Email interview on 2004 Senate race with OnTheIssues.org

EXPLANATORY NOTE by OnTheIssues.org:

We at OnTheIssues.org ask all candidates for answers to our 20 questions in our VoteMatch quiz. The following Senate candidates have responded in detail. Responding to press inquiries like ours shows a level of openness that augurs well for the candidate in office, regardless of party affiliation.

Almost always, the incumbent ignores our requests, indicating that they don't want their constituents to know their issue stances. We track their voting records accordingly, and infer their VoteMatch responses based on those. We also collect up public statements and book excerpts, and include those in our VoteMatch quiz results as well.

Below are the responses from this year's candidates.

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Richard Randall: Supports embryonic stem-cell research in private sector.     Richard Randall: Opposes federal funding for all research including stem-cell.

Budget & Economy     Raul Acosta: Budget deficit funds military industrial complex.     Allen Buckley: Issue T-bills to pay off long-term US debt.     Allen Buckley: Balanced budget except in emergencies (not War on Terror).

Civil Rights     Richard Randall: No affirmative action but no legalized discrimination either.     Richard Randall: Require equal treatment for minorities in government hiring.     Raul Acosta: Require percentage of minority workers no gov’t contracts.     Allen Buckley: Let companies hire whomever they desire.

Corporations     Allen Buckley: Strengthen IRS’ tax shelter rules.     Allen Buckley: Make it tougher to file bankruptcy.

Crime     Richard Randall: Opposes death penalty because guilt is never unequivocal.     Richard Randall: Mandatory minimums violate sentencing proportional to crime.     Raul Acosta: Against the death penalty.     Raul Acosta: Life isn’t baseball-no Three Strikes laws.     Allen Buckley: Death penalty acceptable in appropriate circumstances.     Allen Buckley: Supports “Three Strikes” sentencing laws.

Drugs     Richard Randall: Three strikes law is worst in drug cases.     Raul Acosta: Drug use is a cultural problem.     Raul Acosta: Jails filled with victims of drug use.     Allen Buckley: Decriminalize marijuana for adults, like alcohol.

Education     Raul Acosta: School prayer is free speech.     Raul Acosta: Supports vouchers and charter schools.     Allen Buckley: Against vouchers but for local control.     Allen Buckley: Allow moment of silence in public schools.     Allen Buckley: Test scores have not improved despite federal intervention.

Energy & Oil     Richard Randall: No tax incentives for alternative energy (or anything else).     Richard Randall: Don’t drill ANWR-privatize it instead.     Raul Acosta: Don’t sign Kyoto Protocol, but don’t drill ANWR.     Allen Buckley: Convert from gasoline vehicles to hydrogen or other fuel.

Environment     Allen Buckley: Favors a strong federal EPA.

Families & Children     Raul Acosta: Families are the building block of the nation.

Foreign Policy     Richard Randall: Let people decide if human rights matter on China trade.     Raul Acosta: Pressure China on human rights.     Raul Acosta: Continue foreign aid to Russia & Israel.     Raul Acosta: We are part of the global community.     Allen Buckley: Stay neutral on Israel-Palestine absent invasion of Israel.

Free Trade     Richard Randall: NAFTA and GATT are not free trade.     Raul Acosta: Unsure on NAFTA.     Allen Buckley: Against linking trade to human rights.     Allen Buckley: Tariff on Chinese imports until they detach yuan from dollar.     Allen Buckley: Generally for free trade.

Government Reform     Allen Buckley: Downsize government; cut salaries by 10% for bonus pool.     Allen Buckley: Run each agency like a business.

Gun Control     Raul Acosta: Supports 2nd Amendment rights.     Allen Buckley: Supports the Second Amendment.

Health Care     Allen Buckley: National referendum on tax increase vs. Medicare cuts.     Allen Buckley: No federally-run health care.     Allen Buckley: Above-the-line tax deductions for health costs.

Homeland Security     Raul Acosta: Increase military pay to keep army voluntary.     Raul Acosta: Keep missile defense development for now.     Raul Acosta: Decrease military spending & refocus on new tech.     Allen Buckley: Spend as much as is necessary to get military job done.     Allen Buckley: Strive for best military in world.     Allen Buckley: Spend no more and no less than necessary on military.     Allen Buckley: Fight terrorism primarily through espionage.

Immigration     Allen Buckley: Implement a reasonable policy and enforce it.

Jobs     Allen Buckley: Deductions for foreign labor only to balance foreign sales.     Allen Buckley: Allow lower minimum wage for manufacturer profit-sharing.     Allen Buckley: Reduce manufacturing minimum wage & use it to increase EITC.

Principles & Values     Allen Buckley: Government out of religion, and religion out of government.

Social Security     Raul Acosta: Supports privatization as self-directed investing.     Allen Buckley: Matching accounts for people born after 1985.     Allen Buckley: Privatization of Social Security is impractical.     Allen Buckley: Invest annual surpluses via professional asset managers.

Tax Reform     Allen Buckley: Simplify the system for individuals.     Allen Buckley: 10/x/39 system balances the budget.

Technology     Raul Acosta: Establish KIDNET: a safe place for kids on Internet.     Allen Buckley: Supports a solid infrastructure.

War & Peace     Raul Acosta: Iraq war was wrong; pull out ASAP.     Raul Acosta: Iraqi oil to US to pay for war costs, with Iraqi approval.     Allen Buckley: Stay the course in Iraq now that we’re there.

Welfare & Poverty     Raul Acosta: Church-based welfare ok with government oversight.     Allen Buckley: No church-state connection, including welfare.     Allen Buckley: Remove all poor people from income taxation.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Allen Buckley Libertarian Senate challenger Georgia Raul Acosta 2004 former Republican Write-in Challenger Colorado Richard Randall 2004 former Libertarian Challenger Colorado