Can't Candidates Answer the Question Asked?

In the Oct. 5 Viewpoints, Rep. Cheryl Bustos, D-East Moline, and challenger Bobby Schilling, a Colona Republican, were asked a simple question: "Can you offer 10 specific recommendations for tackling the nations economic problems?"

Neither did.

Mr. Schilling, rather than making the "10 specific recommendations," requested, wrote:
"The most important thing ... for a better economy (is) to end gridlock ... to elect ... Congress(men) ... totally focused on making a positive contribution.

"In 2010, I ran for Congress because I was deeply concerned. ...

"I refused to participate in the congressional pension.... I cut my budget by 11 percent. ...

"I fought against government shutdowns. My opponent had six opportunities to avoid last year's shutdown. ...

"It is very important for economic expansion to cut runaway government spending.
"In my two years in Congress we succeeded in spending fewer dollars. ...

"I ... worked in a bipartisan manner ... to maintain and grow ... the Rock Island Arsenal. We also worked together to replace the Interstate 74 bridge. ...


"Economic expansion (is) critical to ... sustain ... funding of essential government programs. ... we need to stop wasting so much of our budget on interest on the debt ....

"We need to fundamentally simplify our tax code to ... reward work, saving, investment, and job creation. ...

"We need tort reform to stop frivolous lawsuits. ...

"I have offered five ... modifications to Obamacare to lower health care costs and stop the parts of Obamacare that ... destroy thousands of jobs.

"We need a robust energy policy -- more domestic energy ... and ... ... incentives to produce ... renewable energy ... so we can become the leading exporter of renewable energy." This will lead, he said to prosperity in the decades to come.

So, did Mr. Schilling answer the question asked? Are these "10 specific recommendations?"

Perhaps on simplifying the tax code, modifying Obamacare and a robust energy policy.

And did Rep. Bustos make the "10 specific recommendations requested?" She wrote:

"1. I introduced the Government Waste Reduction Act ... that would save ... billions of dollars by eliminating duplicative services.

"2. The federal government currently pays billions of dollars to dead people... My ... Improper Payments Agency Cooperation Enhancement Act, which recently passed the Senate, will put an end to this ... wasteful spending. ...

"3. I'm a ... sponsor of the No Budget, No Pay Act.. .. We cannot solve our nation's fiscal problems on the backs of working families. Our nation's economy will be strongest when we have a ... thriving middle class....

"4. I support the Bring Jobs Home Act, which would give businesses a tax credit for creating jobs in America while ending tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs....

"5. I introduced the Access to Education and Training Act, which would allow students who receive Pell grants to take advantage of them year-round. ...

"6. I also support the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act to allow students to refinance their existing loans. ...

"7. When the president visited Galesburg, I successfully urged him to bring the nation's first-of-its-kind Digital Manufacturing Lab to Illinois....

"8. I also worked across the aisle with Sens. Durbin and Kirk ... to pass legislation to improve our nation's locks and dams using public-private partnerships.. ...

"9. I launched Partnering for Illinois' Economic Future with experts from the University of Illinois and other economic development, education and business leaders. ....

"10. I joined "No Labels," an organization made up of Democrats and Republicans ... united in the goal of breaking congressional gridlock....."

Like Mr. Schilling, Rep. Bustos didn't answer the question. Instead, she re-wrote the question to tell what she has done during her two years in Congress; how she has sponsored or introduced a bunch of bills. She doesn't say that any have become law. (One game representatives from both parties play is to sponsor or introduce bills with glorious sounding names to show constituents they are working diligently: e.g., "A Bill to Cure all Evils in the Known World." These bills never pass, and would be useless if they did.)

In one respect, however, Rep. Bustos answer was superior to Mr. Schillings: She demonstrated she can count to 10!

So what might the candidates have said? Here are four specific recommendations John F. Kennedy made:

1. No tax increases. They will not solve our deficits or our economic problems.
2. Full employment. It is the most important thing we can do to tackle the nations economic problems.
3. When more people work, the government collects more taxes.
4. If the government collects more taxes (and if it can avoid spending increases), it will have money to cut the deficit and fund existing programs.

Then the candidates might have added:

-- We need to get the work force participation rate well above 62.7 percent.
-- We need to repeal or amend laws that encourage owners to turn full-time jobs into part-time jobs, or to lay off employees.


Posted Online:  Oct. 17, 2014, 11:00 pm - Quad-Cities Online
by John Donald O'Shea

Copyright 2014
John Donald O'Shea