Q&A Time/Final Remarks
The Q&A format was pretty straight forward. Lyall would ask the questions and each candidate would get one minute to answer. Because I was writing (long story) this all out all questions and answers are paraphrased from my shorthand.
Q1) What will you do when you get to DC to try to get rid of the partisan rancor?
Jason Chaffetz - I don't care who gets the credit as long as a solution is found. Take the Legacy Parkway for example (not to try to take credit) - I forged relationships on both sides of the aisle so that all concerns were addressed so that the highway could get built.
Ben Spencer - Term limits and you have to take a stand against leadership. He talked about how he spoke out against Speaker Pelosi adjourning 5 weeks ago leaving a bill on the floor that was trying to address the energy crisis.
Q2) What do you think are the two biggest threats facing the country today?
B - International or Domestic?
Q - each.
B - Russia Pakistan and Iran are the greatest international threats. Pakistan has nuclear weapons and political unrest. Russia - we just don't know if the old guard or the new guard are in control. Iran - Ahmadinejad is "nuts" - we are not sure who is in power or what their intentions are.
J - We are hearing no solutions here just a list of problems. We need to drive down our debt. Debt notes devalue our currency. Billions go daily to people who don't like us. Immigration is a national security issue that must be addressed.
Q - Domestic?
J - You can not separate domestic and international issues as they are intertwined.
B - Immigration - I agree with Jason. We need to rework NAFTA. Weakened dollar increases interest rates. Dollar value has direct impact on gas prices. People gave President Bush a hard time for going to Beijing for the Olympics but we can not longer push China around anymore on human rights issues. They own too many of our debt notes.
Q3) When does life begin?
J - at conception. I am opposed to abortion
B - I agree with Jason. Life begins at birth and I am opposed to abortion.
Q4) Do you consider health care to be a "constitutional right"?
B - Nothing in Constitution that says that. The Founding Fathers were "divinely inspired" when the wrote the Constitution. It is a "moral" response - it is because government already subsidizes so much health care and government can not "discriminate".
J - No this is not the proper role of government. We need to put more into the hands of private providers and in the individual states. We need to transition away from a Medicare/Medicaid model in a methodical way but no socialized medicine as is being proposed now.
Q5) Define "excess profits" and if we get into taxing "excess" oil company profits what industry is next?
J - I am opposed to "windfall profits" taxes. Rather than taking federal money in the form of earmarks, we need to just give "block grants" to the states and let THEM decide where the money needs to be spent. Transportation decisions need to be made by the states and not the feds. We don't have a "revenue" problem we have a spending problem - cut irresponsible spending and the money for necessary spending will be there.
B - I agree that we have a "spending" problem. It is easy to pick on oil companies because they are successful at running their business. The Senate "investigations" into the oil companies were mostly grandstanding. I am against the Obama "windfall profits" plan because companies are entitled to make a profit. We need to let the oil companies work on what they are good at.
Q6) What steps will YOU take to foster government transparency?
B - The press needs to step up and do their job (in fostering transparency). One thought (from Senator Obama) is to make CSPAN more accessible and put more content on it but who really watches CSPAN. The people need to hold the press accountable and make them do their job.
J - I think how you run your campaign is a good indicator of how you will act as Congressman. I fully disclose all my donors - not just those who give over $250 as is required by the law. We need to make the budgeting process more accessible - put budget bills on line. One thing I will do is to reject all airdropped earmarks until the system has been reformed.
Final Remarks
Ben Spencer - thanks for being here and thanks for holding the press accountable. While my opponent and I disagree on much we will have a "good" campaign.
Jason Chaffetz - If we get the principles right we will then get the process of governing right.
My thoughts next.
Q1) What will you do when you get to DC to try to get rid of the partisan rancor?
Jason Chaffetz - I don't care who gets the credit as long as a solution is found. Take the Legacy Parkway for example (not to try to take credit) - I forged relationships on both sides of the aisle so that all concerns were addressed so that the highway could get built.
Ben Spencer - Term limits and you have to take a stand against leadership. He talked about how he spoke out against Speaker Pelosi adjourning 5 weeks ago leaving a bill on the floor that was trying to address the energy crisis.
Q2) What do you think are the two biggest threats facing the country today?
B - International or Domestic?
Q - each.
B - Russia Pakistan and Iran are the greatest international threats. Pakistan has nuclear weapons and political unrest. Russia - we just don't know if the old guard or the new guard are in control. Iran - Ahmadinejad is "nuts" - we are not sure who is in power or what their intentions are.
J - We are hearing no solutions here just a list of problems. We need to drive down our debt. Debt notes devalue our currency. Billions go daily to people who don't like us. Immigration is a national security issue that must be addressed.
Q - Domestic?
J - You can not separate domestic and international issues as they are intertwined.
B - Immigration - I agree with Jason. We need to rework NAFTA. Weakened dollar increases interest rates. Dollar value has direct impact on gas prices. People gave President Bush a hard time for going to Beijing for the Olympics but we can not longer push China around anymore on human rights issues. They own too many of our debt notes.
Q3) When does life begin?
J - at conception. I am opposed to abortion
B - I agree with Jason. Life begins at birth and I am opposed to abortion.
Q4) Do you consider health care to be a "constitutional right"?
B - Nothing in Constitution that says that. The Founding Fathers were "divinely inspired" when the wrote the Constitution. It is a "moral" response - it is because government already subsidizes so much health care and government can not "discriminate".
J - No this is not the proper role of government. We need to put more into the hands of private providers and in the individual states. We need to transition away from a Medicare/Medicaid model in a methodical way but no socialized medicine as is being proposed now.
Q5) Define "excess profits" and if we get into taxing "excess" oil company profits what industry is next?
J - I am opposed to "windfall profits" taxes. Rather than taking federal money in the form of earmarks, we need to just give "block grants" to the states and let THEM decide where the money needs to be spent. Transportation decisions need to be made by the states and not the feds. We don't have a "revenue" problem we have a spending problem - cut irresponsible spending and the money for necessary spending will be there.
B - I agree that we have a "spending" problem. It is easy to pick on oil companies because they are successful at running their business. The Senate "investigations" into the oil companies were mostly grandstanding. I am against the Obama "windfall profits" plan because companies are entitled to make a profit. We need to let the oil companies work on what they are good at.
Q6) What steps will YOU take to foster government transparency?
B - The press needs to step up and do their job (in fostering transparency). One thought (from Senator Obama) is to make CSPAN more accessible and put more content on it but who really watches CSPAN. The people need to hold the press accountable and make them do their job.
J - I think how you run your campaign is a good indicator of how you will act as Congressman. I fully disclose all my donors - not just those who give over $250 as is required by the law. We need to make the budgeting process more accessible - put budget bills on line. One thing I will do is to reject all airdropped earmarks until the system has been reformed.
Final Remarks
Ben Spencer - thanks for being here and thanks for holding the press accountable. While my opponent and I disagree on much we will have a "good" campaign.
Jason Chaffetz - If we get the principles right we will then get the process of governing right.
My thoughts next.
Labels: Bennion Spencer, Jason Chaffetz
posted by The Lady Logician at
6:01 PM
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