New Broom Coalition

Dear Friends,

I wrote the following in response to some questions from Chuck Wilcher. His questions are in black, my responses in teal. My complete platform can be viewed at http://www.carolwolmanforcongress.com/?q=platform

Dear Chuck,

Thank you for the opportunity to explain my positions in more detail. Of course, I can't implement any of them until I'm elected, and have some likeminded people in Congress with me. That's why I've been recruiting and organizing other peace/impeachment candidates for Congress around the country for the past 3 years.

I will respond to your questions point by point below, in teal to distinguish my answers. But first, my campaign could really use help. I need money, volunteers, expertise, help in setting up the town meetings mentioned in the "Challenge". To volunteer, please call Jim Houle at 707-485- 8229.

Donations may be made by credit card at:
http://www.carolwolmanforcongress.com/donate/onlineform
or sent to:

Carol Wolman for Congress
po box 8101.
Eureka, CA 95502

Per FEC rules, maximum allowed is $2300
per person. If over $49, please include address, occupation and employer
Thank you

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Wilcher"
To: "Carol Wolman" ; "Albion Listserve" ; "mendocino"
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 12:05 PM
Subject: Re: [MCN-Albion] INDEPENDENCE DAY CHALLENGE TO REP. MIKE THOMPSON

What other issues are the focus of your candidacy?
My greatest concern is peace. If we continue on the warpath, eg by starting a war with Iran, we may well trigger a nuclear holocaust and extinguish all higher life forms. Barring that catastrophe, we are still spending our precious time and resources heating up the planet rather than cooperating with other nations to solve escalating planetary problems. We've been somewhat cushioned by living in an affluent society, but our affluence is quickly being sacrificed to the greedy war machine. We need to bring the troops home, and shift spending priorities from the Pentagon to pressing domestic needs.

Justice is second. I believe that the people in the White House are criminals, who have profited personally from the slaughter of a million Iraqis and over 4000 American troops. They have undermined the rule of law and the Constitution. Most of Congress, including Mike Thompson, has colluded with their many crimes. The rule of law needs to be re-established, the Constitution needs to be restored, and the criminals brought to justice.

Preservation of the environment is high on my priority list. This means a rapid shift to sustainable energy sources, via tax breaks and penalties, government investment in research, development and marketing of clean vehicles and energy, slowing of development, setting aside of more wilderness and protecting what is left, etc.

How would you fund health care?-
I'm for single-payor health care, Medicare or VA style, with coverage for all. These programs work well and are much cheaper than the current crazy quilt.

How would you rebuild the national infrastructure?
As the war machine is defunded, and the war profiteers have their ill-gotten gains confiscated, money will become available to rebuild bridges and levees, upgrade highways, reopen public hospitals, and take care of other pressing needs. The rebuilding will also provide much needed jobs that cannot be outsourced, at all levels. Shifting over to sustainable energy will also provide jobs at home.

Where are you on education funding?
Education funding needs to be a high priority, so that young people can be prepared to become a strong electorate, making good choices for their own futures and the future of the country. I believe that education funding should not be allowed to dictate educational policy. Teaching is a creative skill, and teachers need adequate support in terms of salaries, security, and freedom in the classroom to adapt to the needs of their students.

Foreign Policy?
It is high time to recognize that nuclear weapons have made war obsolete. The planet is small, and we need to respect and work with other nations. I believe the integrity of individual nations must be respected, and differences handled diplomatically. Specifically, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran are sovereign nations, and should not be subject to attack and occupation by US forces.

Living Wages? -
every adult is entitled to a living wage. The minimum wage should be high enough to cover basic needs, and unemployment or disability benefits should be readily available to those who can't find work or are unable to work. Women should be able to stay home with young children if they choose, and some way be worked out for the family to have enough funds.

Military budgets?
The Pentagon budget should be pared way down. We should not aggress against other nations, or occupy them. We should work with groupings of nations- NATO, the UN, when peacekeeping interventions are called for. We should fulfill Article 6 of the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty and start to reduce our nuclear arsenal, in concert with other nuclear nations.

