U.S. Representative - 1st District
U.S. Representative - 2nd District
United States Representative - 1st District - 2 Year Term - Vote for One (1)
Candidates were asked to summarize their backgrounds in 75
words and were allotted 75 words to answer each question. If the candidate did not reply by the
required date for publication, the words, "Did not respond in time for
publication" appear under the candidate's name.
QUESTION 1
Are you concerned about the size of the federal deficit?
Explain your answer.
QUESTION 2
What government measures would you propose to improve access
to affordable health care?
QUESTION 3
The United States uses a great deal of fossil fuel for power
generation and transportation.
What measures would you support to tackle the ever increasing need for
energy?
1st District
Did not respond in time for publication.
I have represented Northern Michigan in Congress for the
past 14 years. The District includes 31 counties and comprises 1/2 the land
mass of Michigan. I am a retired
State Trooper, attorney and former State Representative. I live in Menominee
with my wife of 32 years, Laurie, our son, Ken and our dog, Joe. I will focus
on jobs/economy, war in Iraq, health care, education, fighting terrorism, and
protecting the Great Lakes.
1. Yes and I would implement fiscal responsibility by
supporting pay as you go (Paygo) provisions for both all spending and tax
breaks. I would suspend all tax
breaks and limit spending until the budget is in balance. This President believes you can fight a
war in Iraq and Afghanistan and not provide for the costs in the federal budget
or the Veterans Administration with more than 19,000 wounded troops.
2. Health care is a basic right for all Americans. I would repeal Medicare Part D and
replace it with the Federal Supply Service using the purchasing power of the
federal government to lower the cost of prescription drugs for all seniors,
like VA does. I would provide for
a catastrophic fund for all employers to access. There is no reason why our
auto manufacturers have to pay approximately $1500 more per automobile than
foreign competitors.
3. The US cannot drill its way to energy independence but
must look to alternative fuels.
While we finally have an energy policy, it is too slow in bringing forth
alternative fuels. Government must
provide not just incentives for production of alternative fuels but also make
sure the alternative fuels are readily accepted by the public and distributed
through current gas stations. 70%
of Brazilian vehicles run on ethanol from sugar, US can do the same!
I am 50 years old, have been married for 26 years to Debra, and
have three children. I graduated
from Hartford High School in 1974, joined the US Navy, and completed Naval
Nuclear Power School in 1976. I
was honorably discharged in Nov, 1977.
I have owned and operated a successful small business, was elected to the
Bellaire School Board in 2004, and currently work as a Health Physics
Technician in the nuclear power field.
1. Yes. The
Deficit, and the massive debt it has created, has the potential to bankrupt
this nation. Imagine if China
bought up a trillion dollars or so, and then demanded payment. We couldn't pay and would have to
default. Bart Stupak has put this
nation at risk through his support of Bush policies, voting to fund the war,
extend tax cuts, and approving a bloated military budget. He has mortgaged our children's
future.
2. Number one: Roll back all Bush tax cuts to balance the
budget. We cannot do anything
until we have the money to spend.
Number two: Restore the cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. Number three: Establish a nationwide,
single payer health care plan, to include mental and dental. My opponent, Mr. Stupak, by supporting
Bush's fiscal insanity, has helped to ensure a national healthcare program is
not possible at this time.
3. Investment in conservation, wind and solar energy, better
battery technology, higher CAFE standards (which Stupak voted against),
bio-fuels, better public transportation, and increased use of nuclear
power. The problem is, these areas
need investment and subsidies, and because of Congressman Stupak's support of
Bush tax cuts, the unfunded Iraq war, and bloated military budgets we don't
have the money. We need to balance
the budget!!! It is the key to the
future of America.
Did not respond in time for publication.
I recently retired from General Motors, where I was a
Machine Repairman in skilled trades.
I have a degree in Industrial Technologies. I am a decorated Viet Nam Infantry Veteran. While in Congressional race in 2002 I
publicly voiced my opposition to a military involvement with Iraq. I believe government takes too much of
your money and that as long as you are not harming anyone it has no business
meddling with you, or your family.
1. Within the next two decades America will reach a
financial crisis. It will start
with some of the larger cities going bankrupt, followed by several states. Michigan will probably be one of them. Governments' unfunded liabilities and
spending practices will start catching up with them, and it will affect all of
us. Neither the democrats nor the
republicans will slow the squandering hemorrhage of America's resources and
wealth.
