The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.

See below for questions on Qualifications, Pressing Issue, Federal Deficit, Health Care, Public Transportation, Patriot Act

Click on a name for other candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.

Answer from Jean Schmidt:

Party: Republican

Residence: Loveland

Marital Status: Married (Peter)

(Prev.) Occupation: Public Official

Prev. Political Exp.: Miami Twp. Trustee, 1980-present

Birthdate: 11/29/1951

Birthplace: Cincinnati, OH

Religion: Catholic

Committee: Schmidt for Congress

Answer from David R. Smith:

- I understand that proper role of government and how our freedoms are lost and the economy is stifled with increases in government programs and spending.
- I have a strong education and experience. I have an M.B.A. in Finance from America's top business school. I have extensive experience analyzing million dollar projects and billion dollar spending budgets at various Fortune 500 companies. My strong education and in-depth experience provide me the foundation to successfully address the fiscal and economic problems we face.
- I am a "Patriot Leader". In the spirit of our Founding Fathers, I will stand up and fight for what is right and good. I will provide strong moral leadership to confront our nation's declining moral values and set the example in my personal life. For real change, we will need real leadership. I will inspire change. I will make a difference.

Answer from Eric Minamyer:

16 years elected office experience, School Board and Township Trustee

I am the only veteran in the Republican primary with five deployments to the war on terrorism since 9/11. 3 years in uniform; retired Nov 2004 after returning from the Middle East in late 2003.

Senior officer with direct reporting to the Navy Inspector General and the Secretary of the Navy. Navy Captain, which is the same as a Colonel in the Army.

Hamilton County Special Deputy, former prosecutor, former chief inspector for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, former Inspector General for major Navy commands including Central Command in the Middle East responsible for oversight of billions of dollars and 178,000 sailors and marines.

Attorney since 1979 with an advanced law degree in labor law from Georgetown University.

Former Congressional Aide to Chuck Whalen of Ohio.

Answer from Bob McEwen:

I am a native of Hillsboro, Ohio and have served as an Ohio State Representative as well as 12 years of Congressional experience. From 1980-1993 I represented six of the seven counties in our current District. While a Member of Congress I served as Special Presidential Envoy for both Presidents Reagan and Bush. I was chosen as a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence as well as the House Committee on Rules. I was a United States representative to the European Parliament from 1985 to 1993, and participated as a U.S. observer in Warsaw, Poland to the first ever parliamentary election of a non-communist leader of a Soviet bloc country. My previous experience enables me to return to Congress with the same level of seniority as retiring Congressman Rob Portman. Congressman Boehner has stated that this will be a significant benefit to the Congressional delegation from Ohio.

Answer from Peter A. Fossett:

I am an intelligent and thoughtful person of high moral character and commitment who can think well about the issues facing the country while persuasively promoting and protecting the interests of the 2nd District with honesty and integrity. As the result of my educational and professional backgrounds, I have a deep understanding of the American experience and of our constitutional system. I know the problems we have faced as a country and the solutions we have attempted; I know what works and what does not. I know the lessons of history and can use them to secure the best possible future for our children and grandchildren.

Answer from Jeff Morgan:

I am a conservative, Christian family man. Furthermore, I am a trusted businessman and 16 year rural mail carrier. My wife and I volunteered for 14 years in youth ministry in our local church, and our entire family serve on the staff of Mt Hope Bible Camp in Scioto County. I have a great education and the ability to truly listen and communicate. Southern Ohio has always been my home and I will represent Southern Ohio values well in Washington.

Answer from David R. Smith:

National Defense - I support President Bush and our troops in the war on Iraq. As a member of Congress, I would continue to provide both the moral and financial support to our troops and would work to turn power over to the Iraqi Government as quickly as possible. I believe freedom and democracy in Iraq will bring stability to the region. Economy + I support the President's tax cuts and I would work to further reduce both personal income taxes and taxes on businesses. I would work to reduce government regulations. Reducing taxes and eliminating regulations are the keys to boosting our economy and increasing our competitiveness in global markets. Moral Values + I believe our nation's declining moral values are destroying the foundation that makes America great. Abortion, pornography, same-sex marriage, and the expulsion of God and Religion from our society are deteriorating our country. I would work to confront these issues.

Answer from Peter A. Fossett:

Top concerns include reforming the Social Security system in a way that protects current retirees while strengthening the system for future retirees, promoting a tax system that ensures economic liberty and strong economic growth for all Americans, and vigilantly protecting our national security against external and internal threats. Please see my extended thoughts on these issues on by following the "Political Philosophy" link on the previous page.

Answer from Bob McEwen:

Protecting America:

As a returning member of Congress, I would continue my work to help secure America from foreign and domestic threats and strengthen our national security. While serving in Congress on the Select Committee on Intelligence, I introduced critical national security legislation, including the National Strategy Act, which realigned the chain of command during times of hostilities. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and General Norman Schwarzkopf acknowledged this legislation played a major role in the success of Operation Desert Storm. In a time of continuing and complicated terrorist threats, Ohio needs the leadership and influence of an experienced representative. Should the voters of the Second District return me to Congress, I will enter the House with the same seniority and committee influence that enabled him to shape major legislation and improve the security of the United States--through a strong national defense, secure borders, and support for new democratic nations.

