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Elizabeth Dole Party: Republican Residence: Salisbury, N.C. Occupation: United States senator Personal: Born in Salisbury, N.C.; age 72; married to Bob Dole. Experience: Member of U.S. Senate 2002 to present. Served in administrations of five U.S. presidents, including one Democrat and four Republicans. First female secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation; U.S. secretary of Labor; president of American Red Cross. Education: Bachelor’s degree from Duke University; master’s degree from Harvard University. Phone: (704) 633-0014 Web site: www.elizabethdole.org |
Kay Hagan Party: Democrat Residence: Greensboro, N.C. Occupation: North Carolina state senator Personal: Born in Shelby, N.C.; age 55; married to Chip Hagan; three children. Experience: Member of state Senate, 1999-present; co-chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. Education: Bachelor’s degree, Florida State University; law degree, Wake Forest University School of Law. Phone: (336) 617-7416 Web site: www.kayhagan.com |
| ON THE ISSUES Wars | Economy | Health Care | Offshore Drilling | Beach Nourishment |
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| INTRODUCTION Why should citizens vote for you? |
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Dole: I have used my experience and relationships with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to work tirelessly as your senator to get things accomplished for our state. I’m proud to have saved farmers from foreclosures by delivering the Tobacco Quota Buyout which provided billions to rural North Carolina’s economy without raising taxes; protecting our military bases which provide billions of dollars for North Carolina’s economy and helping to produce thousands of jobs in that process; saving our North Carolina hospitals over $300 million so they can continue to provide quality health care; and spearheading the first and only immigration enforcement program of its kind in the country for North Carolina. |
Hagan: In my 10 years as a state senator, I helped create innovative tools for economic development, invested in technology and infrastructure to help develop the next century’s medicine and jobs, voted to pass some of the nation’s toughest predatory lending laws, and stepped up to make sure the gaps in underfunded federal homeland security and law enforcement programs were filled. Serving as co-chair of the Budget Committee, I have learned that good ideas do not come with a party label. I have done the hard work of turning out five balanced budgets and made the tough decisions to ensure that North Carolina can continue to invest in quality schools, job training and middle-class tax cuts. In Washington, I will be a voice for the right kind of change and accountability, and will keep my unwavering commitment to keep North Carolina strong and moving forward. |
| THE WARS What is the next step for the United States in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? If you are the incumbent, what was your vote on the war and on the surge? If you are the opponent, did you support either the war or the surge? |
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Dole: The invasion of Afghanistan was absolutely the proper response to the Sept. 11 attacks. That said, we failed to stay focused on completely defeating the Taliban and other guerilla forces now hiding along the Afghan-Pakistan border. As to Iraq, President Bush invaded based on faulty intelligence from U.S. and foreign sources. However, our troops have performed heroically, and the surge under Gen. Petraeus has been exceedingly successful. The primary challenges in Iraq are training the Iraqi security forces so American personnel can come home; increasing the pace of political reconciliation; and requiring the Iraqi government to fund their own reconstruction. |
Hagan: The war in Iraq has been mismanaged and I am concerned that it is not making America any safer. We need to safely and responsibly end the war in Iraq to reposition our military to take the fight to terrorists in Afghanistan and around the world. To do that we need a diplomatic surge, accountability and benchmarks. We cannot continue to play referee in an Iraqi civil war. |
| THE ECONOMY What is the government’s role in managing the economy? If you are the incumbent, please include your vote on the Wall Street bailout. If you are the opponent, do you support the government bailout plan? |
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Dole: I voted against the president’s bailout plan. Action is clearly needed to return stability to our financial markets, but most importantly, effective, sound action is needed. We must deliver a market-based solution, not a government bailout. Because of unrelated spending additions, the final bill came in at a cost of over $800 billion. It remains a government takeover of our economy with no protection for taxpayers. It raises the debt ceiling to $11.3 trillion. It bails out foreign investors before American homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages. And it does nothing to address the root cause of this mess, the housing crisis. |
