League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Citizen Education Fund
	Dukes, Barnstable, Nantucket Counties, MA September 16, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues State Representative; Barnstable, Dukes & Nantucket District; Unenrolled Party

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Massaschusetts and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Employment, Infrastructure, Education Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What proposals do you have to increase employment opportunities in Massachusetts? Answer from Melissa C. Freitag: Melissa Freitag believes that grant initiatives such as MassTech and the Life Sciences Funding project will create a healthier atmosphere for doing business in Massachusetts, and will attract entrepreneurs in the sciences and "Green Collar" industries to the state. Additionally, reinforcing our school systems and appropriately funding our public universities will attract businesses; creating a skilled workforce base attracts new businesses, and hence jobs. Education and economics are inextricably intertwined: the stronger the educational opportunities we offer, the stronger the economy will become. 2. How will you rectify problems with aging Massachusetts infrastructure, especially bridges and tunnels? Answer from Melissa C. Freitag: We must invest before our aging infrastructure becomes a safety problem. Tightening/closing corporate tax loopholes can provide some additional revenues to be reinvested into our roads and bridges. Melissa Freitag insists that while we repair traditional transit corridors, we must also create more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as bike lanes/bus routes/commuter rail/subway lines, and encourage "smart growth" so our roads will be less travelled... 3. Governor Patrick has proposed a wide-ranging plan to transform education in the Commonwealth. What do you see as the top priorities in his plan and what funding mechanism do you feel will enable their successful implementation? Answer from Melissa C. Freitag: The Governor's 'Readiness Schools' plan proposes dramatic changes for Massachusetts schools. Melissa Freitag recognizes that some of the plan's suggestions can and should be implemented immediately, while other components ring refreshingly idealistic, and will have to wait for greater societal change before they can be applied. As a former high school teacher, Freitag agrees that smaller class size and more appropriate teacher compensation should take priority now, while increasing school day length can be gradually implemented in the near term. Schools need to update teaching philosophies to match the needs of 21st century society and economy. By educating our students to be synthesizing and creative thinkers, as opposed to just memorizing facts -- as current testing trends encourage -- we will create a more vibrant local work force, which in turn will help stimulate the MA economy and provide a greater tax base. Closing certain budget loop-holes, and perhaps creating a new tax category of greatly endowed universities (which currently pay no taxes, yet own much property in MA) will provide some funding for increased school investment. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.