Candidates for U S House of Representatives, 2nd Congressional District
November 2, 2010 General Election
CANDIDATE Shelly Moore Capito
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Kanawha
PARTY Republican
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Member, U.S. Congress serving on the House Transportation & Infrastructure and Financial Services Committees, Ranking Member, House Select Committee on Independence and Global Warming, Founding Member, Congressional Coal Caucus, Former Member, West Virginia House of Delegates, Former Career Counselor, West Virginia State University, Graduate, Duke University and University of Virginia. For more information log onto www.capitoforcongress.com.
QUESTION 1. What should the federal government do about the growing economic disparity between the middle class and the well-to-do?
ANSWER. Congress needs to prevent the tax hike on all Americans next year by extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. If we don’t act, the 10% rate will go to 15%, married couples will pay more, the amount parents deduct through the child tax credit will be slashed in half, and most small businesses will experience a 13% increase.
QUESTION 2. How will you balance the continuing costs of the military with the costs of domestic needs?
ANSWER. We must provide our troops the resources necessary to complete their missions while we eliminate our deficit and reduce the debt. This starts with ending the bailouts and so-called stimulus spending that has cost taxpayers over $1 trillion and includes holding weekly YouCut votes like we did nine times this year that would have cut $120 billion in wasteful spending.
QUESTION 3. What measures should Congress enact to make our educational system more competitive with other developed nations?
ANSWER. Congress needs to allow teachers to teach and place more control of classrooms at the local level. West Virginia needs to have greater flexibility to make decisions as states and local schools should not be hamstrung with federal regulations that ultimately take time away from students learning. We need to ensure that there is accountability at all levels.
CANDIDATE Virginia Lynch Graf
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Jefferson
PARTY Democratic
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
My experiences as innovator, educator and activist enable me to legislate intelligently, creatively and fairly. I am running a clean election taking no money from special interest groups. A democratic republic succeeds when elected officials work for the good of all. My campaign motto represents me best, “It’s time to stick our necks out for West Virginia.” Website: grafforcongress.com
QUESTION 1. What should the federal government do about the growing economic disparity between the middle class and the well-to-do?
ANSWER . Elizabeth Warren’s appointment to oversee the Consumer Protection Agency was an excellent step. Someone of her caliber should replace Larry Summers on the President’s economic team. Also: restructure tax systems fairly, cutting all loopholes; allow Bush cuts for the wealthy to expire; stop government subsidization of oil and gas companies; purchase green energy and transportation for military and domestic use.
QUESTION 2. How will you balance the continuing costs of the military with the costs of domestic needs?
ANSWER. Reduce military spending from 59% of the budget to 40%. We still would be a superpower with money for domestic needs. This can be achieved by: closing some bases around the world, e.g., Germany and Japan; reducing extravagant payment to technical service companies and mercenary groups; and eliminating obsolete weaponry and delivery systems.
QUESTION 3. What measures should Congress enact to make our educational system more competitive with other developed nations?
ANSWER. Overhaul how schools are funded and provide free quality education from elementary through college or technical school; connect teachers and students to research development centers for on-going education; employ multi-sensory learning techniques; teach critical thinking and problem-solving; reduce repetitive testing; use subjective and objective evaluation tools; re-create modest school size and avoid mega-size schools. Make free job training universally available.
CANDIDATE Phil Hudok
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Randolph
PARTY Constitution
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
A 60 year resident of WV, my wife Lynn and I have four daughters, three being in college. I’ve spent 37 years teaching, having a physics teaching degree and a masters in educational computing. I teach at Pickens School in Randolph County. I’ve had Century Photo since 1973. In several WV Supreme Court Cases I’ve successfully defended rights. www.hudok.com
QUESTION 1. What should the federal government do about the growing economic disparity between the middle class and the well-to-do?
ANSWER . First and foremost the Glass-Steagall Act must be reinstated to prevent bank speculation of public investments. Also, Congress must regain responsibility for and control of the issuance of money. The Federal Reserve Act was deceptively foisted upon the citizens when most congressmen were gone for the 1913 Christmas holiday. What Jefferson warned has transpired. Congress can’t lawfully delegate away responsibility.
QUESTION 2. How will you balance the continuing costs of the military with the costs of domestic needs?
ANSWER. Glad you asked. If we weren’t militarily where we don’t belong, fighting unjust, constitutionally undeclared wars, (only Congress can declare war!) we would be more respected, better liked, and not hemorrhaging to death. Let’s quit playing shell games with mercenaries and troops (National Guard at that) and strengthen ourselves from the inside out. Support the troops by bringing them home.
QUESTION 3. What measures should Congress enact to make our educational system more competitive with other developed nations?
ANSWER. Glad you asked. As a 37 year teacher, who’s studied history, and hosted Charlotte Iserbyt, author of the “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America”, we must get the unfunded mandating, politically correct, force feeding, federal government OUT of education. Government schools teach the government’s religion violating the first and tenth amendments. Why were we number one at the USDOE’s founding?