Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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ELECTION Guide 2010 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The following questions were asked of the eight candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. Only two candidates chose to participate in the candidate’s forum. (1) With at least 20 states involved in the lawsuit against the Healthcare Bill that was passed during the past year, what is your stance on the bill now? And how did you vote?” (2) National attention has been focused on the oil spill in Gulf. Do you support continued drilling, and if so, what limitations would you like to see put on the drilling? And if you do not, how do you propose the U.S. meets its energy needs?” (3) With recent news that the economic stimulus proposed far fewer jobs than estimated? Are you in favor of a new round of spending or what do you think needs to be done to get the economy moving?” (4) The troops have drawn down in Iraq, but remain active in Afghanistan. A Democratic President and Congress traditionally cut military spending. Where do you stand? Bob Etheridge (1) I believe the people of North Carolina have a right to good healthcare. The new law I voted for will save lives, save money and save Medicare. I voted to extend the solvency of the Medicare trust fund by 12 more years. I voted to save seniors money by closing the Medicare prescription “donut hole,” which hits our seniors right in the wal- let. I voted to give seniors free preventive care. I voted to prevent the insurance companies from ending your coverage when you get sick and need it most. And I voted to block them from denying you care because you or a family member have a so-called “pre-existing condition” or need maternity care. The truth is this: The healthcare bill will save billions of dollars over the next 10 years while improving the long-term health outcomes of countless Americans. (2) I support domestic oil drilling where it can be done safely, securely and productively. However, in the long-term we have to invest in renewable energy. It’s really a national security issue. We are sending billions of dollars and thou- sands of jobs to countries that do not like us. We do have to make sure better safeguards are in place so that we do not have a repeat of the Gulf oil spill. But down the road, we also need conservation, increased energy effi ciency and alternative energy sources like biofuels, wind and solar. We should be the country that solves this energy crisis and becomes the world’s model on sustainable energy production. (3) We’ve already done a lot to spur the economy, and we’re seeing positive results. First off, I have already supported bills that provide tax cuts for 95 percent of the people in the Second District. In addition, the tax breaks and other initiatives I have supported have led to new jobs. I support the HIRE Act, which has allowed businesses in the district to hire workers. And the School Construction Bonds I sponsored have created jobs and will put more people to work building schools in the future. We need common-sense policies to turn this economy around and to make sure everyone who is willing to work — and work hard — can fi nd opportunities in North Carolina to make the most of his or her God-given abilities. (4) As a veteran of the United States Army, I support our troops and our veterans and will always fi ght for them. They put themselves in the line of fi re to protect us. I’ve been to Afghanistan several times and our troops are doing a fantastic job there. We must ensure our troops, our veterans and their families all get the support and benefi ts they deserve. I voted for the 21st Century GI Bill and the largest increase in funding in the history of the VA. I will continue to fi ght for our veterans, our military families and their communities. Mike McIntyre (1)The need for healthcare reform is clear, but the focus should be on lowering the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, bringing down the cost of premiums, and ensuring access and affordability of healthcare for all. I did not support the healthcare reform bill — and support its repeal — because it cost too much money — more than $1 trillion dollars on top of a $12 trillion national debt; it does not take the steps necessary to effectively bring down long-term healthcare costs; it raises too much in new taxes and imposes new requirements that will harm the ability of too many small businesses to compete and create jobs; and it tries to do too much too soon instead of targeted changes that can immediately help people. Instead, we should tackle healthcare reform in targeted ways. Those include: • Strengthening Medicare and Medicaid; • Improving Medicare reimbursement rates for rural health providers, • Expanding the use of electronic medical records; • Expanding and strengthening community health centers; Will Work in Raleigh for More Jobs, Improved Education, To Stop Higher Taxes and Spending NC House District 44 www.DawkinsforNCHouse.com VOTE November 2 Paid for by Dawkins for NC House Committee 16 UCW OCTOBER 20-26, 2010 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM