Issues

If you are lucky, a few trick or treaters will show up at your home wearing Obama or McCain masks. I'll give you a free pass on Friday, so I can hand out goodies to kids in my neighborhood rather than knock on your doors.

As you walk through the neighborhoods, watching the little ones juggle the flashlight, costumes and candy bags, think about what we need to do to protect their futures.

More than $10 trillion in debt and $10 trillion lost in the stock market last year. There is no way that you should vote for people who stood on the sidelines and watched this disaster explode in our laps.

October was one of the worst months ever for the stock market. Your job security, your retirement and your social security were all impacted. Do you trust the same career politicians to fix the problems?

I know how to balance a government budget and create jobs. I delivered on community priorities like the Carroll Creek, Hill Street Park and the Talley Recreation and Fitness Center. We invested in hiring additional police officers and paid for a good contract in order to keep them!

I understand the risks people take when they open a small business and will work to protect their ability to thrive. But, we can't protect the "big boys" and forget the small businesses that line every Main Street in Maryland.

In Congress, I will be a voice of small business in the Democratic Caucus. I know there are not many small business owners in Congress, but I will fight to protect our future. I understand the need to keep energy affordable and health care realistic options for owners and employees. I understand the need to support smart tax policy that rewards investment and creativity.

In Congress, I will work for investment in local governments to make sure we see jobs grow locally - investing in schools, roads, bridges, airports, and water and sewer treatment plants. By investing in our infrastructure, we guarantee jobs grow in our district.

I made a promise to my Mom when I entered public office. She told me to always tell people the truth and be willing to win or lose elections over the truth. The truth is - we need to change the way Washington works and I will work tirelessly to get the job done. The truth is - you won't always like what I say, but I won't say one thing in our district and do something else in Washington. The truth is - you already know it's time for change.

You may still be undecided and wondering, "Where can I find out more information about the candidates running for Congress this year?" Normally, you might have been able to attend one or more candidates debates in your county, but for months, 8-term incumbent Roscoe Bartlett refused to attend forums where he would be required to answer voters' questions. Finally, he relented and agreed to attend debates in only three counties: Frederick, Washington and Harford. We have posted those debates on YouTube, and broken them up, question by question. After you select a debate, you can either watch the entire debate, or simply click on the questions that are important to you.

If you have the time, curl up in a comfortable chair and watch the debates below, in their entirety. If a question seems unimportant to you, simply click on the arrow to the right of the screen to skip to the next question.

Frederick

Hagerstown

Bel Air

The word for this election is “change”. When you go to the polls every few years, you make a choice about whether things are “going along okay” or “not so much”. If things are “good”, you generally vote to keep the folks in office, or you choose to “Dump the Incumbents” (just like the book of the same title).

A few years ago, I lost an election. I thought about the issues that brought about my loss and worked to improve my ability to serve. We are all on a constant mission to learn and improve. By no means perfect, I know we all have to keep learning and improving.

In this election, I am building on what I learned in City Hall – promoting a strong economic development plan, practical solutions for renewable energy supplies, and changing the way Congress does business. I am committed to discussing my plans and my opponent’s votes and political philosophy and not his personality.

When you go to the polls in 5 days, ask if you are better off than you were 4 years ago or even 2 years ago? I need you to take your future in your own hands and make YOUR interests the issue at the ballot box. It’s time to change our Member of Congress.

When we win next Tuesday, we can get started on changing our world. I don’t see doom and gloom. Despite the current crises, I think Americans have great prospects. We have always been able to share the common burden and emerge stronger. And, that is what we will start next week!

My nieces and nephews, their friends and the young people I get to meet every day give me great hope for our future. It’s pretty simple for them. Find something you like and do it! That’s what I am doing.

When we win Tuesday’s election, we will focus on priorities that make a difference to our children. Here’s a list:

• Government spending – Young people are unaware that we have allowed billions in IOUs to be placed on their doorsteps. I will support common sense strategies to control spending by rewarding creativity and effectiveness by government employees. Stop, look, listen.
  Stop spending the old way, just because it has “always been done.”
  Look for ways to be creative in government.
  Listen to employees who know the ropes and want to help.

