League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Francisco County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues United States Representative; District 12

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Economy and Jobs, Health Care, Energy Policy, National Security, Immigration Reform Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. In this time of high unemployment and budget deficits, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy and sustain job creation? Answer from Michael Steger: We need an immediate return to the tradition of FDR and JFK. This means, first, Obama must be removed as he has served the interests of Wall St. from day one. Next, Glass-Steagall must be restored and Wall St. put through bankruptcy. Once these steps are taken we can provide the necessary federal credit, as was done under FDR's RFC, and begin a major job development program in two key areas: 1. nuclear power and fusion power development. We must shut down fracking, this is a criminal program of cheap labor and the literal destruction of our economy. With nuclear power we can address our water issues, provide abundant energy for manufacturing and production, and create a new advanced manufacturing base here in the United States. Second, we should build the NAWAPA water development project as John and Robert Kennedy had intended, ending the droughts in the western states and ensuring our food supply, both here and in Mexico. Add to this a fusion development program, and in 20 years we can fulfill an entirely new standard of human economy, inspiring our best scientists towards ever greater discoveries. This will set a new standard for the world, and is the foundation to end the genocide occurring in Africa, South America, and globally, under today's fascist international system. Answer from Frank Lara: I think that we need to work around improving, instead of cutting, the public services for the poorest sectors of the population. It is an implicit responsibility of the government to care and support the most vulnerable sectors of the population. A better distribution of the wealth is urgent. A government that centers its politics on the people not in the corporations or in the small sector that accumulates the wealth that we all contribute to produce is necessary in order to be able to overcome the crisis that the country is going through. We also need to stop the massive waste of money in war ventures and militarization of our local communities. We need to redirect all that money to the promotion of new jobs, credit lines to medium and small enterprises, vocational programs and the improvement of local social services, medical care, education etc. If we have a healthy, well fed and educated population we will be able to improve the future not only of our country but of the world. Answer from Anthony John "Desmond" Thorsson: The golden age of the American economy was marked by sweeping banking reform, the manufacturing boom that won us World War II, and years of development of our nation's infrastructure. Since then, our nation has been wracked by irresponsible banking practices, a crumbling infrastructure, and a rapid decline in middle-class jobs. We now live in an economy that values wealth over job creation, and this is not sustainable. Job creation is fueled by demand, an improving our nation's economy starts with investing in the consumer. Unemployed workers do not spent money, and every sector of our economy suffers when we transfer our wealth and production overseas. If elected, I would develop a comprehensive national economic strategy, focused around the following: the passage of a modern Banking Act that once again separates commercial bank activities and investment banking; a renegotiation of trade agreements that have sent middle-class jobs overseas; and a national investment in infrastructure projects to put Americans to work. Answer from Barry Hermanson: Put people back to work by investing in infrastructure and green jobs. The spending by American consumers is the backbone of our economy. When people have money to spend, our economy will improve. The national debate about increasing the minimum wage should instead be about what is a living wage. The minimum wage is not a living wage. Anyone willing to work should be able to support themselves without having to rely on public subsidy or charity. 2. What, if any, changes should be made to federal health care policies or programs? Answer from Barry Hermanson: The "Affordable" Care Act is a step forward for healthcare in America. However, it remains unaffordable for millions of Americans. And, there are little, if any, cost controls. I am an advocate for an Improved Medicare for All. Other countries have it. They spend far less per person and have better health outcomes - people live longer. Answer from Anthony John "Desmond" Thorsson: For all the reforms made to our nation's health care, we have not properly addressed the cost to consumers. In the private health insurance scheme, where each state has its own monopoly and the market cannot cross state lines, there are no real free market forces to control costs. Medical professionals are becoming increasingly frustrated with spending more time dealing with insurance companies than caring for their patients. The Affordable Care Act brought many needed reforms, but still did not address costs. An interim measure would be to open insurance markets across state lines to create meaningful competition and provide better options to the consumer. However the fact remains that a private system will always put profits ahead of people. This is why I support a single-payer system that gives Americans the financial freedom to get the medical attention they need, not the attention they can afford. Answer from Michael Steger: Obamacare must be ended. It was modeled on the Nazi's T-4 program, and is a fraud with no commitment to healthcare, but is a commitment to the profits of private financial insurance companies who wrote the bill. Instead, the cuts made to Medicare must be immediately restored, and Medicare expanded to cover a larger area of the aging population given the severe economic breakdown. The private insurance industry must also be put under a Glass-Steagall reform and forced to comply with basic public health standards of care. The standard of care