NAME: Thomas P. Love
OFFICE/DISTRICT: United States House of Representatives, Texas, District 24
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democratic Party
OPPONENT: Kenny Marchant
Education: BA College of Social & Behavioral Sciences -Government- UT Austin
Background: Financial Services Supervisor
Hobbies: Golf, Racquetball, Fishing, Boating
Family: Married 32 years to wife Marilyn, Daughter, 2 Step Sons, 2 Grandchildren
Pegasus: What drew you to run for office?
Love: When I see people losing their jobs, when I see people losing their homes, when I see people losing hope in the American Dream, I cannot help but feel repulsion towards what has been done to my home state and my country. I believe in the hopes outlined in our Constitution, and I believe in our need to have people who truly represent the People our Constitution has always protected. I want to help to bring back those hopes and dreams upon which our country was born from and our country should truly represent.
Pegasus: What are the platforms of your campaign?
Love: Economic solidity and security. We should never have been brought to the point of bailing out lending institutions. What caused our current problem should have been seen from the bail out of the Savings and Loans, by George Herbert Walker Bush. Bad mortgage loans brought the Savings and Loans and the current crisis to a head. There was a belief that no regulations over such loans should be followed. Clearly, we should have learned from the past, and is emphasized by the present -- minimum regulations are needed. By "minimum" I do not mean the least amount of regulations. I mean there should be floor of minimum requirements for such loans, and those minimum levels should be watched carefully. The failure of such has brought us to the point that even the Wall Street Journal calls as almost as desperate as what precipitated the Great Depression. To do less is irresponsible.
Health Care. With over 47 million people without any insurance, and with over 50 million more people with less than minimal health care coverage, and with America ranking at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations in health care, there is a major problem. Every American deserves the right to necessary health care, whether it be medical procedures or necessary prescriptions. To do less is immoral.
Energy independence. We have the current technology to make America free from oil imports. Why have our Representatives not enforced such items as increased miles per hour for new vehicles? Why have our representatives not supported alternative energy resources which are both clean and renewable? We should leave our country free of debt to other countries. To do less is bad stewardship.
Public Education. We need to teach our children how to use data, rather than just regurgitate data without comprehension. No Child Left Behind demands all school children regurgitate data. We need to return our public schools to the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic -- with comprehension. To do less is to betray the hopes of our parents, the dreams of our children. To do less is immoral.
There are numerous other areas that need to be addressed. Please feel free to go to my web-site to see my ideas about these. www.tomlovefortexas .com
Pegasus: What are the concerns of the people in your community that you represent?
Love:The major concern of the working people of my community is that they want job security, the realistic potential to own their own homes, the education of their children that will make them competitive, and that a major health care problem will not make them lose everything.
Pegasus: What are the sources of conflict in your election contest?
Love: Conflict denotes response from two sides. My opponent will not debate me on any issue since he knows that his record of rubber stamping anything George W. Bush and Carl Rove concoct can not stand the test of day light. But he cannot hide within the shadows from the voters. He may have the money, but I have the truth.
Pegasus: How do you differ from your opponent?
Love: I do not have a multi-million dollar campaign war chest. I have to believe that the truth will set us all free. I believe that voters will see through flowery rhetoric the emptiness of campaign slogans promised then forgotten once the election is over. I believe, growing up in east Texas, that the value of a person is the truth of his word.
Pegasus: Do you have a favorite Presidential candidate?
Love: My selection is Barack Obama. And my prayers are with him.
Pegasus: How do you feel about the following newsy issues from the area?
*Convention center hotel.
Love: This is a local issue. Dallas residents. However, I do not approve of the local government operating an operation that private corporations already cover.
*Switching freeways from free to toll-based.
Love: If the revenues go back to the maintenance of freeways, then maybe. Each case should be considered singularly. If the revenues go to a private corporation -- never. Public funds built the freeways, and that should mean the revenues should go back to the public.
*HOV lanes
Love:Past due. New highway constructions should incorporate such when possible.
*DART rail
Love: I am for public transportation. Such would be a better expenditure of Federal funds than many others currently employed.
*Barnett Shell drilling
Love: The current limits of 300 to 600 feet between the gas well and existing structures (like day care center and schools) seem far too short. Also the current technology of only being able to recover 70 % of the water used to "frac" a well is not acceptable in a region prone to draught. The issue needs to be revisited.
*Cell phone use in cars
Love: Accident statistics show that cell phone use and driving while intoxicated are roughly comparable. I would prefer for local governmental entities to handle this issue since they will be charged enforcement.
*Open internet access in Public Libraries
Love: The crucial term is "Public." We need for now filters that allow adults to research such topics as they desire, for example "breast cancer" rather than filters that would exclude sites that contain the word "breast." Ultimately, "Adult Only" sites should be tagged with a suffix address, such as Dot Adult.
*"Green" buildings
Love: How nice it would be to believe that the current Cowboy Stadium being built in Arlington would be 100 % "green."! Concrete from kilns that are pollution free would be a health benefit to all of North Texas. However, such has not been the truth. I would propose that all public buildings be as "green" as possible, or they would not receive any Federal funds.
Pegasus: How do you feel about the following national issues:
*War in Iraq
Love: We should never have gone into Iraq under the spurious arguments offered by the Bush White House; however, we find ourselves involved within a sectarian conflict there. First, we need to return our National Guard home. Then we need to make the current elected Iraqi officials understand there is no free lunch. They either get up and do what is necessary -- like providing for their own police and military forces -- or they suffer the consequences.
*Immigration
Love: We must first understand one fundamental principle. All of us are immigrants. Either our ancestors or we came here for freedom. We came for freedom from debt or oppression. We came for freedom from religious persecution or economic enslavement. Those who have come illegally should have to pay a price. A fine would be acceptable, since such is used for other offenses against the law. Yet those undocumented refugees who have established themselves within our culture, by either forming family units or creating businesses, should be given a second chance. They should have a possible pathway to full citizenship.
*Energy sources (oil vs. wind or solar)
Love: Texas could become a member of OPEC with its solar energy capacity alone. Add to that the potential of wind and bio-mass, and Texas could perhaps lead the world as an energy exporter. What amazes me is how reticent Texas has been to fulfill its rightful destiny in these areas. We definitely need a change.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
League of Women Voters 2008 candidate survey
LWV: Please describe the training and experience that qualify you for this office.
Love: I am a UT Alumnus with a BA in Government. As a Small Business owner, a Social Services Worker with the State of Texas, and as a Financial Services Supervisor, I have experienced firsthand the problems and difficulties of Texans who struggle to maintain their lifestyle and raise their children, in uncertain times.
LWV: What reforms would you propose to the U.S. healthcare system to control costs, improve the quality of care and expand access to healthcare to uninsured Americans?
Love: Washington should take the initiative in health care providing and management. We need a health insurance exchange available to all citizens, from which payments are made to health care providers at uniform rates negotiated annually. Rates should be based upon the ability to pay and could include co-payments as an incentive to avoid over-utilization by some individuals. Further, the statute not allowing American pharmaceutical companies from recovering research and development costs from sells abroad should be annulled.
LWV: Do you support a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq?
Love: America needs a flexible timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, based upon the stability of the government and the security of the people. However, Iraq must understand that such a timetable will have limits and punitive measures to help insure forward progress. The proposal of 16 months maximum seems reasonable, and direct funding to the Iraqi government should be immediately curtailed. Humanitarian and reconstruction funds should be handled by internationally recognized charities.
LWV: How do you propose to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S., while also meeting the increased need of American agriculture and small business for workers?
Love: We should enforce stronger penalties against employers who hire undocumented workers. We should have temporary work visas for seasonal workers. Those who entered this country and who have broken laws since being here should be deported. Those who entered clandestinely but have established themselves as responsible workers should have a path toward integration within the society, but should be fined for having broken the law. Each case would need to be handled individually.
