|
|
|
|
Miscellaneous National Issues Abortion: I believe in Respect for the individual which includes respect for a woman’s right to choose what is best for her health and her personal situation. Government has no business in this area. I would like to see abortion be rare. We have programs to help women seek alternatives. I support these programs and I will support other initiatives to provide women safe alternatives where their privacy is protected. Ultimately, however, respect for the individual means I respect a woman’s right to make a very private choice without government interference. Afghanistan: This the front in the real war against terrorists. It and the war in Iraq have been poorly managed by the Bush Administration. al-Qaeda and the Taliban are reassembling and we need to take steps to address the Afghan drug problem. Afghan farmers who grow legal crops are at risk for standing up to drug lords and need to be protected for their bravery. When we have a Democratic President in the Whitehouse, our nation's attention will return to Afghanistan. Death Penalty: I am opposed to the State taking life. I believe it is morally wrong for the government to take a human’s life. No exceptions. Have you ever noticed that every four years, politicians come up with new reasons to impose death penalty. I will support strong prison terms with no chance of parole for violent criminals but I will consistently oppose the death penalty. Healthcare: Uninsured Citizens live a life of anxiety fearing they or some one in the family will become sick or get hurt and they will not be able to afford quality healthcare. Uninsured Citizens use emergency services for routine healthcare because it is the only healthcare available. It would be more cost effective for the state to assist uninsured citizens obtain insurance than for our citizens to support the uninsured through higher insurance costs and higher taxes. I will support programs provide insurance for those who do not qualify for Medicaid but can not afford insurance for themselves and/or their families. I support programs to provide insurance for all citizens of Colorado. Access to qualified insurance programs allows our citizens to live healthier, less stressful lives which in turn mean better and longer lives. Citizens without insurance not only have limited to no healthcare options, they live a more stressful life worrying about theirs’ and their families’ health. I believe employer provided healthcare insurance allows for reduced costs through the economies of representing a group when bargaining for better rates. The business community has historically seen the provision of health insurance for its employees as a standard cost of doing business. I think all employers should view insurance in that manner. I will support legislation which will allow other groups to bargain collectively for better insurance coverage and rates. Employees should be able to opt out of the employer provided insurance for another group’s insurance package and receive additional compensation from the employer in lieu of insurance coverage. Minimum Wage: Colorado Minimum wage is in line with federal minimum wage laws. The State has a COLA increase to automatically adjust minimum wage. I believe the Federal Minimum Wage should be tied to Cost-of-Living Index where the minimum wage would be adjusted annually based on that index. National Debt: The federal government needs a balanced budget. We are leveraging our children’s future. We need more productivity and innovation to eliminate the deficit. I will deliver the thought leadership to improve Colorado's use of technology to deliver productivity improvements and reduce overall cost of government. Conservatives used to believe in small government and balanced budgets. I have no idea what happened to those principles under the Bush administration. Sub-prime Lending and Foreclosure Crisis: Many working men and women have suffered greatly during the recent sub-prime lending and foreclosure crisis. Cities in Colorado are amongst some of the hardest hit in the nation. I will support programs to help families save their homes where citizens were the victims of unfair or dishonest loan practices. I will support sanctions for lenders who prey on these citizens. I will also support programs to help home owners move from variable rate loans where their monthly payments have now grow beyond their ability to pay to fixed rate loans. Finally, I will support programs to keep home owners in houses during foreclosure. Trade: I believe strongly in fair trade. We are living in a global economy. There is no turning back from that. That being said, we need to make sure that we protect our workers and their jobs, their pay and benefits, and their work environments. I will support fair trade arrangements which protect workers. Fair trade by definition is good for both sides of the arrangement. I support lobbying members of Colorado Congressional and Senate delegations to also support fair trade arrangements as I have described and oppose trade deals which would harm Colorado. Veterans should be able to go to the healthcare provider of their choice. The VA system should be for special services, not general health care. Veterans should access to the same facilities and services as the citizens they protect. The current system requires vets to go to an overwhelmed VA facility. Regardless of how we might feel about the Iraq War, we need to prepare for the additional capacity which will be needed to support the vets from the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. By allowing vets to use local services for routine healthcare, the VA system can focus on the special services needed by vets. War in Iraq: I completely support our troops and I want to see our soldiers come home as soon as safely possible. I agree with those who assert that the War in Iraq has diverted our attention from Afghanistan where our focus of our efforts against terrorists should be. The Bush administration squandered the international support which America had after 9/11 by invading Iraq under a false pretext that Iraq was involved in al-Qaeda's attacks on the US. Please click the link below to share your thoughts about this issue. Click here to send comments about issue - National Issues. |
|
Send mail to
jralsup@josephalsup.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|