Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2014 Primary Election
Thank you for responding to this questionnaire.
Why this matters: The Statesman Journal Editorial Board will use this questionnaire in deciding which candidates to endorse at the May 20 Primary Election. The board is doing fewer in-person interviews this spring. Your answers also will be shared with reporters and may be published in the newspaper and/or on our website, StatesmanJournal.com, so the public will see what you submit. We also ask that you respond to every question, instead of simply attaching campaign materials, resumes, etc. Please return the completed questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an email or an attached Word document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com. (Handwritten or fax responses dont work.) Deadline for submitting your questionnaire: 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16. Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727, dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com, or Editorial Assistant Nancy Harrington, 503-589-6944, nharring@StatesmanJournal.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your name: Anita Brown Age: 62 (If your age will change before the May 20 primary, please indicate your birthday. We want to make sure we use accurate ages in editorials and news coverage.) Political party (if this is a partisan office): Lifetime Democrat Position you are seeking (name of position, district number, political party if applicable): United States Representative, District OR-5 Number of years living in the area you seek to represent: going onto 2 years in Salem Are you a full-time resident of that area yes City/town of residence: Salem Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home, number of grown children): Single, 0 children but I do have a German shepherd named Charlie Brown, who is with me almost all the time Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate degrees earned): GED, Princess Anne Business College/general business, Cypress College, US Army/clinical specialist and medical specialist If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties:n/a Previous employers and when: US Army Monterey Hospital/practical nurse 1978, Ford Aerospace 1985, Rockwell International1995, took care of my sister as she got lupus and needed 24/7 care until 2 years ago. Military service and date: US Army 1978 Volunteer/civic/religious service and when: I am currently a member of The American Wild Horse and Burro Preservation and a member of the Sierra Club. I worked with family victims of medical malpractice wrongful death from 1995-1999 Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when: n/a Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when: n/a Other prior political and government experience: When I worked with victims of families of medical malpractice wrongful death as an advocate in the legislature How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be made public): Mail address: 4863Nina Ave SE Salem, OR 97302 E-mail address: brownanita6@gamil.com Web site URL: anitabrownforcongress.com Phone: 714-331-3463 Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words. 1. To an outsider, how would you describe the region you wish to represent? What is it like geographically, economically, politically and socially? We have everything cities, family farms, wineries, coastal towns, beautiful scenery and Trader Joes. The middle class was hit hard by the collapse of the Banks and Wall Street but with the right political will (Brown) we can be strong again. As individuals we have an obligation to act to benefit society, to maintain a balance between economy and the ecosystem. 2. When did you decide to run for this office, and why? 3 days before the cut-off March 8, 2014. I read Rep. Schrader voted no to raising the federal minimum wage with the Republicans on March 15, 2013 and was steadfast with this unless he flip-flops as there is a primary. This is a womans issue and I support raising the minimum wage. If you want to get people off welfare, food stamps and want women to be self-sufficient, as women are most affected needs a yes vote. Corporations will adjust salaries benefiting the entire economy. 3. How much will your primary campaign cost (please be specific)? I will spend $3,000, I am not asking for contributions at this point. Rep. Schraders Corporate Contributions received: $1,583,862 per MapLight-Money and Politics 4. Who are your key endorsements from within the Mid-Valley? Schrader had that wrapped up like s good politician before I filed, the answer is none, unless I am endorsed by newspapers. 5. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details. no 6. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details. no 7. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific. I ashamed of the political greed that has overcome Congress, I would say under oath that I will protect your clean water, air quality and environment. Rep. Schraders logging trust tried to sneak an attachment to the Farm Bill, clear-cut logging of 1.5 million acres of Oregons federal forests but he failed. Rep. Schrader voted yes to Toxic Coal Ash HR2218 voting with the Republicans again, we saw what happened in North Carolinas rivers this year because of coal ash. Dem. Senator Barbara Boxer I will oppose this bill at every turn, because if it became law, coal ash would continue to pose a grave threat. 8. Describe your philosophy of governance: You, the voter, are the boss. The Politian is the pawn to bring about change for the good of the people and should never be beholding to corporate interests and greed. 9. Give an example of a political mistake you made and what you learned from it: Being nave that many politicians only need to be shown of the hurt they are causing, show me the money is the incentive. 10. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more open and transparent? I would support Sen. Merkleys bills on transparency whether or not its about mortgages, NSA or the TPP trade agreement. 11. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more fiscally effective? I support closing the tax loopholes that allow two-thirds of corporations to pay NO Federal Corporate Income Tax. Corporations avoided paying 150 billion dollars last year with off-shore accounts and so on. The states lost 42 billion dollars with tax avoidance. This is money that America really needs after the banks and Wall Street almost brought us to our knees. Subsidies must be for the good of the people, not corporate greed. 12. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75 words for each issue) A. The Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement or TPP is described as NAFTA on steroids. Americans will be competing with Vietnams wages. The TPP allows corporations to sue governments if they differ, as another example: The Pharmaceutical Industry can sue third- world countries because their citizens drugs are too cheap. Schraders Pharmaceutical campaign contribution: $61,500 per MapLight-Money and Politics. And the TPP is secret, only congress and the corporate giant that helped write it, can see the TPP. B. Social Security is solvent until 2038 per the Congressional Budget Office in 2011, contrary to Republican arguments, facts are facts. I would support S.500 which would keep our Social Security Trust Fund solvent for at least 75 years asking the wealthiest Americans to contribute their fair share by removing the cap on social security contributions. C. Small businesses and family farms are the engine of our growth and I will help them get financing they need at more affordable rates like the corporations get. Corporate farms seem to get most of the benefits from the Farm Bill leaving family farms and organic farms what I consider breadcrumbs. 13. What do you see as other important issues? Rep Schraders Blue Dog Coalition is supported by Healthcare and the Insurance Lobby (the most powerful in the US) who do not want change as they would do anything to protect their assets: Schraders Health Professionals=$96,600, Insurance=$60,161 campaign contributions causes alarm. In 2009 the Blue Dogs (same year Schrader joined) blocked the House from voting for the single payer option in our Healthcare Reform exactly as the TEA PARTY is doing today, blocking bills in the House. I almost forgot: affordable college, neighborhood vocational schools and change the payback schedule to be 1% of your income, this is so important to our economy. 14. What magazines, newspapers and Web publications do you regularly read to keep up on the news, especially on issues related to the office you are seeking? The Statesman Journal, Oregonian, Washington Post, Guardian newspapers; Moyers and Company regularly. 15. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you want to disclose before it comes up in the campaign? no 16. If you are running for a governing board in Oregon (such as city council, county board of commissioners or the Legislature), how many meetings of that board have you attended in person during 2013 and 2014? How many have you watched online or on TV, if applicable? Thank you. Please return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com by 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16.