LWV: The U.S. Highway Trust Fund is expected to go into deficit next year. Congress is reluctant to raise the federal gas tax. How should America pay for its massive infrastructure needs related to roads and bridges?
Love: The invasion of Iraq could have paid for the necessary refurbishing of our highways and bridges. Now we must demand a surcharge tax to be levied upon the petrochemical industries and their massive windfall profits. Additionally, we must begin to redistribute funds from a massively swelled military machine sent abroad to cover our needs domestically. The growth of tax revenues from an improved transportation infrastructure could recover all needed funds for improvements in time.
LWV: What source do you think represents the greatest opportunity to achieve energy independence? How can the federal government best advance its development?
Love: America cannot depend upon a single source of energy, we need to develop all renewable sources. We need to simultaneously decrease inefficiency in using energy. Our CAFÉ standards should equal those of Europe and Japan, making American automobiles more competitive. We need to improve storage of energy, like battery technology, making electric vehicles practical. Dependence upon fossil fuels must eventually end, so we need a wide variety of new sources integrated into a whole.
LWV: What other issue do you believe will be most pressing in the next session of Congress, and what is your position on this issue?
Love: The evolving Mortgage Crisis might be the hardest problem for Congress to tackle. Responsible lending practices must be legislated and enforced, not allowing the continuance of predatory lending practices. Full transparency of loan details should be mandatory, including responsible projections of true costs and penalties. Minimum requirements for securing loans must be maintained.
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thomasplove Anonymous
Questionnaire for Pegasus News
NAME: Thomas P. Love OFFICE/DISTRICT: United States House of Representatives, Texas, District 24 POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democratic Party OPPONENT: Kenny Marchant
Education: BA College of Social & Behavioral Sciences -Government- UT Austin Background:Financia l Services Supervisor Hobbies:Golf, Racquetball, Fishing, Boating Family:Married 32 years to wife Marilyn, Daughter, 2 Step Sons, 3 Grandchildren
What drew you to run for office? When I see people losing their jobs, when I see people losing their homes, when I see people losing hope in the American Dream, I cannot help but feel repulsion towards what has been done to my home state and my country. I believe in the hopes outlined in our Constitution, and I believe in our need to have people who truly represent the People our Constitution has always protected. I want to help to bring back those hopes and dreams upon which our country was born from and our country should truly represent.
What are the platforms of your campaign?
Economic solidity and security. We should never have been brought to the point of bailing out lending institutions. What caused our current problem should have been seen from the bail out of the Savings and Loans, by George Herbert Walker Bush. Bad mortgage loans brought the Savings and Loans and the current crisis to a head. There was a belief that no regulations over such loans should be followed. Clearly, we should have learned from the past, and is emphasized by the present -- minimum regulations are needed. By "minimum" I do not mean the least amount of regulations. I mean there should be floor of minimum requirements for such loans, and those minimum levels should be watched carefully. The failure of such has brought us to the point that even the Wall Street Journal calls as almost as desperate as what precipitated the Great Depression. To do less is irresponsible.
Health Care. With over 45 million people without any insurance, and with over 45 million more people with less than minimal health care coverage, and with America ranking at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations in health care, there is a major problem. Every American deserves the right to necessary health care, whether it be medical procedures or necessary prescriptions. To do less is immoral.
Energy independence. We have the current technology to make America free from oil imports. Why have our Representatives not enforced such items as increased miles per hour for new vehicles? Why have our representatives not supported alternative energy resources which are both clean and renewable? We should leave our country free of debt to other countries. To do less is bad stewardship.
Public Education. We need to teach our children how to use data, rather than just regurgitate data without comprehension. No Child Left Behind demands all school children regurgitate data. We need to return our public schools to the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic -- with comprehension. To do less is to betray the hopes of our parents, the dreams of our children. To do less is immoral.
There are numerous other areas that need to be addressed. Please feel free to go to my web-site to see my ideas about these. http://www.tomlovef ortexas.com
What are the concerns of the people in your community that you represent? The major concern of the working people of my community is that they want job security, the realistic potential to own their own homes, the education of their children that will make them competitive, and that a major health care problem will not make them lose everything.
What are the sources of conflict in your election contest? Conflict denotes response from two sides. My opponent will not debate me on any issue since he knows that his record of rubber stamping anything George W. Bush and Carl Rove concoct can not stand the test of day light. But he cannot hide within the shadows from the voters. He may have the money, but I have the truth.
How do you differ from your opponent? I do not have a multi-million dollar campaign war chest. I have to believe that the truth will set us all free. I believe that voters will see through flowery rhetoric the emptiness of campaign slogans promised then forgotten once the election is over. I believe, growing up in east Texas, that the value of a person is the truth of his word.
Do you have a favorite Presidential candidate? My selection is Barack Obama. And my prayers are with him.
How do you feel about the following newsy issues from the area? Convention center hotel. This is a local issue. Dallas residents. However, I do not approve of the local government operating an operation that private corporations already cover.
Switching freeways from free to toll-based. If the revenues go back to the maintenance of freeways, then maybe. Each case should be considered singularly. If the revenues go to a private corporation -- never. Public funds built the freeways, and that should mean the revenues should go back to the public.
HOV lanes -- Past due. New highway constructions should incorporate such when possible.
DART rail -- I am for public transportation. Such would be a better expenditure of Federal funds than many others currently employed.
Barnett Shell drilling -- The current limits of 300 to 600 feet between the gas well and existing structures (like day care center and schools) seem far too short. Also the current technology of only being able to recover 70 % of the water used to "frac" a well is not acceptable in a region prone to draught. The issue needs to be revisited.
Cell phone use in cars -- Accident statistics show that cell phone use and driving while intoxicated are roughly comparable. I would prefer for local governmental entities to handle this issue since they will be charged enforcement.
Open internet access in Public Libraries -- The crucial term is "Public." We need for now filters that allow adults to research such topics as they desire, for example "breast cancer" rather than filters that would exclude sites that contain the word "breast." Ultimately, "Adult Only" sites should be tagged with a suffix address, such as Dot Adult.
"Green" buildings -- How nice it would be to believe that the current Cowboy Stadium being built in Arlington would be 100 % "green."! Concrete from kilns that are pollution free would be a health benefit to all of North Texas. However, such has not been the truth. I would propose that all public buildings be as "green" as possible, or they would not receive any Federal funds.
How do you feel about the following national issues: War in Iraq -- We should never have gone into Iraq under the spurious arguments offered by the Bush White House; however, we find ourselves involved within a sectarian conflict there. First, we need to return our National Guard home. Then we need to make the current elected Iraqi officials understand there is no free lunch. They either get up and do what is necessary -- like providing for their own police and military forces -- or they suffer the consequences.
Immigration -- We must first understand one fundamental principle. All of us are immigrants. Either our ancestors or we came here for freedom. We came for freedom from debt or oppression. We came for freedom from religious persecution or economic enslavement. Those who have come illegally should have to pay a price. A fine would be acceptable, since such is used for other offenses against the law. Yet those undocumented refugees who have established themselves within our culture, by either forming family units or creating businesses, should be given a second chance. They should have a possible pathway to full citizenship.
Energy sources (oil vs. wind or solar) -- Texas could become a member of OPEC with its solar energy capacity alone. Add to that the potential of wind and bio-mass, and Texas could perhaps lead the world as an energy exporter. What amazes me is how reticent Texas has been to fulfill its rightful destiny in these areas. We definitely need a change. Tom Love Democratic Candidate for US Congress TX 24 http://www.TomLovef orTexas.com Ph#972-263-5630 Office Address:132 E Main St, Ste 110, Grand Prairie, TX 75050 Mailing Address:PO Box 7231,Arlington, TX 76005-7231
http://www.pegasusn ews.com/people/ tom-love/
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