League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
State of California (Butte, Shasta, Nevada, Tehama, Siskiyou, Placer, Lassen, Plumas, Modoc, Sierra, Glenn Counties) June 5, 2012 Election
	Michael Dacquisto Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 1

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. In this time of high unemployment, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy?

The only long term jobs government spending creates are government jobs. Creating government jobs will not solve our problems. Private sector jobs must be created.

The government needs to stop borrowing and spending money it does not have. Positive steps in that area will cause the private sector to begin expansion and to start new ventures. This will increase employment.

The government needs to stop interfering in the economy. It needs to reduce its regulations. They do nothing but strangle business and free enterprise. They create great uncertainty in the private capital markets which makes business very reluctant to invest its capital. When the government shows positive action that demonstrates it will let private enterprise flourish robust job growth will follow in short order.

2. How should the federal budget deficit be addressed, now and into the future? How should budget priorities for defense and domestic programs be adjusted?

Stop the borrowing now. Do not raise the national debt. This will force Congress to make meaningful spending cuts, not just argue about reducing the annual rate of increase of spending. Because Congress had not been able to come up with intelligent spending cuts for the last 50 years, I would enact across the board spending cuts, 10% is a good number, and try to have the appropriations from Congress reduced by that amount. If that could not be done, I would seek legislation directing the managers of each department to implement a 10% cut. In private enterprise this would be easy. Under this solution, no programs are cut. Instead everything we have is just run at a reduced level.

3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy? Should there be an emphasis on clean energy and reducing carbon emissions, and/or on reducing our dependence on foreign sources?

The emphasis must first be on reducing dependence on foreigh sources of energy/oil. Clean energy and reducing carbon emissions will come naturally, when those energy technologies are cost competitive. The government cannot make them cost competitive by throwing money at things like Solyndra. When the oil market sees this country is serious about developing its proven energy reserves the price of oil (and gas) will stabilize and then come down.

4. What, if any, changes should be made to federal health care policies or programs?

Obamacare needs to be repealed in its entirety. Insurance companies need to be able to compete across state lines. Health savings accounts need to be increased. Tort reform needs to be enacted. There are many things private industry can do to provide excellent health care. The government has no business being involved in the relationship I have with my own doctor.

5. What, if any, changes should be made to federal rules on campaign financing?

The problem is not with people giving money. Any person should be able to offer any amount of his/her money to any candidate. It is a free country. The problem arises when the candidate/office holder accepts the money. This means the person who donates the money is buying a vote. He can now ask to have the candidate/office holder vote a certain way, based on the money given. If every office holder and candidate just said no to the money offered, it would end overnight.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 27, 2012 00:13
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.