League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
San Francisco County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Anthony John "Desmond" Thorsson Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 12

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 and budget deficits, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy and sustain job creation?

The golden age of the American economy was marked by sweeping banking reform, the manufacturing boom that won us World War II, and years of development of our nation's infrastructure. Since then, our nation has been wracked by irresponsible banking practices, a crumbling infrastructure, and a rapid decline in middle-class jobs. We now live in an economy that values wealth over job creation, and this is not sustainable.

Job creation is fueled by demand, an improving our nation's economy starts with investing in the consumer. Unemployed workers do not spent money, and every sector of our economy suffers when we transfer our wealth and production overseas. If elected, I would develop a comprehensive national economic strategy, focused around the following: the passage of a modern Banking Act that once again separates commercial bank activities and investment banking; a renegotiation of trade agreements that have sent middle-class jobs overseas; and a national investment in infrastructure projects to put Americans to work.

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

For all the reforms made to our nation's health care, we have not properly addressed the cost to consumers. In the private health insurance scheme, where each state has its own monopoly and the market cannot cross state lines, there are no real free market forces to control costs. Medical professionals are becoming increasingly frustrated with spending more time dealing with insurance companies than caring for their patients.

The Affordable Care Act brought many needed reforms, but still did not address costs. An interim measure would be to open insurance markets across state lines to create meaningful competition and provide better options to the consumer. However the fact remains that a private system will always put profits ahead of people. This is why I support a single-payer system that gives Americans the financial freedom to get the medical attention they need, not the attention they can afford.

3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy?

Our nation's energy policy is about more than just providing power; it impacts our national security, our energy policy, and domestic employment. The fact is, our country cannot be secure until we can meet our energy needs with our own resources. Our addiction to oil has been evident in the Oil Shocks of the 1970's and our post-9/11 foreign policy in the Middle East.

I believe in innovation, and the commercialization of new energy sources + wind, solar, etc. - as a means of creating jobs and creating an energy-independent future. This is a nation of the best and brightest researchers in the world, and we must use our intellectual capital in every way we can.

4. What, if any, changes should be made with respect to our nation’s security, including our national defense or anti-terrorism measures?

It is high time that we restore our civil rights and liberties. Laws passed in a climate of fear have damaged the American way of life. Programs like the "No Fly List" and the NDAA have stripped our people of their freedoms and violated their rights of due process that are the foundation of our country. It is time to learn from our mistakes and reform these laws so that Americans no longer fear their government more than they fear terrorism.

We must also review the efficacy of our foreign intelligence and counter-terrorism efforts. The collateral damage done overseas not only paints a nightmarish picture of our foreign policy, but also poses a future threat to our national security. We must find a way to address foreign threats in a way that does not generate further aggression toward the United States.

5. What is your position on the issue of immigration reform? What, if any, changes to legislation or policy would you support?

We must find a better way to allow migrant workers to legally enter the United States, be identified, and pay taxes. Illegal immigration is expensive to the migrant, dangerous to the community and damaging to the country when undocumented workers are paid lower wages and cannot pay their taxes + even when they want to. We must find a way to streamline programs like the H2A and H2B visas so that we can have migrants issued tax status, background-checked, and issued proper identification before entering the U.S. Once we have people crossing the border through checkpoints, not bushes, we can truly address our border security issues.

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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).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 23, 2014 10:15
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