Timothy Wolfe: Candidate Profile

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 daughtersOccupation: Independent business owner - tax and accounting practiceEducation: BS Business Administration IL Wesleyan University 1975 BS Accounting IL State University 1978 MS Masters in Taxation Northern IL University 2003Civic involvement: Children's soccer and basketball coach.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 Repeal and replacement of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) because this one law represents all of the pressing issues such as excess government spending and waste, taxation, loss of freedoms, budgeting, Congressional responsibilities and openness in the legislative process.Key Issue 2 Jobs, jobs, jobs, that is: fix the economy!Key Issue 3 Debt and deficit issues, which include reigning in Federal spending and making significant changes to our taxing system.Questions Answers 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?The president agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts in 2010. Trying to raise tax rates now, in the middle of a recession, would be counterproductive. If the point is to stimulate the economy, it should be done in a way that will actually help. The tax laws could have been changed during the 2009 ? 2011 Congressional session when the Democrats held the presidency, and the majority in the House and Senate. However, there was no attempt to simplify or positively alter the tax code. Instead the Democrats continued to blame the Republican Party. The next 12 months should be used to either simplify the current tax code and lower rates or consider an alternative system like a national sales tax or flat tax. As the new Congressman in the 9th District, I would require that all changes to our tax system be coupled with real spending and budgeting changes. To reduce unemployment, the Federal government must minimize its impact on business by reducing regulations, repealing Obamacare and by developing an energy plan to become independent of unreliable foreign sources. The rules of the road for businesses must be made simpler and more permanent. Today, businesses are operating in an environment where regulators are more interested in exercising unnecessary (and unconstitutional power) instead of supporting changes to improve the business environment while supporting basic societal goals. In every area of government, there is overspending. Revenues will increase as businesses become more productive. The current President has no jobs plan that promotes private market growth.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?I will help reduce partisanship by concentrating on substantive issues, and not engaging in the name-calling that has been so prevalent. However, there are also principles and reasonable judgment that are being ignored by some of our representatives, and that is a trend I intend to help reverse this trend. This is what is necessary to move from being a crisis driven institution.Do you agree with the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the health care law and why? Do you support or oppose repeal of the law? Which parts would you change and why? If you are elected, how, specifically, will you work to achieve those changes?The Supreme Court did not uphold the idea that the government can force you to buy insurance. What the Supreme Court upheld was the right of the government to tax you for not having health insurance. I support a total repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) because in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution the Federal government is "to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States?. Taking the power to tax and using that power to be able to modify individual behavior on an unlimited basis is way beyond the scope of the Constitution. If health insurance is a necessity to pay the costs that society bears for people who do not have insurance, then that legislative need must be applied at the state level much as the requirement for automobile insurance is in most (if not all) states. By giving the Federal government approval for unlimited taxing authority in order to modify public behavior, the Supreme Court has opened up the opportunity for the destruction of economic freedom and the rule of law as embodied in our Constitution. In order to fix this problem, we need both free market solutions as well as appropriate laws such as the requirement that health insurance products cannot exclude applicants with pre-existing conditions, allowance for interstate sales of health insurance products, and tort reform. With the ability to sell their products to a larger audience, health insurance companies will be able to provide a better product at a lower premium and, thus, better address health issues.How do you believe marriage should be defined legally? Should the law that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman be overturned or upheld? Why?Marriage is currently defined as one man and one woman and should stay that way. The Definition of Marriage Act should be enforced by the Obama Administration and remain in effect. Each state must address the issue of civil unions in order for same-sex couples to be able to publicly express commitments to each other and share in social and legal benefits and responsibilities.The Latino population in the suburbs is growing. What is the biggest challenge created by that growth? Do you support or oppose President Obama's directive to stop deportation of undocumented immigrants who are in college or the military and why?In this and other areas, President Obama should obey the law of the land and not engage in selective enforcement! Therefore I do not support the President?s directive to stop deportation of undocumented immigrants who are in college or the military. The growth of the Latino population in the United States presents no problem so long as the new arrivals acknowledge and respect the immigration laws, and other laws of the land.