• Competition - I oppose “no-bid contracts” like some at Ft. Detrick and Aberdeen Proving Grounds that keep local businesses from winning competitive bids for services.
• Openness – I will tell you what my votes mean to the district by creating an interactive website that gives you information in time for you to tell me what you think.

We also need to invest in…

Protecting Social Security and Medicare are the top reasons older voters support my election. Older citizens want to trust the Congress won’t turn its back on them. And, they know the voting record of my opponent.

In Washington, I will support a plan that calls on those making more than $250,000 a year to contribute 2-4% to shore up the fund. I will support efforts to improve retirement savings and protect seniors by voting for legislation that will allow seniors earning less than $50,000 to pay no income taxes. And, I will work to improve the prescription drug law with simpler instructions and better prices.

The challenge for the next Congress is to show the courage to secure Social Security now. The process needs to be clear and concise. It should not rely on some faceless bureaucrat to write the regulations for implementation, but rather it should be understood by the House, Senate and public when it is voted upon.

My opponent is not a fan of the current system and has voted to undercut its solvency and efficiency when given the chance.

The 16-year incumbent has voted to cut Social Security and Medicare programs and payments, including his recent “mistaken” vote this summer to cut Medicare reimbursements to physicians. He supported President Bush’s efforts to privatize Social Security. He now supports a plan to allow younger people to re-direct 1/3 of their current contributions away from Social Security and put them into private retirement accounts.

In just over one week, Americans will go to the polls. Recent polls indicate the Democrats will gain seats in the House and Senate. We should, but we shouldn’t let it go to our heads. With your support, I will be one of those new seats!
From 1994-2006, the Republican majority advanced an agenda of less government, less taxes and fewer regulations. That sounds a lot like my opponent’s slogan. The trouble with slogans is – they don’t really provide solutions. And, if the proof is in the pudding, my opponent’s 91% voting record with the President’s agenda is proof positive that he should be replaced now.

The economy is battered. Middle-class families are juggling housing, energy, education, child care, and health care costs. Our retirement account statements provide more fright than any Halloween trickster. Almost everyone knows we have to take action to fix the economic mess and make sure it does not happen again. There are so many problems we cannot accept the status quo.

On the Wall Street mess, people want justice. It may take years to rebuild their retirement accounts, but they want to make sure that Congress takes our jobs of investigation and oversight seriously.

I will support complete and thorough investigations of the financial meltdown that has been brewing for years. I will propose and support stronger “whistleblower” protections to allow middle managers who saw this coming to speak freely. There are already hints that many people were sending warning signs to CEOs and top managers on Wall Street.

I will support changing the executive compensation for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – I cannot support top managers of quasi-governmental agencies being paid multi-million dollar salaries. It makes no sense.

I will support reasonable regulations that will add transparency and protection for investors and regulators.

The most important thing I will do is be a voice of reason when the Democratic majority tries to write an encyclopedia of new laws to guarantee this will never happen again. There is no reason to add 100 new laws when 3 or 4 might do. As a Mayor, I know it is possible to write and pass a bunch of laws, but you have to be able to enforce them. As a Member of Congress, I want to be able to target the problems, not just “cover them in paper”.

My opponent has said that the financial crisis was brought about because of “too much regulation, not too little.” Despite his “no” vote on the bail-out, his votes for de-regulation over his 16 years in Washington contributed to this mess. He is no supporter of government investigation or oversight. He has not stood in opposition to excessive CEO compensation. His laissez-faire attitude toward government has been tested. It has failed.

I am not a “career politician”, but I have learned from serving in government and in business. I will speak up for our district and our beliefs. I will be a voice of small business and Main Street in the Democratic Caucus. The 6th District will be better served with a fresh voice in the majority, not just a “yes” vote for the Party Leadership.