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Timothy Wolfe: Candidate Profile

9th District U.S. Representative (Republican)

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Arlington HeightsWebsite: www.timwolfeforcongress.com/Office sought: 9th District U.S. RepresentativeAge: 58Family: Married, two childrenOccupation: Accountant/CPAEducation: Masters in Taxation, Northern IL Univ., 2003 Bachelor of Science in Accounting, IL State Univ., 1978 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, IL Wesleyan Univ., 1975 Certified Public Accountant Certified Financial PlannerCivic involvement: I've coached in various sports activities for my children over a period of approximately 15 years. Sports included soccer, basketball and softball. I was involved as an officer of a local athletic organization for approximately 2 years. I've been involved in the Mt. Prospect Chamber of Commerce, including a committee involved in welcoming new members.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 JobsKey Issue 2 Deficit/debtKey Issue 3 Medicare and Social Security reform.Questions Answers What would you do to help ease partisan gridlock? Are you willing to compromise on sticking points including spending cuts and taxes to produce results' How can Congress move from being a "crisis-driven" institution?The following are some ideas to help reduce gridlock:1.We must again consider term limits. Re-election is too much of a focus. The real focus, which should be good government, takes second place. 2. Politicians are too concerned with re-election. A direct reason for this are gerrymandered House districts which allows politicians in office to choose their voters so that they can stay in office instead of being elected by a district that might otherwise be unhappy with the representation of that district. Each state determines how boundaries are chosen. Right now only a few states chose to use bipartisan groups or more equitable methods to draw political boundaries after every 10 year census.Of course I am willing to compromise to arrive at reasonable solutions without compromising principles. However,principles must be based upon what our Constituion is, not what we think it should be.The basic reason for the crisis driven problem is the polarization of the parties, not the issues themselves. Our politicians must be passionate about the issues but also centered enough to treat fellow Congressmen with respect. Put yourself in the other person's shoes to better understand their positions and then consider how you can best form your arguments so that the other person is more likely to listen and work with you.Should tax breaks be extended? Why or why not? If so, for whom? What should Congress do to improve unemployment? Why do you support or oppose President Obama's jobs plan? What cuts or revenue increases do you support for deficit reduction?If the question refers to all deductions and credits that allow income tax payers to reduce their income tax rate, and therefore total income taxes, then I would say that the tax code needs to be simplified. Simplification of the taxing system may take several years to move from our current system to a new system. As a nation we must continue to give favorable treatment of income from investments because new investments into new and growing businesses are necessary for a growing economy.Congress cannot directly do anything to substantially reduce unemployment. Congress must create an environment that promotes job creation. Steps must include making the Federal government more efficient and effective.This means eliminating non-priority spending and spending for projects, grants, studies, etc. that should not be paid for or subsidized by the Federal government.I do not support President Obama's job's plan because he is only proposing policies that have already failed.Other plans, such as the limited two month payroll extension, are politically motivated in nature and do not offer any substantive and realistic solutions.There is practically no area of government spending policies that shouldn't be changed. The problem with the current discussions is that I do not believe enough members of Congress are willing too participate in serious problem-solving.I am prepared to work with other member of the House of Representatives to develop viable solutions to the problems at hand.What steps should the country now be taking in the war on terrorism? What policy should the U.S. have toward Iran and North Korea? What is your view of terrorism policies that pit public safety against civil liberty?The number one tool against terrorism is technology.Although the US has the largest and best equipped military in the world, there is a limit to what any military can do directly against terrorism.We might want to consider a formal entity (distinct from the Army, Navy, etc.) that would be established to deal with cybersecurity. This entity should be designed to protect both the private economy and our military infrastructure from cyber attacks. If it is needed to gain cooperation in the international arena, I would support the US extensively utilizing sanctions against Iran and North Korea.It is very important that Congress understand the ease in which civil liberties could be infringed upon in our fight against terrorism. As a member of Congress I will always be on the side of our constitutional rights. As a Congressman I will be vigilant in balancing the rights of our citizens and the needs of our country.How should Medicare and Medicaid be changed overall to fix fund gaps' How should Medicare be changed for those currently enrolled? How should it change for the Baby Boomer generation?Before proceeding with my answer let me be perfectly clear. No one who is 55 and older will have their benefit changed by what I would propose. The first step for both programs should be the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse. Recently a high level administration official has said that 20 - 30% of total spending for Medicare and Medicaid is "wasted spending." (Dr. Donald Berwick former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.) A solution should include hiring, through a bidding process, a firm or set of firms who are professionals in finding and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. A percentage of savings would serve as payment for the services of the firm doing the work.Both of these systems are critical to the American people.Because of the importance of these programs,we must consider a wide range of solutions.Some considerations might include changes in the premium structure, whether vouchers and private insurance are vaiable, and maximum lifetime benefits.What is your position on concealed carry gun laws' How do you believe marriage should be defined legally? What is your position on abortion? What, if any, abortion exceptions do you support? Should abortion clinics receive government funding?I support concealed carry gun laws.Marriage is already defined in the Defense of Marriage Act. The executive department, which includes the President, must follow all laws, including the Defense of Marriage Act. If the President doesn't like a law he must seek to get it changed. It is the job of Congress to add or change laws.Abortion is not the responsibility of the Federal government. Therefore, there should be no funding of abortions or abortion clinics by the Federal government. <div style="margin:8px 8px 0 8px;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.congressionalprimaries.org/static/primaries/js/widget_api.js"></script><script type="text/javascript">document.write(CongressionalPrimaries.tweets("www", "www", "D1129646BCBE92C41681", "Timothy", "Wolfe"));</script></div>