Barry Hermanson (U.S. House Dist 12)

[Jeff_W]

Questionnaire for candidates

California Primary Election: June 3, 2008


Candidate/Campaign Information:
Candidate name:
Barry Hermanson
Office sought:
Congress – District 12
Contact person:
Barry Hermanson
Mail address:
2467 28th Avenue, S.F., CA 94116
Telephone:
415-664-7754
Email address:
barry@barryhermanson.org
Web address:
http://www.barryhermanson.org
Anticipated Budget:
For the entire year, $100,000
Funds raised to date:
Very little. I haven’t spent much time doing fundraising yet.
Percentage of donations under $50
Most. I am not accepting donations in excess of $100.

General Questions: Please write a brief response (less than 150 words) to each question. You will have additional opportunities to address these issues.

1. Why are you running? Why should we vote for you?

Our spending on the military is bankrupting our country. Democrats and Republicans in Congress vote overwhelmingly to fund the basic operations of the Pentagon. In California, we are sending layoff notices to teachers and are cutting other vital services to our communities. Please see my U.S. Budget Priorities pie chart on my web site.




2. What sets you apart from your opponents?

My opposition to the obscene amount of funding provided to the Pentagon. Jackie Speier says that the amount we are spending in Iraq in one month would provide healthcare to every child in America for an entire year. She doesn’t tell voters that every last dime we are spending in Iraq is borrowed money. http://youtube.com/watch?v=aXOfV9Ltc1E
If we were not in Iraq, I strongly doubt that these funds would be available for healthcare or any other purpose. That kind of statement misleads the voters. They need to hear the truth.

3. What are the top three issues facing America? What will you do about those issues?

Education, healthcare and the environment. By reducing Pentagon spending we can begin to move our national resources away from spending on war and the preparation for war into investing in people.


4. SF4D PAC is committed to grassroots involvement. Please explain how you have involved ordinary citizens in your campaign.

People are taking my U.S. Budget Priorities pie chart card and giving them to their friends and neighbors. My web page has been forwarded to people all over the country. I believe that every person in the U.S. should see this pie chart. Every representative in Congress should be held accountable for their vote to fund the Pentagon.


5. SF4D PAC endorses fiscally responsible and socially progressive candidates. Please give examples of why you fit these criteria.

Approximately 60% of our U.S. discretionary budget goes to the military. We could easily provide much more funding to education, healthcare and environmental protection without raising taxes.

Issue Questions:

1. As a US Representative, what would you do to eliminate the corrupting influence of special interest money in political campaigns?

The overwhelming vote on the Defense Appropriations Bill (395 to 13) in Congress last year illustrates the need for campaign finance reform. During the last 9 months, I have talked to thousands of voters and have found only one person who thought we should be spending more on the Pentagon. Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Greens all say that we should be spending less. Our elected representatives do not reflect the will of the voters when it comes to Pentagon spending. I am a strong advocate for removing the powerful influence of money in political campaigns. My campaign is essentially about conveying the need for reform to the voters.


2. What approach would you use to achieve universal health care in the United States? For example, do you support John Conyer's H.R. 676 which would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care system by expanding and improving Medicare? Or would you propose a different system?

I am a strong supporter of H.R. 676 and have publicly advocated for it. See: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZxVSwgXMJLo. My friend, Don Bechler, tells me that Jackie Speier voted for SB 840 but consistently refused to become a co-author. Because of the campaign contributions she takes from the insurance industry, I doubt that she will support H.R. 676.


3. What is your position on the retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies which have supported President Bush in his illegal domestic spying program?

Telecommunications companies should not have participated in illegal domestic spying. There should be no immunity. When your government is doing something illegal, it is the responsibility of people to stand up and say no. Corporations are considered persons in this country. They have many of the same rights as you and I. If it was an illegal act, and the law that regulates it was just, they should be held accountable.

4. In terms of public policy issues, how would you differentiate yourself from the positions held by Representative Tom Lantos?

Tom Lantos was known as a hawk. In the last year of his life, he moved away from his support of the war in Iraq as have most Democratic politicians. However, almost nothing has been done to cut off or significantly reduce funding for the war even though Democrats have been in the majority.





5. What is your position on the continued deployment of US combat troops in Iraq?

We should leave Iraq. If their government requests military assistance, we should fully fund a United Nations peacekeeping force.