Environmental issues?
High on the list. We need to change our life style drastically; the high price of gas has started this process. The government can foster the change, by funding public transportation, preservation of old buildings rather than runaway development, tight controls on toxins, control of carbon emissions and other measure to curb global warming- the federal government can set policy with special funding programs, tax breaks and penalties, etc.

llegal immigration? Get rid of NAFTA and many Mexicans will return to their own country, since they'll be able to make a living there. People who are working here now illegally should be offered guest worker status and a chance at citizenship. We are a nation of immigrants, after all.

Disaster preparation? I'd like to see the fire emergency we've been experiencing as an opportunity to organize ourselves locally into disaster preparedness teams, headed up by the 100 volunteers already trained by our fire departments. That way, we won't need Blackwater to come in and drag us away, as they did to the inhabitants of New Orleans.

The economy? The economy has been pretty well destroyed by Bushonomics. I'm no specialist in this area but my thoughts are:
1) stop the hemorrhage of funds into Iraq and thence into the pockets of Carlyle and Halliburton.
2) Reclaim the profits made by the war profiteers.
3) Restore the progressive income tax, so the rich pay their share
4) pare down the bloated Pentagon budget
5) Restore tight controls over lenders, brokers, Wall street, speculators of all sorts.
6) Hire good economists who can help clean up the mess

NAFTA? get rid of it.

Food safety? Tighten controls. No GMO's

Worker safety? Tighten controls

Gun control? I respect the Fourth Amendment, but I'm against private possession of automatic and semiautomatic weapons, as well as concealable weapons, without a special license.

Social security? Needs protection

Welfare spending? We need a safety net for the poor.

Net neutrality? Of course. Where would we be without a free internet?

The national debt? Balancing the budget will be tricky, entailing many of the changes listed above. We have to stop adding to the national debt, and start paying it down.

Homeland security? This has been a cover for fascist control of the people. Real homeland security means better inspection of cargo ships coming in and out of the country, better screening of airline personnel, and more freedom of speech, not less, so that corrupt politicians can be exposed and deposed.

The national park system? - extended and protected.

The housing crisis?- a freeze on foreclosures, and on mortgage payments for people with severe illness or job loss.

Social issues? too broad.- but I believe reparations and acknowledgement of past wrongs should be made to Native Americans, African Americans, and Mexican-Americans.

Taxes? - Again, progressive income tax, and high corporate taxes.

and, of course, KZYX's and Mendo's favorite topic:
pot.- I'm a firm advocate of medical marijuana, but beyond that, all natural unrefined substances should be legal. The war on drugs is an excuse to incarcerate the poor.

It isn't enough to state you are for or against any of the above.
I would like to see detailed positions on how some of these issues would be addressed and funded and where other cuts may be applied in order to fund them.
Hope I've been detailed enough.

What bills you would sponsor in order to alter or revise current policy
-a new Congress will have new bills. Hopefully, I'll be there, along with many friends from the New Broom Coalition (for a clean sweep of Congress), and we'll introduce bills to accomplish the goals listed above.

and which current policies in particular you might target first.
out of Iraq, energy conversion, stop threatening Iran.

It's obvious that it takes years to get legislation approved and you would
only have a few years to get matters completed. How would you do this with a host of lobbyists countering everything you do and with more money?

The Green candidate in District 1 traditionally gets 4% of the vote. A lot has to change for me to get elected, starting with a broad grassroots movement. I'm hoping many voters are fed up enough with both parties to choose me and some of the other candidates in the New Broom coalition (we cross party lines) for the next Congress.

I'm giving a great deal of time and energy to this campaign, and I'm not getting paid, neither are many people who are working on it with me. I don't take corporate donations, and all contributions are welcome to help with gas as I travel round the district, publicity, phone calls, outreach material, etc.

To volunteer, please call Jim Houle at 485- 8229.

Donations may be made by credit card at:

http://www.carolwolmanforcongress.com/donate/onlineform
or sent to:

Carol Wolman for Congress
po box 8101.
Eureka, CA 95502

Per FEC rules, maximum allowed is $2300
per person. If over $49, please include address, occupation and employer
Thank you

Peace, Carol Wolman, MD

Green Candidate for Congress, CA District 1
www.carolwolmanforcongress.com
Coordinator, New Broom Coalition
http://newbroomcoalition.org
Cochair, Impeach Bush-Cheney