available must then be returned to the Hill-Burton law, and all critical hospital facilities in lower income urban areas, as well as rural farm areas, must be kept open as part of an emergency public health policy. Once these steps are taken, and the large employment projects such as NAWAPA are established, we can expand Medicare for all as part of a basic single payer system. As a final point, the principle of management generally can no longer remain based on personal financial incentive. Healthcare, as well as other areas of our society, such as education, scientific research, and government, are not profitable endeavors in and of themselves, but expand the quality and productivity of our culture and society when these areas are managed well, creating the basis for all other profits. Consider the Apollo project as an example. Management in these critical areas, as with the Apollo Moon project, is not based on individual reward but is based on a mission program, such as winning the war and not one's personal survival, and so asks as John Kennedy did, "What you can do for your country?" This must be the basis of healthcare, and of our society, and not simply for the nation, but for mankind. Answer from Frank Lara: I think that the single payer system works better that this so called "Health Care Reform" that has become the total privatization of our health care system. Our society has been taught that the services provided by the governments are not good enough, that the privatization of services guarantees better services due to the competition it creates among different corporations providing the specific service. Fact is that what it has increased are the fees that health care corporations charge for their services and making those services less accessible to the population by way of putting more economical pressure in the already dire financial situation of the majority of our families. 3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy? Answer from Frank Lara: Well I think that the theme of energy is a very tricky one, the government sees the issue of energy as a single issue; we see it as part of all the things that are not going well with this country. We need to learn how to save energy, how to produce energy in a more environmentally conscious way, and how not to try to take over the energy sources of other countries by trying to occupy them. We need to develop a system in which every issue is seen globally, not singled out. Stricter control over environmentally un-friendly energy sources are necessary as well as more investment on research to find better and ecologically beneficial new sources. Answer from Barry Hermanson: We should tax carbon emissions and move as quickly as possible to carbon free sources of generating energy. Invest in high speed rail and public transit. Answer from Michael Steger: Our survival as a human species depends on the development of thermonuclear fusion. Unless one is morally decrepit, then one cannot tolerate any policy promoting the reduction of human population. Any acceptance of that, however justified, is genocidal and must be denounced. The fracking program is a fraud and must be outlawed. It is based on an primitive economic agenda of resource extraction and cheap labor and will provide no substantial growth. It is already exhausting our limited infrastructure and will create accelerated rates of poverty and death. With a drive towards fusion energy, which entails two major stages of experiments over approximately twenty years, we will transform the entire discussion on energy and resources, which with fusion energy will then seem to be relatively infinite. There is no need for wind, solar, or the like. With a return to nuclear power for the next twenty years and the full reprocessing cycle we can solve the energy and water crisis, put an end to the fracking idiocy, and provide the necessary resources for a breakthrough in fusion. That's the natural direction of an optimistic and scientific society. Answer from Anthony John "Desmond" Thorsson: Our nation's energy policy is about more than just providing power; it impacts our national security, our energy policy, and domestic employment. The fact is, our country cannot be secure until we can meet our energy needs with our own resources. Our addiction to oil has been evident in the Oil Shocks of the 1970's and our post-9/11 foreign policy in the Middle East. I believe in innovation, and the commercialization of new energy sources + wind, solar, etc. - as a means of creating jobs and creating an energy-independent future. This is a nation of the best and brightest researchers in the world, and we must use our intellectual capital in every way we can. 4. What, if any, changes should be made with respect to our nation’s security, including our national defense or anti-terrorism measures? Answer from Barry Hermanson: We spend nearly as much on our military as the rest of the world combined. We have military bases all over the world. Not one other country has a military base on our soil. Our nation is the largest exporter of weapons. It is time that we have a national debate about the effectiveness of our current spending. In my view, it is not making us safer. Answer from Frank Lara: We are totally against any type of military intervention of any kind, I believe it's a waste of resources, money, lives and is in detriment of our planet. We have to stop all the selfish policies that this government is implementing, the view of the government has to change, it priorities should be the 99%. We also need to change our foreign policies. If the rest of the world perceives us as a friendly, respectful and nurturing nation, we wouldn't have any enemies and no need to spend that much on defense. End the Wars & Tax the Rich, AND SAVE THE PLANET! Answer from Anthony John "Desmond" Thorsson: It is high time that we restore our civil rights and liberties. Laws passed in a climate of fear have damaged the American way of life. Programs like the "No Fly List" and the NDAA have stripped our people of their freedoms and violated their rights of due process that are the foundation of our country. It is time to learn from our mistakes and reform these laws so that Americans no longer fear their government more than they fear terrorism. We must also review the efficacy of our foreign intelligence and