Housing Question #1
As you note, the affordable housing crunch is increasingin New Hampshire and across America. Housing prices have risen to record levels in the last two years, and some 3 in 10
families now spend at least 30% of their income on housing. Across America,
a minimum wage job rarely provides an adequate income to afford a simple one-bedroom apartment. Because of high housing costs and the weak economy, we now see homelessness increasingand, at the same
time we see middle-class families bearing increasing debt levels.
There isnt a single reason for these trends; there are both short-term and long-term causes. As a society, weve never invested enough in helping families afford housing, and the supply of affordable
housing is now decreasing. And in this weak economy in particular, with paychecks
shrinking and jobs disappearing, families face more problems with rent checks and mortgage payments. The low minimum wage doesnt help either. All of these factors
contribute to the problem.
Housing Question #2
Homeownership is the cornerstone of the own American Dream, and one of my major goals will be to make homeownership
affordable for more lower-income families. Today, the mortgage interest deduction
provides higher percentage tax breaks for higher-income taxpayers, but limited help to lower-income taxpayers. To help those taxpayers in particular, I will offer a tax credit of up to $5,000 to assist with down payments. Not only will this policy help families who are struggling, it will also reduce their
monthly mortgage payments. Ill also crack down on predatory lending and make
it illegal for lenders to engage in abusive practices that cost people money and ultimately can cost them their homes.
For renters, affordable, safe housing is a key priority. This
is a problem in both urban and rural areas. I have introduced legislation to
build more rural housing, and we need a similar effort for urban rental housing. I
strongly support vouchers for low-income housing and believe we must stop the Bush cuts in Section 8 vouchers.
In a country as rich as ours, there is no reason so many Americans are without a place to sleep at night. We need to strengthen our investment in programs to assist the homeless. For people who are chronically homeless and often face unique problems, that wont be enough; we need to
increase drug treatment and mental health treatment as well.
Housing Question #3
The initiatives I have described would be a crucial component of my domestic agenda, and I would push hard
for their early adoption. I talk often about the importance of home ownership
and the American Dream Tax Credit. As President I would continue to lead on these
issues, so that all Americans have access to affordable housing.
Health Question #1
Everyone knows the current system is broken, but there are many obstacles to reform. First and foremost are the powerful entrenched interests that profit from the status quo. Pharmaceutical companies, HMOs, and insurance companies spend millions of dollars on lobbyists who fight
to preserve the status quo. Ive spent my life taking on these interests, first
as a lawyer and then as a Senator. But these interests are not the only problem. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have focused on ideology instead of practical
solutions. Unfortunately, sometimes the debate has degenerated into partisan
bickering, leaves the American people are no better off than they were before.
Health Question #2
Millions
of Americans, including 12 million Americans under the age of 21, have no health insurance at all. The only way we can tackle the health care problem is to ask for responsibility from everyone: responsibility from parents to make sure their children have health care, responsibility from government
to help families get insurance and deal with the rising costs, and responsibility from drug and insurance companies to bring
costs down for every American.
My
health care plan covers 21 million Americans; for the first time in history we will cover each and every child. I will make it affordable and easy for parents to get health insurance for their children with refundable
tax credits and automatic enrollment. In return, parents will have a responsibility to insure their children. For a typical family of four earning about $60,000, my plan will offer a tax break worth roughly $300. No lower-income family will have to pay more than 30 cents a day to insure all their
children.
My
health care plan also gives targeted help to the individuals and businesses that have the most trouble paying for health care,
including small businesses, the unemployed, adults under age 25, and ages 55-64. It
provides full funding so that states can allow adults to buy into Medicaid or CHIP at highly subsidized rates. For all these
adults, insurance will be free below 100% of poverty and subsidized up to 250% of poverty.
Adults age 55-64, and the younger spouses of Medicare beneficiaries, will be able to buy into Medicare. Workers who lose their jobs can extend their insurance through their jobs, and the federal government will
pick up70 percent of the costs.
My
health care plan also addresses the billions of dollars of wasted spending that does not improve patients' health or satisfaction.
