Make a correction to the bulletin. The Elections’ date should be May 8.
The public is invited to the League’s program on the progress of voting rights in the U.S.
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Make a correction to the Eletions’ date. It should be May 8. Note the invitation to an event to learn more about the history of voting rights in the US. For the first time ever, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could put limits on the industrial carbon pollution that fuels global warming, makes smog worse and threatens the health of children and the elderly — and you can help make it happen. Support the EPA’s historic standard to limit carbon pollution. The EPA has taken an important first step by proposing a new standard to limit carbon pollution from new power plants. The agency is now receiving public comments on the proposal and we must add our voice in support. You can bet that corporate polluters are already doing everything they can to block these important health protections. Members of the environmental and health communities are already voicing their support, and we must add the trusted League voice to theirs. The EPA’s proposal sets a performance standard that will ensure new power plants limit their pollution. But this is just a down payment. Existing coal-fired power plants account for the largest chunk of carbon dioxide pollution emitted by stationary sources in the US, which is roughly on a par with the carbon dioxide pollution emitted by the entire transportation sector. We need to build strong support for the EPA’s proposal on new plants to ensure that there will be political support for taking the next step — controlling carbon pollution from existing power plants! Send a powerful message to let the EPA know you want them to support people not polluters. Your comment will be delivered with those of thousands of League members and supporters across the country. Submit a comment to the EPA today! Annual Meeting – May 5th This is a special time of year for our Morgantown-Mon County LWV. At our annual meeting on Saturday, May 5 we will elect officers and board members for the coming year, discuss and adopt our program items, and adopt a budget. Before the business part of our meeting, however, we have a very special speaker: Stephen Spaulding, from Common Cause, will talk on “Voter Participation”. This is a topic of great interest to the League, and we look forward to his presentation! Agenda and Luncheon Menu Choices in Newsletter. Call Fran Nelson to make reservation. Candidate Forum – April 25! Please Attend! We will be sponsoring our second candidate forum of the year, April 25, 7-9 p.m. at Suncrest United Methodist Church on Van Voorhis Road for candidates running for Mon County Magistrate and County Commission. The candidates will be given time to introduce themselves, give their qualifications and reasons for running. There will be questions for the candidates from the audience, followed by refreshments and time to talk individually to the candidates. For information call Catherine Lozier at 304-599-8233. LWVWV Guide for May 8th Primary Election The League of Women Voters of West Virginia’s candidate questionnaire responses for the May 8 primary from candidates for congressional and statewide offices are now posted on the League’s website: http://tinyurl.com/lwvwv-votersguide. Become a knowledgeable voter, and make your vote count! LWVWV has a Facebook page. Please like it! Do a Google or Facebook search for “League of Women Voters of West Virginia” or click http://facebook.com/lwvwv. My Story Please submit your story about why you are a LWVWV member to Jonathan Rosenbaum. Declaration of Commitment Sign your Declaration of Commitment to the Constitution of the United States! Stephen Spaulding joined Common Cause as a legal associate in September 2011. Previously, Stephen was a litigation associate at Goodwin Procter LLP. He also served as a law fellow at Common Cause between 2009 and 2010, and as a law clerk in the Office of Legal Counsel to Governor Martin O’Malley (Maryland). Prior to law school, Stephen was a trial preparation assistant in the Rackets Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where he worked on corruption and racketeering investigations. Stephen has also worked in the offices of Senator Paul Sarbanes, Congressman Steny Hoyer, and the Foreign Press Center of the United States Department of State.
Stephen Spaulding
Stephen received his B.A. in political science from Haverford College. He earned his J.D. cum laude from Boston College Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Boston College Third World Law Journal, now published as the Boston College Journal of Law and Social Justice. He is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia and Massachusetts. See, Morgantown’s April-May newsletter for information about the upcoming annual meeting this May 5. Press Release – April 16, 2012 Candidate Forum for candidates running for County Commission and Magistrate in Monongalia County sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a Primary Election candidate forum for candidates running for County Commission and Magistrate in Monongalia County. It will be on Wednesday, April 25, from 7-9 pm at the Suncrest United Methodist Church on Van Voorhis Road. Seven people are seeking the County Commission seat: Republicans Janel Nye and Joseph Statler, and Democrats Tom Bloom, James Smith, Junior Taylor, Donna Tennant and Betty Wiley. They are vying for the Western District seat vacated by Asel Kennedy. One person from each party will be elected in the Primary Election on May 8 to run in the fall. Seven candidates are also running for Magistrate but they are competing for four positions. The lone Republican, Ronald Snyder, will automatically be on the ballot in the fall. Six Democrats are running including incumbents Sandy Holepit, Hershel Mullins, Jim Nabors, and Darris Summers. George Armistead and Jennifer Wilson are the challengers. Four Democrats will be selected to run in the General Election in the fall. The candidates will introduce themselves, give their qualifications and reasons for running. There will be questions for the candidates and then time for refreshments and talking individually to the candidates. For information call Catherine Lozier at 304-599-8233. Voters Guide May 8, 2012 West Virginia Primary ElectionThis candidate information is brought to you by the League of Women Voters of West Virginia as a public service. Candidate responses are printed exactly as received, including spelling, grammar and content. Candidates’ responses were limited to 50 words. Democratic Candidates for Unites States Senate CANDIDATE Sheirl Fletcher COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Monongalia PARTY Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Sheirl Fletcher, former two-term member of WV Legislature and WVU graduate, is a geologist and environmental specialist with 30+year career in the energy sector. The mother of two grown children, she understands women’s health, education and children issues. Visit www.fletcherforUSSenate.com for info on jobs, energy and protection of the environment. QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: I support Medicare reforms leading to better health for patients and lower costs for providers and taxpayers, including: Invest in patient safety – lower hospital readmissions and hospital- acquired conditions; Reform provider payments- rewarding quality and efficiency; Crack down on fraud and abuse; Reduce excessive Medicare payments to insurance companies. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: Congress must operate under a balanced budget process. In addition to the CBO, an independent federal auditing office should be created to review the budget, identify cost saving measures and make recommendations to Congress. Government waste/fraud and duplicative services must be eliminated, and government programs made more efficient and effective. CANDIDATE Joe Manchin COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Marion PARTY Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: As U.S. Senator, Joe stands up for West Virginia and commonsense. He focuses on creating jobs, getting our finances in order, keeping our promises to seniors and veterans and energy independence. Joe is from Farmington and is an outdoorsman and businessman. He and Gayle have three children and seven grandchildren. QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: Before we touch the core of the program, we need to eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse in the system. The government auditors found $125 billion in waste across the government last year, and we should make sure we’re using every dollar the right way before we consider changing critical services. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: We need to get our financial house in order, like we did in West Virginia. First, nation-building in Afghanistan should end immediately. By the end of 2012, we will have spent $650 billion. We’re building their roads, bridges and schools when we should be rebuilding America and reducing our deficit. Republican Candidate for Unites States Senate CANDIDATE John R. Raese COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Monongalia PARTY Republican Candidate did not reply
Voters Guide May 8, 2012 West Virginia Primary ElectionDemocratic Candidate for US House of Representatives, First District CANDIDATE Sue Thorn COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Ohio PARTY Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: I graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University in organizational leadership development. After working in economic development, I became the director in a congregation-centered organizing project, tasked with bringing together diverse congregations on social justice issues. I recently organized throughout WV’s 1st District on national issues for the Democratic National Committee. www.Thorn2012.com QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: Medicare’s prescription drug costs are out of control because Medicare is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies. Medicare, the largest purchaser of prescription drugs in the US, should negotiate prices, as does the Veterans Administration. Encouraging preventative care and prosecuting fraud will also cut Medicare costs. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: The Defense Department, the federal budget’s second largest component, has the lowest rate of bidded contracts; furthermore, no-bid contracts have nearly tripled over the last 10 years. We must eliminate the influence corporate profits have, not only in our contracts and purchases, but also in the military actions we pursue. Republican Candidate for US House of Representatives, First District CANDIDATE David B. McKinley COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Ohio PARTY Republican Candidate did not reply