Hagan: The government must ensure that there is accountability and regulation in our financial markets, while helping to stimulate growth and create jobs. Instead of partnering in trade deals that send our jobs overseas, we need to ensure that any trade deal benefits Americans and North Carolinians specifically. I agree that we needed to do something to help shore up Wall Street and stabilize Main Street, but I would not have voted for the proposal which passed the House and the Senate. Any bailout legislation should have included protections to fix the abuses that caused this crisis and limits on CEO compensation. This bill included nothing to address protections for working families who are facing lost jobs, high energy prices, falling wages and home prices, and who this package should have been designed to protect. |
| HEALTH CARE How would you address the health-care issue? Please be specific and also tell how you would pay for it. |
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Dole: We need to make health care more affordable and accessible; provide greater choice; and encourage early detection and prevention of disease. I am supporting legislation that provides tax credits to individuals and families for purchasing health care coverage. My plan would give individuals the same tax benefits that businesses now have for providing coverage. The objective is to give every American the ability to not just have health care coverage, but to own their own coverage. This plan reduces federal health care expenditures in other areas and stimulates productivity, which goes a long way toward covering its cost. |
Hagan: I will work to reduce health care costs and modernize our health care system. I will expand access to health care coverage for children, families and those suffering from mental health diseases. I will make prevention of disease and illness a priority, and I will re-energize the field by bringing more people into health professions. It is important that we streamline the health care system to cut down on wasteful spending and make health care more affordable and accessible. |
| OFFSHORE DRILLING What is your position on offshore oil drilling? |
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Dole: I am an advocate of the “kitchen sink” approach to energy independence. We certainly need to increase domestic production of fossil fuels, including using environmentally sound techniques to drill in the Outer Continental Shelf as long as the drilling is at least 50 miles offshore, the governor approves, and the states that allow drilling receive revenues. But we must also employ energy conservation and efficiency, increase the number of nuclear power plants, research plug-in hybrid cars and ways to improve the electric grids to support a switch to more electric powered vehicles, and research and develop alternative energy sources. |
Hagan: I supported the Gang of 10 bipartisan proposal in Congress that included drilling and a sustained investment in renewable energy. I have learned during my time in the state Senate that compromise and consensus are necessary if we are to get anything done. Doing nothing or political posturing and grandstanding are not an option when working families are paying nearly $4 per gallon for gas. We must end our dependence on foreign oil and repeal the $17 billion in tax breaks Big Oil and Gas are currently receiving, then invest that money in renewable energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create good, clean jobs here that cannot be outsourced. |
| BEACH NOURISHMENT What is your position on federal funding of beach renourishment? |
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Dole: Maintaining our coastlines is vital to North Carolina industries from tourism to fishing. So I absolutely share the concerns of our coastal communities, and I have made federal funding for beach renourishment and dredging a priority in my first term. Each year, I work to secure the funding for North Carolina’s coastal programs through the appropriations process. Since I have been in office, I have secured nearly $270 million for North Carolina beach renourishment and dredging projects. It is so important to our coastal economy that we make every effort to maintain our waterways and protect our coastlines. |
Hagan: I will work hard with members of the community to bring funding for beach renourishment to North Carolina’s vibrant coastal economy. North Carolina’s pristine beaches are among the most frequently visited in the country and generate over $1 billion in revenue each year for our state. Furthermore, our growing coastal population depends on these beaches for both business and recreation. Therefore, we must support efforts to ensure the long-term vitality of these beaches. At the same time, we must ensure that beach renourishment projects are executed in a manner that has a negligible environmental impact, is cost-effective and has the support of the community. |
OTHER CANDIDATE
Christopher Cole
Libertarian
Personal Age 44; single; no children.
Experience Commissioner-at-large, Mecklenburg County, 1998; North Carolina House of Representatives, 1996. Unsuccessful candidate for U.S. House of Representatives North Carolina 9th District, 2002 and 2000; and Charlotte City Council, 2001.
Education Bachelor’s degree in psychology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 1986.
To contact (704) 605-5905; www.votecole.us
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