I led the fight for a Patients' Bill of Rights and co-authored legislation to reduce drug costs by $60 billion over 10 years.
My plan permits Americans to re-import drugs from abroad, reducing prescription drug costs and establishing strong protections
for patient safety. It requires the Justice department to investigate drug companies
overcharging the government. It will also establish an electronic medical record
and billing system, with stringent privacy protections to reduce costs and medical errors.
Additionally, I support Consumer Reports so patients have objective information about health care quality and costs.
Employment Question #1
Over
the past 25 years weve seen a shift in the types of jobs here in America. We are losing
manufacturing jobs, which traditionally have paid a living wage and provided good benefits.
In place of manufacturing jobs, people who do not have a college education have often been forced to take lower paid
service jobs that offer low pay and few benefits.
Another
issue is the decline of union membership over this time period. Union membership
on average means a wage and benefits package at least 25% than nonunion membership.
As the number of Americans in unions has declined, so has the quality of benefits and wages of many jobs.
A
third issue is rising health care costs. Both employers and employees are being
squeezed. Employers find they can only afford to offer limited benefits or even
no insurance. And employees devote more and more of their paycheck to health
care, leaving them less for meeting other basic needs.
Finally,
we are increasingly competing with workers in other countries who are paid lower wages for many jobs. Companies who want to remain competitive are forced to choose between moving jobs overseas or reducing
the wages they pay to workers here.
Employment Question #2
Under
George Bush, we have lost more than 3 million manufacturing jobs. As President,
I will create jobs, revitalize our manufacturing base, and strengthen the basic protections on which workers depend.
I'll start by putting our tax code back in line with our valuesand the values of a good economy. I believe the way to grow the economy is to grow the middle class. But this President is shifting the tax burden away from the unearned income of the wealthiest Americans,
and onto ordinary working people. Under his vision, a millionaire who lives off
his stocks will pay lower taxes than a teacher who works overtime. I want to
restore fair taxes on wealth, bring back fiscal discipline, and help the middle class by cutting their taxes so they can get
ahead.
Rather than giving tax cuts for corporations that renounce
their U.S. citizenship I will give a 10 percent tax cut to corporations that produce goods here and keep jobs at home. For Americans in low wage jobs, I support an increase in the minimum wage. When inflation is taken into account, the minimum wage today is more than 20 percent below its level in
1979. Low-income working people deserve better.
Free trade has to be fair trade. I will be a tough negotiator on trade, and ensure that agreements have real, tangible benefits for U.S.
businesses and workers. I will only negotiate trade agreements that are fair,
enforceable, and have strong labor and environmental protections. When it comes
to trade, both sides should give up something, not just America. For
towns and areas hard hit by foreign trade, Ill establish a new venture capital fund and create special tax incentives for
businesses to create new jobs.
Today,
the deck is stacked against workers seeking to join a union. As president, I will overhaul the National Labor Relations
Act (NLRA), the law that has governed union organizing since 1935. I will hold
corporations accountable for violating workers' rights. Dismissed workers should get a prompt hearing, and the companies should
face strong financial penalties for breaking the laws in place to deter wrong-doing.
I will
also allow card check recognition when workers strongly support a union. Under the NLRA, organizing a union is a long, cumbersome
process that creates numerous opportunities for intimidation of workers. To update
the law and restore its viability, I will allow workers to establish a union after a majority of workers have signed cards
authorizing a union.
Additionally, I will ban the permanent replacement
of striking workers.
Employment Question #3
We have a responsibility to provide communities that have lost jobs the resources to create new ones. Capital and expertise are the building blocks of business development and expansion. But the communities hit the hardest are the ones least likely to have these assets. My national venture capital fund, the REACH Fund, bridges this gap. The REACH funds mandate will be to help entrepreneurs start a
new business or expand an existing business in areas that have lost jobs. It
will provide venture capital and management expertise to local businesses
to help them grow and restore the vibrancy of their communities.
Education Question #1
One of our greatest responsibilities to the next generation is a quality education. Yet today, too many students are dropping out of school. There
are many reasons for that: schools that dont provide an adequate education; students who feel they have nothing to get from
staying in school; in some instances, homes and communities that dont provide the foundation that children need.
I have a lot of ideas to stem the tide of dropouts. For example,
Im concerned that as schools get bigger, increasing numbers of children are falling through the cracks. Schools should be places where the adults know kids' names and know what's special about them, where they
know if a kid has a special talent in science or is on the edge of trouble. I
support smaller schools. We should build new schools, break up existing schools,
and reopen old ones.
We also face the problem that 75% of children have no parent at home at the end fo the school day. This makes it critical to expand our after school programs, creating after school
centers at or near every school to serve every child with nowhere else to go. The
initiative would be run through the states and would build on successful programs at schools and non-profit agencies like
Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCAs. My wife Elizabeth and I started an after school
program in Raleigh.
Education Question #2
Nearly
50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, we still have two school systems, in fact if not in law, and they are separate
and unequal. Our best public schools are among the best in the world. But the state of many of our schools remains the shame of our nation.
In our country, the circumstances of your birth can still hold you back from going as far as your talents and hard
work will take you.
I
have an extensive agenda to improve our schools.
Teacher
quality is a national priority and it should be addressed by the national government.
I would say to the smartest young people in America: if you make a five-year commitment to teach where teachers are
in short supply, then we will pay for your college education. Tens of thousands
of talented, dedicated young teachers could change the face of our schools.
The
federal government has said that schools must have a qualified teacher in every classroom by 2006. Instead of setting far-off deadlines and walking away, the government should take responsibility. We need to double the $3 billion a year that the federal government spends on teachers,
principals, and paraprofessionals. It will be the best money we've ever spent.
I support accountability in schools, including the No Child Left Behind Act. But weve learned that act needs improvements. We dont need
a federal school board with a one-size-fits-all approach. The federal government
shouldnt micromanage states that are improving their schools and it shouldnt misleadingly label tens of thousands of schools
as failing.
As I mentioned, I also think we need to support reforms in our high schools. Compared to students in other countries, the performance of American students drops
off sharply in high school. The Hispanic community, in particular, sees too many
youth drop out of school. We should help every student finish school and be prepared
for additional education or training after high school, whether at a four-year university, a community college, or a trade
school.
Every
college and university should form a partnership with at least one high-poverty school.
Higher education has the resources and expertise to bring to bear on our worst schools.
They also have a great stake in creating a large, diverse applicant pool for themselves. To help, I will increase federal funding for programs like GEAR UP and TRIO that match colleges with high-poverty
high schools and middle schools and show students they can go to college and graduate.
We
need to strengthen high school coursework. Every child should be put on the track to complete college-prep classes, unless
their parents choose otherwise. Moreover, all studentseven those in small, isolated,
and high-poverty schoolsshould have access to challenging courses, including the college-level Advanced Placement courses. I will help poor students pay test fees and make AP courses universally available,
using distance-learning technology if necessary.
High schools should reinforce parents efforts to teach good values like responsibility and commitment to
community. In North Carolina, we already have a few high schools that require
every student to fulfill a community service requirement for graduation, and I think that's something we should encourage
(but not require) across America.
Grassroots Question #1
Grassroots organizations play a key role in our democracy. They
enable citizens across America not only to voice their concerns, but also to change the course of our country. These organizations provide a critical counterbalance to corporate lobbyists and entrenched interests. Instead of defending the way things are, they are willing to challenge status quo
and demand leadership on issues that politicians may try to ignore.
Grassroots Question #2
We need to reduce the influence of money and special interests in politics.
I have never accepted contributions from federal lobbyists, and I never will.
I think we ought to pass a law imposing that requirement. But we also
need a comprehensive reform in the way political campaigns are financed. As we
have found with the Bush administration, money breeds insider influence. I was
a leader of the fight for the McCain-Feingold bill, but that should be only the beginning; I also support free air time and
public financing of campaigns.
Grassroots Question #3
Giving grassroots organization a larger voice in our government requires creative thinking. A summit of leaders of grassroots organizations is a good way to hear the concerns of ordinary people,
free from entrenched Washington interests. I am committed to opening up our government
to a diversity of voices.
