The INDEPENDENT, October 19, 2011
Page 5
Candidates for Congressional District 1 answer forum questions
From page 1
The questions will be given
first, followed by the candidate
responses in alphabetical
order.
1. What steps will you take
to see that jobs are retained
and new one made?
common sense projects that
put people to work.
Brad Witt
Brad Avakian
Avakian – There are two cru-
cial pieces to get people back
to work; need to educate the
population. I’ve worked to get
shop classes back in schools.
10 schools will be rolling out
shop classes first. And, we
need to restart WPA to rebuild
infrastructure and keep logs in
the U.S., instead of exporting
them to [sawmills in] China and
Japan.
Suzanne Bonamici
Bonamici – Need to get back
to work on infrastructure, but
not everyone does those jobs,
so we need to help keep small
businesses here by expanding
the opportunities for small busi-
ness in the state, and use work
share and jobs to retro-fit
schools to help rebuild con-
sumer confidence.
Delgado-Morgan (no picture
available) – We need to stop
poor spending like the Colum-
bia River Crossing where mil-
lions of dollars have been
spent with nothing to show for
it. We need to cut down on
waste and put the dollars into
Witt – We need to begin
managing for forest health to
retain value and to realize eco-
nomic and resources. Our na-
tion needs to be focused on en-
ergy and infrastructure so we
have the best in infrastructure.
We need to end the Bush tax
cuts and invest them now.
2. We have no urgent care in
Columbia County, one in five
have no health insurance.
What are your thoughts on
health care and steps congress
can take to get health care to
rural communities?
Avakian – The health care
bill supported by Obama is just
a small step, but they took a
huge step in the wrong direc-
tion helping big insurance com-
panies by forcing people to buy
insurance. What I hope is that
congress does not think this is
the end of the discussion. We
need to make health care for
all, so all get the same cover-
age as legislators in D.C.
Bonamici – Affordable care
is only the first step. We need a
federal prescription plan and
need to recruit physicians to
rural settings.
Delgado-Morgan – 350 mil-
lion people on one system is
not the answer. Something like
Salud that gives free health
care, and local clinics is what is
needed.
Witt – Too many people
have to forego health care be-
cause they can’t afford it. Our
health care is ranked 13th of 16
western industrial nations in
the world. We are spending a
lot of money and not getting
good care. We need something
like Medicare for everyone.
3. How will you protect your
vulnerable constituents and
help them get through govern-
ment bureaucracy?
Avakian – As a civil rights
attorney, a large part of my
business was helping people
get Social Security benefits. As
your representative, I would
focus on the system. Social Se-
curity is not going to run out of
money. Medicare needs pur-
chasing programs to bring
down the cost. We need more
preventive care. For the con-
stituents, I will have staff here
to work on those issues (then
he gave out his personal cell
phone number).
Bonamici – I’ve worked on
affordable housing. I want to
make clear – we’re not in this
place because of the middle
class. We absolutely can make
helping those constituents who
need it a priority, I promise.
Delgado-Morgan – Social
Security needs to stay exactly
as it is for now, but younger
people should be able to priva-
tized and use the best of their
ability. All Medicare and Medic-
aid money should stay in the
states. The Feds should only
get our money for defense and
a few other things. I will have
staff and volunteers available
24 hours to solve constituent
problems.
Witt – We need changes in
access to medical care. Every
single citizen needs to have ac-
cess to health care.
4. Do you agree it’s wrong to
scapegoat illegals? What do
you propose on immigration?
Avakian, Bonamici, Delga-
do-Morgan, and Witt all an-
swered similarly…that we are a
nation of immigrants and we
need to have an efficient path
for people to become citizens.
5. We have been neglecting
our infrastructure. What can we
do to avoid further loss of infra-
structure?
Avakian – Reactivate WPA
program and here’s how to pay
for it – end Wall Street loop-
holes, make the rich pay their
fair share. And bring our troops
home. We need to improve ed-
ucation policy and keep the
feds out of schools. End No
Child Left Behind and bring
back music and shop classes.
Bonamici – I got involved in
politics to strengthen educa-
tion. Get rid of No Child Left
Behind and retrofit schools,
help small businesses to revi-
talize and rebuild infrastruc-
ture.
Delgado-Morgan – We can
decide to fix all neighborhoods,
it all depends on how the
monty is spent. Get rid of big
departments and bring the
money back to Oregon.
Witt – The way we get out of
the economic crisis and create
more good jobs is to invest in
infrastructure. Construction ori-
ented jobs will help, then we
have adequate revenues to
support schools and the rest.
6. Do you support Oregon
becoming a Right to Work
state? (Editor’s Note: A Right to
Work law prohibits any agree-
ment between an employer
and a labor union to make
union membership a condition
of employment.)
Avakian – For me, this state
will never be a Right to Work
state.
Bonamici – No! I appreciate
unions, and I’m tired of the war
on the middle class.
Delgado-Morgan – I have no
problem with Right to Work.
They’ve all been trained and
are safe.
Witt – Absolutely no! Right to
Work is another attempt to bury
the middle class. When Idaho
went Right to Work, the wages
dropped by a third and busi-
nesses have closed. I’ll never
to my last breath allow Right to
Work in this state.
7. What do you believe is the
affect on jobs of trade deals
and the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
Avakian – I have always op-
posed NAFTA. We in Oregon
are seventh out of all the states
in job losses. I’d have a strong
no vote on shipping jobs over-
seas.
Bonamici – I would have to
look at each trade agreement
to see how it affects jobs in our
district and state.
Delgado-Morgan – We
should not be shipping jobs
See Candidates, page 10