31. ANTIBOTICS IN FOOD
U.S. inspectors recently started using more sensitive tests to detect antibiotics in pork, part of a stepped-up effort to ensure meat safety after a government report last year suggested consumers might be at risk from harmful drug residues. While a small, but growing, amount of meat products are touted as being free of antibiotics, most meat isn't.
Livestock owners feed millions of pounds of antibiotics such as penicillin each year to cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys to prevent disease and promote rapid growth. Conventional beef and pork are supposed to meet strict limits on levels of these drugs.
Stop the abuses of sterile genetically modified food. Protect our bee populations.
32. TRICKLE-DOWN AND MICRO CREDIT
The Laffer Curve of “Trickle Down” economics does not work. Republicans believe that tax savings for business owners will trickle-down to new jobs at the bottom, it doesn’t, it just makes the rich richer. The secret to stimulating the economy is not going top down, but bottom up. Micro credit is the key and the concept is backed by the Clinton Global Initiative. Micro credit works - Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Price in 2006 for championing this concept in India. The basic idea is that instead of giving big loans to those who traditionally qualify for loans, give small loans to those who don’t – typically women. Never underestimate the drive of a poor woman with a business plan and a $10,000 loan.
Additionally, people don't have any disposable income to spend. According to Time Magazine (August 8, 2011) consumption, which accounts for about 60% of all economic activity in the US is down, and consequently that effects income and employment. It is news to no one that this is exactly what has been happening. Two years of recovery and unemployment was still rising. In Keynesian theory, this is exactly when government has to step in and spend, even if it has to borrow to do so.
To those constituents who are looking for a job - stop looking for a job and start creating a job. If you can, be an entrepreneur. To those who own companies of 25 or more - just hire one more person - just one more.
As of December 2011 the unemployment rate has dropped. Good news. Also, the immediate enforcement of immigration – especially white-collar immigration would provide many jobs for Americans.
33 BLUE COLLAR IMMIGRATION
I welcome legal immigration. Currently, we don't have any immigration enforcement in most of our towns. What we need is specially trained police officers in each township in immigration enforcement law. This was done in Danbury with great success. Let’s do it all over the state.
Secure our borders - we have 12 million undocumented workers living in the shadows. Secure our borders through increased vigilance and e-verify technology. We must also crack down on employers who violate our immigration and employment laws, undermining working conditions for all Americans. As long as there is a paying job on the other side, people desperate for economic opportunity will cross our borders illegally. Unfortunately, NAFTA drove cheap, subsidized American corn production South to Mexico and many of the farmers who would grow their own are here not working. Another casualty of globalization.
Comprehensive immigration reform must be viewed case-by-case. It needs to be humane to the 12 million undocumented immigrants who either entered our country illegally or who overstayed their visas. The most viable way to encourage undocumented workers to come out of the shadows is to offer an earned path to citizenship for those who obey the law and pay taxes.
I supported the Dream Act. I was very disappointed it didn't go through. This is the only country these kids know and they didn't ask to be brought here. They were children.
Presently there is little white collar immigration enforcement for the L1 and H1b visa status holders who remain when their visas expire. It is time to enforce the law, we need those jobs for our young college graduates. (See Issue #55: White Collar Immigration.)
34. EDUCATION
I was a teacher for years and I feel strongly about improving the quality of our public schools. I believe the single most important aspect to a child’s education is student-teacher ratio. The use of inexpensive paraprofessionals for small group one-on-ones is key. Also, small class size and stated grade level and graduation requirements are important. Please see my lawsuit (CT vs. the United States of America) about keeping CT taxpayer money here and away from the Israeli war machine. There is not any reason why an Israeli child should get more funding than a CT child. Keep our money here - I’ll fight for it.
35. VETERANS
I worked for the United States Army indirectly for 12 years as a software engineer on Field Artillery. And I have the utmost respect for men and women who wear the uniform. I know the sacrifices they make.
36. MILITARY CONTRACTORS
I was employed by military contract firms and I believe there is a lot of abuse by these groups. The top four defense contracting firms took $40 billion + in American taxpayer money last year. Also, with the Blackwater tragedy we need to stick to Army personnel. The Army is well-equipped to weed out undesirables - private industry, not necessarily.
37. GUN ISSUES
While I support the Second Amendment and believe that citizens have the right to keep and bear arms I believe that we need to keep guns away from the unstable. We need strong regulation and background checks, and more crack-down on the considerable abuse.
Sanity: seriously, let's limit the size of magazines, and do we really need assault weapons at home?
38. DEATH PENALTY
I believe we should abolish the death penalty. There have been too many death-row inmates who have been exonerated by DNA. It makes you wonder how many have been wrongly executed.
39. MARRIAGE
I read that 70% of same-sex marriage applications are from women. I’ve been single all my life and on my own since I was 17-years-old. I know how hard it is to survive and to carry the burden alone. I’d never deny another human being the chance to be with someone they love. Let the women get married, the men too, complete with full rights under the law.
40. NETANYAHU
It’s time for a healthy arms-length separation from Israel. Netanyahu is the most powerful man in the world because, through AIPAC, he owns our elected officials. He defiantly refuses to stop the Settlement building although five U.S. presidents have demanded it. This makes us appear weak world-wide. Netanyahu controls every member of our senate, a fact he has bragged about. This President will need Senators who will stand by him as he fights the goliath AIPAC. The battle deciding the fate of the Middle East, and our future, is right here in the U.S. Congress. I’m ready to stand and fight with our President . . . or, fight alone.
Republicans fall all over themselves in their efforts to appease Netanyahu and AIPAC. It is disgusting to watch as they so completely prostrate themselves to a foreign entity. Please see the youtube clip of me and Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann - their stands are contrary to American ideals. Out of the current Republican candidates for president, only Ron Paul doesn't drink the Kool-Aid. For that reason he was not invited to address the Jewish Republican Forum. Thank you Mr. Paul for putting the United States before your political ambition. Thank you sir for speaking the truth. Shame on the Republicans who allow this foreign leader more power than our president.
The world knows the truth. At the United Nations in September Abbas got a standing ovation from a full forum. When Netanyahu spoke it was a smattering crowd and the only people clapping were those in the gallery. They probably came with him.