2. Some of the blame for higher health care and insurance
cost can be laid at the feet of your elected officials. While doing the bidding of business
organizations like the AMA and insurance industries, they have laden America's
health care system with costly regulation, and barriers that are passed on to
you the consumer. I do have a plan
to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and regulation and give Americans greater
choices.
3. Start by making tax credits available to people who
supplement their energy use with proven alternative sources, rather than
governments' present solution of giving taxpayer dollars to huge corporations
including the oil industry.
Nuclear energy is a good option to expand on, but the Free Market is
capable of, and will solve our energy crisis if we can keep government barriers
and red tape at bay.
United States Representative - 2nd District - 2 Year Term - Vote for One (1)
Candidates were asked to summarize their backgrounds in 75
words and were allotted 75 words to answer each question. If the candidate did not reply by the
required date for publication, the words, "Did not respond in time for
publication" appear under the candidate's name.
QUESTION 1
Are you concerned about the size of the federal deficit?
Explain your answer.
QUESTION 2
What government measures would you propose to improve access
to affordable health care?
QUESTION 3
The United States uses a great deal of fossil fuel for power generation and transportation. What measures would you support to tackle the ever increasing need for energy?
2nd District
Peter Hoekstra, Republican
I live in Holland with my wife, Diane, and our three children, Erin, Allison and Bryan. I was born Oct. 30, 1953, in Groningen, the Netherlands, and immigrated to Michigan with my family at age 3. I graduated from Holland Christian Schools, hold a BA in political science from Hope College and an MBA from U of M. Prior to my election to Congress, I was the Vice President of Marketing at Herman Miller.
1.
Congress needs to do more to eliminate the deficit and national debt. I strongly believe that controlling federal spending must be the number one priority in Congress. The federal government should operate like a responsible family or business and live within its means. Congress must critically assess spending for various government projects. As a conservative, I believe that the federal government must be held responsible for the manner in which it utilizes taxpayer dollars.
2. We need to make changes in our health care laws to stabilize health care so that our citizens in rural and urban settings can maintain access to high-quality, low-cost health care. I have supported and will continue to advocate legislation that will make health insurance accessible and affordable to all. As a nation, we need to make medical liability insurance affordable, encourage health care practitioners to maintain their practices and reduce medical costs for patients.
3. America depends far too heavily on imported sources of energy, which threatens our economic and national security. I will work to support West Michigan efforts that will contribute to the nationwide goal of creating more energy and renewable resources here at home. It is our opportunity to become more secure, help to stabilize prices and create more jobs by cycling more dollars through the U.S. economy with American energy.
Did not respond in time for publication.
Dr. Graeser has practiced medicine in rural Fremont,
Michigan since 1972. He grew up in
Tucson, Arizona where he graduated in electrical engineering in 1962. After working as an engineer he
returned to medical school. In
addition to family medicine he also provided medical forensic expertise as
medical examiner to Newaygo, Osceola and Lake counties for 23 years. He voluntarily joined the U.S. Army
Reserves from which he retired as a full colonel in 1993.
1. The federal deficit is federal spending that exceeds
income. The collection of years of
deficits has made the federal debt.
The deficit and debt are paid for by domestic and international
borrowing. The lenders will
eventually insist that they be paid; when that happens our currency and our
economy will collapse. Our rulers
should start paying the debt down to prevent a cataclysmic collapse. I won't vote to pay off the debt
with higher taxes.
2. I am a physician who has treated patients for 34
years. I have lived in the turmoil
that has made health care expensive and, for the working poor, too costly to
buy. Malpractice liability and
federal laws are the main reasons for these problems. In the 75 words allotted here I can't explain how this
affects health care. Don't expect
lawyers and politicians to fix the health care mess. Only a doctor has a chance.
3. The federal government has outlawed recovery of most of the
oil in ANWAR (Alaska). It
has outlawed the mining of massive low sulfur coal reserves in Utah. Because our rulers have made it too
expensive and difficult to build refineries, no new ones have been built in
over 25 years. Our rulers have
mandated ethanol in gasoline in spite of the fact that there isn't enough
ethanol. These impediments and
unmentioned others must be removed.
Did not respond in time for publication.
