Candidate questionnaire - Marge Krupp

Published on: 10/31/2008

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sent a questionnaire to candidates for the state assembly. Their answers will be used by the editorial board when it decides which candidates to endorse for the Nov. 4 election.

To read other candidates' responses, click here.

The financial rescue plan just approved by Congress will provide $700 billion to buy bad debt from troubled firms. Does this fix the problem? What has to come next to stabilize financial markets? Hereafter, what should the government’s role be in helping the private sector and consumers during these tough economic times?

No, I believe, that this, like the Bush tax cuts, and the most recent economic stimulus program, the bailout of Wall Street has done far too little to improve and strengthen our economy or our government’s finances. Both Wall Street and Main Street would both be strengthened and confident in the future if long term protections were included in the bailout plan. Furthermore this plan has, I believe, further widened the gap between the haves and the have-nots. What we need is a rescue plan that provides safeguards for the working class of people that rely on credit more than the corporations that made risky, and unsound financial decisions. In the future, we must have more oversight on how money is loaned and on what terms. A large part of the reason this happened was there was no supervision in how these loans were made and to whom and with what qualifications. 

Your views please on Congress’ role in the financial crisis? Why do you think the crisis occurred?

The role of Congress in this crisis is to represent the interests of the people of the United States, something that the current Congress has not done. The $820 billion bailout package has no guarantees for those that get left behind a lot in Washington politics, the middle-class. The crisis has been the result of the last 8 years of deregulation of the financial industries and the dangerous securitization of minor assets, such as car loans and home mortgages.   The securitization of minor assets which is at the core of the crisis, is allowed to continue unfettered.  Congress must fund enforcement of current regulations with a portion of this plan and create safeguards against something like this happening again.

What do you view as the most important issue in your district that Congress can address? How should Congress respond to the problem?

Jobs and job creation maybe the singular most important issue of this campaign. We must fight for job protection in our international trade agreements while staying in the global market place. I will vote to give our labor unions a fighting chance with the ability to organize as they see fit, not as the corporations see fit. We must provide for job training for displaced workers, and provide more funding for the next generation of workers in our nation’s schools.

Should President Bush’s tax cuts be extended?

Absolutely not. From a position of fiscal responsibility, the Bush tax cuts, which ultimately benefited the top 2% of wage earners, have been an abysmal failure. The policy that many experts derided would have such a detrimental impact on our economy has come true. When in Congress I will work to end these high end tax cuts and provide responsible middle-class tax relief.

There is said to be looming a crisis involving paying for entitlement programs – Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Do you believe such a crisis is indeed looming and, if so, how should Congress address it?

The anxiety over entitlement programs has been greatly exaggerated. The overblown reports about the solvency of these programs have led to the suggestion by some to rid ourselves of these socio-economic safeguards all together, or eliminate their effectiveness. I believe this is a mistake. A program like Social Security was meant to capture 90% of the wages earned when it was revised in 1983 to provide for the retirements of the Baby Boomers.  Today Social Security captures less than 80%.  And by putting the middle class back to work with family supporting jobs more money will be invested in both Social Security.  Medicare must be able to negotiate the cost of their prescription drugs like the Veterans Administration does.

The health care plans offered by presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama differ starkly, with the GOP nominee offering a $2,500 refundable tax credit ($5,000 for families) and the Democratic nominee proposing mandatory coverage for children. Which of their proposals comes closest to your idea of health care reform, if you believe reform is needed at all? What do you believe the elements of effective health care reform would be?

My proposal is more closely aligned with Senator Obama’s. However, I propose a two step process in achieving the ends of providing for affordable, quality healthcare to all American’s. First we must reign in the insurance industry.  We must require health insurance companies be required to take their fair share of customers with pre-existing conditions.  Also all policies sold must cover basic needs such as major medical and catastrophic care.  Then can we move to provide access to the same coverage all federal employees enjoy or let people keep the policies they already have.

Do you believe climate change is real? Do you believe that man is substantively contributing to the problem? How would you deal with the problem? Do you, for instance, favor an emissions cap-and-trade as many have proposed?