Voters Guide May 8, 2012 West Virginia Primary ElectionDemocratic Candidates for US House of Representatives, Second District CANDIDATE Dugald Brown COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Berkeley PARTY Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Dugald is a West Virginia native born in Martinsburg who attended WVU receiving a B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science, minor in Communications, and certificate in Digital Forensics. Currently an IT consultant who must regularly make technology choices based on pro/con criteria rather than political climate. QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: The best way to control Medicare costs is to control the overall costs of healthcare – discussing single-payer is a necessity. Also helping would be examining for duplicate processes and consolidate these across the whole program. This approach would allow us to consolidate and reduce Medicare infrastructure. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: I would like to take a program-by-program approach to search for duplicate functionality and consolidate programs across all departments. This approach would allow us to consolidate and reduce government infrastructure. Also during this process, examine programs/subsidies for relevancy to current timeframe and eliminate outdated issues. CANDIDATE William McCann COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Jefferson PARTY Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: I was raised in Morgan County, and now live in Jefferson County with my wife and daughter. I received degrees in History and Philosophy from WVU. I have a firm understanding of the issues that affect middleclass West Virginians and real solutions to the problems we face. Website: mccannforcongress.com QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: To curb Medicare costs, the price of healthcare in general must come down. This may be achieved by promoting and expanding the number of healthcare professionals educated and employed in the U.S. The prices of medical equipment, medicine, and services should be made affordable to all Americans through regulation. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: I propose we create an agency which audits each government entity, to ensure that money is used wisely and not wasted or used fraudulently. The government should also be required to publish a yearly receipt that is available to the public. Wasteful programs would be apparent and should be cut. CANDIDATE Howard Swint COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Kanawha PARTY Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Swint is recognized for his whistleblower role in the State of West Virginia’s purchase of the Greenbrooke Building through George Hohmann’s 2008 award-winning investigative series in the Charleston Daily Mail that resulted in savings of $3.4 million. Swint holds two Master degrees from WVU. Swint for Congress (Facebook) for more. QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: Medicare spends over $50 billion annually on patient healthcare services provided in the last two months of their lives. It would be better to invest in preventive care for children to correspondingly reduce the provision of services in the ER, something that we all pay for, and extend healthier lives. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: Drastically reduce DoD spending for nuclear weapon programs, F-35 jet fighter, V-22 Osprey, “Next Gen” bomber, M1 tank, Littoral Combat Ship, and most SBIRS space weapons; reduce two full Navy wings and two aircraft carrier groups; close bases in more than 25 countries including South Korea, Afghanistan, and Europe. Republican Candidates for US House of Representatives, Second District CANDIDATE Shelly Moore Capito COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Kanawha PARTY Republican Candidate did not reply CANDIDATE Michael “Mike” Davis COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Randolph PARTY Republican BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Born in Ohio in 1946, I moved to WV in 1973. I’ve worked since I was ten. I worked my way through college. I have a B.A. in English. I am an artist/entrepreneur (www.shiboriwest.com) and own a campground (www.watergapretreat.com). I have four wonderful children and three grandchildren. www.michaeldavisforcongress.com QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: By far, the last six months of health care costs for the elderly are the most expensive. It would save money and greatly improve the quality of life of the patients, their families, and friends, if providers were required to discuss end-of-life options with their elderly patients. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: The U.S. spends almost as much on our military as the rest of the world combined. I would bring the troops home from all over the world and drastically reduce military spending. Also, I would shrink the prison system by decriminalizing drugs. Drug use is a health issue. CANDIDATE Jonathan Miller COUNTY OF RESIDENCE Berkeley PARTY Republican BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Family – Wife, Kimberly Miller, Step-son, Michael Williams. Education – Bachelor of Arts in political science from High Point University in High Point, NC – 2006. Work Experience – Loan Officer, Lincoln Mortgage. Substitute Teacher, Berkeley County Schools, Health Insurance Consultant, Self-employed. Political Experience – Delegate, WV House of Delegates, Elected 2006, 2008, and 2010 QUESTION 1. What should be done to control mounting Medicare costs? ANSWER: One possible way to do this is to allow people to opt out of Medicare. Opting out gives people choices about Medicare while also “shutting off the valve” of future, long run Medicare costs. Any money lost in the short run should be replaced by cutting wasteful and unnecessary spending. QUESTION 2. What programs are you willing to cut or eliminate in order to reduce the federal deficit? ANSWER: We can cut over $500 billion, over 10% of the current budget, by placing caps on spending and eliminating unobligated amounts of money. “Unobligated amounts of money” is extra money just sitting around not being used for anything. Think of this as eliminating the “petty cash” fund for government agencies.
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bulletin.may.2012.doc
