Q&A with Younan
1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that? What will be your main priority in office?
I am running for the office of representative in my district because I'm fed up with Washington. Washington has become a city of career politicians that are extremely out of touch with the American people. We're constantly being told that "the other side" is to blame when in fact ALL SIDES are to blame. If the people of my district elect me to represent them, I will listen to them and their needs. I will fight for them every day, since, after all, that would be my job.
2. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.
No more politics as usual, that would be written on the door to my office. No more cronyism, no more Wall St. over Main St. Our nation is coming apart, we are being presented with one of the most important points in our great history, and we need leaders today! We cannot afford to re-elect the same people that have brought this nation to its knees and yet claim they are do-gooders.
3. In which ways, if at all, would you alter U.S. policy in Iraq and Afghanistan? How would you characterize the effect of the U.S. "surge" in Iraq? What objectives, if any, must the U.S. still meet before it begins to withdraw troops?
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will go down as some of the worst managed wars in recent history. From day one, our "leaders" in Washington should've better analyzed our enemies and been more prepared. The surge has worked, but more importantly, the "surge strategy" should have been implemented on day one! Our nation is blessed with kindhearted citizens who intend to bring peace and democracy to every individual on earth. We have tarnished our name as a nation to the world. We must bring stability, peace, democracy and basic humane kindness to the people of these great countries. We must show the world again that America is truly a nation of great people.
4. What short-term steps, if any, would you advocate to keep gasoline prices in check?
From "gas tax holidays" to offshore drilling, our representatives in Congress promise to ease the pain at the pump and have yet to deliver! This is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Unfortunately, it has become a government for Wall St. and EVERYONE in Washington is to blame. We need to put these measures into effect immediately. The sooner we begin to help our citizens out, the sooner our economy will be back on the road to recovery.
5. Please list the key elements of your preferred long-term energy policy. Rank or rate the relative importance of domestic oil exploration, conservation and alternative-energy development. What part, if any, should ethanol play in U.S. energy policy?
• Become 100% energy independent.
• We have thousands of miles of shoreline that we allow international companies to use to explore for oil but not our own! We have become greedy even when it comes to natural resources. Congress must act fast to promote exploration of oil and other energy resources right here in our nation!
• Conservation is key to becoming energy independent. As a nation, we just loaned $25 billion of our tax dollars to Detroit's auto manufacturers (i.e. GM, Ford, Chrysler). We must demand that fuel efficiency increase immediately. We must demand other industries (i.e. tires, plastics, electronics) to all become more efficient.
• Alternative-Energy is the future. Wind, solar, water and many other types are the key to our nation becoming energy independent. We must begin to invest heavily in turning major cities "Green" and rewarding citizens through tax breaks and other measures for choosing more efficient products in their homes, cars and lifestyles in general.
• Ethanol is not the future. Ethanol is one of the main reasons why the cost of foods (especially corn and other farm products) has increased. Of course, ethanol is a small part of the grand plan to become energy independent, but again, it's a small part.
6. What steps, if any, should Congress take to promote economic recovery? What steps by the federal government might make the nation's economy worse?
It is unfortunate to see that our great nation is being brought to its knees economically. But we only have ourselves to blame. A nation cannot survive if it exports jobs, services, and finances and imports almost everything while producing significantly less. We need to change our unbalanced economic policy to better fit today's world. The government of this nation should reward businesses that create AMERICAN jobs. The government should penalize businesses that export American jobs. But again, our nation has been looking out for Wall St. and neglecting Main St. Not just 1 or 2 individuals out in Washington, but everyone!
7. Do you favor or oppose a larger federal role in health-care? Either way, why and what should the federal role be? What, if anything, should be done about rising health care costs and Americans who do not have health coverage?
Many great nations (i.e. France, England, Canada) have shown us that the federal government is a necessity in providing universal health-care. We are the wealthiest nation on the planet and yet rank at the bottom when it comes to health-care. For decades, literally, we have heard that Washington and our representatives are fighting to give Americans basic health-care coverage. Oh yeah? Well, whom have they been fighting? Wall St? Common. We are far too late and far to in need of providing health-care to our citizens to be playing these types of games. Basic health-care should be provided to every citizen upon birth, it's our nations duty. We as a nation must understand that we must take care of each other, because in the end, we all pay for it! The government should provide tax incentives to individuals that purchase health-care on their own and to businesses that provide health-care to all their employees, we should cut wasteful spending and create a budget to provide health-care to everyone currently without coverage. There are ways to do this, there are citizens in need of this, but we lack the backbone in Congress to actually do it!
8. Would you maintain or scale back federal tax cuts made during the past eight years? Either way, why? How, as specifically as possible, would you try to reduce federal budget deficits and the national debt?
Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Domestic, American, homemade jobs! If we "scale back" federal taxes and use the money to buy oil from foreign nations, to export our jobs abroad, to keep importing everything, then we get absolutely no where as a nation. We have to pay attention to our fellow citizens and ease the burden on their wallets. We need to create jobs here at home and we need to reinvest in our nation. Our national debt we be non-existent if we spent a little more money here at home as opposed to every corner of the world. Now, don't get me wrong, we live in a globalized economy and we absolutely must provide support for the rest of the world. But if you fail to support your own household, you cannot help out your neighbor.
9. The current Congress could not agree on immigration reform. What would you do to advance reform in a divided Congress, and, briefly, what should the key policy elements be?
As with almost every other issue we face, our "leaders" in Washington are all talk and no action. Immigration is a big deal. Millions upon millions of illegal immigrants have found their ways into our nation. Firstly, we must never forget that we are a nation of immigrants and that we must respect every human being, legal or illegal. But we must also solve this problem. We cannot afford to have millions of illegal immigrants in our nation, using our roads, hospitals, and schools and not pay for it. As Americans, our tax dollars are used to provide use with these basic services on a daily basis. Just last week, the state of California cannot afford its current budget to operate and is in need of a federal loan. Well, California, like many other states, has been flooded with illegal immigrants. We must create a "road to citizenship" for all law abiding immigrants. Lets be realistic, we cannot ship out millions of immigrants from our nation over night nor can we just grant them all citizenship and expect nothing in return for the years of service this nation has provided them. We need a comprehensive solution that outlines guaranteed citizenship based on a few criteria (i.e. repayment of legal income taxes owed, fees and such). We have always been a nation of immigrants and will always be a nation of immigrants.
10. In what ways is the U.S. government successfully defending citizens against terrorism, and in what ways is the U.S. failing in that regard?
There are many things our nation is doing correctly in fighting terrorism: freezing terrorist related funds, being on the offensive in Afghanistan and Iraq, and relaying the message that America and its allies will not tolerate threats made to our citizens have kept our nation safe. But we must do more. If we continue to write checks worth up to $600 billion for oil and other goods to nations that are hostile towards the United States, then we are setting ourselves up for trouble. We have to rethink the way we do business with the world. Any corporation doing business in a nation known to have links to terrorist organizations should be severally punished. But not just corporations, countries that do business with other countries linked to terrorism need to be warned that their relationship to the United States is being put in jeopardy.