02
Nov
2000
What are the three most pressing issues likely to face your government body during your term, and what specifically would you support to address them?
Evans: I would use the budget surplus to ensure the future of Social Security and Medicare, as well as provide a prescription-drug benefit under Medicare. I would invest funding to provide 100,000 new teachers and modernize crumbling schools. And I support a Patient's Bill of Rights that holds HMOs accountable for their mistakes.
Differentiate yourself from your opponent(s) on three issues you think are important that you also expect your governmental body to consider during your term.
Evans: I support a Patient's Bill of Rights that guarantees affordable, quality health care. My opponent favors legislation that would not hold HMOs accountable for their mistakes. I support guaranteeing the future of Social Security and Medicare and paying down the nation debt by using the budget surplus. My opponent would squander the surplus on a tax cut to the wealthy.
List three specific programs or projects for which you would support increasing funding, even if it required reducing funding to other programs or projects.
Evans: I support budget increases that will provide 100,000 more teachers in classrooms so our children receive a quality education. Homelessness among veterans is a tragedy. I just introduced the Heather French Homeless Veterans Assistance Act, legislation honoring the commitment Miss America has brought to this problem by expanding successful grant programs and empowering veterans at risk for homelessness. Our Army arsenals need to be preserved. I support additional funding to offset overhead costs due to underutilization.
List three specific programs or projects for which you would support decreasing funding, regardless of whether the budget required it.
Evans: I would cut money for the F-22 fighter plane and the Seawolf submarine, weapons that were designed for the Cold War and not tomorrow's defense needs. I would also cut funding for the international space station. I believe that we just have too many domestic priorities that are underfunded.
If it were clear that a large majority of people in your district opposed a proposal that you strongly favored, what decision would you make and how would you justify it to your constituents?
Evans: I believe that politicians are elected to make the best possible decisions in the interest of both the district and the nation. I believe that carefully and candidly outlining your positions on issues in an up-front manner is the best way to develop an understanding of the role of government in meeting local needs while balancing national priorities.
What specific proposals would you support to bring genuine economic growth - new jobs that pay well, companies committed to the community - to the Quad Cities?
Evans: I successfully fought for legislation in this year's defense-spending bill to allow private companies to use unutilized space at the Rock Island Arsenal. This proposal should help bring highly skilled manufacturing jobs to the Quad Cities area.
List specific proposals that would improve cooperation and reduce competition among government bodies in the Quad City area.
Evans: I believe that maintaining a strong partnership between local community leaders and elected officials is the best way to foster cooperation among government bodies in the Quad City area. The relationship between the Quad-City Development Group and the bi-state, bipartisan Quad City Congressional delegation is a good example of this.
List any specific proposals you would support to improve the integrity of your legislative body, including in the areas of campaign-finance reform, lobbying reform, sunshine laws, and ethics legislation.
Evans: I am a proud co-sponsor of the Shays-Meehan Bipartisan Campaign-finance Reform Act, which would ban the use of "soft money," improve disclosure and enforcement of current financing laws, and establish a reform commission. I also support voluntary spending limits and limits on funding that a candidate could receive from Political Action Committees.
List and justify your top five legislative priorities.
Evans: Candidate did not answer this question. In the wake of welfare reform, what specific initiatives would you support to address poverty, including in the areas of affordable housing; transportation; education and job-training; and access to health and child care?
Evans: Candidate did not answer this question.
Differentiate yourself from your opponent(s) on three issues you think are important that you also expect your governmental body to consider during your term.
Evans: I support a Patient's Bill of Rights that guarantees affordable, quality health care. My opponent favors legislation that would not hold HMOs accountable for their mistakes. I support guaranteeing the future of Social Security and Medicare and paying down the nation debt by using the budget surplus. My opponent would squander the surplus on a tax cut to the wealthy.
List three specific programs or projects for which you would support increasing funding, even if it required reducing funding to other programs or projects.
Evans: I support budget increases that will provide 100,000 more teachers in classrooms so our children receive a quality education. Homelessness among veterans is a tragedy. I just introduced the Heather French Homeless Veterans Assistance Act, legislation honoring the commitment Miss America has brought to this problem by expanding successful grant programs and empowering veterans at risk for homelessness. Our Army arsenals need to be preserved. I support additional funding to offset overhead costs due to underutilization.
List three specific programs or projects for which you would support decreasing funding, regardless of whether the budget required it.
Evans: I would cut money for the F-22 fighter plane and the Seawolf submarine, weapons that were designed for the Cold War and not tomorrow's defense needs. I would also cut funding for the international space station. I believe that we just have too many domestic priorities that are underfunded.
If it were clear that a large majority of people in your district opposed a proposal that you strongly favored, what decision would you make and how would you justify it to your constituents?
Evans: I believe that politicians are elected to make the best possible decisions in the interest of both the district and the nation. I believe that carefully and candidly outlining your positions on issues in an up-front manner is the best way to develop an understanding of the role of government in meeting local needs while balancing national priorities.
What specific proposals would you support to bring genuine economic growth - new jobs that pay well, companies committed to the community - to the Quad Cities?
Evans: I successfully fought for legislation in this year's defense-spending bill to allow private companies to use unutilized space at the Rock Island Arsenal. This proposal should help bring highly skilled manufacturing jobs to the Quad Cities area.
List specific proposals that would improve cooperation and reduce competition among government bodies in the Quad City area.
Evans: I believe that maintaining a strong partnership between local community leaders and elected officials is the best way to foster cooperation among government bodies in the Quad City area. The relationship between the Quad-City Development Group and the bi-state, bipartisan Quad City Congressional delegation is a good example of this.
List any specific proposals you would support to improve the integrity of your legislative body, including in the areas of campaign-finance reform, lobbying reform, sunshine laws, and ethics legislation.
Evans: I am a proud co-sponsor of the Shays-Meehan Bipartisan Campaign-finance Reform Act, which would ban the use of "soft money," improve disclosure and enforcement of current financing laws, and establish a reform commission. I also support voluntary spending limits and limits on funding that a candidate could receive from Political Action Committees.
List and justify your top five legislative priorities.
Evans: Candidate did not answer this question. In the wake of welfare reform, what specific initiatives would you support to address poverty, including in the areas of affordable housing; transportation; education and job-training; and access to health and child care?
Evans: Candidate did not answer this question.
