League of Women Voters election survey: Tom Love, candidate for U.S. House Rep. - District 24

by Staff of of League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters of Dallas sent a questionnaire to every candidate running for public office in Dallas County. The election on November 4th features a number of local races to decide state and national Senate and House of Representatives seats.

The responses of Tom Love (D), who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives - District 24 seat, appear below. Love is running against incumbent Kenny Marchant (R) and David Casey (L).

LWV: Please describe the training and experience that qualify you for this office.

Love: I am a UT Alumnus with a BA in Government. As a Small Business owner, a Social Services Worker with the State of Texas, and as a Financial Services Supervisor, I have experienced firsthand the problems and difficulties of Texans who struggle to maintain their lifestyle and raise their children, in uncertain times.

LWV: What reforms would you propose to the U.S. healthcare system to control costs, improve the quality of care and expand access to healthcare to uninsured Americans?

Love: Washington should take the initiative in health care providing and management. We need a health insurance exchange available to all citizens, from which payments are made to health care providers at uniform rates negotiated annually. Rates should be based upon the ability to pay and could include co-payments as an incentive to avoid over-utilization by some individuals. Further, the statute not allowing American pharmaceutical companies from recovering research and development costs from sells abroad should be annulled.

LWV: Do you support a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq?

Love: America needs a flexible timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, based upon the stability of the government and the security of the people. However, Iraq must understand that such a timetable will have limits and punitive measures to help insure forward progress. The proposal of 16 months maximum seems reasonable, and direct funding to the Iraqi government should be immediately curtailed. Humanitarian and reconstruction funds should be handled by internationally recognized charities.

LWV: How do you propose to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S., while also meeting the increased need of American agriculture and small business for workers?

Love: We should enforce stronger penalties against employers who hire undocumented workers. We should have temporary work visas for seasonal workers. Those who entered this country and who have broken laws since being here should be deported. Those who entered clandestinely but have established themselves as responsible workers should have a path toward integration within the society, but should be fined for having broken the law. Each case would need to be handled individually.

LWV: The U.S. Highway Trust Fund is expected to go into deficit next year. Congress is reluctant to raise the federal gas tax. How should America pay for its massive infrastructure needs related to roads and bridges?

Love: The invasion of Iraq could have paid for the necessary refurbishing of our highways and bridges. Now we must demand a surcharge tax to be levied upon the petrochemical industries and their massive windfall profits. Additionally, we must begin to redistribute funds from a massively swelled military machine sent abroad to cover our needs domestically. The growth of tax revenues from an improved transportation infrastructure could recover all needed funds for improvements in time.

LWV: What source do you think represents the greatest opportunity to achieve energy independence? How can the federal government best advance its development?

Love: America cannot depend upon a single source of energy, we need to develop all renewable sources. We need to simultaneously decrease inefficiency in using energy. Our CAFÉ standards should equal those of Europe and Japan, making American automobiles more competitive. We need to improve storage of energy, like battery technology, making electric vehicles practical. Dependence upon fossil fuels must eventually end, so we need a wide variety of new sources integrated into a whole.

LWV: What other issue do you believe will be most pressing in the next session of Congress, and what is your position on this issue?

Love: The evolving Mortgage Crisis might be the hardest problem for Congress to tackle. Responsible lending practices must be legislated and enforced, not allowing the continuance of predatory lending practices. Full transparency of loan details should be mandatory, including responsible projections of true costs and penalties. Minimum requirements for securing loans must be maintained.