Yes, the overwhelming majority in the related scientific community knows global climate change has already begun. I propose the fast-tracking of reliable, green alternative energy and energy production funded by ending the tax cuts for oil companies.  Yes, I favor a cap-and-trade system for emissions.

What other elements would you propose as necessary in national energy legislation? Do you favor drilling in the outer continental shelf? How would you wean the nation from fossil fuels?

I propose a truly responsible energy policy for the United States. One that uses the remaining resources that we have in the country, such as limited drilling and exploration here in the U.S., and also plans for what we need for the future, such as the use of natural gas, cellulosic biofuels, geothermal, wind, and solar powers.

In 2006, Sens. John McCain and Edward Kennedy authored an immigration reform bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing background checks. The bill also included a guest worker program and, secondarily, enhanced border enforcement. Would you have voted for this bill (did you)? Why or why not?

I would not have voted for that bill in that form. I am firmly against the creation and implementation of a “guest worker” program for immigrants entering the country. Any program like this is tantamount to indentured servitude, keeping those that are able to work, and by either artificial deadline or inability to perform, deporting them when their economic usefulness is gone.

Do you favor a flexible withdrawal for U.S. troops from Iraq? Why or why not?

Yes, I emphatically support a responsible withdrawal of our troops from Iraq using a timeline method.

If Congress were to undertake legislation intended to help U.S. manufacturing, what would the elements of this be?

First, we must correct our international trade policies that undercut and ultimately eliminate American jobs by allowing other countries to produce unlimited emissions and not provide basic safety for their workers. We need to provide for safeguards for American workers in these policies. We need to place a greater emphasis on technical education to allow displaced workers to go to school and retrain for the workforce. We must also invest in green technology jobs that are non-exportable.   

The Great Lakes have an invasive species problem and also face an array of other environmental challenges. How would you best protect the lakes?

My experience a chemical engineer has shown that we need to at least provide for renewed enforcement of EPA standards with pre-2000 funding levels. Over the course of the past presidential administration, the EPA’s budget and enforcement capabilities have been drastically reduced and that has had a detrimental impact on our environment and quality of life.

Are you a free trader? What role should worker and environmental protections play in trade agreements with other nations? Sen. Obama has proposed opening up NAFTA for renegotiation. Would you favor that?

I am a capitalist and a fair-trade advocate. I propose renegotiating NAFTA and some of our other international trade agreements, not only to provide for worker protection in other countries, but most importantly for American workers. We must have tighter environmental protections in these agreements in addition to tougher worker protection standards.

Would you change No Child Left Behind? If so, how? Your views on choice schools?

I propose a complete overhaul of the policies of NCLB, as it has been an albatross around the necks of schools, teachers, and students. Any measure like NCLB must be fully funded and provide failing schools with a greater safety net . I am strongly against school vouchers.  I believe that public money should stay in public schools.  The quality of a child's education should not be a function of their zip code.  I believe the very foundation of a democracy depends on high quality public education for all. 

What should the federal role be in building and maintaining transportation infrastructure and in transit and rail? Would this role include help for states to build high-speed rail?

Our transportation infrastructure is crumbling, particularly with rail transportation. In Congress, I would call for an improvement and expansion of rail and automobile transit infrastructure. That call for improvement would come with an emphasis on examining and improving our nation’s bridges and expanding the woefully under-funded national rail transit system to provide high-speed rail transportation in all 50 states. 

Your view on abortion and Roe v. Wade:

I strongly advocate for a women’s reproductive decision to be a choice that is left to the women, her doctor, and her God, and no one else.

Your view on federal support for stem-cell research:

I support funding all types of stem-cell research in the United States. And when in Congress I will place only reasonable restrictions on the researchers. I strongly believe in the potential for this technological advancement to grow and improve the length and quality of lives for millions of Americans.

What differentiates you from your opponent?

I am often asked on the campaign trail how I will vote on a particular issue when in Congress.  My reply has been, think what would George Bush and Paul Ryan support and vote for vote the opposite way.  I'll be correct the vast majority of the time.