League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
State of Ohio (Adams, Brown, Clermont, Pike, Hamilton, Warren, Scioto Counties) June 14, 2005 Election
	Jeff Morgan Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 2; Republican Party

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 (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office?

I am a conservative, Christian family man. Furthermore, I am a trusted businessman and 16 year rural mail carrier. My wife and I volunteered for 14 years in youth ministry in our local church, and our entire family serve on the staff of Mt Hope Bible Camp in Scioto County. I have a great education and the ability to truly listen and communicate. Southern Ohio has always been my home and I will represent Southern Ohio values well in Washington.

2. What do you see as the three most pressing issues you would address if elected? What plans do you have relative to those issues?

1)Foundational issues affecting the family are a priority. I support passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman. We have activists from around the country trying to legitimize homosexual "unions". Whatever these may be, they are not marriages and should not be recognized as such. Restoring our religious freedoms is also crucial. I will work to restore our right to publicly display the Ten Commandments, have voluntary prayer in schools and keep "under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge to work tirelessly in support of pro-life legislation. We must end all forms of abortion in this nation and restore respect for innocent life. 2)Balancing the Federal Budget is key to getting our country back on its financial feet. You and I live within our means, balance our checkbooks, and sacrifice to make ends meet. I expect people in Washington to do the same. 3)Completing our mission in Iraq is a concern to us all. I vigorously support our military and will give them what they need to be effective and safe. I believe we should complete our mission, transfer defenses to the Iraqis, and get our service men and women home safely as soon as possible.

3. How would you address the federal deficit?

This is one area that can be a win/win situation. President Bush has enacted tax cuts which should be made permanent. Tax cuts have worked time and time again to spur economic activity. I believe the best person to handle your money is you. I believe in tax credits which benefits families, since they are so foundational to this country. Many broken or single-parent families end up in the trap of government dependence. We set pregnant young ladies up with housing, medical benefits, food stamps and a check with terrible results such as perpetuating poverty and dependence. Government needs to reassess its role and responsibilities and scrutinize the results of programs, eliminating those that are counterproductive. Cutting spending is also an important component to balancing the Federal Budget. When our yearly spending is under control, money must be designated for deficit reduction. Currently, we are wasting money paying interest, our debt load is pushing the dollars value down, and our trade balance is out of line. Strengthening the dollar through fiscally conservative policies will remedy many of these ills. As I first mentioned about a win-win situation, when more money is in the hands of consumers, receipts to the government have historically risen!

4. What should be the federal government's role with respect to health care?

I believe the Federal Government was never intended to provide health care for this entire nation and any such program would be very inefficient. The skyrocketing cost of health care is closely related to lawsuits and the liability insurance policy premiums care providers must pay. Ambulance-chasers are more than happy to ply their predatory practices where there are deep pockets. The medical field has been hit hard with exorbitant awards paid to patients. There is a need for caps on these awards and federal oversight of liability for care providers. These reforms coupled with medical choice will mutually bring costs down. Pharmaceuticals are also a concern with prescriptions eating up a huge percentage of many budgets. Individuals purchasing prescriptions need the option of joining groups with bulk buying power, as well as the option to purchase from any safe source. Currently, approval of new drugs by the FDA is slow and prohibitively costly. U.S. consumers pay the bulk of these research and development costs, while other countries many times purchase these same products for a fraction of the cost. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure its citizens safe medicines, but we must never have trade policies and restrictions that effectively result in subsidized pharmaceuticals for other countries. Concerning our senior citizens, we must adequately fund the programs they depend on while working to develop other alternatives.

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

We need quality transportation across the district. This one area of infrastructure benefits both businesses and individuals. Good transportation options also provide the opportunity for businesses to locate in more rural locations where workers are readily available and help reduce worker commutes. I will work with local planners to improve existing roads and transportation, and participate in planning for future expansion and congestion reduction.

6. 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?

Provisions of the Patriot Act need to be scrutinized in regard to their use, intention, intrusion on personal rights, and their results. While I am in favor of renewal of Patriot Act,I am currently unaware of any justification for further expansion.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Ohio Supreme Court Justice: Total words for the answer to the question may not exceed 50 words. The word limit must be observed. Words over the limit will be cut off in published information.

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.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: June 12, 2005 10:25
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