1. What long-term energy policy would you pursue?
My GREEN ENERGY POLICY focuses on: (1) conserving energy through Green Jobs insulating homes of the poor and elderly; and (2) replacing our income tax with a carbon tax that discourages polluting technologies and encourages clean, renewable energy from the wind, the sun and other natural processes. Our educational system must teach students the science of renewable energy to create energy that meets current needs without polluting the environment or creating future catastrophic climate change.
2. What type of expanded drilling in the U.S., such as offshore or ANWAR, would you support? Explain.
Oil companies already have plenty of places to drill for oil in America. They just want more power over our natural resources. Instead of opening up protected natural areas to drilling, our national GREEN ENERGY POLICY would mobilize Americans to create and store energy from clean, renewable sources like the sun and the wind. Drilling for oil damages the environment and leads to further burning of fossil fuels which contributes to future catastrophic climate change.
3. What would you do to make health care affordable for all Americans?
I support moving toward a universal single-payer health care system in the United States. Universal single-payer health care costs less and results in better health outcomes. We can make our universal healthcare system work better than those already successfully serving all citizens of Canada and European countries for years. A first step towards affordable health care would be to allow the public to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to ensure lower costs for medications.
4. Do you think the Medicare and Medicaid programs should be retained? If so, how would you make them sustainable?
Yes, I would retain and expand Medicare and Medicaid until we are able to build a universal single-payer healthcare system in America. Canada and Europe have already been providing health care for ALL their people at 60% of the per-capita cost of our health care system which leaves over 45 million Americans without healthcare coverage. About 60% of our health care in America is already provided through federal programs.
5. What measures would you take to improve the economic outlook for middle class Americans?
My GREEN H.E.L.P. program includes: (1) HEALTH CARE for all through a universal single-payer healthcare system; (2) ENERGY CONSERVATION for all through Green Jobs insulating homes of the poor and elderly, Green Building Codes and high efficiency vehicle standards; (3) LAND CONSERVATION practices in support of farmers and rural communities; and (4) PEACE DIVIDEND TAX CUTS through an end to costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and strengthening of diplomatic efforts to prevent future wars.
6. What changes should be made in U.S. immigration law and procedures to eliminate the severe backlog of individuals trying to complete legal immigration to the U.S.?
I support national and international laws to limit violent interventions by military and corporate elites which perpetuate poverty throughout the world. This will greatly reduce the flow of immigrants by providing developing nations with the economic sovereignty to develop local economies to their fullest renewable potentials. I would secure the U.S. borders and enforce laws against corporations hiring illegal aliens. I support efforts to create paths to citizenship for long-time residents with clean records.
7. How much access do you think federal officials should have to personal records and communications such as email, phone, library and internet usage?
I oppose the Bush/Cheney Administration attacks on our Constitutional Rights in recent years. I would work to ban illegal wiretapping of Americans, repeal the Patriot Act and end other attacks on our freedoms. I believe we should return to the protection of our personal records and communications such as email, phone, library usage and internet usage. Further, the United States should end the practice of torturing prisoners and unleashing pre-emptive wars based on false premises.