Cutting Taxes, Controlling Spending and Creating Job Opportunities:

Working with President Reagan, I voted to cut taxes--working to reduce the burden on families and businesses in order to spur economic growth, jobs, and prosperity. Small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people have made this country the most prosperous nation on earth, and I believe that controlling spending and reducing burdensome taxes and regulations is the key to continuing economic growth and reducing the deficit. I have never stopped working for these policies, and my record shows that the voters can trust me to continue to do so in Congress.

Promoting and Living our Traditional Values:

I have served as a steadfast pro-life legislator, with a perfect pro-life voting record both in the Ohio General Assembly and the United States Congress. While serving on the House Rules Committee, I was able to add pro-life amendments to legislation and led the fight to protect the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions. I will continue to protect traditional marriage and the sanctity of life, preserve our full Pledge of Allegiance, and promote and live Ohio family values.

Answer from Jeff Morgan:

1)Foundational issues affecting the family are a priority. I support passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman. We have activists from around the country trying to legitimize homosexual "unions". Whatever these may be, they are not marriages and should not be recognized as such. Restoring our religious freedoms is also crucial. I will work to restore our right to publicly display the Ten Commandments, have voluntary prayer in schools and keep "under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge to work tirelessly in support of pro-life legislation. We must end all forms of abortion in this nation and restore respect for innocent life. 2)Balancing the Federal Budget is key to getting our country back on its financial feet. You and I live within our means, balance our checkbooks, and sacrifice to make ends meet. I expect people in Washington to do the same. 3)Completing our mission in Iraq is a concern to us all. I vigorously support our military and will give them what they need to be effective and safe. I believe we should complete our mission, transfer defenses to the Iraqis, and get our service men and women home safely as soon as possible.

Answer from Eric Minamyer:

National Defense and Homeland Security: I will support our troops 100%. We need to quickly train the Iraqi police and army so we do not have to garrison Iraq. We should strengthen our border defenses by using military resources given our war on terrorism.

Please note that the Enquirer edited my responses in the June 5 paper and distorted my position. My complete submissions are in the position papers herein just as I sent them in. There was sufficient space to include all my remarks. I was a senior officer in Iraqi Freedom and support what we are doing.

Social Security: I will keep faith with those who paid into the system for a lifetime. I will oppose any reduction in benefits. See further answer below.

Lower Taxes and Balanced Budget: Again see further remarks below. In my 16 years of elected office I have produced 16 balanced budgeets. We need a balanced budget amendment to keep Congress under control. I will support making the tax cut permanent. I will fight to repeal the marriage penalty.

Answer from Eric Minamyer:

Control of spending, especially by advancing the Balanced Budget Amendment. The sooner we can successfully turn over military operations in Iraq to the Iraqis the sooner we can return military spending to peacetime amounts. I do want to ensure readiness, however.

As Inspector General/Chief Inspector I investigated and uncovered fraud, waste and abuse in both military and social programs.

Answer from Peter A. Fossett:

The deficit should be addressed by reducing spending and not by raising taxes. We must place legally-enforcable caps on spending in order to force the government to set spending priorities; Congress should trade off spending for priority programs with cuts in lower-priority programs. National defense and homeland security should be priorities, because they are core constitutional functions of the national government. Middle-class entitlement programs -- such as Medicare -- are growing at unsustainable rates and need to be restrained and reformed.

Answer from Bob McEwen:

I support a two-pronged approach to containing the federal deficit that requires controlled spending and lower taxes to stimulate economic growth. I support preserving President Bush's lower tax rates that have given us a growth rate twice as great as our competitor nations. As the greater revenues flow to Washington as a result of a growing economy (up 146 Billion during the first quarter of 2005) it is essential that Congress not squander those tax dollars in silly expenditures.

Answer from Jeff Morgan:

This is one area that can be a win/win situation. President Bush has enacted tax cuts which should be made permanent. Tax cuts have worked time and time again to spur economic activity. I believe the best person to handle your money is you. I believe in tax credits which benefits families, since they are so foundational to this country. Many broken or single-parent families end up in the trap of government dependence. We set pregnant young ladies up with housing, medical benefits, food stamps and a check with terrible results such as perpetuating poverty and dependence. Government needs to reassess its role and responsibilities and scrutinize the results of programs, eliminating those that are counterproductive. Cutting spending is also an important component to balancing the Federal Budget. When our yearly spending is under control, money must be designated for deficit reduction. Currently, we are wasting money paying interest, our debt load is pushing the dollars value down, and our trade balance is out of line. Strengthening the dollar through fiscally conservative policies will remedy many of these ills. As I first mentioned about a win-win situation, when more money is in the hands of consumers, receipts to the government have historically risen!

