ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 23, 1996 TAG: 9610230022
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
D - Democrat
R - Republican
L - Libertarian
VIP - Virginia Independent Party/Reform Party
What policy or policies do you advocate that will address Ferdie Tanner's concern about the deficit and his desire to see specific actions to get it under control?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``As a businessman, I agree that we need to get the deficit under control. That's why I support a balanced budget amendment. I also support real cuts from all parts of the budget - cuts in social programs like welfare, sensible changes in Medicare, reductions in unneeded defense spending on the B-2 bomber, and cuts in corporate subsidies, just to name a few examples.''
John Warner (R)
``Mr. Tanner has stated the issue very clearly and very correctly. That is why I support the balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, and why Congress must continue striving for a consensus on a balanced budget plan. Additionally, the president should aggressively use his new line-item veto authority.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``I favor a constitutional amendment that requires the budget to be balanced. As a co-sponsor of Virginia's balanced budget amendment, I have seen the discipline that such a requirement imposes. We should reach a balanced budget by cutting wasteful spending and rooting out fraud, including Medicare fraud, rather than raising taxes.''
George Landrith (R)
``Each person's share of the national debt is more than $20,000. For my wife and our five children, our share of the national debt is over $140,000. We don't have that kind of money. We need a balanced budget amendment. Mr. Tanner mentioned Medicare fraud and abuse. One way to save money would be to reward seniors for finding errors in their bills allowing them to keep 10-15 percent of the savings they find."
Tex Wood (VIP)
``Tanner is exactly right. Twenty cents of every tax dollar goes toward interest on the debt. Tanner and his daughter elected the jackasses who did this. The trade deficit has gutted our tax base; I'll change that, and I advocate a period of IRS amnesty to raise revenue: both substantive, practical moves."
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
``Mr. Tanner is exactly right - we've got to end these budget deficits that threaten our children's future. That's why I've voted for the balanced budget amendment and for the line-item veto which goes into effect on Jan. 1. I also voted for the first actual balanced budget to pass Congress in over a decade. The Medicare Preservation Act which I supported focuses on ending Medicare fraud and rewards citizens who expose these abuses.''
Jeff Grey (D)
``I plan to install in my congressional office a 1-800 telephone hot line for the purpose of reporting Medicare waste, fraud and abuse. Every department, bureau and agency should be evaluated for waste, fraud and abuse. Corporate welfare and tax breaks that encourage our companies to move out of the country should end.''
Jay Rutledge (L)
``Debt will increase to $6 trillion in the infamous, bi-partisan, seven-year plan. A 'balanced budget' will occur only if $108 billion more of Social Security funds are spent in the seventh year. Auctioning federal property to eliminate the debt and repealing the income tax to stop the borrowing is the practical, libertarian answer to Ferdie's concerns. He can find the details in 'Why Government Doesn't Work,' by Harry Browne, Libertarian presidential candidate.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``As a result of the deficit reduction legislation passed in 1993, the annual deficit has been reduced by 60 percent from 1993 levels. The deficit at that level is only 1.7 percent of our gross domestic product, the lowest percentage in the industrialized world. Our next objective should be to balance the budget within the next six years, and I support that goal.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``Wasteful government spending is out of control. My opponent voted to increase federal spending by $130 billion this year and was rated as the second highest spender in Congress by the National Taxpayers Union. Unlike my opponent, I will support the balanced budget amendment and attack wasteful government spending.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``Develop a detailed blueprint to balance the budget. Eliminate the practice of keeping some programs off-budget. Pass the balanced budget amendment. Create an annual financial report in plain language so the American people will know whether or not we are following the plan to balance the budget.''
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB