Date: Tue, May 20, 2014 at 12:02 PM
Subject: Foreign relations questions reminder
To: "Mark@votewillforcongress.com" <Mark@votewillforcongress.com>, "Vic Baker (vic@tomforalabama.com)" <vic@tomforalabama.com>, "Rick Journey (rjourney@rickjourney.com)" <rjourney@rickjourney.com>, "Dean Petrone (dean@drmathisforcongress.com)" <dean@drmathisforcongress.com>, "senatorsbeason@gmail.com" <senatorsbeason@gmail.com>, "rdshattuck@gmail.com" <rdshattuck@gmail.com>, "jon@palmerforalabama.com" <jon@palmerforalabama.com>
Don’t forget to get your answers in on the foreign relations questions from yesterday. Deadline is 3 p.m. today. Have heard from some candidates but not many.
To recap, here’s the e-mail from yesterday.
Hello folks,
Hope your week is getting started off right. We’re trying to delve a bit deeper into some issues with our District 6 candidates, and I wanted to start with some questions about foreign relations. I believe AL.com’s Jim Stinson may have some questions about the budget soon (or may have already sent them), too.
If you or your candidate is game and I can get answers back to these questions by Tuesday afternoon at 3, I’ll post on them Wednesday morning. As a general rule, the more succinct an answer is, the better, but I understand that these are complicated issues, so take the space that you need.
Thanks very much.
Foreign relations questions:
- In your opinion, what are the three most important foreign relations issues affecting the U.S. right now?
- In the past several months, Russia has used troops in Ukraine as part of its attempt to annex the Crimean Peninsula. As a Congressman, would you ever support military intervention to stop Russia and Vladimir Putin? If so, when would you support it, and to what extent? What about other steps, including expanded sanctions?
- The last major push for Israeli-Palestinian peace seems to have stalled out, with talks suspended. As a member of Congress, how would you approach this situation, and what solutions would you advocate?
- The U.S. embargo on Cuba has lasted for more than half a century, with some loosening of restrictions in recent years. Do you support continued trade restrictions against Cuba, and would you support loosening or tightening restrictions?
- Despite international efforts to end the Syrian civil war, the conflict continues. One recent estimate put the number of deaths from the war at 160,000, including nearly 54,000 civilians. What should the U.S.’s role in this conflict be?
-Madison
Madison Underwood
Reporter, News
Reporter, News
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, May 20, 2014 at 2:47 PM
Subject: Re: Foreign relations questions reminder
To: Madison Underwood <MUnderwood@al.com>
Cc: "Mark@votewillforcongress.com" <Mark@votewillforcongress.com>, "Vic Baker (vic@tomforalabama.com)" <vic@tomforalabama.com>, "Rick Journey (rjourney@rickjourney.com)" <rjourney@rickjourney.com>, "Dean Petrone (dean@drmathisforcongress.com)" <dean@drmathisforcongress.com>, "senatorsbeason@gmail.com" <senatorsbeason@gmail.com>, "jon@palmerforalabama.com" <jon@palmerforalabama.com>
Date: Tue, May 20, 2014 at 2:47 PM
Subject: Re: Foreign relations questions reminder
To: Madison Underwood <MUnderwood@al.com>
Cc: "Mark@votewillforcongress.com" <Mark@votewillforcongress.com>, "Vic Baker (vic@tomforalabama.com)" <vic@tomforalabama.com>, "Rick Journey (rjourney@rickjourney.com)" <rjourney@rickjourney.com>, "Dean Petrone (dean@drmathisforcongress.com)" <dean@drmathisforcongress.com>, "senatorsbeason@gmail.com" <senatorsbeason@gmail.com>, "jon@palmerforalabama.com" <jon@palmerforalabama.com>
Dear Madison,
I think I have spent a great amount of time thinking about and discussing on my campaign website numerous subjects (including connected with the AL.com essay forum), which I believe voters should consider in making their voting decisions. I believe the other candidates have done virtually nothing of that nature.
I don't think my answering these foreign relations questions will be of help to voters in reaching their voting decisions.
Accordingly, I am not going to answer these foreign relations questions.
I will add that I don't think the answers of the other candidates to the questions will be of help to voters either (unless, of course, a candidate shows he is an idiot with his answers).
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
From: Jim Stinson <JStinson@al.com>
Date: Tue, May 20, 2014 at 1:06 PM
Subject: Economic questions from AL.com and Birmingham News, for AL-06 candidates
To: Jim Stinson <JStinson@al.com>
Date: Tue, May 20, 2014 at 1:06 PM
Subject: Economic questions from AL.com and Birmingham News, for AL-06 candidates
To: Jim Stinson <JStinson@al.com>
Gentlemen,
This email is going out to all candidates or their managers in the Republican primary for Alabama Congressional District 6. I am sure Madison sent you questions on other topics.
We are soon putting together a big grid/package of candidates' more detailed positions, and we would appreciate your answers, emailed back to me at JSTINSON@al.com, by 6 p.m. Thursday, May 22.
1. Do you support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, and if so, how soon should it take effect? To balance the budget, should cuts be across the board within the federal budget? And please list how you would prioritize spending: defense, Social Security, Medicare, discretionary spending, other entitlements.
2. Do you believe the U.S. corporate tax rate is too high, and if so, what would you lower it to? And, assuming a loss of revenue from a corporate tax cut, what three specific areas within the budget can cuts be made to?
3. The economy was recently reported to have grown at a 0.1% annualized rate in the first three months of the year. What would you do to stimulate the U.S. economy -- can you list three things that would do so? And despite the anemic economic growth, we are still in recovery since the recession ended in 2009. The Dow Jones industrial average is at about 16,500 and the rich do not appear to be losing money. But the poor and middle class continue to struggle, and the long-term unemployed are still struggling to find work. Please explain three major things you would do to help the poor, shore up the middle class, and lift the unemployed.
4. The nation's student debt is exploding, exceeding credit card debt, and it looks like another mortgage bubble. Do you have plans to deal with this problem before it becomes a larger problem, as the 2008 mortgage bubble and Wall Street crash did?
5. Getting back to spending cuts and a balanced budget, name three spending programs in which deep cuts would hurt Alabama. How would you protect Alabama from unfair cuts?
6. Do food stamps help or hurt the economy? Would you cut the program? Please explain.
Thank you in advance.
Cordially,
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, May 21, 2014 at 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: Economic questions from AL.com and Birmingham News, for AL-06 candidates
To: Jim Stinson <JStinson@al.com>
Date: Wed, May 21, 2014 at 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: Economic questions from AL.com and Birmingham News, for AL-06 candidates
To: Jim Stinson <JStinson@al.com>
Dear Jim,
I think the subjects inquired about are important subjects, but I don't think the answers of candidates will provide help to voters in deciding who is the best candidate to be the Representative from the 6th Congressional district, or that the answers will properly offer help to AL.com in making its endorsement decision. That notwithstanding, I provide the following answers to the questions:
1. Do you support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, and if so, how soon should it take effect? To balance the budget, should cuts be across the board within the federal budget? And please list how you would prioritize spending: defense, Social Security, Medicare, discretionary spending, other entitlements.
Answer: All seven candidates are agreed that the national debt and deficits are alarmingly high, and something needs to be done about them. I believe that what in fact will happen and how it in fact will all play out are highly uncertain. I don't think there is any basis for thinking that any of the candidates has a better sense about this than any of the other candidates. This includes that I have little or no sense about whether and/or how advocacy and support for a balanced budget amendment will contribute to "doing something" about the national debt and deficits. I note some of the debate about a balanced budget amendment. This U.S. News & World Report Debate Club debate is interesting, wherein readers cast votes abut which arguments are most persuasive to them. On a balanced budget amendment, the readers were very notably more persuaded by arguments in favor of a balanced budget amendment. I also note this Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report arguing against. I don't think the voters should be looking to candidates having, in advance of going to Washington, any fixed ideas about what should be done to "do something" about the national debt and deficits; rather candidates should evidence that they will go to Washington and be thoughtful and intelligent in trying to participate in "doing something" about the national debt and deficits and which will have an adequate approval by the constituents. I have no preset ideas about whether cuts should be be across the board within the federal budget, and no preset ideas about priorities in spending for defense, Social Security, Medicare, discretionary spending, and other entitlements, except please note, as referred to below, I tried to get the candidates to discuss the Path to Prosperity budget, but I could not get them to discuss it. Further, I note that I previously took the time to write about waste, fraud and abuse here in discussing Chad Mathis' essay in the AL.com forum.
2. Do you believe the U.S. corporate tax rate is too high, and if so, what would you lower it to? And, assuming a loss of revenue from a corporate tax cut, what three specific areas within the budget can cuts be made to?
Answer: Looking at this table of country by country corporate tax rates, it appears that the U.S. rate (including state and local) is significantly on the high side. (I have not researched the extent to which there is "double taxation" of corporate income in other countries through taxing dividends received by stockholders). How much of a competitive disadvantage this is for U.S. companies, and how detrimental it is to the economy (compared to corporate taxes being reduced and other taxes increased) is something I am dubious about being susceptible to meaningful measurement. See what I wrote here Re: death taxes and taxes generally. As to where I would make cuts, when Congressman Ryan's Path to Prosperity budget was passed by the House, I reviewed the same and endeavored to initiate discussion with the other candidates about the same. See "Press release"-- My discussion of Path to Prosperity. I have not proceeded to the extent of identifying specific areas that should be preferred for making cuts, and I don't believe anything to be gained by my trying to do at this time.
3. The economy was recently reported to have grown at a 0.1% annualized rate in the first three months of the year. What would you do to stimulate the U.S. economy -- can you list three things that would do so? And despite the anemic economic growth, we are still in recovery since the recession ended in 2009. The Dow Jones industrial average is at about 16,500 and the rich do not appear to be losing money. But the poor and middle class continue to struggle, and the long-term unemployed are still struggling to find work. Please explain three major things you would do to help the poor, shore up the middle class, and lift the unemployed.
Answer: One of the great uncertainties for the country is how the effects of globalization on American life and the American economy will play out in coming years, and what the government can, will or should do related to those effects. There is alleged growing inequality and a disappearing middle class. The premium subsidies under The Affordable Care Act are just taking effect and provide a significant benefit. Unemployment benefits can be extended. I believe there are job training programs galore. More could be spent on education. Food stamps could be expanded. I don't know what three major things I would do.
4. The nation's student debt is exploding, exceeding credit card debt, and it looks like another mortgage bubble. Do you have plans to deal with this problem before it becomes a larger problem, as the 2008 mortgage bubble and Wall Street crash did?
Answer: Only the obvious.
5. Getting back to spending cuts and a balanced budget, name three spending programs in which deep cuts would hurt Alabama. How would you protect Alabama from unfair cuts?
Answer: I asked the question about how the Ryan Path To Prosperity budget would affect Alabamians. See "Press release"-- My discussion of Path to Prosperity. I did not try to determine the answer then, and I don't see the point in trying to determine the answer now. I would try like anyone else to protect Alabama from unfair cuts.
6. Do food stamps help or hurt the economy? Would you cut the program? Please explain.
Answer: I don't know if it is possible to determine whether food stamps help or hurt the economy. I would cut out fraud and abuse in the program. Otherwise, I don't know if I would cut the program.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
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