League of Women Voters of Michigan
© LWVMI Education Fund
2008
District 11
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.
1.
What should the
federal government do, if anything, to ensure that every American has health
coverage? (75 words)
2.
What should be
done, if anything, at the federal level to reduce our use of and dependence on
fossil fuels? (75 words)
3.
What measures
would you support at the federal level that would help our
District 11
Thaddeus G. McCotter,
Republican
I am seeking re-election to
continue working for my fellow residents to represent and address our
community’s critical concerns in The People’s House. Having previously been entrusted by my fellow
citizens with this office, I have matched my words with my deeds, and worked
for and with my constituents to reach our shared goal of improving the quality
of life in our community, our state and our country.
1. Citizens in our country need adequate, affordable
health care and I am committed to further stabilizing our nation’s health care
system. Many critical concerns remain,
the foremost being to effectuate a decrease in cost escalations to ensure our
most at risk fellow citizens are adequately insured.
2. It is crucial we do all we can to lower gas prices and
energy costs by increasing domestic production, promoting conservation and
encouraging free market innovation of clean alternative fuels. Common sense conservation, free market
innovation, and more domestic production for a responsible transition to American
energy security and independence.
3. Despite a decline in national
unemployment levels, our state remains severely impacted by job losses,
especially in our manufacturing sector.
In response, we must set the conditions to allow American businesses to
reduce unemployment and prosper by lowering taxes, combating high gas prices,
encouraging tourism and promoting small business.
Joseph W. Larkin, Democrat
Attorney
for twenty years, graduating from U of M Law School. Further
biographical information is on my website: Larkinleadership.com. Owned my own
law firm for the last 19 years, from which I have learned how businesses,
individuals, and families are suffering economically and my focus will be on
the economy and creating jobs for AMERICANS. I was raised Catholic (member St
Edith Catholic Church,
1. Universal healthcare is an increasingly
important option: 1) for corporate
2. Aggressive investment in alternative energy to break dependence on foreign oil, fight high gas prices, create American jobs, and stimulate the economy. Create a “Manhattan Project” type organization devoted to scientific study and research of alternative energy, conservation, and increased fuel efficiency. Take all other logical, cost effective, and environmentally sound alternatives (e.g. nuclear could be a possibility). Use some form of carbon emissions limitations system. See Larkinleadership.com for more details. 3. 1) Aggressive investment in alternative
energy to fight high gas prices, create American jobs, and stimulate the
John J. Tatar, Libertarian
Mr. Tatar has a son, John,
captain in the air force and a daughter, Carrie, at WSU/PhD program. He graduated from WSU with a BS, MS in
Education. Retired from the Livonia
Public Schools with 31 years teaching English, social studies, industrial arts,
home construction, building trades, building maintenance, and drafting,
technical lab., woods, American history, and government. Mr. Tatar is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel
from the USAF W/31 years of service.
1. Government should not get involved with
health care. Social Security is one
example of the many dismal failures of programs administered by government. Many want to privatize. The government must guarantee a free and
competitive health care market and remove the strangle hold of the AMA, and
Drug companies. Allow alternative
medicine, vitamins and minerals to be on par, working for a health care not
sick care insurance. Let the consumer
make the choice.
2. The federal government should stay out of the
economy. There should not be an
incentive for or a tax policy against what kind of cars the people drive. The choice should be determined by the free
market.
3. Remove all federal regulations from the top
to the bottom. Let
Erik Shelley, Green
No Biography
1. Policy decisions must be made with respect to
the health needs of Americans rather than what will best protect the profits of
insurance companies. People who do not have medical insurance do not
stop getting sick. They wait until their health concerns become so
serious that they need to seek the most expensive care in the emergency room.
Good decisions must be based on the truth, not what we want the truth to
be.
2. Impeach President George W. Bush before the
2008 elections. We can not make appropriate policy decisions if the oil
industry is allowed to influence the Executive branch and evidence of the
global impact of carbon based energy sources is manipulated. Good
decisions must be based on the truth, not what we want the truth to be.
3. Impeach President George W. Bush before the
2008 elections. If he is not held accountable for his use of no-bid and
"cost plus" contracts, we can expect to see this practice continue in
future administrations. We can not seriously talk about continuing tax
cuts when our nation is so deeply in debt, and the