League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
	Hamilton, Butler County, OH November 2, 2010 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues US Representative; District 1

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Qualification, Priorities, Private sector regulation, Immigration, Outsourcing Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit) Answer from Steve Driehaus: As an elected official, I have a proven track record as a strong voice for my community's interests and values capable of delivering results. As a member of Congress, I have supported efforts to turn around our economy, enact critical reforms, and lay the groundwork for future prosperity. Answer from Rich Stevenson: I am an Ohio inhabitant for over 40 years. Natural born US Citizen (7 required as citizen); At 68 years of age I am over the required 25 years of age. Active in non-partisan politics since 1985, over 25 years. College graduate. Former Special Agent, US Army Intelligence. 2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit) Answer from Steve Driehaus: Job creation remains our top priority. We need to encourage small businesses to create jobs and invest in the economy. We can help accomplish this goal by passing legislation to make it easier for small businesses to borrow money. I will continue working across the aisle to secure resources and move forward with the Brent Spence Bridge improvement. We have won the support of top legislators in Congress and must continue to advocate for this project. I will keep fighting to sustain the Joint Strike Fighter competitive engine program, which is responsible for nearly 1,000 local jobs at GE Aviation. Answer from Rich Stevenson: I will sponsor the three bills mentioned and others in the House. Public support (over 80%) for these measures will force the House and the Senate to at least get these bills out of committee and onto the floor of both chambers for a vote. I will seek co-sponsors from every member of the House and the Senate. These three bills will open elections to the extent that neither major party will have a majority in either body of Congress. Solutions to all of our major problems will become possible due to solutions based non-partisan political harmony. 3. What is the role of the federal government in regulating the private sector? (150 word limit) Answer from Rich Stevenson: The federal government is limited to regulating interstate commerce. That language opens extensive connections in today's economy related to the media and communications industries, which are almost exclusively operated in more than one state. Retail and manufacturing industries are also interstate entities for nearly all companies and corporations. Even small businesses consider their markets to be interstate and even international. The financial industries obviously need regulation and oversight by Congress to ensure responsible business practices to avoid preventable economic downturns such as the recent disastrous meltdown begun in late 2008. Congress allowed the situation to grow worse over a 20 to 30 year period while enjoying re-election financed by industry lobbyists. Both parties seemed to be happy to take their money. We lost. The wrongdoers profit even today. We need a much stronger financial bill to protect the economy from future downturns caused by unchecked bubbles and greed. Answer from Steve Driehaus: The private sector creates jobs, drives competition, and grows our economy, and must remain free to do so. But the private sector does not ensure that Americans enjoy reasonable protections; that is the role the government must play. Under past leadership, our elected officials stood idly by as Wall Street put our economy at risk through reckless practices and unsound investments. The mortgage crisis and the recession were the direct results of unchecked markets that offered no protection to everyday consumers. Predatory lending and risky behavior turned our economy into a house of cards, and when the house collapsed, millions of Americans were turned out of their homes and our economy sunk into the worst recession in generations. The Wall Street reform we passed in Congress puts in place commonsense protections while allowing the private sector to do what it does best. 4. How will you address the challenges and opportunities to the United States posed by unauthorized immigrants? (150 word limit) Answer from Steve Driehaus: I believe we must do whatever it takes to secure our borders to limit the number of immigrants entering our country illegally, and we must enact comprehensive immigration reform. In recent years, leaders of both political parties supported solutions that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to suffer a penalty, go to the back of the line, and move forward with a legal naturalization process. This is a reasonable approach to a difficult problem, and I look forward to working in the next Congress to tackle this issue. Answer from Rich Stevenson: I will support legislation enabling each state to enforce immigration law to handle local and state problems caused by criminal and illegal behavior within their borders. I totally support the efforts in Arizona to enforce national immigration laws within their borders. Our country is for natural born/naturalized citizens and their interests. We have arrived at the upper level of sustainable population within our borders without the unwelcome illegal immigration from Mexico made possible by the unfortunate passage of NAFTA in the early 90s. Mexican population and economic problems are not our responsibility. We need to send illegal immigrants back to where they came from. We need a constitutional amendment to deny citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants within our borders. We need to expand immigration to recruit talented immigrants who will help our nation to prosper. Welfare is needed for citizens only. 5. What specific functions of the federal government can be performed better by contracting with the private sector? What specific functions of the federal government should not be contracted out to the private sector? (150 word limit) Answer from Rich Stevenson: As is already the case, many infrastructure projects could be completed by private competitive bid. We do need to increase government efficiency and improve organization within many government agencies. The private sector is not innately superior to government. I believe that health care should not be contracted out to private insurance companies. Profit motives of the 790 competing health insurance companies with primary fiduciary responsibilities to stockholders reduces the overall general level of good health within the US population. Only 1% of insurance health care dollars are spent toward preventative health measures. The level could easily be 10-15% of single payer health care dollars devoted to preventative health care measures. The hybrid "Obama" health care bill only extends problems without solving the problem of health care costs. Answer from Steve Driehaus: Government contracting helps ensure competition in our procurement process, which reduces taxpayer costs and improves quality of products. A good example is the Joint Strike Fighter competitive engine program. We know from history that a competitive propulsion system for our military aircraft promises long-term cost savings, reduced delivery time, and more reliable equipment for our military. That's one reason I've fought to keep this program intact. Contracting also represents important investments in the private sector. Again, the Joint Strike Fighter program is responsible for nearly 1,000 jobs in greater Cincinnati. These are not government jobs, but good, high-paying, private-sector jobs directly tied to government contracting. However, contractors should not perform work that is inherently the government's responsibility, such as providing security for our nation and its people. For instance, contractors should not be responsible for security of government buildings and installations, which occurred far too frequently under previous leadership. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.