counter-terrorism efforts. The collateral damage done overseas not only paints a nightmarish picture of our foreign policy, but also poses a future threat to our national security. We must find a way to address foreign threats in a way that does not generate further aggression toward the United States. Answer from Michael Steger: Every major step taken by the Executive branch, and largely endorsed by Congress and the Supreme Court, since the 9-11 attacks has pushed our nation closer towards a fascist dictatorship. This includes the NSA police state, torture, illegal wars, drone murders including American citizens, intimidation of Congress, the Citizens United decision, and the bailouts to Wall St. This entire fascist program must be shut down. First, we must throw out Obama who has expanded, enforced and protected all of the major criminal acts by the Bush-Cheney regime. Next, we must shut down Wall St. with Glass-Steagall, and expose the direct Saudi and British involvement in the 9-11 attacks, as in the notorious 28 pages of the 9-11 report. Then, after acknowledging the atrocities of the last 15 years of our foreign policy, including the encroaching provocations against Russia and China towards a nuclear conflict, we must initiate a collaboration with Russia, China, and other nations dedicated to eliminating the narco-terrorist networks, including the supporting financial institutions. In addition to this strategic collaboration to eliminate the threats of terrorism and violent instability, we must initiate an economic collaboration around large development projects, including an international research program for fusion energy development. 5. What is your position on the issue of immigration reform? What, if any, changes to legislation or policy would you support? Answer from Frank Lara: The Frank Lara 4 Congress Campaign demands "Immediate End to All Deportations! Return and Reconnect Families! Amnesty and Full Legalization for All!" While the Democrats have held the immigrant rights movement hostage by continuously promising reform. Those who have struggled for so many years to receive justice, now see that the Democrats are not willing to fight for real and just reform. Obama, the Deporter in Chief, has deported more than 2 million immigrants. Much of the rhetoric around the current reform--on both sides of the Congressional debate--accept the terms that undocumented immigrants are criminals. Neither side questions the culpability of U.S. economic and military policies in driving global migration, which is the real criminal act. From civil wars in Central America to the notorious NAFTA, the US government and it's corporations have forced upon the misery which led millions to leave their homes. To bring about justice and dignity back to those who have suffered for so long, the Frank Lara 4 Congress campaign proposes the following: Immediate legalization and access to citizenship will be granted to all immigrants. Full and equal rights--including political rights, social benefits, due process, travel and the right to organize--will be recognized for all people in the US regardless of citizenship status. Visas will be granted to ensure family unification and workers' rights, including full immigration benefits for same-sex partners. Immigrants deported or forced to leave the US prior to this Act will be eligible for legalization and family reunification at US government expense. The US-Mexico border will be immediately demilitarized, as it was prior to 1924, and immigrant detention will be abolished. Answer from Barry Hermanson: There should be a clear path to citizenship. Anyone who has been in this country for 5 or 10 years, working, paying taxes and contributing to our communities should become eligible for citizenship. Answer from Anthony John "Desmond" Thorsson: We must find a better way to allow migrant workers to legally enter the United States, be identified, and pay taxes. Illegal immigration is expensive to the migrant, dangerous to the community and damaging to the country when undocumented workers are paid lower wages and cannot pay their taxes + even when they want to. We must find a way to streamline programs like the H2A and H2B visas so that we can have migrants issued tax status, background-checked, and issued proper identification before entering the U.S. Once we have people crossing the border through checkpoints, not bushes, we can truly address our border security issues. Answer from Michael Steger: Our foreign policy towards Mexico and South America, given the relevance this has on immigration policy for the people of these nations, has been criminal. We have endorsed the liberal imperial programs of the IMF and the World Bank, the Wall St. houses, as well as actions taken directly by the British Empire in their own name for the last three or more decades, and this is a criminal violation tantamount to treason of our Constitution. We must return to the tradition of John Quincy Adams and Franklin Roosevelt's "Good Neighbor Policy," and defend the sovereignty of every nation in our hemisphere. This entails a commitment to debt relief and long term economic agreements for large development projects, and funded through low-fixed-rate long term credit, avoiding any risk of imposed debt slavery. A Glass-Steagall system must also be adopted by all the nations of the Americas to ensure the successful development of every nation. The large-scale projects then include the north-south high-speed rail corridor from Tierra Del Fuego to the Bering Strait through the Darien Gap of Colombia. In addition, the water development program of NAWAPA-PLHINO to irrigate the areas of northern Mexico. Once the drug cartels are shut down, and their dope banks prosecuted, this will create a major area of economic development throughout the southwestern desert region, including abundant food production. Critical will be the development of fusion energy to create the most scientifically advanced discussion among the leading scientists of these nations, oriented towards the development of mankind. These steps are fundamental to ensuring that immigration reform is successful, including ending the deportations, rehabilitating those involved in petty crimes, and creating an environment of collaborative development among these nations. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.