend today is on chronic diseases like heart disease and end stage diabetes. We need to increase prevention to decrease these long term costs. We need to make sure insurance companies stop taking the New Mexican consumer for granted. We need a strong children's health care program. We need a guaranteed assistance program for people with per-existing illness do not have coverage today.

8) The federal government (FDA) has approved the use synthetic drugs that have the natural chemicals found in marijuana (Dronabinol/Marinol). They are used today in the treatment of nausea and vomiting for patients in cancer treatment; Appetite stimulant for AIDS patients; Analgesic to ease neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis patients. We should know why these and others are not working, if they are not working, before taking any further steps.

9) No. The Supreme Court has essentially equated money with speech. With PACs, current law already limits amounts, requires some disclosure and prohibits corporate contributions. What troubles me most is extremely wealthy candidates who are outsiders with no real connection to their federal district being able to purchase unlimited speech rights than a candidate without unlimited resources but with historical ties, more knowledge and ability to serve the district. The playing field of speech rights in that situation needs to be totally leveled. It is not currently.

10) No, a crime is still breaking the law, no matter how you choose to look at it. When the corporate executives at Enron lied to the world, they cost their shareholders and employees their retirements and livelihoods. Those actions caused just as much hurt as some violent crimes. Why should these crimes receive less of a penalty than the person who holds up a convenience store at gunpoint?