Answer from Bob McEwen:

We need to reduce regulation and reduce our reliance on third-party payment systems, and I will continue to support legislation that helps make our health care system more patient-centered. I, therefore, support President Bush's Health Savings Accounts that encourage individual choice, accountability and control in health care decisions. I will continue to work for market solutions that expand health care coverage without moving to a destructive system of centralized bureaucratic control and rationing. A major ingredient to less costly health care is continued support for the President's law suit reforms.

Answer from Jeff Morgan:

I believe the Federal Government was never intended to provide health care for this entire nation and any such program would be very inefficient. The skyrocketing cost of health care is closely related to lawsuits and the liability insurance policy premiums care providers must pay. Ambulance-chasers are more than happy to ply their predatory practices where there are deep pockets. The medical field has been hit hard with exorbitant awards paid to patients. There is a need for caps on these awards and federal oversight of liability for care providers. These reforms coupled with medical choice will mutually bring costs down. Pharmaceuticals are also a concern with prescriptions eating up a huge percentage of many budgets. Individuals purchasing prescriptions need the option of joining groups with bulk buying power, as well as the option to purchase from any safe source. Currently, approval of new drugs by the FDA is slow and prohibitively costly. U.S. consumers pay the bulk of these research and development costs, while other countries many times purchase these same products for a fraction of the cost. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure its citizens safe medicines, but we must never have trade policies and restrictions that effectively result in subsidized pharmaceuticals for other countries. Concerning our senior citizens, we must adequately fund the programs they depend on while working to develop other alternatives.

Answer from Peter A. Fossett:

The federal government's role with respect to health care should be very limited. The keys to an effective and efficient health care system are competition and consumer choice, not government regulation and allocation. The federal government can play a role in reforming the tax code to reduce our dependence on employer-provided health care and to promote arrangements that maximixe the ability of individuals to control their own health care spending.

Answer from Eric Minamyer:

The current programs under Medicaid and Medicare are the principle federal programs. We need to tighten up the monitoring of these program to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse. When cheaters steal from these programs they are taking benefits from the truly deserving and needy.

The government should support ethical research. I oppose embrionic stem cell research. I also oppose human cloning.

I oppose federal funding of abortion. In fact, I am 100% pro-life.

Answer from Jeff Morgan:

We need quality transportation across the district. This one area of infrastructure benefits both businesses and individuals. Good transportation options also provide the opportunity for businesses to locate in more rural locations where workers are readily available and help reduce worker commutes. I will work with local planners to improve existing roads and transportation, and participate in planning for future expansion and congestion reduction.

Answer from Bob McEwen:

I worked successfully to securing funding and passing legislation for the construction of Ohio 32, which was completed in 1997 and has served as a vital link for business in southwestern Ohio. Route 32 and 125 require immediate upgrading and improvement. I would continue to work on expanding balanced transportation in the Second District. In particular, the completion of the Eastern Corridor is essential for safety and economic improvement of the region. Accomplishing this task quickly will require a Second District Representative with experience and seniority.Finally, my legislation provided for the last three bridges across the Ohio in over a third of a century. Such steps as well as incorporation of transportation alternatives can be a significant boost for our area.

Answer from Eric Minamyer:

Having traveled extensively as a naval officer, I know how valuable rapid mass transit is. I will support such systems, especially highspeed rail, which I believe will not only improve transportation, but can help keep the environment clean and rduce our dependence on foreign oil.

The American people still want to use the automobile as their principle means of commuting to/from work. In the long-term we need mass transit that is reliable and safe. We must start setting up these systems now due to the length of time and the cost of such transportation systems. I prefer to gradually build such a system starting now rather than be in the position in the future of needing it, but not being able to do it fast enough if at all due to costs.

We need to increase security on all means of transportation as a matter of national defense.

Answer from Jeff Morgan:

Provisions of the Patriot Act need to be scrutinized in regard to their use, intention, intrusion on personal rights, and their results. While I am in favor of renewal of Patriot Act,I am currently unaware of any justification for further expansion.

Answer from Peter A. Fossett:

I support renewal of the Patriot Act and careful consideration of its expansion. Effective homeland security must provide for liberty as well as security; intrusions upon our fundamental rights must be justified by a demonstration of their effectiveness in diminishing security threats. I believe the Patriot Act strengthens our ability to protect ourself without unduly interfering with our civil liberties, and welcome extensions that strike a similar balance.

Answer from Bob McEwen:

I support President Bush's plan to protect America's national security, including the USA Patriot Act, which helps intelligence and law enforcement officials by allowing the same tools available for tracking drug dealers and money launderers for use in the battle against those who seek to kill us and destroy our nation. I support a renewal of the Patriot Act to help law enforcement dismantle terror cells and impose stiffer sentences on terrorists. As a father with a son in the Marines, I consider our national security vital if we are to enjoy any other benefits of freedom.

Answer from Eric Minamyer:

The Patriot Act should be renewed. We are still very much in danger and we cannot let down our guard.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.