Federal deficit plans differ among 11th Congressional Dems
The federal deficit now stands at more than $15 trillion, a number that all three Democratic candidates for the 11th Congressional seat want to shrink. But Bill Foster, Jim Hickey and Juan Thomas disagree on whether defense spending, the war on drugs or creating jobs is the best method to balance the federal budget and pay off federal debt.
Thomas, of Aurora, said tackling the deficit will require a closer look at both the tax code and defense budget.
“We fund a military like we are still fighting the Cold War,” Thomas said. “We need to revisit that. We are not fighting wars like we did when we were fighting in World War II and the Korean War.”
Thomas said he would review the need to have what he believes is 60,000 U.S. troops stationed throughout Europe as a possible cost saving measure. At the same time, Thomas pledged not to support any military cuts that would hinder the country’s ability to respond to and prevent terrorist actions. The second part of his plan is creating what he believes would be a more equitable tax code.
“No one gets a free ride,” Thomas said. “The rich have to pay their fair share. All people have to pay their fair share. I’d make sure that we fund programs that help people get out of poverty and help them to become productive citizens. We want all people to be productive, which will lessen the burden that they place on our tax structure.”
Hickey believes the answer to paying off the federal debt is to create jobs, which, in turn, increases tax income flowing back to the federal government. Hickey believes one of the most promising venues to create more jobs is the renewable energy industry. Hickey believes America already has the technology to cut dependence on foreign oil within the next 10 years.
“We get a lot of oil from people that don’t like us,” Hickey said. “We’re funding the terrorist activity ourself.”
Hickey, of Orland Park, also supports the proposed Keystone oil plan that would run a pipeline from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, as long as the pipeline doesn’t run through environmentally important areas.
“Canada is our friend,” Hickey said. “If anyone is going to make billions of dollars off of us, why not them? It will put our people to work.”
Foster, of Naperville, pointed to three specific budget cuts he’ll push if elected.
The first involves taking a close look at what he described as “indefensible” farm subsidies to millionaire farmers. The second involves a different approach to America’s war on drugs.
Foster said science is close to bringing to market prescription drugs that do such an effective job of suppressing cravings for opiates and alcohol that they may become a “silver bullet” to the problem. If those prescription drugs become such a solution, that would save the country about $300 billion in incarceration, police and court costs, Foster said.
Finally, Foster also supports expanded use of unmanned drones for combat missions. He said the cost of the next generation of manned fighter planes will be about $1.4 trillion per plane. Drones would only be a fraction of that cost, Foster said. However, intense thought must be given to the rules and scenarios where drones should be employed before such an expansion occurs, he added. There is a danger in war becoming too much like a video game, Foster said.
“We now sit wherever the controls are, and we take out the individuals without a trial, without anything,” Foster said. “They are just dead. What will happen when our adversaries get that exact same technology? It is very important that you have very clearly understood rules. You can’t be making up rules on the fly. I want to see a very well prescribed legal regime before we start killing people in your names and in my name.”